As so often happens in times of great stress, we have turned for relief to outer space. A slew of recent stories suggested that unidentified flying objects were more than likely alien and nature and more frequently spotted by lucid folks than one might imagine. And of course, the BRTS (Billionaire Race to Space) continues … Continue reading PAUL HALTER AND THE LITTLE GREEN MEN
Author: Brad
BOOK CLUB REPORT #9: So Pretty a Problem
My Book Club has been playing games with me again. Last month, if you’ll recall, someone selected a novel about a man who hosts a party where he invites several acquaintances whom he knows to be criminals, and during the evening, after having hinted broadly at his knowledge, he is stabbed to death while his … Continue reading BOOK CLUB REPORT #9: So Pretty a Problem
DONE IN? DONE GOOD: Why It Has to Be Murder
In a recent post at The Invisible Event, one of JJ’s readers ended his response, full of interesting observations, with this: “Finally, a point that’s been bugging me for years. Why does so much detective fiction, especially the novels, focus on murder? Detective short stories, at least, tend to be a bit more diverse and focus … Continue reading DONE IN? DONE GOOD: Why It Has to Be Murder
PODCAST MANIA: We Gave a Party and She Wasn’t There!
In what is quickly becoming my favorite two hours every few months, Moira and I have guested on JJ's In GAD We Trust podcast, "Spoiler Alert" edition for the fifth in what I hope will be an ongoing series for the next twenty or so years as we cover Agatha Christie's canon in spoilerific detail! … Continue reading PODCAST MANIA: We Gave a Party and She Wasn’t There!
ACDC PART NINE/BOOK CLUB ’38: Death in Five Boxes
I have just finished reading a review of Carter Dickson’s Death in Five Boxes, written by my pal, the Puzzle Doctor, and I must say – I am confused. Make that doubly confused. My puzzlement first stems from Book Club, of which PD and I are both members. Last month, you might have heard the collective groaning over the Zoom … Continue reading ACDC PART NINE/BOOK CLUB ’38: Death in Five Boxes
CORPUS DELECTABLE: Giving Agatha Christie’s Victims Their Due
Neither S.S. Van Dine’s Twenty Rules nor Ronald Knox’s Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction were manifestos so much as commentaries on what constitutes a good crime novel. Written in 1928 and 1929 respectively, halfway through the Golden Age, these documents reflected with some mirth the “authority” bestowed upon two authors who were at the height … Continue reading CORPUS DELECTABLE: Giving Agatha Christie’s Victims Their Due
THE EENSY WEENSY SPIDER MURDER MYSTERY: Penelope’s Web
It’s always a cause for excitement when Locked Room International’s very own John Pugmire translates another Paul Halter novel. What sort of impossible crime or locked room will the French heir to John Dickson Carr give us this time? Will he take us to the Golden Age world of his Gideon Fell stand-in, Dr. Alan … Continue reading THE EENSY WEENSY SPIDER MURDER MYSTERY: Penelope’s Web
BOOK REPORT #7: The Wychford PoiZZZZZZZZ——-
In 1929, Anthony Berkeley published The Poisoned Chocolates Case, the fifth of his ten mystery novels featuring dilettante sleuth Roger Sheringham. In that book, a group of friends gather together to play armchair detective, each proposing a different solution to a current murder case. We never actually meet the main players in that case; instead, the members … Continue reading BOOK REPORT #7: The Wychford PoiZZZZZZZZ——-
THE PROBLEM OF 1926: When Authors Become Characters
"I coulda been a contender . . . " How many times have you asked yourself, “Why did Brad choose not to be famous?” Don’t worry – I get this all the time, but the answer is simple: had I chosen a life of celebrity, it wouldn’t have been long before the books and movies … Continue reading THE PROBLEM OF 1926: When Authors Become Characters
UN VOYAGE DANS LES TENEBRES – Le Bonus
Like a second-place contestant on Jeopardy, my fellow students and I weren’t allowed to leave our class on 1940’s film noir without a parting gift: our instructor Elliot Lavine sent us links to seven further films that he claims he could have added to our pile of twenty-four had their only been time. Not all of them are … Continue reading UN VOYAGE DANS LES TENEBRES – Le Bonus
Ah Sweet Mystery! 