The ShortList crime challenge

For our 300th issue we asked our favourite writers to create an original noir story. The catch? It had to be exactly 300 words long. Strap yourself in for a blood-soaked celebration of bitesize hardboiled fiction

Three hundred by Anthony Horowitz

Frank was a bad man by Denise Mina

Laying brick by Frank Bill

The bullet had eyes by George Pelecanos

Twitter stalker by Chris Brookmyre

Black beauty by Stuart Neville

Out of the darkness by Arne Dahl

Like a bad dream by Mark Billingham

Running on bloody floors by Malcolm Mackay

Hit call by Joe R Lansdale

Ink by David Vann

The long drop by Will Self

Black sheep by David Whitehouse

The set up by Danny Wallace

A dream of winter by John Connolly

Greatest hits by James Sallis

Untitled by Daniel Woodrell

Reader entry

Donny OKeefe is innocent by Ben Banyard

(Illustrations: Edward Tuckwell)