Category Archives: Fiction

“Who Wrote the First Whodunit?” (by Steven Saylor)

Steven Saylor’s first novel, Roman Blood, introduced Gordianus the Finder, a private detective, of sorts, in ancient Rome. The critically acclaimed Roma Sub Rosa series now numbers a dozen novels, including two recent prequels about the younger days of Gordianus, … Continue reading

Posted in Ellery Queen, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Historicals, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

“Words and Pictures: Short Stories, Novels, and Screenplays” by Paul D. Marks

Paul D. Marks made his EQMM debut in this year’s November issue with the story “Howling at the Moon,” but he has long been established in the field, and is the author of more than thirty published short stories. He … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Editing, Fiction, Genre, Guest | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“When Character Counts” (by Brendan DuBois)

The staff at EQMM has always had a special interest in the careers of authors who have debuted in our Department of First Stories. Brendan DuBois is one of those special writers. His appearance in the Department of First Stories … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Readers, Story, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

IT’S ALL ABOUT VARIETY

If you’ve been following the postings on this site regularly, you’ve probably noticed how many different points of view there are about the virtues (or lack thereof) of various types of mystery. In fact, you might well wonder how EQMM … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Business, Fiction, Genre, Magazine, Publishing, Readers, Story, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

“In Praise of Honkaku” (by John Pugmire)

For several years now—ever since EQMM lost its most illustrious contributor of classical mysteries, Edward D. Hoch (1930-2008)—I’ve been putting out appeals for more whodunits and “impossible crime” stories. Few writers in the U.S. or U.K. have responded with submissions … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Characters, Classic Mystery, Fiction, Genre, Guest, International, Writers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“Wrestling with the ‘S’ Word” (by Jim Allyn)

In mystery circles, and especially EQMM circles, you can’t say the name Allyn without everyone assuming you mean Doug Allyn, the multiple Edgar Allan Poe Award winner and record-holding EQMM Readers Award winner who for nearly thirty years has stood … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Editing, Fiction, Guest, Publishing, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Gun Culture” (by Scott Mackay)

Canadian Scott Mackay has been contributing stories to EQMM for twenty-five years, and a number of those tales have received favorable critical attention, including February 1998’s “Last Inning,” which won the Arthur Ellis Award for best short story. (Several other … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Guest, History, International, Real Crime, Setting, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“A Sense of Place” (by Christine Poulson)

Christine Poulson’s first crime novel was published in the U.S. in 2004, and she has been contributing stories to EQMM since 2007. Before becoming a full-time fiction writer, she was an academic who wrote widely on nineteenth-century art and literature. … Continue reading

Posted in Editing, Fiction, Genre, Guest, Setting, Story, Writers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Celebrate Independence Day With a Story

The Fourth of July is a time Americans celebrate freedom, but the date also marks an important ideological expansion of a war, since the Declaration of Independence made clear that the conflict was not simply an internal rebellion within the … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Fiction, Historicals, History, Setting, Story, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

“What Did You Just Say?” (by Frankie Y. Bailey)

Frankie Bailey’s first short story for EQMM appears in our July 2014 issue, and a podcast of the tale, which she read for us at the Malice Domestic Convention in May, will feature in our podcast series starting this Friday. … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Fiction, Genre, Guest, History, Story, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments