In their introduction to The Misadventures of Ellery Queen, their new collection of “pastiches, parodies and potpourri” featuring America’s favorite classic sleuth, co-editors Josh Pachter and Dale C. Andrews address three questions: Who is Ellery Queen? What is a pastiche? What is a parody? I’ll let you read their answer to the first question for … Continue reading CATS WITH MANY TALES: The Misadventures of Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen
SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY: Ellery Queen’s There Was an Old Woman
If you want to be a successful author today, you had better be ready to devote some time to self-promotion. This may be especially true for self-published and mid-tier writers, but everyone who wants to be read needs to get on the publicity circuit. Publishers have reduced the effort they will expend to promote books, … Continue reading SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY: Ellery Queen’s There Was an Old Woman
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 – Ellery Queen Edition
I’m following up my prize-winning post on Agatha Christie books one should read before they are spoiled with something along the same lines for several reasons. First, it’s Sunday and I’m fighting a cold, so while I have nothing better to do but suck down zinc lozenges and write, I'm not feeling particularly creative. Secondly, … Continue reading FIVE BOOKS TO READ BEFORE THEY’RE SPOILED FOR YOU – Ellery Queen Edition
I SUSPECT MICE: A Discourse on the Dying Message
Smack dab in the middle of The Tragedy of X, the 1930 debut of mystery writer Barnaby Ross, detective Drury Lane, a retired Shakespearean actor who is stone deaf, resides in a castle called The Hamlet, and employs a hunchback dwarf named Falstaff as a butler, is philosophizing with a group of men – one … Continue reading I SUSPECT MICE: A Discourse on the Dying Message
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
ELLERY QUEEN AND THE POISONOUS QUARTET
Great minds think alike! It’s the final week for the Tuesday Night Bloggers to dedicate their efforts to all things related to poison, and without consulting each other in any way, my buddy JJ at The Invisible Event and I both set our sights on Ellery Queen, one of the foremost American practitioners of the … Continue reading ELLERY QUEEN AND THE POISONOUS QUARTET
PLOT VS. CHARACTER: Thoughts Inspired by a Fellow Blogger
“No plot is devoid entirely of character, and even the most character-rich study has to give them something to do – particularly in my given field of crime fiction. At a more atavistic level it’s really about writing over character or plot, but give me that choice and – 63 times out of 80 – … Continue reading PLOT VS. CHARACTER: Thoughts Inspired by a Fellow Blogger
THE HEAT IS ON: Ellery Queen on Vacation
The Tuesday Night Bloggers have dedicated the month of May to variations on the theme of transportation, travel, and vacation. Ah, vacation! What educator doesn’t thrill to the sound of that word in early May? I have exactly four full days and three half days of work left before mine starts . . . not … Continue reading THE HEAT IS ON: Ellery Queen on Vacation
TWO VILLAGE MYSTERIES FROM 1950
Over at Past Offenses, Rich is gathering mystery fans from far and wide to honor the year 1950. It just so happens that during this year, two of my favorite authors published mysteries set in small villages. Agatha Christie, writing her fiftieth novel, created a masterpiece. Ellery Queen, however, wrote a lesser Wrightsville tale that, … Continue reading TWO VILLAGE MYSTERIES FROM 1950
Ah Sweet Mystery! 