I hope you had a chance to check out yesterday’s review of Cards on the Table. Since it’s an Hercule Poirot mystery, you would think if you wanted to find a decent film adaptation, you need look no further than the David Suchet series, Agatha Christie’s Poirot. The sad fact is, I would urge you to avoid the travesty … Continue reading CHORABALI: A Bengali Re-deal of Cards on the Table
Agatha Christie
THE POIROT PROJECT #1: Cards on the Table
Well, The Poirot Project is off to a furshlugginer start! As I informed you last month, I have identified fifteen Agatha Christie titles featuring Hercule Poirot for which I have so far failed to provide an in-depth article/review. I decided to review these in random order, using slips of paper in a mini-chocolate box as … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #1: Cards on the Table
“I’ve got a little list . . . ” Part II: Ten Favorite Mysteries of the 1930’s
Back in May, my buddies Sergio and Nick and I pooled our heads together and came up with our own three lists of the best mysteries from the Golden Age of Detection. Our method of selection was very structured: we came up with thirteen general categories (i.e., “Best wartime” “best locked room” and “best twist ending”) and … Continue reading “I’ve got a little list . . . ” Part II: Ten Favorite Mysteries of the 1930’s
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MARPLE: EXPERT ON WICKEDNESS by Dr. Mark Aldridge
What will the critics make of Dr. Mark Aldridge’s new book? You know, the folks who describe any novelist who tries their hand at a mystery in the classic style as “the next Agatha Christie?” They might say something like this: “An entertaining and informative dissertation on the world’s most famous and best-loved spinster sleuth … Continue reading AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MARPLE: EXPERT ON WICKEDNESS by Dr. Mark Aldridge
AN ANNIVERSARY AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT: The Poirot Project
Can you believe it? Nine years ago, on this very day, I began my life as a blogger! I was young and wild, a snappy dresser, sure, but uncertain of how to put my feelings into words. And now, with time and patience, I have grown into myself as a writer and a man. In … Continue reading AN ANNIVERSARY AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT: The Poirot Project
THE FESTIVAL? THE FESTIVAL! THE QUEEN OF CRIME’S FESTIVAL!
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!
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!
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)
“WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS . . . ” An Agatha Christie Starter Kit
Summer is fast approaching – the official start is Thursday, June 20 – and that’s when the living is easy, COVID surges, a mammoth tornado season, and imminent elections-from-hell notwithstanding. I hope you are settling in for a nice spot of warm weather (but not too warm) and that you have plans on the horizon for an … Continue reading “WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS . . . ” An Agatha Christie Starter Kit
NOW YOU SEE ME . . . NOW YOU DON’T
Recently, I had the opportunity to rewatch the 1997 film Agatha when it appeared on Turner Classic Movies as part of a mini-festival of films about people who have disappeared. Directed by Michael Apted and based on a novel by the film’s screenwriter, Kathleen Tynan, Agatha provides a wholly fictional account of what happened to … Continue reading NOW YOU SEE ME . . . NOW YOU DON’T
Ah Sweet Mystery! 