Ask an International Guy of Mystery

Dear International Guy of Mystery,
I just heard that Ellery Queen was not a real person and was actually written by two guys!! That makes absolutely no sense! Is there any truth to this?
Betrayed in Beaverton, Oregon

Dear Betrayed,
I feel your pain. When I first learned this inconvenient truth I was so furious I threw my slippers at the autographed portrait that I foolishly believed Ellery himself had sent me years ago. Now I'm left wondering who is this dreamy-looking man in the photo? Some dumb actor?
Those perfectly-crafted Queen mysteries were indeed written by two guys who collaborated. My sources tell me that they lived together in a brownstone flat in New York City. Apparently one guy would write one word on a piece of paper, and the other guy would write the next word, back and forth for days until they had a finished novel. Afterwards they would collapse from exhaustion while their houseboy typed the manuscript and delivered it to their publisher.
I know it makes no sense, but there you are!
International Guy of Mystery