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Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons
Prepare for intrigue, suspense, and unforgettable twists in this groundbreaking anthology of queer crime fiction. In 2023, crime fiction anthologies featured 517 stories across 30 titles--but shockingly, fewer than 1 percent were penned by LGBTQ+ writers. Crime Ink: Iconic (An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Famous Queer Icons) is a resounding response to this glaring disparity, offering a vibrant collection of stories by and about queer authors and characters. Drawing inspiration from queer icons--James Baldwin, Oscar Wilde, Candy Darling, Radclyffe Hall, Babadook, Megan Rapinoe, Laverne Cox, Dolly Parton, Vita Sackville-West, and many more--these tales span the rich spectrum of crime fiction, from cozy mysteries and whodunits to noir, psychological thrillers, and police procedurals. Each story is a testament to the depth, ingenuity, and thrilling originality of queer voices in the genre. This anthology showcases an incredible array of talent, including New York Times Best Crime Novels of 2024 honorees Margot Douaihy, Robyn Gigl, John Copenhaver, and Katrina Carrasco; Lambda Literary winners Ann Aptaker, Greg Herren, Ann McMan, and J.M. Redmann; and other celebrated writers like Cheryl Head, Penny Mickelbury, Christa Faust, Jeffrey Marks, and Kelly J. Ford. But that's not all--this collection also includes many more decorated and emerging voices, ensuring a dynamic reading experience that is as inclusive as it is entertaining. With a foreword by Ellen Hart and an afterword by Katherine V. Forrest, two luminaries of queer crime fiction, this anthology is more than a collection of stories--it's a movement. Bursting with intrigue, twists, and unforgettable characters, Crime Ink: Iconic is essential reading for fans of crime fiction and anyone who craves representation in the stories they love.
329 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2025
8 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
John Copenhaver
12 books119 followersJohn Copenhaver is an award-winning author whose latest novel, Hall of Mirrors, was named a New York Times Crime Novel of the Year and won the Left Coast Crime Award for Best Historical Mystery. His earlier books include Dodging and Burning and The Savage Kind, which won the Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery. He co-edited Crime Ink: Iconic and serves on the board of International Thriller Writers. A founding member of Queer Crime Writers, he teaches at VCU and mentors in the University of Nebraska Omaha’s MFA program. He lives in Richmond, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 2, 2025
As soon as I heard this anthology was coming out I was excited to read it. What a much-needed anthology of queer-focused stories. John Coppenhaver and Salem West did an excellent job of compiling a roster that ranges from award-winning authors to seasoned writers to emerging writers. The result is an anthology that is rich and variable in tone and genre, while maintaining high-quality throughout. A particularly nice touch in this book is the inclusion by each author about why they selected the queer icon that inspired their story.
I enjoyed the entire collection of stories, but here are my standouts:
“Notes on How to Be Iconic:” by Marco Carocari
“Hollywood Prometheus” by Christa Faust
“Finding Jimmy Baldwin” by Cheryl Head
“Rhinestone” by Greg Herren
“Lipstick, Grenadine, or Blood” by Kristen Lepionka
“What Would Babadook Do?” by Stephanie Gayle
At a time when the LGBTQ community is under attack from all angles, led by our own government, this anthology is like a raised fist in resistance and dissent, while also being a celebration of the talented storytelling and diverse perspectives queer authors offer. This is a timely and important anthology, there is no doubt, and it is also a fun and thrilling read. Highly recommend.
I enjoyed the entire collection of stories, but here are my standouts:
“Notes on How to Be Iconic:” by Marco Carocari
“Hollywood Prometheus” by Christa Faust
“Finding Jimmy Baldwin” by Cheryl Head
“Rhinestone” by Greg Herren
“Lipstick, Grenadine, or Blood” by Kristen Lepionka
“What Would Babadook Do?” by Stephanie Gayle
At a time when the LGBTQ community is under attack from all angles, led by our own government, this anthology is like a raised fist in resistance and dissent, while also being a celebration of the talented storytelling and diverse perspectives queer authors offer. This is a timely and important anthology, there is no doubt, and it is also a fun and thrilling read. Highly recommend.
October 29, 2025
Every great crime anthology does more than deliver clever twists; it digs into what drives people to cross lines. Crime Ink: Iconic — An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, edited by John Copenhaver and Salem West, pushes that idea further, reimagining the genre through a distinctly queer lens. Each story draws inspiration from a historical or cultural queer icon and refracts that influence through crime fiction. Readers will appreciate the poetic wit of Oscar Wilde to the moral clarity of James Baldwin or the lonely repression of Tennessee Williams. The result is unified yet unpredictable: a chorus of distinct voices in conversation rather than a collage of separate tales.
