On a secluded island, a jealous husband's paranoia about his young wife and a visiting photographer reaches dangerous heights in this taut psychological thriller from midcentury crime writer Gil Brewer. When damning information comes to light, the husband makes an irrevocable decision that changes everything in this expertly crafted golden age noir.

This issue features original mysteries by O’Neil De Noux and Shannon Taft (thanks to our Acquiring Editors, Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman), a Gil Brewer crime classic, and another entry in the Biff Brewer mystery series by Andy Adams. And what issue would be complete without a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles?On the more fantastic side of things, you might say things have gone to the birds…we have a pair of classic avian-themed stories by Cordwainer Smith and Richard M...

Classic mystery story by Gil Brewer. Shortly after going AWOL from the Navy, Al York find his wife completely changed: she has started drinking, he knows she's having an affair, she is clear that she doesn't really want to be with him any more. Jack pays a street thug, Bart Snyder to check up on Nina's supposed lover, Errol Trout. And that's where the trouble starts...

Keeping an eye on a friend's wife has its perils, after dark!

A late-night tryst with a beautiful vixen sounds like an ideal setup for murder, especially with a serial killer on the loose. But as with any Gil Brewer tale, this one takes some unexpected twists!

Caffery was tired. He was beat. There were a lot of ragged years strung out behind him, and they all amounted to nothing. There was only the one way left to make it, and he was worn out trying. It was a rough program; a caper that had frayed the last of his nerves, ruined what was left of his digestion, weakened his heart, and helped bring back the old migraine of his youthful mob days until sometimes he thought he would flip his curly auburn-wigged lid.Only eight hundred thousand ...

Prissy Baxter inherited a lot of money when her husband died. She keeps her sister, Liz, on a tight allowance -- but Prissy's will says if Liz is married to Prissy's approval when Prissy dies, then Liz will inherits. However, if Liz is single or married to someone Prissy doens't approve of, then all the money goes to charity... Is it recipe for murder -- or worse?

Crattock strained against the ropes binding his wrists behind the chair. He cursed his brother, who breathed harshly as he lashed Crattock’s legs to the chair, knotting the biting hemp. “I won’t stay tied forever, Mel,” Crattock said, “I’ll kill you for this.”

Mel and Rose Hopkins live in a rundown neighborhood. When Rose gets an obscene phone call, Mel begins to obsess about it being a neighbor. Good thing they have a cop on their beat!

Chandler, on a week-long break from school, has an awkward homecoming. To clear his head, he takes an aimless walk. However, he has forgotten the nature of his hometown and ends up in a diner, where he is nearly beat up for being black in a white neighborhood.In typical Gil Brewer fashion, that's just the start of his gritty, relentless downward spiral...

When Renick is wounded in a drive-by shooting, the people around him stop to try to help. But one may be a little too helpful…

Kenneth was just a kid. He didn't understand why everyone hated him so much…