Stephen Ross is a crime and mystery writer and he lives in Hamilton, New Zealand. He has had two stories appear in EQMM, and he has two more coming. His first science fiction story is due to go to print later in the year, and a film adaptation of one of his unpublished short stories […]

Joseph Benedetto is the author of the “Fifth Precinct” series of mystery stories, and in addition to being a writer and a journalist, he’s also worked at jobs ranging from short-order cook to security operative for the Pinkerton Agency. A member of the Mystery Writers of America, he writes both mystery and speculative fiction and […]

NUMB3RS, Part 3: MYSTERY GIFT by Leigh Lundin Friends Claire, Judy, and Sharon sent along a magic trick and wondered how it worked. In previous columns (here and here), I revealed the mysteries of a couple of puzzling tricks, so I tackled today’s with interest. Many similar tricks use mathematical properties, but today’s problem uses […]

SMARTLY DONE by John M. Floyd As usual, I was digging through old files awhile back, and found something from my IBM days. It was several pages of notes I’d taken during the joint IT department meetings we used to have at the local banks each week — except these notes weren’t about technical issues. […]

DESKLESS by Steve Steinbock I’m feeling off kilter this week. I have no computer. To be precise, my regular desktop computer is in pieces awaiting a heart transplant. It became an unstable doorstop a few days ago, unable to remain on for more than two or three minutes at a time before rebooting. I don’t […]

Deborah Elliott-Upton should return next week. Yay! —JLW OUR FIENDISH PLAN by James Lincoln Warren This weekend, Sisters in Crime Los Angeles Chapter and the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America are convening the California Crime Writers Conference at the Hilton Pasadena here in Southern Cal. The conference is offering multiple classes and […]

THIS IS A NO TRANSCENDING ZONE by Robert Lopresti I read a book review today and jacked up my blood pressure by about ten points. It was a favorable review of a mystery novel and things seemed to be going along merrily enough until the critic threw out what he must have thought was the […]