Though it’s not my typical genre, I recently had the pleasure of reading What’s in the Body Bag, a collection of dark fiction that dares readers to delve into the strange, the dark, the funny, and the off-kilter stories of troubled characters who just don’t know when to leave a good body bag alone. The collection, which comes out on Kindle on November 16, was written and published by the Dead Birds Writing Group. This fabulous writers group originates from the Augsburg University MFA program, the same program I graduated from. The collection of nine stories is a quick, fun read to be enjoyed on a cold, dark winter’s night. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, put on your slippers, cover yourself in a warm blanket, and get comfortable for these drama-filled anecdotes that keep your heart racing as you ask yourself the same question the characters do—What’s in the body bag!? 

Kitchen Encounters by Judy Niemi Johnson
A woman comes home to discover her husband is a murderer—or is he the one who was murdered!? Panic sets in as she wonders if she could be next. 

In Passing by Amy Dahl
At Geezer Glen dead bodies just come with the territory. But not this dead body! What was supposed to be just another trip to the morgue turns into a startling (and deadly) revelation. 

Truth or Dare by A.M. Symes
Envy can motivate people to do some terrible things. But it’s game night, and nothing bad could happen at game night. Or could it? 

Spirit of Savannah by Trena Bolden Fields
An enchanting evening in Savannah takes an unexpected and tragic turn. What should have been a celebration is anything but. 

Catatonic Survival by David Nash & L.E. Schwaller
With the vibes of Happy Death Day, poor Megan can’t seem to escape her own death. That is, until she learns the truth about her life. 

Saturday at the Morgue by Jayne Carlson
A character-driven tale reminiscent of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a plague slowly overtakes the human race. When a curious mortician finally discovers it source, it may be too late. 

Bottom Half of the Watch by Jon Dahl
A series of midwestern earthquakes opens the earth, releasing mysterious species into the world. But is the species friend or foe? 

Killer Wives Club by Michelle I. Linder
Everyone needs a support group, even serial killers. But this support group has a shocking twist—a twist the local detective wishes he never found out.

Group Exorcise by Andrew Marks
An exorcism gone wrong, a young Catholic priest tries to cover things up, only to make matters much, much worse. In this story, it is the dead that have the final say.  

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