Gary Alexander - The Best American Mystery Stories 2010

Chris Muessigand his wife Susanne left an emptied nest on Long Island several years ago to resettle in Cary, North Carolina. During the day he performs editorial work at North Carolina State University, and in the odd hours he writes to fill the vacuum created by the diaspora of their three children. “Bias” was his first published piece of fiction, chosen by Janet Hutchings for Ellery Queen’s Department of First Stories. Such blatant encouragement, after many decades of polite but firm rejection, has led to the sale of two more tales, including another of Creegan’s encounters with the spirit of the ‘80s.

“Bias” gestated for at least twenty years. It originated in the confluence of a number of nagging contemplations: a series of senseless and unsolved killings of Long Island gas station attendants, the loosening of anarchy upon the world, and the use of violence as a means of expression reaching everywhere. Of course, these conditions are not unique to the early 1980s. As Frank muses, every generation seems to have its Barbary shore.

Albert Tucheris the creator of prostitute Diana Andrews, who makes a cameo appearance in Bismarck Rules. Thirty short stories about her have been published in Lynx Eye, Thuglit, Out of the Gutter, Beat to a Pulp, and other print and online magazines and anthologies. He has also written a series of unpublished novels about his character.

The idea for ‘Bismarck Rules” came to me in 2003, when I went for my first colonoscopy. I discovered that my proctologist would not let me transport myself to and from my appointment. I had a friend who was available to drive me, but it occurred to me that some patients would not. Men hire prostitutes to do many things that are only distantly related to sex. Why not have a client pay my character Diana Andrews to pose as his girlfriend and take on the driving chore?

Two things happened. What I thought would be a comedy quickly turned very dark, and I realized that Diana Andrews has a biography that is incompatible with the plot developments in the story. I came up with a sidekick for Diana, another prostitute named Mary Alice Mercier, aka Crystal. She has since figured in my novels and several other short stories.

Kurt Vonnegutwas one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. Known for his unique blend of satire, black comedy, and science fiction, he was the author of works such as Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle, and Breakfast of Champions. His first short story, “Report on the Barnhouse Effect,” was published in Collier’s on February 11, 1950. Player Piano, his first novel, was published a year later. His writing career spanned fourteen novels and numerous collections of essays and short stories. The asteroid 25399 Vonnegut was named in his honor. Kurt Vonnegut died in Manhattan on April 11, 2007.

Joseph Wallace’sstories have appeared in Baltimore Noir, Hard Boiled Brooklyn, Bronx Noir, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and the Mystery Writers of America anthology The Prosecution Rests, where “Custom Sets” first appeared. His debut novel, Diamond Ruby (expanded from a story in EQMM), was published in May 2010. Set in 1920s New York City, it details the perilous life and times of a teenage girl with the unusual ability to throw a baseball as fast as any (male) pitcher alive.

A few years ago I wrote a thriller that attracted some interest, though no buyers. It had as a secondary character Zhenya, a Russian girl who travels to the United States under appalling circumstances. I’ve since come to believe that if I had placed her at the center of the story, I would have ended up with a far better novel. Having learned my lesson, I decided to make Zhenya the protagonist of “Custom Sets.” In several of my other stories and my novel Diamond Ruby, I’ve also chosen to write about teenage girls, whose strength, toughness, and resilience tend to be underestimated by villains and readers alike. I love writing the moments when the truth becomes known to all.

Mike Wiecekis the author of Exit Strategy, which was short-listed for a Thriller Award by the International Thriller Writers. His short stories have received wide recognition, including a Shamus Award. In his younger days Mike spent several years in Japan and traveled widely in Asia. He now lives outside Boston with his wife and two children. For more information, visit: www.mwiecek.com.

I’ve never been to Chittagong, but several years ago I saw an essay on the shipbreakers. One photo stood out: a long line of men ascending the beach, the cable on their shoulders stretching back and disappearing into mist. Their faces, worn by effort and pain, made a striking contrast to the colossus of rusted steel they were dismembering. And I thought, Story.

Though poverty grinds down those who suffer it, even the shantytowns have a certain dignity. People have dreams, make plans, and take pride in their achievements, however modest they might seem. There is always a future. Though it may be hard to believe, the Bangladesh shipbreaking yards have grown too expensive. The trade is now shifting to even cheaper, crueler, less safe countries: Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam. The stern logic of globalization dictates, but I hope we remember Mohit and his companions, who do the hard work.

Ryan Zimmermanattended the University of Florida, where he majored in wildlife ecology until he realized how much math he’d need to take. He ended up graduating three times from the University of South Florida (where he took no math classes), most recently with an MFA in fiction writing. Ryan lives in Tampa with his wife, his daughter, and his dog.

I believe that the original inspiration for this story came when I happened across a hunting show on TV in which a couple of guys were hunting hogs with nothing but dogs and knives. I have to say, I was a bit repulsed, but also fascinated. I have nothing against hunters, but when I tried to imagine the type of guy who would enjoy stabbing an animal to death, I came up with Ray, the domineering backwoods sociopath of “Blood and Dirt.” I gave him a nice kid brother, put the two in the steamy pressure cooker of a Florida summer, and this is the story that resulted.