It was a plan two years in the making, brought about by an invitation from detective fiction expert Tony Medawar, to travel to Torquay, England, in the County of Devon, the birthplace of Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller, the girl who grew up to become my favorite author, in order to speak about her. Really, though, … Continue reading THE FESTIVAL? THE FESTIVAL! THE QUEEN OF CRIME’S FESTIVAL!
Author: Brad
HERCULE AND JANE AND ME, OH MY!
We interrupt our regular program with this special announcement: Last December, in a reflective mood, I wrote about the year ahead and referred to something I called “The Christie Conundrum”: “It’s no secret how much I love Agatha Christie, but the truth is that I’ve read her books many times, and I tend to fall … Continue reading HERCULE AND JANE AND ME, OH MY!
ATTICUS REDUX: Moonflower Murders
Few modern authors have such a firm and delightful grasp on the conventions and stylings of classic detective fiction that Anthony Horowitz has. This has proven especially true in his television writing: Poirot and Midsomer Murders displayed a deft hand at adaptation, but it was Foyle’s War that really proved Horowitz’ mettle. If you haven’t watched that series, what are you … Continue reading ATTICUS REDUX: Moonflower Murders
BAD SPLIT: The Case of the Daring Divorcee
It’s always sad when a marriage ends in divorce. And it makes me feel no better when the series of marital titles I’ve been covering in the Perry Mason series ends as ignominiously as The Case of the Daring Divorcee. It’s 1964: Erle Stanley Gardner is 75 years old and has more than seventy Mason mysteries, … Continue reading BAD SPLIT: The Case of the Daring Divorcee
NOIR ’44 – The Draft Is Coming!
I have a couple of new projects coming up on the blog - – one for viewing and the other for reading - with which I hope you’ll all get involved. Today’s all about movies – we’ll talk about the reading in two days. Fresh off our Distaff Columbo Draft, the Three Amigos – Sergio Angelini, Nick … Continue reading NOIR ’44 – The Draft Is Coming!
BOOK CLUB TACKLES ITS INNER DEMONS: The Noh Mask Murder
The ever-increasing availability of Japanese honkaku and shin honkaku mystery stories translated into English is one of the greatest perks of the classic mystery revival. I used to talk about each review as “this year’s book,” but now I can’t keep up with the new titles. I’ve got books on my shelf that I haven’t read yet, another Kosuke … Continue reading BOOK CLUB TACKLES ITS INNER DEMONS: The Noh Mask Murder
“Oh, just one more thing ma’am . . . “: THE COLUMBO DISTAFF DRAFT
A shabby raincoat . . . a perpetually lit cigar . . . a mastery at playing the fool! No detective was better at getting under his adversaries’ skin than Lieutenant Frank Columbo of the LAPD. As played by Peter Falk, Columbo appeared in sixty-nine episodes that ran on and (mostly) off between 1968 and … Continue reading “Oh, just one more thing ma’am . . . “: THE COLUMBO DISTAFF DRAFT
SHARING IS CARING: The Case of the Bigamous Spouse
For the past six months, we’ve been looking at Perry Mason mysteries, specifically those with a title that conjures up matrimony – both its pros and cons. One of the highlights for me has been how the seven titles in this mini-series are spread throughout author Erle Stanley Gardner’s career. And now we have hit … Continue reading SHARING IS CARING: The Case of the Bigamous Spouse
BOOK CLUB INVESTIGATES NERO WOLFE’S SHORTS
Let’s talk about novellas - specifically, the Nero Wolfe novellas by Rex Stout. In my admittedly limited range of knowledge and experience, no mystery author has better demonstrated that you can accomplish the same thing in 20,000 words that most writers take 80,000 or more words to do than Stout did. Beginning with 1934’s Fer-de-Lance, Nero … Continue reading BOOK CLUB INVESTIGATES NERO WOLFE’S SHORTS
THE KNITTING WARS: Marple vs. Silver (Part One and Only)
Fans of classic detective fiction know that there are thousands of books by hundreds of authors to choose from. They run the gamut from pure puzzlers to “Had I But Knowns”, from succinct procedurals to opulent thrillers. Their tones rank from despairing to hilarious, and you can pick your sleuths out of a panoply of … Continue reading THE KNITTING WARS: Marple vs. Silver (Part One and Only)
Ah Sweet Mystery! 