'Is There Room in the Backyard for One More Body?' is a provocative collection of short mysteries from Long Beach author Jan Bono.

Long Beach Peninsula author Jan Bono is bringing her fans a sinister mystery collection. In her latest work, the Northwest mystery novelist crafts a dozen short stories, all of which embody a strong feminist theme.

Her newest novel, “Is There Room in the Backyard for One More Body?” takes readers through 12 stories of women who murder and dispose of their ill-behaved partners. The author’s foray into this dark theme is intentional. Citing disproportionately high rates of women becoming victims of domestic violence, she hopes the novel’s discomfort raises awareness.

“Why is it always women that are victims? Let’s turn the tables,” Bono said.

To give readers a taste of what to expect, Bono excitedly described “Circus Elephant,” the second short story in the book. The setting is a Seattle baseball game, where a woman is out with her husband. As she’s snacking on peanuts in the stadium, the woman’s husband insults her weight by calling her a “circus elephant,” thereby sealing his fate.

Other stories include “Man Overboard: Murder, Suicide or Accident?” “Sally’s Secret Ingredient: Cooking Up Murder” and “Killer Clam Tide: A Lesson in Self Defense.” Bono is known for her Cozy Mystery series. Last year, she also authored “Fisher Girl, Fisher Wife, Fisher Poet,” an autobiographical poetry collection exploring maritime culture.

“I finished my sixth book in my cozy mystery series, and I wanted to transition and write something a little more dramatic,” Bono said of her latest release. “I wanted something you really had to think about.”

While the book is fiction, each short story has a grain of reality that pushed Bono to write. This includes the title, which was inspired by her mom. “She called me one Sunday morning 20 years ago and she said, ‘honey, is there room in the backyard for one more body?’” Bono said with a laugh. Her mother was jokingly referring to a recent breakup. “We made a joke out of it, but it stayed in my subconscious,” she added.

Book Signing

‘Is There Room in the Backyard for One More Body?’ by Jan Bono.

BOLD Coffee, Art and Framing, 711 Pacific Ave N., Long Beach

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

www.janbonobooks.com

Bono landed on the short story format with a bounty of writing aspirations for the near future. Next, she plans on penning a full-length thriller novel, possibly followed by a screenplay for television.

“I have set goals in my writing from the very beginning,” she said, adding that her newest collection was a test to see if she could do a longer narrative written in the third person. “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” she said.