''Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine'' (AHMM) is a bi-monthly

digest size Digest size is a magazine size, smaller than a conventional or "journal size" magazine but larger than a standard paperback book, approximately , but can also be and , similar to the size of a DVD case. These sizes have evolved from the printin ...

fiction magazine specializing in

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

and

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

fiction. ''AHMM'' is named for

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

, the famed director of

suspense Suspense is a state of mental uncertainty, anxiety, being undecided, or being doubtful. In a dramatic work, suspense is the anticipation of the outcome of a plot or of the solution to an uncertainty, puzzle, or mystery, particularly as it aff ...

films and television.

History

''AHMM'' was founded in 1956 by HSD Publications, which licensed the use of the director's name. Though there was no formal connection with the television show, stories published in the magazine were sometimes adapted by the producers of ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'' (and later, ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...

)''. A few writers, such as

Henry Slesar Henry Slesar (June 12, 1927 – April 2, 2002) was an American author, playwright, and copywriter. He is famous for his use of irony and twist endings. After reading Slesar's "M Is for the Many" in ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'', Alfre ...

, wrote for both. Other contributors during the magazine’s early years included Evan Hunter/Ed McBain,

Ed Lacy Ed Lacy (August 25, 1911 - January 7, 1968), born Leonard S. Zinberg, was an American writer of crime and detective fiction. Lacy, who was Jewish American, is credited with creating "the first credible African American PI" character in fiction ...

Bill Pronzini Bill Pronzini (born April 13, 1943) is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories. Pronzini is ...

, Jim Thompson,

Donald E. Westlake Donald Edwin Westlake (July 12, 1933 – December 31, 2008) was an American writer, with more than a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into ...

and Charles Willeford (who briefly worked for the magazine, as did

Patricia Hitchcock Patricia Alma Hitchcock O'Connell (7 July 1928 – 9 August 2021) was an English-American actress and producer, acting under the name Pat Hitchcock. She was the only child of English director Alfred Hitchcock and film editor Alma Reville, and ...

, Alfred's daughter). In 1975, ''AHMM'' was acquired by Davis Publications, and since 1992 it has been published by

Dell Magazines Dell Magazines was a company founded by George T. Delacorte Jr. in 1921 as part of his Dell Publishing Co. Dell is today known for its many puzzle magazines, astrology magazines, as well as fiction magazines such as ''Alfred Hitchcock's Myste ...

(which also produces its sister publication, ''

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ''Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine'' is a bi-monthly American digest size fiction magazine specializing in crime fiction, particularly detective fiction, and mystery fiction. Launched in fall 1941 by Mercury Press, ''EQMM'' is named after the fict ...

''). Cathleen Jordan edited the magazine from 1981 to 2002, and since then it has been edited by Linda Landrigan. After ''EQMM'', ''AHMM'' is the second-longest-running mystery fiction magazine. In 2006, the magazine celebrated its 50th anniversary with the publication of the anthology ''Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine Presents Fifty Years of Crime and Suspense''.

Black Orchid

In 2007, ''AHMM'' joined with

The Wolfe Pack The Wolfe Pack is a literary society devoted to Rex Stout's character Nero Wolfe. History As publicity for William S. Baring-Gould's book ''Nero Wolfe of West 35th Street'', Viking Press ran a "Mammoth New Nero Wolfe Contest" in ''The New York ...

, a society founded in 1978 to celebrate the

Nero Wolfe Nero Wolfe is a brilliant, obese and eccentric fictional armchair detective created in 1934 by American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe was born in Montenegro and keeps his past murky. He lives in a luxurious brownstone on West 35th Street in Ne ...

stories of

Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...

, to sponsor the Black Orchid Novella Contest for stories in the “classic detective” style of Stout’s Nero Wolfe.

Content

Each issue contains original works of short crime or mystery fiction, as well as a book review column (“Booked & Printed”), a puzzle, a “Mysterious Photograph” story contest, and a "Mystery Classic" reprint.

Authors

Over its history ''AHMM'' has published short fiction by noted mystery novelists such as

Robert Bloch Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime, psychological horror and fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and television. He also wrote a relatively small ...

