I have received threefold inspiration to write the following post. First, as part of the 1930 celebration going on over at Past Offenses, I re-read The Murder at the Vicarage, which contains a prime example of a favorite murder motif of Agatha Christie’s that I have dubbed “the deadly duo.” Her variations on this theme form … Continue reading AGATHA CHRISTIE AND THE DEADLY DUO
Author: Brad
DESTINATION UNKNOWN (a.k.a. “Taking a Bullet for Rich”)
“The travelers got out of the car. There was a big bell pull at the gate, but before they could touch it the gates swung slowly open. A white-robed figure with a black, smiling face bowed to them and bade them enter. They passed through the gate; at one side screened by a high fence … Continue reading DESTINATION UNKNOWN (a.k.a. “Taking a Bullet for Rich”)
KA-POOWW! KA-BOOOM! Holmes and Queen in Four Colors
In the early 1960’s, Dell’s Four Color Series experimented with giving some of the great detectives the Superman treatment by trying them out as comic books. The newsstands’ luster was raised by the appearance of original stories featuring Sherlock Holmes and Ellery Queen. Unfortunately, these experiments did not bear fruit, and neither detective earned enough … Continue reading KA-POOWW! KA-BOOOM! Holmes and Queen in Four Colors
HARRY POTTER AND THE CREATIVE CASH COW
The seven books of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter saga occupy a prominent position on my bookshelf (the downstairs one in the living room!) I read them all and listened to the audio versions read by the marvelous Jim Dale, he of a thousand voices, many times! I own the movies (except for the last one … Continue reading HARRY POTTER AND THE CREATIVE CASH COW
THIRTEEN BY HITCHCOCK: A Fan Pays Homage to the Master
For the August 13 post of her fine blog, Confessions of a Mystery Novelist, Margot Kinberg did something that still makes me hang my head in shame: she remembered Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday! More than that, she honored him with a salutary post. one which you can – and should – read here. Although it accounted … Continue reading THIRTEEN BY HITCHCOCK: A Fan Pays Homage to the Master
BRAD’S FIRST ANNUAL BINGE AWARDS!
To binge = to indulge for a short period of time in an activity to excess, especially drinking alcohol and eating. Not a very pleasant or healthy notion. My question is, if we add “watching TV” to that equation, does that elevate the concept of binging? Probably not, but it’s an important thing to ask, … Continue reading BRAD’S FIRST ANNUAL BINGE AWARDS!
NORMAN BERROW AND THE COOLEST MURDER METHOD EVER!
Based on the enormous success of last month’s discussion topic – death by poison – the Tuesday Night Bloggers convened and decided to dedicate August to yet another popular murder method: murder by giant thumb. This was immediately followed by an 8 -1 decision to take the month of August off. Thus, it falls on … Continue reading NORMAN BERROW AND THE COOLEST MURDER METHOD EVER!
MISSTEP: Christie’s “Third Girl”
Hercule Poirot appears late in 1963’s The Clocks, and the ostensible reason for this (disregarding Christie’s open dislike of the man late in her career) is that he is working on “his magnum opus, an analysis of great writers of fiction.” The first chapter where Poirot appears is mostly taken up with regaling his listener … Continue reading MISSTEP: Christie’s “Third Girl”
REFEREEING THE BLOGGERS: “Death at Crane’s Court”
Bear with me, readers! I have to save a friendship! I’ve been blogging for ten months now, and I have enjoyed bobbing up and down at the fringes of a circle of powerful people who write about vintage mysteries. They are a complex and interesting bunch, and I enjoy our interactions, no more so than … Continue reading REFEREEING THE BLOGGERS: “Death at Crane’s Court”
A PORTRAIT OF “LAURA”
“I shall never forget the weekend Laura died . . . “ Otto Preminger’s Laura was one of the top films of 1944 (the year being celebrated all month over at Rich Westwood’s blog Past Offenses). It centers around a lovely girl named Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) who, at the start, has been horribly murdered … Continue reading A PORTRAIT OF “LAURA”
Ah Sweet Mystery! 