What makes the anthology so compelling is its balance of cohesion and variety. The collection shifts effortlessly between noir, psychological suspense, whodunit, and speculative fiction, yet every story beats with the same pulse of tension and truth. Detectives, victims, lovers, and outsiders each take turns at the center, confronting risk and revelation in their own way. The pacing is tight and purposeful, favoring moral and emotional resonance over simple shock value. It’s more interested in why the crime matters than who committed it. The settings aren’t just backdrops; they serve as character, motive, and mood all at once. Together, these elements create something visceral and believable.
Beyond its stylistic range, Crime Ink stands out for its depth. The collection is memorable not for the crimes themselves but for what they reveal. The strongest stories dig beneath the surface, exploring why people cross lines, betray their better selves, or cling to impossible ideas of justice. Most significantly, they peer into the murky space between moral conviction and human frailty through the lens of the queer experience, touching on secrecy, defiance, survival, and the cost of authenticity. Some stories involve literal transgressions; others treat “crime” metaphorically, highlighting how society criminalizes those who don’t conform. In examining power and identity within systems that punish difference, the anthology moves beyond convention, becoming an exploration of what it means to live truthfully in a world that punishes truth.
Copenhaver and West’s editorial vision gives the anthology its cohesion and pulse. Acting as both conductors and detectives, they orchestrate tone, uncover connections, and shape the reader’s experience with precision. The prose across the collection is sharp and engaging, every story earning its place within a carefully crafted rhythm. Like a well-curated playlist, the arrangement builds mood and momentum, drawing readers from intrigue to emotional impact. Their introduction establishes the stakes, explaining why these stories matter and how they speak to one another. Their invisible touch keeps the flow effortless, guiding readers through a work that feels as much cultural archive as fiction.
Final remarks…
In the end, Crime Ink: Iconic isn’t just a collection of crime stories; it’s a bold statement about identity, resilience, and the power of storytelling. Each piece is its own small revelation, yet together they form something far greater. The anthology honors the genre’s traditions while reshaping them, proving that crime fiction can hold both mystery and meaning. And while the crimes inside these pages may be fictional, the truths they uncover are anything but. The writing hums with a pulse, one that remembers, resists, and refuses to be erased. It entertains even as it unsettles, illuminating the moral fault lines and human vulnerability that run through us all. I highly encourage readers to put this in their TBR pile.
Strengths…
Strong Characters, Distinctive Voices
Strong Unifying Thread
Emotional and Moral Depths available from…
Sharp Openings and Satisfying Endings
Atmosphere and Setting
Consistency and Curation
What makes the anthology so compelling is its balance of cohesion and variety. The collection shifts effortlessly between noir, psychological suspense, whodunit, and speculative fiction, yet every story beats with the same pulse of tension and truth. Detectives, victims, lovers, and outsiders each take turns at the center, confronting risk and revelation in their own way. The pacing is tight and purposeful, favoring moral and emotional resonance over simple shock value. It’s more interested in why the crime matters than who committed it. The settings aren’t just backdrops; they serve as character, motive, and mood all at once. Together, these elements create something visceral and believable.
Beyond its stylistic range, Crime Ink stands out for its depth. The collection is memorable not for the crimes themselves but for what they reveal. The strongest stories dig beneath the surface, exploring why people cross lines, betray their better selves, or cling to impossible ideas of justice. Most significantly, they peer into the murky space between moral conviction and human frailty through the lens of the queer experience, touching on secrecy, defiance, survival, and the cost of authenticity. Some stories involve literal transgressions; others treat “crime” metaphorically, highlighting how society criminalizes those who don’t conform. In examining power and identity within systems that punish difference, the anthology moves beyond convention, becoming an exploration of what it means to live truthfully in a world that punishes truth.
Copenhaver and West’s editorial vision gives the anthology its cohesion and pulse. Acting as both conductors and detectives, they orchestrate tone, uncover connections, and shape the reader’s experience with precision. The prose across the collection is sharp and engaging, every story earning its place within a carefully crafted rhythm. Like a well-curated playlist, the arrangement builds mood and momentum, drawing readers from intrigue to emotional impact. Their introduction establishes the stakes, explaining why these stories matter and how they speak to one another. Their invisible touch keeps the flow effortless, guiding readers through a work that feels as much cultural archive as fiction.
