Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - September/October 2020

In this issue

The September/October 2020 issue of EQMM brings all of the body’s senses thrillingly into play. Music evokes memory in “All Shook Down” by EQMM newcomer Libby Cudmore, “Los Colores” spark a vivid experience in a tale by Michael McGuire, “The Perfume of Peaches” by Alexandria Blaelock (from the Department of First Stories) will have you drifting into aromatic and flavorful territory, and the touch of a baby’s hand sends a couple down a dangerous road in “Baby Drop Box” by Doug Crandell. See how much power a haunting visual image holds in “The Oxford Ghosts” by Jane Jakeman and consider a more nebulous sense, intuition, in “What the Morning Never Suspected” by Anna Scotti.
Societal and familial perceptions can drive crime too, as we see through the humorous “Dear Emily Etiquette” by Barb Goffman; the sibling-rivalry tale “The Homecoming” by Brendan DuBois; “Killer Biznez” by Zandra Renwick, featuring two hapless, law-breaking cousins; and several generations of eccentrics in “Burning Desire” by Marilyn Todd. Even stronger, at times, are the unnamed forces that pull on us, such as the tug for belonging in “Things That Follow” by Jim Allyn (from the Black Mask department) and “Round-Trip Runaways” by Department of First Stories author Violet Welles.
Other powerful feelings, such as love and loyalty, determine the action in the grifter story “Chasing Diamonds” by Joseph Walker, the remembrance-fueled P.I. case “The Last True Love” by L.A. Wilson, Jr., and the cleverly told “Terrible Ideas” by Gregory Fallis. Finally, use all your senses to the end of deduction in two traditional mysteries: “The Dashing Joker” by Ashibe Taku and the Ellery Queen pastiche “Four Words” by Dale C. Andrews.
With our usual columns, including a swashbuckling true crime piece by Dean Jobb, this issue has you covered for an intriguing, full-body experience in the comfort of your home!