hiatus (n.) – a temporary break, pause or interruption in an ongoing activity, work or series Hello, my fellow mystery lovers! This month marks eleven years of Ah Sweet Mystery! I can’t believe the time has gone so fast, or how much I still enjoy delivering my thoughts to you about our favorite genre, whether it’s … Continue reading HIYA, HIATUS!
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 4: The Birds
Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to take a Daphne Du Maurier short story about an ornithological Armageddon and turn it into a love story about family healing. By the end of 1963’s The Birds, Melanie Daniels (the Hitchcock blonde who has replaced Du Maurier’s doomed farmer, played by "Tippi" Hedren) has traded in her bitterness for true … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 4: The Birds
CUCKOO HONKAKU: Murder at the End of the World
“So. What d’you think your last words will be?” Twenty-three-year-old Haru is having a rotten year. She finally found a job, and the company went under. Her mother deserted the family, and her father hanged himself - and left it to Haru to cut down the body. Two of her only three friends just died … Continue reading CUCKOO HONKAKU: Murder at the End of the World
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 3: The Men of Psycho
When Alfred Hitchcock decided to adapt Robert Bloch’s 1959 horror novel Psycho for the big screen, he faced a mountain of objections from the heads of Paramount Studios, who were appalled at the subject matter. Hitchcock’s negotiations included his offer to film on the cheap, in black and white, using the crew from his successful TV series, Alfred … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 3: The Men of Psycho
ALL HER WORLD’S A STAGE: Theatricality in the Novels and Stories of Agatha Christie, Chapter 8: Spotlight on the Sleuths
We’ve spoken at length about criminals utilizing dissembling and disguise in order to (sometimes literally) mask their guilt – but what of the detective? The history of fictional sleuths donning a disguise to infiltrate a villain’s lair or track down a vital clue is long and fascinating - and, most significantly, based on truth. The … Continue reading ALL HER WORLD’S A STAGE: Theatricality in the Novels and Stories of Agatha Christie, Chapter 8: Spotlight on the Sleuths
MASON IN THE EMERALD CITY: The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister
Since time immemorial – well, say the last hundred years – a detective’s secretary has been the front line of information about new clients. Her first impression says everything! “’There’s a girl wants to see you. Her name’s Wonderly.’ “’A customer?’ “’I guess so. You’ll want to see her anyway: she’s a knockout.’” Okay, Effie … Continue reading MASON IN THE EMERALD CITY: The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 2: The Biddies
I’m a big fan of screen biddies, those wonderful older women who always steal the scene from the big stars with their sarcastic eye-rolling and witty shenanigans. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were all the better for having had Helen Broderick in two of their films. Broderick became the second biddy to play Miss Hildegarde … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 2: The Biddies
THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 1: Rear Window
My favorite author is Agatha Christie. My favorite director is Alfred Hitchcock. And never the twain shall meet. And why should they? Hitchcock wasn’t much interested in whodunnits, and goodness knows what Christie thought about the movie industry. (Actually, she loved going to the movies . . . as long as they weren’t based on … Continue reading THE PERRY MASON/ALFRED HITCHCOCK CONNECTION, PT. 1: Rear Window
SAYONARA TO ST. MARY MEAD: Death After Evensong
Knowing full well that my favorite mystery author got her start after working in the pharmaceutical business (dispensing drugs, don’t ya know!), you would think that another writer with a similar resume might spark a similar interest. And wouldn’t you know it? This month my Book Club has decided to look into the writings of … Continue reading SAYONARA TO ST. MARY MEAD: Death After Evensong
“The stuff that dreams are made of, Della” – The Perry Mason/Maltese Falcon Connection
It should come as no surprise to you how much I love and admire The Maltese Falcon. It seems I’m always ranking the book or the film on one list or another. Why, only recently, I named it the best film noir of all time. As for detective Sam Spade, I placed him among the Top Twenty Greatest … Continue reading “The stuff that dreams are made of, Della” – The Perry Mason/Maltese Falcon Connection
Ah Sweet Mystery! 