Lawrence Block Lawrence Block (born June 24, 1938) is an American crime writer best known for two long-running New York-set series about the recovering alcoholic P.I. Matthew Scudder and the gentleman burglar Bernie Rhodenbarr. Block was named a Grand Mas ...

, G. K. Chesterton,

Ron Goulart Ronald Joseph Goulart (; January 13, 1933 – January 14, 2022) was an American popular culture historian and mystery, fantasy, and science fiction author. He published novelizations and other work under various pseudonyms: Kenneth Robeson, Con ...

Dorothy L. Sayers Dorothy Leigh Sayers (; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime writer and poet. She was also a student of classical and modern languages. She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between th ...

, and

. The magazine has also regularly featured such short story specialists as John H. Dirckx, Kenneth Gavrell,

Edward D. Hoch Edward Dentinger Hoch (February 22, 1930 – January 17, 2008) was an American writer of detective fiction. Although he wrote several novels, he was primarily known for his vast output of over 950 short stories. Biography Hoch (pronounced ...

Jack Ritchie John George Reitci (February 26, 1922 – April 25, 1983) was an American writer of detective fiction who wrote under the name Jack Ritchie. Although he wrote one novel, he was primarily known for his vast output of short stories. Personal life ...

, and Stephen Wasylyk. Many writers have published their first mystery story in ''AHMM'', including Mitch Alderman, Doug Allyn, Gregory Fallis,

Steve Hockensmith Steve Hockensmith (born August 17, 1968) is an American author. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He currently lives in California's bay area with his wife, two children, and pet dog. Biography Hockensmith is the author of the ''Holmes on th ...

Martin Limón Martin Limón is an American writer of mystery fiction. He is the author of fourteen books in the Sueño and Bascom series, including ''Jade Lady Burning'' and the short story collection ''Nightmare Range'', inspired by his time in Korea. Biograp ...

, D. A. McGuire, J. R. Parsons and I. J. Parker. In recent years, regular contributors have also included Rhys Bowen,

Jan Burke Jan Burke (born August 1, 1953) is an American author of novels and short stories. She is a winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Agatha for Best Short Story, the Macavity, and Ellery Queen Readers Award. Bio Burke was born August 1, 1953, ...

, O'Neil De Noux, John F. Dobbyn,

Joan Druett Joan Druett is a New Zealand historian and novelist, specialising in maritime history and crime fiction. Life Joan Druett was born in Nelson, and raised in Palmerston North, moving to New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, when she was 16. S ...

, Brendan DuBois,

Loren D. Estleman Loren D. Estleman (born September 15, 1952, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He is known for a series of crime novels featuring the investigator Amos Walker. Life and work Estleman graduated fro ...

, David Edgerley Gates, Toni L. P. Kelner, R. T. Lawton, Robert Lopresti, Beverle Graves Myers, Jas R. Petrin, Anthony Rainone, Stephen Ross, Gilbert M. Stack, Marianne Wilski Strong, Steven Torres,

Elaine Viets Elaine Viets is a Midwestern American newspaperwoman and mystery writer. Life and career A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Viets has a degree in journalism and became a longtime popular media figure in St. Louis. She was a regular columnist for ...

, James Lincoln Warren, Sarah Weinman, Mike Wiecek and Angela Zeman.

Awards

''AHMM'' stories have won almost every major mystery award, including The

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

for Best Short story, presented by the Mystery Writers of America; the Robert L. Fish Award for Best First Short Story; the

Agatha Award The Agatha Awards, named for Agatha Christie, are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write in the traditional mystery subgenre: "books typified by the works of Agatha Christie . . . loosely defined as mysteries that contain no expli ...

for Best Short Story, presented at the Malice Domestic conference; and the

Shamus Award The Shamus Award is awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) for the best detective fiction ( P. I. = Private investigator) genre novels and short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one si ...

for Best P.I. Short Story, presented by the Private-Eye Writers of America.

References

External links

''Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine'' official website

Trace Evidence: ''AHMM'' official blog

* ttp://www.philsp.com/homeville/CFI/t5.htm#A152/ index to companion magazine ''Alfred Hitchcock's Anthology'' {{Dell Magazines Alfred Hitchcock Monthly magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1956 Magazines published in New York City Mystery fiction magazines Mystery fiction digests Penny Publications magazines 1956 establishments in New York (state)