Final remarks…
In the end, Crime Ink: Iconic isn’t just a collection of crime stories; it’s a bold statement about identity, resilience, and the power of storytelling. Each piece is its own small revelation, yet together they form something far greater. The anthology honors the genre’s traditions while reshaping them, proving that crime fiction can hold both mystery and meaning. And while the crimes inside these pages may be fictional, the truths they uncover are anything but. The writing hums with a pulse, one that remembers, resists, and refuses to be erased. It entertains even as it unsettles, illuminating the moral fault lines and human vulnerability that run through us all. I highly encourage readers to put this in their TBR pile.
Strengths…
Strong Characters, Distinctive Voices
Strong Unifying Thread
Emotional and Moral Depths available from…
Sharp Openings and Satisfying Endings
Atmosphere and Setting
Consistency and Curation
August 23, 2025
If you love a mix of mysteries, thrillers (both contemporary and historical), and fresh voices, this collection delivers. Written by a collective of incredibly talented—and criminally underrepresented—queer authors, it offers a wide range of settings, characters, and plots that kept me engaged throughout.
November 13, 2025
This is an important collection by some of the best writers of our generation. As a queer person, these stories felt especially visceral, but every reader will find themselves in these pages, regardless of how they identify. Some standouts are stories by Christa Faust, John Copenhaver, and Cheryl A. Head. Highly recommend!
November 27, 2025
I do love a good anthology. I've read some really great anthologies. This is one the most diverse and creative and engaging anthologies I've ever read! All Queer authors writing short mysteries with a Queer Icon tie in. These mysteries are set within different time periods and within different genres. I've always felt that short stories are master classes in plotting and character development, and this collection proves me right!! I can't gush over this anthology enough!
August 25, 2025
A magnificent crime fiction sampler, packed with great writers and their writing
This is a historic work with some of the crime stories set in the past (and at least one off planet), but is also itself a piece of history for the community as the first anthology of its kind and hopefully not the last. With a foreword by Ellen Hart and afterword by Katherine V Forrest, the stories can be read in any order, one or several in a sitting; they're short and so ideal for picking up to read when you have small windows of time during the day or at bedtime. They're likely to make you laugh, cry, reflect, learn, despair, gasp, shudder, swear under your breath and more. This anthology is a great way to sample many authors in a single volume. I have definite favorites in the collection, but also some authors whose works I now want to read or read more of thanks to their story in the anthology. Contributing authors' bios at the back of the book are each followed by their explanation of why they chose a particular icon for their story; it's handy if the icon names aren't familiar to the reader.
I recommend this anthology and that you also peruse the publisher's catalogue of other offerings; Bywater Books delivers consistent high quality writing and storytelling from a variety of voices across the genres. This anthology is yet another example and proof of this. I look forward to reading more of these anthologies in the future even though crime fiction is a genre I don't often read.
This is a historic work with some of the crime stories set in the past (and at least one off planet), but is also itself a piece of history for the community as the first anthology of its kind and hopefully not the last. With a foreword by Ellen Hart and afterword by Katherine V Forrest, the stories can be read in any order, one or several in a sitting; they're short and so ideal for picking up to read when you have small windows of time during the day or at bedtime. They're likely to make you laugh, cry, reflect, learn, despair, gasp, shudder, swear under your breath and more. This anthology is a great way to sample many authors in a single volume. I have definite favorites in the collection, but also some authors whose works I now want to read or read more of thanks to their story in the anthology. Contributing authors' bios at the back of the book are each followed by their explanation of why they chose a particular icon for their story; it's handy if the icon names aren't familiar to the reader.
I recommend this anthology and that you also peruse the publisher's catalogue of other offerings; Bywater Books delivers consistent high quality writing and storytelling from a variety of voices across the genres. This anthology is yet another example and proof of this. I look forward to reading more of these anthologies in the future even though crime fiction is a genre I don't often read.
October 2, 2025
This is a collection of lost voices, the LGBTQ authors whose stories about LGBTQ characters are seldom seen by general audiences. Some of the stories are magnificent examples of the short story genre, packing mystery, almost unbearable tension, and unique character arcs into fast-moving stories about people you won't find in traditional anthologies. Some of the stories aren't magnificent; they're good or very good, but they, too, deliver voices and perspectives that will broaden your understanding of the universe of human experience.
January 1, 2026
This is a fantastic collection of short stories across a range of mystery sub-genres. Every single story hits!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews