The Strand Magazine - Issue 60, 2020

In this issue

In our 60th issue, we’re proud to present an unpublished Louisa May Alcott story, Aunt Nellie’s Diary, published here for the first time, is told from the perspective of a single and insightful forty-year-old woman who is responsible for the care of her teenage niece. Her niece’s beautiful, worldly friend is staying with them over the summer, as is a young man—Nellie’s friend’s handsome son. According to scholars, Aunt Nellie’s Diary was written when she was quite young; nevertheless Alcott displays sharp psychological insight into the characters who inhabit the seemingly carefree world of picnics, masked balls, and cozy carriage rides.

Alcott scholar Professor Daniel Shealy provides an introduction which looks at the historical and biographical context of this gem. Set during Gilded Age America, this 9,000 word story provides romance, the idyllic world of a time gone by, and characters who served as the inspiration for her future masterpieces.

Among our other short stories in this issue, David Marcum challenges Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to enter the world of international intrigue with “The Home Office Baby.” Against the backdrop of a diner, John Floyd serves us a heaping spoonful of menacing mobsters on the loose in “Biloxi Bound.” And last but not least, the inimitable Eoin Colfer with “Kevin of the Dead” invites us to meet a vampire who drives a stake into our stereotypes of the undead.

AUNT NELLIE'S DIARY

MANY contemporary readers know Louisa May Alcott only as the author of the classic Little Women, the much-beloved story of the March sisters’ journey from childhood innocence to mature womanhood.

10+ mins

KEVIN OF THE DEAD

PEOPLE often say to me, “Kevin, what’s it like being undead and all that?” And I say, “It’s a job, you know?” You get up at sunset, brush off the dirt and slugs, climb out of the box, and off you go into the night looking for some poor unfortunate to siphon a pint from.

10 mins

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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.