"The Yellow Dog"

written by Tapani Bagge

"Tapani Bagge is the author of several dozen crime novels, in addition to plays, comic books, and scripts for television and radio. In his novels, he writes for both adult and young-adult audiences. This translation by Virginia author Josh Pachter goes back to policeman Mujunen's first case in Helsinki, 1927."

This isn't the first time I've had translations in two consecutive issues of EQMM, but it hasn't happened often. This time, Tapani Bagge's "The Yellow Dog" (the ninth language I've translated for the magazine) followed immediately after Lone Theils' "The Murders on Juniper Street," my eighth language.

After J.T. Lindross, a Finnish graphic artist, did the gorgeous cover design for my Grateful Dead anthology Friend of the Devil. I asked him if he could put me in touch with a Finnish crime writer. J.T. suggested Tapani, Tapani sent me "The Yellow Dog," and Mujunen's your uncle. (Mujunen is the name of Tapani's series character, the protagonist of "The Yellow Dog.")

EQMM editor Jackie Sherbow then scheduled my tenth Helmut Erhard story, "GOMAAKOD," for the March/April 2026 issue of the magazine, making "The Yellow Dog" the filling in a Pachter sandwich -- only (if memory serves) the third time I've had work in three consecutive issues.

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