In this issue

The Crooked Road, Volume 2: Ellery Queen Presents Stories of Grifters, Gangsters, Hit Men, and Other Career Crooks

In this anticipated follow up to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s first digital-only anthology, you’ll once again take the “low road” of grifters, hit men, and other career crooks, and come out with new insights into crime, revenge, and justice. Your path—led by stars like Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Lawrence Block, Edgar Award winner Doug Allyn, 2012 Agatha Award winner Dana Cameron, 2012 Dilys Award winner S.J. Rozan, and Edgar winner Edward D. Hoch—is winding, taking you through byways both humorous and deadly. You’ll follow the Prohibition-era gangsters of Mark Coggins and Lou Manfredo, and the contemporary mafiosos of Janice Law, Ed McBain, and Diamond Dagger award winner Peter Lovesey. With small-town scams and big-city hits, 2012 Shamus Award winner Michael Z. Lewin, film and television writer William Link, and award-winning novelist Andrew Klavan offer some comic relief, while Edgar nominee Kevin Wignall, Andrew Taylor, bestselling author Peri O’Shaugnessy, and EQMM Readers Award winner Clark Howard remind us where the Crooked Road can often lead. Edited by Janet Hutchings, this volume will surprise you with favorite series characters, dark humor, high stakes, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Hold on tight, and don’t miss it!

The Crooked Road: Presented by EQMM Magazine Description:

The Crooked Road:
Ellery Queen presents stories of Grifters, Gangsters, Hit Men, and Other Career Crooks

A story in the famous Keller series by Mystery Writers of America, Grand Master Lawrence Block provides the first stop in this anthology's journey along the road taken by professional criminals of mystery fiction. It is a road that leads back to the gangster's heyday of prohibition in stories by multiple Edgar Allan Poe Award winner, Doug Allyn, Canadian writer, Therese Greenwood, and one of EQMM's classic contributors, Florence Mayberry. The road also takes some forward turns in time. There's a thriller by New York Times Editor's Choice List author Olen Steinhauer about Internet-generated crime and a thoroughly modern grifter's tale by Gary Phillips. Readers won't want to miss the humorous byways of the genre either, in stories by Liza Cody, Tom Tolnay, and Helen Tucker; or the rough alleys of a port city in the action-packed cliff-hanger by Barbara Paul. Finally, there's the dark end of the street, represented by Susan B. Kelly's third-place winning story from MWA's Golden Anniversary Contest and Raymond Steiber's 2003 Edgar Allan Poe Award winner for Best Short Story. Last but certainly not the least of the noir selections is a story from Ireland/'s celebrated Ken Bruen. The journey comes to an end with Edgar Allan Poe Award winner Clark Howard/'s story of a crook who lives and dies on the back roads of his own hometown.