was an avid reader of non-fiction books and had a particular interest in history. He was also a fan of word puzzles and did the crossword in the Milwaukee Journal religiously. When asked about influences on his work, Ritchie stated that he admired the writings of Agatha Christie, John D. MacDonald, Raymond Chandler, and Donald E. Westlake. Death Shortly after completing his only novel, Tiger Island, Jack Ritchie died of a heart attack at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Milwaukee. Ritchie was given a private, military funeral in Milwaukee on April 27, 1983. Short stories Jack Ritchie was a prolific writer of short stories, with his work appearing in an extraordinary variety of periodicals and newspapers. He contributed a number of "hard-boiled" stories to Manhunt magazine throughout the 1950s with other stories appearing in such diverse publications as The Philadelphia Inquirer, Stag, New York Daily Mirror, Smashing Detective Stories, and Good Housekeeping. Ultimately, Ritchie published well over 500 stories. The multiplicity of publications that purchased material from Ritchie can be explained by the fact that his lifelong agent, Larry Sternig, would promptly send out manuscripts whenever a new publication appeared on the scene. However, it was to Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine that Ritchie sold more stories than any other periodical: 123 stories over a period of 23 years, 1959-1982. One of these tales, "The Green Heart", was adapted by director/star Elaine May into the cult movie classic A New Leaf co-starring Walter Matthau. "The Green Heart" was also adapted into a musical by Charles Busch and Rusty Magee. Other stories from AHMM were used in the popular television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Nearly all of Ritchie's stories have been reprinted in periodicals and anthologies, with one story, "For All the Rude People", being re-published 12 times. In the early 1970s, Ritchie created his two popular series characters, the vampire-sleuth Cardula, an anagram of Dracula, and Detective Henry Turnbuckle, both of whom went on to feature in some of Ritchie's best known stories. More television adaptations followed, with several stories serving as the basis for episodes of the show Tales of the Unexpected. One of Ritchie's stories, "The Absence of Emily", which won the Edgar Award in 1982, has been filmed twice. Throughout the 1970s, Ritchie continued to contribute stories to various publications, most often to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. Ritchie was also a lifelong member of the Council for Wisconsin