Once again, our summer double issue gives us the chance to feature some longer stories and the opportunity to spend more time in the company of some interesting sleuths. Florida-based P.I. Bubba Simms returns in Mitch Alderman's "Burnt Wood" to look into a fire at a woodworker's shop for an insurance agency. Ernest B. and Alice A. Brown, a husband and wife writing team, introduce intrepid P.I. Valerie Dymond, who sets up shop in Boston in "Divorce Work." And Steve Hockensmith's morose P.I. Larry Erie is called to the zoo to handle a sensitive case, and finds himself handling people who have strong opinions, some about him.
While many mystery stories hinge on unambiguous guilt or innocence, several of this month's stories turn on questions of the reliability or unreliability of observation and the mind's ability to shape perception. Citizens of the French Quarter of New Orleans in O'Neil De Noux's historical "The Gorilla Murders" are terrorized by what they think they see. Two veterans argue over their memory of a shared experience in Vietnam in Scott Mackay's "Numbers." And Robert S. Levinson's story "The Hit" cleverly plays on the reader's-and character's-preconception of certain stereotypes.
New to the magazine in this issue are Norman Keifetz and Jaine Fenn. Mr. Keifetz, the author of "Twin Killing," is a semi-retired medical journalist from New York City, who wrote his "creative stuff mostly in the wee hours of the morning." Over the years he's published four novels (including Welcome Sundays, published in 1979), in addition to short stories and creative nonfiction. Jaine Fenn, from England, has previously published speculative fiction, but "Paying for Rain" is her first mystery story. She's been a computer consultant ("despite inherent technophobia") and is a historical re-enactor and costume maker. And for those of you who like puzzles, we are introducing a new puzzle this month, Mysterious Cipher, created by Willie Rose.
Criminal schemes may depend on deception and crime stories may rely on judicious misdirection, but you won't be misled here. We have twelve terrific stories for you to enjoy.