Short Story News - AHMM

Midnight at the Midtown Oasis is based on the real Hillside Gardens in Colorado Springs. We try to catch a concert there a couple times each summer. It’s a combination gardening center and special events venue on four acres in the middle of the city.

I have never experienced a crime at the heavily treed and wonderfully landscaped Gardens. But being a writer, of course I dreamed one up.

The Midtown Oasis is the equivalent of a country club for those of modest means. The Oasis is under attack by unscrupulous City Council members and developers who want the land rezoned, and the area gentrified. When a murder shatters the peaceful venue, the blues singer owner seeks a solution by inviting a white-haired woman in a straw sunhat to investigate. Grammy Fred has a talent for reading people and finding the truth. The elderly lady wanders around the Oasis to “see what I can see,” and finds danger instead.

Hillside Gardens is not just a place to me. I used to live in the neighborhood. Known for being an area for folks of modest means, I fit in well during that period of my life.

Hillside Gardens offers multiple musicians set up in different areas. You can wander around, buy a tasty meal from food truck-style vendors, and enjoy beer, wine, or non-alcoholic beverages. An evening out that costs far less than concerts by major popular artists in much less comfortable surroundings.

My story appears in the May/June 226 issue of AHMM, which is available electronically now. The physical copies of the magazine may be delayed slightly.
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To our print subscribers: we’ve recently selected a new printing provider to ensure the highest quality for our magazines going forward. We’re excited to release the latest issue and can’t wait for you to get your hands on it!

Find Midnight at the Midtown Oasis at Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Wherever you live, there is sure to be a funky local venue with a unique flavor. Take a chance and check out your area’s version of Hillside Gardens.​

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