BOUCHERCON 2026 ANTHOLOGY
THE LINES WE CROSS
Available October 2026: The Official Bouchercon Anthology 2026, Edited by Olyn Fleming
Ozbick with Guest Editor Jess Lourey.
THE LINES WE CROSS embraces the borders and boundaries that define our worlds, regulate our lives, and form our identities. And investigates what happens when we cross them.
Exploring international settings and emotional boundaries, THE LINES WE CROSS brings together a dynamic lineup of stories by acclaimed and emerging crime writers. Each embraces, with intelligence and savvy, the complexities of our current world, dominated as it is by the defining and redefining of borders – what they are, where they are, and what they mean.
This exclusive anthology is an important keepsake for crime lovers and Bouchercon fans alike. Making it more unforgettable, the authors featured here will be signing copies during the Bouchercon Opening Ceremonies in Calgary on October 22.
Join us to have your book signed and meet the minds behind the mysteries!
We are delighted to congratulate and extend our thanks to the authors whose stories have been selected for inclusion in the Bouchercon Calgary 2026 Anthology, THE LINES WE CROSS. Your creativity, dedication, and passion have brought these stories to life, and we are honoured to showcase your work.
Each year, we receive an extraordinary range of submissions, and this time was no exception. With 178 entries vying for a place in the anthology, our judges and editors faced the challenging task of choosing the absolute best. Though we wish we could include every remarkable story, practical limits of space and editorial balance require us to make difficult decisions. Please know that every submission was read, every author’s work was discussed and considered, and every contribution is valued.
To our judges and editorial team, we offer our deepest gratitude. Your thoughtful, meticulous reading and insightful deliberations have shaped this collection into a cohesive and compelling anthology. Thank you for your time, your expertise, and your unwavering commitment to excellence.
All funds raised from the sale of THE LINES WE CROSS will be donated to the Further Education Society of Alberta.
A link for purchasing will be provided very soon—please check back for pre-sale details. All registered anthology authors and judges are invited to join us to sign books and celebrate together.
For more information, and for inquiries about the anthology, its authors, editor, and the signing, please contact Anthology2026@bouchercon.com.
Congratulations again to our selected authors. THE LINES WE CROSS would not exist without each of you.
The list of Bouchercon 2026 Anthology’s contributors is as follows:
| Links in the Chain | Brenda Buchanan |
| The Journals of Doc Young | Nancy Pawelek |
| Dragon Meat in Heaven | Charles Philipp Martin |
| Garden Path | John M Floyd |
| Kwibuka 30 | Heather Bonin Macintosh |
| One Good Thing | Raymond J Brash |
| Murder at the Border Café | Ruth Knafo Setton |
| Imprudent | PJ Vernon |
| Borderline | Connie Johnson Hambley |
| The Double | Tairi Blair |
| When Pop Crossed the Border | Linda Norlander |
| Ovenbird | Donalee Moulton |
| The Curious Incident of the Hedge in the Nighttime | Vicki Delany |
| Of Chalk and Bone | Shelly Jones |
| The Seiche | Kate Michaelson |
| A Derryman | Cheryl Lawton Malone |
| A Fish Tale | Michael Wiley |
| The Good Samaritan (The Drive) | Pam Martin |
| Border Queen | Linda Sanche |
| Gift Horse | Nikolett Popovics |
| Neighbourhood Watch | Lisa Harkrader |
| They Never Knock Twice | Charles Shipps |
| The Last Shaman | Susan Zhao |
Olyn Fleming Ozbick, Editor
Olyn Fleming Ozbick is a screenwriter, short story writer, novelist and journalist. Her three-time international award-winning screenplay Stumbling into a Chair has been made into a film for release in 2025. As Editor of Bouchercon’s annual Anthology of short mystery stories, she currently works both sides of the editorial desk. These are roles to which she is accustomed, as a multiple international-award-winning editor and publisher. Her short stories are published in literary journals throughout Canada, the US and UK. Her essays and journalism are published extensively. She is the recipient of support from Banff Centre for the Arts, and Canada Council. She has taught Writing at the Alexandra Writers Centre for the past 12 years. Prior to that she taught Feature Writing in the Journalism Department at Mount Royal University. She shares her time between Calgary, AB and Mesa, AZ when she isn’t traveling to meet and understand the vastly differing peoples and experiences that abound on our abundant planet.
Jess Lourey, Guest Editor
Jess Lourey is the New York Times bestselling, two-time Edgar-Award-nominated, two-time Goodreads Choice Awards shortlisted, Anthony Award-winning, ITW Thriller Award-winning, and Minnesota Book Award-winning author of young adult, crime fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and book club fiction. She’s surpassed a million readers, and her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Check out her TEDx Talk for the surprising, vulnerable story behind her first published novel.
When Jess isn’t traveling the world researching her next story, she lives in Minneapolis with a rotating batch of foster kittens (and the occasional foster puppy, but those goobers are a lot of work). You can find out more at www.jesslourey.com.
