Authors in This Issue
“Farewell to Baytown” by William Bankier and Josh Pachter
Since his debut in the “Department of First Stories” in 1968, Josh Pachter has contributed three dozen stories to EQMM and an equal number of translations to our “Passport to Crime” department. Between 1962 and 2010, Canadian native William Bankier’s byline appeared in EQMM 166 times. When he died in 2014, Bill left behind an unfinished manuscript, which editor emeritus Janet Hutchings discovered and passed along to Josh, who completed the story with the approval of Bankier’s widow, Felice Nelson-Bankier. We’re thrilled to present it in this anniversary issue as Josh’s sixth collaborative story and Bill’s final tale of the fictional Baytown. All twenty-six Baytown stories will be published later this year by Crippen & Landru, edited and with an introduction by Josh.
“Lie Down with Dogs” by Doug Allyn
Doug Allyn is the author of thirteen novels and more than150 short stories published in five languages. His work has earned nine Derringer Awards, two Edgars (and nine nominations), and eleven EQMM Readers Awards.
“The Surge” by Jolanda Treffers
Jolanda Treffers is a Dutch writer who studied at the University of Iowa. Her previous work as a translator of books on psychological trauma continues to shape her fiction, where themes of trauma, resilience, and hope often emerge. “The Surge” won the 2024 Goeken Prize for Best Mystery Short Story. Jolanda lives with her partner in the heart of Amsterdam and is currently working on her first novel.
“Marchland and the Wandering Vicar” by David Dean
David Dean’s stories have won a Derringer and the EQMM Readers Award four times, and he is the 2026 Golden Derringer recipient from the Short Mystery Fiction Society. He is the author of the collection Shadow Lane and Other Tales of Dangerous Children and the novel The German Informant (Genius Books).
“Sabotage Can’t Stop de Shower” by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier
Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier’s work has appeared in Black Cat Weekly, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023, and elsewhere. Originally from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Ashley-Ruth writes mysteries highlighting the vibrant culture of her home. Among other honors, she was the recipient of MWA’s Barbara Neely Grant and a 2026 Agatha Award winner. The Bush Tea Murder (Crooked Lane) is her first novel.
“The Way to Dusty Death” by Wilton Thornburg
Wilton Thornburg has published in forms other than fiction in Spectacle Arts Magazine, Axletree, and A Poetry Magazine. He is a software engineer with articles on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency in CoinCentral magazine.
“The Million Dollar Legs Matter” by Richard Helms
Between 1949 and 1962, one of the most popular radio crime dramas was Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, billed as “the exciting adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account.” Upon discovering the property was in the public domain, award winning author and Johnny Dollar fan Richard Helms tells us he “undertook to write [his] own Johnny Dollar Story”—and here it is. You can find his piece about the radio show on our blog, www.somethingisgoingtohappen.net (June 19, 2019).
“Fred and John: an Unmysterious Friendship” by Dan Napolitano
Dan Napolitano is a noted collector, reader, and scholar of John Dickson Carr. He is the editor of The Kindling Spark: Early Tales of Mystery, Horror, and Adventure by John Dickson Carr (Crippen & Landru, 2022).
“When Bright Angels Beckon” by Anna Scotti
A noted poet, Anna Scotti has work in the recent Gunpowder Press anthology Women in a Golden State and in Chautauqua’s An American Patchwork special edition. She teaches poetry and creative writing online and blogs about mystery writing for SleuthSayers.org.
“The Listener” by Duke Craig
Duke Craig is an award-winning author and a graduate of the Yale Writers’ Workshop. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife, two children, and a golden retriever named Hemingway.
“Julius Katz’s Ex Returns” by Dave Zeltserman
In 2026, Dave Zeltsermanwon the Edgar Award for Best Short Story for another story in his Julius Katz series (published in AHMM). His crime and horror novels have been named best of the year by NPR, Washington Post, ALA, Booklist, and WBUR.
“The Poisons Garden” by Janet Hutchings
Janet Hutchings was editor-in-chief of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine from 1991 to 2024. Her contributions to the field have been honored by Bouchercon, the MWA, Malice Domestic, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. The first story in this series featuring Nikki Porter appeared in The Further Misadventures of Ellery Queen, edited by Josh Pachter and Dale C. Andrews.