I hate to start the new year with a sad fact, but reading, and the enjoyment thereof, has become a rare commodity. When I taught high school, I was disheartened by how few of my students carried around a book for pleasure. Maybe it’s the solitary nature of reading, or the lack of bells-and-whistles flummery … Continue reading BOOK CLUB FROM HELL!!! The Five False Suicides
Agatha Christie
TWELVE CHRISTIES FOR CHRISTMAS
You probably have heard of the phrase “A Christie for Christmas,” but I lived through it, at least through some of my most formative years. Beginning in 1968 with By the Pricking of My Thumbs, my late, beloved Aunt Rosalie presented “A Christie for Bradley” on my birthday (December 16) in the form of a hardcover … Continue reading TWELVE CHRISTIES FOR CHRISTMAS
FOR CATHERINE
“He got on to the bed, and wrenched open the lattice, bursting, as he pulled at it, into an uncontrollable passion of tears. ‘Come in! Come in!’ he sobbed. ‘Cathy, do come. Oh, do – once more! Oh, my heart’s darling! hear me, this time, Catherine, at last!’” (from Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte) When I … Continue reading FOR CATHERINE
HALLOWEEN PARTY HEARTY WITH FLEX AND HERDS
Recently I played along with the genial hosts of the Australian podcast, Death of the Reader, where each week Flex and Herds tackle a wide array of mystery tales, both classic and modern. Their most recent guest, one JJ von JJ (my pal, who created The Invisible Event and the podcast In GAD We Trust) … Continue reading HALLOWEEN PARTY HEARTY WITH FLEX AND HERDS
THE INVISIBLE HOST (And the Many Mysteries Surrounding It)
Here’s the first mystery . . . How does it happen that, on this day of all days, two men on opposite sides of the Atlantic decided to spend part of their Sunday writing a review of this book? That the Puzzle Doctor In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel got his review out before mine can … Continue reading THE INVISIBLE HOST (And the Many Mysteries Surrounding It)
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!
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 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
POST #400: Christie Community Service
This is my 400th post. I wasn’t sure I’d make it over the past year (which has seemed like 400 years). The question is: what do I write about? For a brief instant, I thought I would wax reflective about my current life, but you really don’t want to hear about it. (No, really. You don’t.) … Continue reading POST #400: Christie Community Service
Ah Sweet Mystery! 