For a long time, my pal JJ has taken a strong interest in modern authors who self-publish impossible crime mysteries. Sometimes things do not work out so well, but once in a while an author hits the mark. Clearly the most exciting discovery JJ has made thus far has been James Scott Byrnside. If you … Continue reading FALLING STAR/RISING STAR: The Opening Night Murders by James Scott Byrnside
Christianna Brand
THE IRONIC FRAGILITY OF THE JAW-DROPPER ENDING
They are the solutions that you can’t forget, no matter how much you try. You desperately want to re-read and experience that delicious jolt you got the first time, but you can’t. There’s something so original or special or boundary-breaking about these books that often they end up at the top of many “best of” … Continue reading THE IRONIC FRAGILITY OF THE JAW-DROPPER ENDING
PUTTING MORE BRAN(D) IN MY GAD(IET)
Christianna Brand has long been one of my favorite mystery writers. After Christie and Carr, Brand and Ellery Queen were the most formative authors of my lifelong obsession with all things GAD. The truth is, however, that I devoured the ten mystery novels Brand wrote over thirty years ago, and I never returned. Now that … Continue reading PUTTING MORE BRAN(D) IN MY GAD(IET)
I SECOND THAT EMOTION: Mysteries That Make You Feel
Dale Carnegie said: “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion.” Try applying this truism to the classic mystery, and you can perhaps see why some people turn away from the tendency of these stories to shortchange the emotional aspects of murder, while others are … Continue reading I SECOND THAT EMOTION: Mysteries That Make You Feel
POINT ME IN THE RIGHT MISDIRECTION (Part One: The Knave of Clubs and the Queen of Hearts)
The Golden Age of Detective Fiction, which was essentially borne out of the chaos of the First World War and began its slow decline partway through World War II, had a function beyond its power to entertain. The classic murder mystery served as a metaphor for war itself: a disruption of social order that tested … Continue reading POINT ME IN THE RIGHT MISDIRECTION (Part One: The Knave of Clubs and the Queen of Hearts)
FIVE BOOKS TO READ BEFORE THEY’RE SPOILED FOR YOU – The Random Edition
Summer is winding down, and the hallowed halls of education will soon be opening their doors. Except for me, who has been stuck in the classroom for nearly three weeks now. Whatever happened to the agrarian calendar? At the beginning of August, Ben, that scintillating John Dickson Carr enthusiast over at The Green Capsule, presented … Continue reading FIVE BOOKS TO READ BEFORE THEY’RE SPOILED FOR YOU – The Random Edition
IF IT’S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE . . . MURDER! Crime on Vacation
Has anyone ever seen the 1969 comedy, If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, about the misadventures of a group of tourists on a 19-day trip through Europe? It certainly put me off the concept of conducted tours, and it reminded me that no matter how hard you may try, even the best-laid plans for … Continue reading IF IT’S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE . . . MURDER! Crime on Vacation
Ah Sweet Mystery! 