“One night in midsummer, at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, Arthur Fane murdered a nineteen-year-old girl named Polly Allen. That was the admitted fact.” Earlier this year, I crossed the halfway point in my spasmodic celebration of John Dickson Carr’s alter ego, Carter Dickson. Nine – And Death Makes Ten was definitely a highlight of my journey … Continue reading ACDC, PART THIRTEEN: “You’re Starting to Get Sleepy” . . . Seeing Is Believing
NOW YOU SEE ME . . . NOW YOU DON’T
Recently, I had the opportunity to rewatch the 1997 film Agatha when it appeared on Turner Classic Movies as part of a mini-festival of films about people who have disappeared. Directed by Michael Apted and based on a novel by the film’s screenwriter, Kathleen Tynan, Agatha provides a wholly fictional account of what happened to … Continue reading NOW YOU SEE ME . . . NOW YOU DON’T
WHERE’S THE BEEF? Book Club Tackles Leo Bruce
“Crime? Can’t we talk about anything else? Don’t we get enough of it in books and films? I’m sick to death of this crime, crime, crime, wherever you turn.” If this sounds like an odd complaint coming from a member of a Classic Crime Book Club– well, you’re right. While we have tended to have … Continue reading WHERE’S THE BEEF? Book Club Tackles Leo Bruce
MOVE OVERBOARD, DARLING: The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife
“’Remember now, Mrs. Shelby, if I’m going to represent you, I want you to have just one formula. For the press, there will be only two words, “no comment”. For the officers you will simply say, “I am not guilty. I have done nothing and the charge is unfounded, but I do not care to … Continue reading MOVE OVERBOARD, DARLING: The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife
ARCHIE’S TIME OUT: Prisoner’s Base
Archie Goodwin is not only my favorite Watson, he is the best Watson. He more than earns his keep as Nero Wolfe’s assistant, complementing the brilliant mind of his eccentric genius boss with his own massive skillset. As a chronicler of their adventures together, Archie is unmatched in his snappy prose and ever-present wit (although … Continue reading ARCHIE’S TIME OUT: Prisoner’s Base
WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG GAD LIST? Announcing Our Next Draft
Sergio . . . . . Nick . . . . . . . . . . . and Bradley Oh, the chutzpah of these guys! Attempting to conceive a list of the thirty-nine best Golden Age Mysteries of all time!! That may explain why we want to enlist all of you as accomplices!! Curious? … Continue reading WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG GAD LIST? Announcing Our Next Draft
FROM KING’S RANSOM TO 天国と地獄 (HIGH AND LOW)
“The city in these pages is imaginary. The people, the places are all fictitious. Only the police routine is based on established investigatory technique.” I’ll take my inspiration anywhere I can get it. This one came about from two different sources. The first was my own crazy head: I was sitting around, recovering from a … Continue reading FROM KING’S RANSOM TO 天国と地獄 (HIGH AND LOW)
ARE YOU MY MOTHER? Gus and the Missing Boy
Like me, some of you might remember how back in the 1980’s and 90’s, the dairy industry would put the pictures of missing children on their cartons. This was the time – blissfully free of the internet – when wanted posters dotted the bulletin boards in every post office. It seems like a natural fit … Continue reading ARE YOU MY MOTHER? Gus and the Missing Boy
CRY WOLF NO MORE: The Window (1949)
Stupid head cold! It came on me on Tuesday, and so far it has made me miss a haircut, a massage, a night at the theatre, and forty bucks for COVID tests. (Fortunately, I have tested negative – twice!) I hate being sick! I hate NyQuil, and daily bowls of chicken soup, and drowning my … Continue reading CRY WOLF NO MORE: The Window (1949)
THE ART OF ADAPTATION: Ms. Ma, Nemesis
If you ever go wandering through this blog and find some of my early posts about film adaptations of Agatha Christie’s work, you find yourself in the presence of a staunch purist. I mean, when your favorite author’s greatest strength is her plotting, why tamper with perfection? Why indeed? My relationship with adaptation has changed … Continue reading THE ART OF ADAPTATION: Ms. Ma, Nemesis
Ah Sweet Mystery! 