You can get the Kindle and Kindle DX version of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine for $2.99, which is the same as the print edition. There are 10 issues a year, with two issues coming out as double issues. There has been some debate about the prices being higher on the Kindle version than on the print edition. Dell Magazines, the publisher, explained in a review that in terms of yearly subscriptions the prices come out to be the same.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine was founded in 1956, and is the second oldest mystery short story magazine in existence, according to the short history synopsis on the magazine’s website. Some notable authors for AHMM include Martin Limon, Jane K. Cleland, Loren Estelman and other well known and emerging writers.
One particular author that you might recognize, Dorothy L. Sayers, has contributed to AHMM. She recently published Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey), and it is available for just 99 cents on the Kindle.
Each issue contains original articles that range from short stories to novellas. The mystery, crime and suspense genres are all pretty well covered. Each issue also features regularly occurring columns: “Books & Printed,” a book review column, “Reel Crime,” a movie and television column, puzzles, contests and “Mystery Classic”, a story from the genre’s past.
This month’s issue covers several interesting topics. One topic centers around the effects of crime on the victim’s family. Within this topic, two of the stories deal with how crime has affected children left behind. Another set of articles address the complexities of the criminal justice system in the United States and around the world. The magazine’s website has excerpts on the latest issues and information about other fun awards and events going on.
Overall, the reviews of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine were really good with the exception of the price tag. The magazine reads like a digest, and is similar in size to the Kindle 2, so the transition from the print to Kindle should be a smooth one. The Kindle saves a lot of space and makes the magazine a lot more portable.
Thanks for the review. However, you make it sound like Dorothy Sayers is currently submitting to the magazine, and just published Whose Body?, but she died 52 years ago. She’s still my favorite mystery writer, though.