Edward D. Hoch

In 2001, Edward D. Hoch was named a Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America, the first time a Grand Master was known primarily for short fiction rather than novels. A skilled exponent of the classic detective story, he emphasizes mystery and deduction rather than suspense and fast action. Hoch (pronounced hoke) began writing in the 1950s. In 1962 he kicked off his most successful collaboration, with the appearance of his first story in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine; in the years since EQMM has published over 450 of Hoch's stories, roughly half of his total output.