What's New on the Site...

And we're only a few weeks late, not a few months, so we're doing a little better. We've got some new stories for you, and a big hunk of a think-piece I'm still trying to get my head around, but it's good to be back.

Of course, none of this would be possible without my partner-in-crime, fiction editor, Gerald So, and the contributors for this issue, all of whom waited -- and waited and waited -- for me to get my act together. At times, I think you guys had more faith in me than I did.

THIS ISSUE
Once again Gerald has acted as gatekeeper, only letting in the worthy. And be forewarned: love rears its ugly head this go-round. We kick off with "Love is for Suckers" by Robert Petyo, about a private eye who isn't sure anymore who's watching who and who's zoomin' who. Next up is "Terra Bella" by Robert Stevens, a decidely bucolic tale that shows there's more than cowshit that smells bad in the sticks. Our old pal Jim Winter returns with "Love Don't Mean a Thing," a nasty little tale of love, hate and revenge, featuring his long-time series gumshoe Nick Kepler.

Also in this issue we have "East of A," a classic Payton Sherwood reprint by Russell Atwood that originally appeared in the June 1996 issue of EQMM. And we wrap up things with an excerpt from The Big Wake-Up, the upcoming novel by Mark Coggins, featuring his San Francisco eye August Riordan And for those of you into theInto A audio/visual thing, head on over to Mark's web site, and dig the first chapter all over again, read by William P. Arney, from the site of Dashiell Hammett's old apartment, where The Maltese Falcon was written (I kid you not!) and accompanied by a slide show featuring the places in San Francisco where the action in The Big Wake-Up takes place.

But that's not all -- we've also got a great non-fiction piece making its Thrilling Detective debut. "A Man Must Do What He Must: Hammett's Pragmatism" is an unapologetic think-piece by Josef Hoffmann that makes no bones about its thesis: Hammett wasn't a Communist; he was a pragmatist.

And, uh, there's other stuff coming, including about three or four months of bits and pieces that have accumulated in my in box. Be patient -- I'll get to it.

And of course we're always looking for contributions. Don't worry, I don't bite. Well, hardly...

HELP US OUT
Send Chris Baldemor, our new Film Editor, any news you can on upcoming theatrical P.I. films and DVD releases. We're also hoping to expand our non-fiction and review sections, so don't be shy. And, of course, we're always keeping an eye peeled for new fiction.

If you want to help contribute to the site, be it as a writer or an editor or even simply as a sponsor or an advertiser, please drop us a line. We'd be glad to hear from you..