The Tattle-Tale Heart, by John Leonard Pielmeier

 

"The Tattle-Tale Heart," by John Leonard Pielmeier, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, January/February 2026. 

Hoo-boy. Sometimes the challenge of reviewing a short story is figuring out what you can say without spoilers. Pardon me if I get vague for readers' protection.

It is 1960 and Eleanor Morse, a widow, has just taken a Caribbean cruise at the recommendation of her friend Harry.  Now back in Altoona she opens her suitcase and finds a horrifying surprise. 

 Which leaves her - and us - with a lot of questions.  Who put it there? How, why, and when?  And, come to think of it, why is Eleanor so reluctant to tell the police about her friend Harry?

The answers are surprising and, in some cases, audacious. And that's all I will say about the plot.

But after I finished the story I found myself trying to reverse engineer the plot. Specifically why did this story need to be a historical? What tied the plot to the past?  

I thought of a few details that probably fit 1960 better than 2026, like the scientific element of the investigation, and Eleanor's determined personality does stand out more in those pre-liberation days. But then I remembered that we are told about an incident in her childhood and, oh yes, that works best with the time period.

I'll shut up now.  Go read the story. It's a good one.