In this Issue...
We’re in the midst of what we here at
The Strand call “crunch time” and as inundated as I am with work, I
can’t seem to tear myself away from news of the elections. For a political
junkie, like myself, this election year is a dream! I take elections seriously,
yet I also enjoy them enormously. The candidates, their surrogates, the debates,
the spin, the low-blows, the shameless self-promotion, the analysts as they
attempt to anticipate each campaign’s next move—it doesn’t get any better than
what we have going on this year!
But here at The Strand we know that
compared to politics, the world of murder and mayhem is sometimes easier to
decipher, which is why we’re in this business. In this issue, John Mortimer has
Rumpole tracking down a murderer in Minchingham Hall in part 2 of “Rumpole’s
Slimmed-Down Christmas,” while Martin Edwards (no relation to Senator John
Edwards!) has Holmes and Watson investigating “The Case of the Eccentric
Testatrix.” Charles Todd takes us back to World War I with Inspector Rutledge
and Hamish attempting to capture a killer in their ranks in “The Necklace.” In
“A Favorable Favor,” Brendan DuBois spins a tale of deceit in New Hampshire (nothing to do with politics,
surprisingly). Terence Faherty pays homage to British writer Saki with “The
Empty Seat,” while F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre warns us of the dangers lurking in an
English country garden in “Down the Garden Path.” Continuing with our Great
Detectives series, Dashiell Hammett-expert Mike Humbert follows the trail of
The Thin Man.
For this issue I had the chance to interview two excellent mystery authors:
Elizabeth George and Sue Grafton. Elizabeth George, who has delighted fans for
years with her Inspector Lynley series, talked about, among other things, her
successful approach to the writing process. And I had a great time chatting with
the ever-entertaining Sue Grafton, who has reached the letter “T” in her
alphabet mystery series. How will she continue the adventures of Kinsey Millhone
past the letter “Z?” I’ll bet she gets around that one.
The mystery world lost a great writer with the passing of Edward Hoch early this
year. When I was growing up I read many of his stories, not knowing that I’d one
day have the honor to edit his fiction for
The Strand. Back in the 1980s, I
used to watch a television show called
Tales of the Unexpected. One of the episodes, “The Vorpal Blade,” was based
on Ed’s story of the same name. While I’ve forgotten other episodes of that
show, I’ve never forgotten “The Vorpal Blade.” Ed knew that it was one of my
favorite stories and so he wrote for The
Strand a similar story, also set in
Germany
and involving fencing. He was a true gentleman. I’ll miss his presence at the
Edgar awards, among other conventions, and will always remember the singular
pleasure of opening a Word file and reading a new Ed Hoch story for the first
time.
Please don’t forget to get out and vote. I hope you enjoy
the magazine.
Andrew F. Gulli
Managing Editor
Read what the friends of the Strand Magazine are saying.
To subscribe to the Strand click here
•
One Year: 19.95 (reg.24.95)
•
Two Years: 34.95 (reg 39.95)
Gift Subscriptions
New - Print out a gift card!
•
Regular Gift Card
•
Happy Birthday Card
•
One year Subscription with Greeting Card: $27.95
•
Two Year Subscription with Greeting Card: $42.95
Do you still have more Holiday shopping left?
Visit our
gift center for a full list of our unique gift items!
