Ed Hoch Passes Away

What can you say? One of the greatest mystery legends, a man who had a story in every issue of Ellery Queen for almost thirty-five years, is gone. Edward D. Hoch was 77. Jiro Kimura pays tribute, as does Bill Crider and Bob Randisi, and no doubt many, many more of them will roll in soon. I’ll update throughout the day, and the backblog is open.

Other Hoch-related links:

• Mystery*File interview from 2004
• 2002 interview on an Ellery Queen fan site
• Criminal Brief blog post from May 2007 about why Hoch enjoyed the short story format most
• Christmas-themed short story, “The Three Travelers”
• Comprehensive Hoch retrospective at A Guide to Classic Mystery and Detectiion

UPDATE: This from Chuck Hogan, the Hammett Award-winning author of PRINCE OF THIEVES and THE KILLING MOON: “I would just like to say that,

to me, Ed Hoch epitomized the generosity and supportiveness of the crime

writing community as a whole.  He was a true ambassador of the craft,

someone whose perseverance and unflagging enthusiasm serves as a terrific

model.  We have lost a vital link to the age of the pulps (his broke in

with Famous Detective Stories in 1955).  Strange to say, but

I think Ed Hoch may be the only true writer I’ve ever met.”