MAGAZINE WATCH - ELLERY QUEEN SEPT/OCT 2009

Import £6.25


This issue is another double, covering the period September - November - the cover image by Tom Roberts is suitably moody with a large imposing building looking something like the Bates Motel after the credit crunch. I like these double issues - they offer great value as a single issue clocks in at £4.25 so at least with a double issue we're getting more bang for the weak old British pound. And of course it also means we get twice the amount of stories and double the amount of articles and features.

Can't be bad.

Stories this issue are:
Julius Katz by Dave Zeltserman
London Calling by Cheryl Rogers
Candles and Windows by Brain Muir
City in Fog by John Morgan Wilson
The Mad Hatters Riddle by Dale C. Andrews
The Witch's Baptism by Tom Tolnay
The Same as she Always was by Keith McCarthy
Ghost by John Harvey
Return to Sender by Val Davies
The Tumbril by William Bankier
Mob Violence by Peter Turnbill
Don't Ax me Why by Maurissa Guibord
The Way they Limp by Clark Howard
Murder in Black and White by Mignon F. Ballard
Sleeper by Radhika Ja
History on the Bedroom Wall by Rebecca K. Jones and Josh Pachter.

Add to that the usual reviews and Bill Crider's excellent Blog Bytes section as well as a poem from Nolen Harsh.


The World's leading mystery magazine...... published since 1941.

MAGAZINE WATCH

Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - cover dated July 2009 and on sale now is highly recommended this month with one of the strongest issues in recent months.

Simon Brett, a fave of mine since his Charles Paris days, has a story entitled The Man who didn't play Golf which is well up to his usual standard. The mag also features stories from Loren D. Estleman. Kristine Rusch, R. T. Smith, David Dean, Donald Olson, Melodie Johnson Howe, C. J. Harper and Archive favourite Hard-boiled fiction pusher, Charles Ardai. There is also a first story for Chris Muessig. Add to that the usual reviews, features and of course Bill Crider's Blog Bytes.

True West (June cover date) features the usual historical features and articles on the modern day west. This issue the cover piece is titled Custer's Ride to Glory and 27 other extreme western adventures. The article is all about taking a western history vacation and makes for great reading.

The July 2009 (out today) issue of Book and Magazine Collector was mentioned on the Archive yesterday in connection with David Whitehead's (AKA Ben Bridges) piece on collecting western fiction.

I'm pleased to report that it is a very informative 19 page article that more or less covers the history of western fiction. Of course it's geared towards the book collector but the list of the 50 top westerns, in the collectible sense, make for great reading. It's no surprise to The Archive but David, who writes Black Horse Westerns under the name Ben Bridges and others clearly knows his subject. Also of interest to western fans will be a feature on Cormac Mcarthy. There is also a memoriam piece on J. G. Ballard who died recently.

Remember folks, Tarnished Star is out end of the month and is available to buy now.
Buy
HERE
HERE
HERE
AND HERE

Or ask your local library to order The Tarnished Star by Jack Martin - traditional old style western adventure.

A fistful of magazines

It's that time of the month again when the best of the American imports can be found in UK stores.

WILD WEST, my own particular favourite, features a lead article on Obama's favourite US president. AS well as the usual mix of historic articles and photographs. Of particular interest is a great article on the history of the Chuck Wagon which was originally invented in 1866 by Charles Goodnight. I also found an article in The search for the Captives of Elm Creek to be compulsive reading. It was this true life event that inspired the John Ford classic, The Searchers.


True West magazine leads with an article looking at Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution and in particular the El Paso connection. The rest of the magazine is made up the usual mixture of true life articles and film and book reviews.

And now onto the still surviving pulps:

Ellery Queen, May 2009, cover date contains the usual mixture of quality crime writing, book reviews, features and Bill Crider's always interesting Blog Bytes section. The lead story is by Patricia McFall and the cover art comes from 1936 and is by W. F. Soare.

The May 2009 Alfred Hitchcock contains many goodies within another dull cover image - what is it with the AHM covers of late? They all look like a first attempt at Photoshop. Never judge a book by its cover thought and I very much enjoyed this issue which has a humorous angle to all the stories. The Death of Condo Commando will intice both shivers and giggles in equal measure.

Browsing the pages

It's that time of month again when I get my beloved American imports from my local Borders.There really are no UK magazine/books that come close to Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchie.

Ellery Queen cover dated Jan 2009 comes with the usual high quality pulp era style cover illustration. The image is by H.J. Ward and comes from 1938 - it is credited to the collection of Robert Lesser.

The fiction inside is led by The Killer Christian by Andrew Klaven, an author hailed by Stephen King as the most original American author of crime fiction since Cornell Woolrich. The story here is perfect for the festive season. Several other stories also use a festive setting and although I've not read them all yet I'm not expecting any turkeys. Seldom does Ellery Queen offer poor stories.

There are the usual book reviews and of course Bill Crider's look at the interweb. I do wish this part of the feature was extended and I hold my breath for Tainted Archive to be featured.

Alfred Hitchcock is a double issue dated Jan/Feb and comes with an American Gothic style cover from Jorge Mascarenhas. The lead story is Nothing is Easy by Jas. R. Petrin and this is supported by 13 other pieces of fiction. The book and film reviews are upto the high standard expected and there's an interesting feature looking at the US version of Life On Mars.

Fantasy and Science Fiction is cover dated Oct/Nov and features cover art by Max Bertolini. I don't usually pick this magazine up as I would consider myself only casually interested in the SF genre, but the inclusion of a Stephen King story tempted me.

The book features three short novels as well as nine short stories and a poem. Add to that book, film reviews and genre articles and you have great bang for the buck. I've actually enjoyed several of the stories in this issue and think I'll pick it up again next issue.