The Strand Magazine - Issue 68, 2022

In this issue

(You might wish to toss a few logs into the fireplace, grab a warm drink, put your feet up on a stool, and dim the lights while you read the holiday issue of Strand. For almost 25 years, we’ve taken our readers on a journeys from Africa to Eastern Europe, major metropolitan cities to small towns, and issue 67 carries on the journey but with a dose of holiday mayhem, a touch of cozy, add an assassin, and a few other thrills.)

We’re proud to present Jeffery Deaver’s “The Babysitter,” which is a twisty tale by one of the masters of the thriller genre. Also in this issue, Sherlockian pastiche writer extraordinaire Mark Mower takes Holmes and Watson on a yuletide adventure investigating an unusual medical case in “‘Twas the Season;” the always entertaining Michael Mallory brings big city crime to a cozy California town in “What the Cat Dragged In;” and the talented debut author Samantha Lokai loses no time ratcheting up the suspense inside an ordinary newspaper office in a terrifying ode to 1960s-style thrillers with “Tomorrow’s News.” Also, in time for the holidays, our second-to-none team of critics offers up reviews of the latest books in our genre, and don’t forget to take a look at The Strand’s fall reading list.

The cozy thriller is a wonderful mosaic of styles that lend themselves to long winter nights, at times light-hearted works, and in times of distress books and stories that are easy on the soul. One of the most successful practitioners of the cozy is Rhys Bowen. We had a chance to chat with Rhys about the enduring power of authors like Agatha Christie, mysteries past and present, and the wonderful world of travel.

The Strand Magazine Description:

The Strand is the magazine for mystery fans, a full sized, full color glossy magazine that is published four times a year. Whether it is a story set in Victorian London - or a contemporary hardboiled story - The Strand has something for everyone.

Each issue of The Strand Magazine features short stories by award-winning writers such as Alexander McCall Smith, Ray Bradbury, Michael Connelly, Faye Kellerman, and R.L. Stine, plus interviews with actors and best-selling writers such as David Baldacci, Christopher Plummer, Sandra Brown, Jonathan Kellerman, and Peter Falk. The Strand has a wide array of articles from our series on "The Great Detectives" to profiles of mystery authors past and present. The Strand also publishes articles about true crimes, recent articles have included a study of the Jack the Ripper murders and an investigation into the Da Vinci code phenomenon. In addition, each issue of The Strand has at least twenty book and audiobook reviews which look at the newest releases from large as well as smaller publishers.