reported by Lisa Cutler, FictionFanatic.com

Mystery author Michael W. Sherer had a double hit today with a short story and his latest novel. Both feature Chicago freelance writer and amateur sleuth Emerson Ward. Sherer?s short story, A Primer On Death, was the top best-selling short piece on ?Amazon Shorts? at Amazon.com today. Amazon Shorts features both short fiction and articles by wide range of authors for just $0.49.

The fifth novel in Sherer?s Emerson Ward series, Death Is No Bargain (Five Star, ISBN: 1-59414-368-4, $25.95, 377 pages), just released on March 8th, has already garnered acclaim from critics. The March 15, 2006, issue of Booklist said:

?The fifth Emerson Ward caper is an unusual mix of straight-ahead and thoughtful discourse on hot-button social issues. The characters are as complex as the issues with which they wrestle, and the mystery is cleverly presented and resolved.? ?Wes Lukowsky

Harriet Klausner, a well-known reviewer for Web sites like barnesandnoble, reviewed the book on bn's online site as well as her own site.

?? never slows down as the sleuth follows a meandering trail that climaxes with a fabulous final spin. Fans will appreciate this solid murder mystery.?

To find out more about ?Amazon Shorts? go to amazon's Web site and click on "Amazon Shorts."

After stints as a manual laborer, dishwasher, bartender, restaurant manager, commercial photographer, magazine editor and public relations executive, Michael W. Sherer decided life should imitate art. He now is a freelance writer, marketing communications consultant and certified food safety instructor.

Mike grew up on a farm in northern Illinois and lived in Chicago for 20 years. He and his wife and three of their four children now live outside Seattle.

Mike is a member of Mystery Writers of America and the Authors Guild. He has published five novels in the Emerson Ward series (An Option On Death, Little Use For Death, Death Came Dressed In White, A Forever Death, and Death Is No Bargain).

He?s now hard at work on his sixth Emerson Ward mystery. For more information go to his Web site -- www.emersonwardmysteries.com

Recommended Resources:
1) You Can Write a Mystery (You Can Write) by Gillian Roberts

2) Writing Mysteries: A Handbook by the Mystery Writers of America

3) How to Write a Damn Good Mystery : A Practical Step-by-Step Guide from Inspiration to Finished Manuscript