About Mystery Bytes
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Meet Jeff
Welcome to Mystery Bytes—a digital hideaway for lovers of sharp twists, smoky atmosphere, and stories that linger in the dark.
I'm Jeff Kikel, mystery/thriller author and lifelong fan of everything noir. Together with my wife, Crystal (who never met a locked room she didn’t want to solve), I created Mystery Bytes as a home for readers who crave suspense with soul.
What You'll Find Here
This isn’t just another author newsletter. It’s a storytelling experience.
Free Short Stories — Fresh fiction delivered right to your inbox.
Exclusive Previews — Be the first to read chapters from upcoming books.
The Night Files Series — Meet Marcus Vale, a nocturnal detective who tackles cases when the rest of the world sleeps.
Behind-the-Scenes Content — I’ll pull back the curtain on how these stories are built, from characters to conspiracies.
Mystery Games & Reader Challenges — Put your sleuthing skills to the test.
Occasional Book Reviews — What I’m reading and why it’s worth your time.
Whether it’s the shadowed streets of 1919 Paris in Shadows of Montmartre, or modern crimes solved by moonlight in The Night Files, my goal is simple: to write stories that grab you by the collar and don’t let go.
Why I Write Mysteries
Like a lot of you, I grew up on detective stories, true crime shows, and late-night thrillers. For years, writing fiction was just a dream—something I shelved while building a career in the real world. But some dreams don’t stay quiet. Eventually, I gave in to the pull of the page.
Now I’m writing the kind of stories I always wanted to read—tight, atmospheric mysteries with deep characters, big betrayals, and a heart that beats between the gunshots.
Let’s Stay Connected
Subscribe (it’s free!) and I’ll send you an exclusive 10,000-word prequel novella from The Night Files series right away. Drop a comment, share your favorite mystery, or just hang out and read a story or two.
This isn’t just about writing—it’s about building a community of readers who love the chase.
Thanks for joining me on this ride into the shadows.
—Jeff
