The Will o' the Wisp
Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong and we'll take a look.
Thanks – we got it. We'll review and follow up if needed.
Edward D. Hoch was a legend. A prolific writer of almost 1000 short stories, featuring more than 15 series characters, he was a master of the classical detective mystery. Among is most imaginative tales was "The Will-'O-the-Wisp-Mystery." interlocked short stories which can be read independently but culminating in an unexpected but fairly clued resolution. The series was suggested by Frederic Dannay, editor of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, with the author kept secret - they were written by "Mr. X" - but anyone familiar with Hoch style would immediately recognize their creator.
A too-little-known Hoch detective was the Roman Catholic priest, Father David Noone. Even though he appeared in only seven mysteries, Hoch returned to the character for some forty years. Hoch himself was a devout Catholic and used that background effectively in the Noone stories. The detection is often centered on Noone's inner-city parish but (unexpectedly) he does solve a crime in a circus.
Yes, indeed, a legend.
Edward D. Hoch
Edward D. Hoch (1930–2008) was a master of the mystery short story. Born in Rochester, New York, he sold his first story, “The Village of the Dead,” to Famous Detective Stories, then one of the last remaining old-time pulps. The tale introduced Simon Ark, a two-thousand-year-old Coptic priest who became one of Hoch’s many series characters. Others included small-town doctor Sam Hawthorne, police detective Captain Leopold, and Revolutionary War secret agent Alexander Swift. By rotating through his stable of characters, most of whom aged with time, Hoch was able to achieve extreme productivity, selling stories to Argosy, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, which published a story of his in every issue from 1973 until his death. In all, Hoch wrote nearly one thousand short tales, making him one of the most prolific story writers of the twentieth century. He was awarded the 1968 Edgar Award for “The Oblong Room,” and in 2001 became the first short story writer to be named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America.
More by Edward D. Hoch
Why Readwise Books?
Readwise Books is an ebook & audiobook platform that automatically logs how much you and your friends read, making it fun and easy to read more. Learn more →