Welcome to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine! Discover original, spine-tingling stories by top-notch authors and new writers from all corners of the mystery genre, plus news, reviews, and more… to make your blood run cold!
To our print subscribers:
Due to declining print quality and ongoing production delays with our previous printing partner, we made the decision to transition to a new printer. We’re pleased to share that the transition is now complete, our agreement with the new printer has been finalized, and production is moving forward.
The March/April issues are scheduled to ship from the printer in mid-July, with the May/June issues following shortly thereafter. While this transition has caused unfortunate delays, we expect the new partnership to provide a much more reliable production schedule and significantly improved print quality going forward.
In the meantime, you may access the digital version so that you don’t have to wait any longer to start reading. Create a free account here, and then visit this page to find the digital issue.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support throughout this transition. We appreciate your loyalty and look forward to getting these issues into your hands very soon.
Warmly,
The Must Read Magazines Team
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Coming Next Issue . . .
“My Needs Run to the Simple,” by Pete Barnstrom
“Moneyland” by John M. Floyd
“Advance Obituary” by Kate Hohl
“Dog Person” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins
OVER 60 YEARS OF AWARDS
157 Nominations from the full breadth of mystery genres
37 Award-winning stories
Edgar, Agatha, Barry, Arthur Ellis, Robert L. Fish, Macavity, Shamus, Thriller, Anthony
FROM THE EDITOR
Great stories of any genre are rooted in characters — well-drawn, individual, and credibly motivated…
ABOUT AHMM
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine is one of the oldest and most influential magazines of short mystery and crime fiction in the world. Launched over 60 years ago, today AHMM maintains a tradition of featuring both promising aspiring writers and talented authors, spanning the full spectrum of sub-genres from dark noir to graphic works.
AUTHORS’ CORNER
Meet the Who’s Who of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine authors! View The Lineup of contributors in the current issue, see what motivates our writers, and much more.
Coercion is a feature of many a crime—and crime story—and one of the most insidious of coercers is the bully. They may be self-deluded narcissists, but bullies can also be crafty and able to stay one step ahead of their victims. Which is to say, they make excellent antagonists for fiction, as several stories in the issue at hand demonstrate.
Bullies can drive both action and reaction, and they can antagonize both heroes and readers by celebrating the chaos and destruction they cause, or they can manipulate the people around them in more subtle ways, sometimes revealing hidden weaknesses—or strengths.
As these tales show, bullies may be found in families, in neighborhoods, or in the workplace, but when an author lets their underdogs turn the tables, coercion comes in for its satisfying comeuppance.
THE CRIME SCENE
“Skeletons in the Closet”… Get the latest news, check out Editor Linda Landrigan’s blog, enjoy lively podcasts, test your mystery puzzling mettle, see if you have what it takes to be a mystery writer. It’s all here.
by Mark Thielman
A sign with two chess pieces–crossed black and white castles–hung on the wall. In front of the sign, a guy sat. He had his knee resting on a green metal desk, its linoleum top peeling up at the corners. The guy’s exposed skinny leg showed curly hair and pale skin. Ollie remembered his eighth-grade math teacher, Mr. Perkins. The teacher had also served as the faculty sponsor for the Chess Club, the nerd herd. Perkins fit the stereotype of a math/chess teacher. He used to sit that way too. Ollie grinned at the idea of “Perkodan” sporting a pair of red canvas Chucks, Dickies cargo twills, and an inside-out Pink Floyd retro T-shirt.
“Something funny?” Skinny Leg asked.
Ollie nodded. “Yeah, but I couldn’t explain it.”
Skinny Leg looked like he might challenge Ollie. Then he shrugged. “You’re here because Grinder recommended you. How do you know The Grind?”
“From around.” READ MORE
