It is a truth universally acknowledged that an Agatha Christie uber-fan who decides to write his own mystery will be influenced by the Queen of Crime. Kemper Donovan, host of the Christie-centered podcast All About Agatha, has himself acknowledged this regarding The Busy Body, his second novel but first full-fledged whodunnit. Indeed, I could share some of … Continue reading CHRISTIE ADJACENT: The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan
Author: Brad
AND THEN THERE WAS MURDER IS EASY
I know, I know! I promised a bit less Agatha Christie this year! Let’s just call the next two posts “Christie Adjacent!” First things first: in an act of kindness (which he regarded as cruelty!), my friend Scott from overseas made it possible for me to be one of the first Americans to watch the … Continue reading AND THEN THERE WAS MURDER IS EASY
A TALE OF ICE AND FIRE: Murder at the End of the World
Okay, I’m a little embarrassed! There I was, writing up my end of year retrospective, setting my goals for ’24, and then figuring I’d rest up for the last few days of this year before getting back to the ol’ blog slog! But I wasn’t counting on the appearance of a nifty little murder mystery … Continue reading A TALE OF ICE AND FIRE: Murder at the End of the World
BRADLEY’S BEST OF ’23 AND A PEEK AT ’24
Some book blogger I am! My three compatriots, Kate Jackson (Cross Examining Crime), Steve “Puzzle Doctor” Barge (In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel) and Jim “JJ” Noy (The Invisible Event) managed three hundred reads between them this year, and while Kate has a slight edge on the boys (she read 115 of those books), they’re all … Continue reading BRADLEY’S BEST OF ’23 AND A PEEK AT ’24
RANKING MARPLE: Settling the Scores
When I was struck with the idea last year of reading and “ranking” the twelve Miss Marple novels, it was more of an excuse to revisit the lady and think long and hard about each of her books than it was to come up with a “definitive best of” list. All art – even murder … Continue reading RANKING MARPLE: Settling the Scores
THE 2023 ROY AWARDS: Time to Vote!!
After several exciting weeks of my fellow bloggers and I posting our nominations for this year's Reprint of the Year, it is finally time to vote! All you have to do is follow this link to Kate Jackson's place, look over the list, and vote for up to three titles. Of course, you shouldn't have … Continue reading THE 2023 ROY AWARDS: Time to Vote!!
2023 REPRINT OF THE YEAR, PART II: The Birthday Murder
Every year, Kate Jackson hosts a celebration over at her blog, Cross-Examining Crime, of all the classic mystery titles that have been republished during the year. She invites all her blogging friends to nominate two of their favorite titles for the honorific of Reprint of the Year. It’s a lot of fun, and there are plenty … Continue reading 2023 REPRINT OF THE YEAR, PART II: The Birthday Murder
RANKING MARPLE #12: Nemesis
“Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an everlasting stream.” (Amos 5:24) In the early days of World War II, with bombs continually threatening to burst over her ultramodern London flat, Agatha Christie decided to write Hercule Poirot’s last case. She put a lot of thought into how she would end the career – … Continue reading RANKING MARPLE #12: Nemesis
2023 REPRINT OF THE YEAR, PART 1: The Case of the Rolling Bones
“‘Gosh, Della, can’t you scare me up a good mystery?’ Della Street said, ‘I’ve handled all the routine mail. This is the important stuff which needs your personal attention.’ Mason pushed the mail to one side. ‘Shucks, Della, I hate letters. Letters are inanimate. I like people. People are animate. I like to puzzle with human … Continue reading 2023 REPRINT OF THE YEAR, PART 1: The Case of the Rolling Bones
DO YOU WANNA KILL A SNOWMAN? Book Club Reads The Sittaford Mystery
As those of you reading this who also follow some of my blogging friends may have realized, what happens in Book Club does not stay in Book Club. The best part of Book Club is the clubbers themselves. We have decided that it doesn’t matter whether we love or hate a book – it’s all about the … Continue reading DO YOU WANNA KILL A SNOWMAN? Book Club Reads The Sittaford Mystery
Ah Sweet Mystery! 