SLEUTHING IN THE DARK: Death Knell by Barnard Kendrick

“One way or another, I’ve developed myself into a monstrously clever fellow. My brain’s as fertile as a pomegranate. My heart’s as cold as Troy Singleton in morgue vault twenty-two. I do jigsaw puzzles and hook together pieces of wood that I can’t even see. It makes a picture of death, Davis. I’m blind Justice, … Continue reading SLEUTHING IN THE DARK: Death Knell by Barnard Kendrick

GHOSTS IN SHORTS: “The Sleeper of Coldwreath” by Tom Mead

Fellow GAD enthusiast Tom Mead has met with great success with Death and the Conjuror, his first novel to feature magician-detective Joseph Spector. It’s a loving and clever take on the classic locked room mystery, and it has garnered deservedly nice reviews for its strict adherence to the rules of classic detection and its multiplicity of … Continue reading GHOSTS IN SHORTS: “The Sleeper of Coldwreath” by Tom Mead

THE TWILIGHT ZONE, PART 9: Alone Again, Unnaturally

From Season One, Episode 1, loneliness and isolation have been a major theme of The Twilight Zone. By the late 50’s, the age of extended families living under one roof or even in the same community had significantly disappeared in America, and it continues today, with mammoth urban apartment complexes, little-box suburbs, and condominium associations filled … Continue reading THE TWILIGHT ZONE, PART 9: Alone Again, Unnaturally

THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION: Josephine Tey’s The Franchise Affair

Has it really been nearly eight years since I last read Josephine Tey? She seems to stir up a hornet’s nest of opinion whenever one of her books comes up. All I know is that I love a good academic mystery, and someone who knew that recommended Miss Pym Disposes (1946). Beautifully written, funny, dark, and sad, … Continue reading THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION: Josephine Tey’s The Franchise Affair