The Erstwhile Groom

Murder Short Story

by Laura Benedict

Gallowstree Press

February 2, 2021

Available in: e-Book

The Erstwhile Groom
by Laura Benedict

The Erstwhile Groom originally appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.

Observing Kurt as he lives his careful, uneventful 1950s life, you’d never guess that he’s a murderer. If the annoying young man who insists on marrying Kurt’s daughter, Mitzy, had known, things would’ve ended a lot differently.



Laura Benedict's Bio

Laura Benedict is the Edgar- and ITW Thriller Award- nominated author of eight novels of mystery and suspense, including The Stranger Inside (Publishers Weekly starred review), and the Bliss House gothic novels and stories. Her latest book is a compilation of her short fiction, When I Make Love to the Bug Man: Collected Stories. Her stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Strand Magazine, and in numerous anthologies. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, she lives in Southern Illinois with her family.