“Hamilton Burger arose ponderously to his feet. ‘Just a moment, Your Honor’, he said. ‘I’d like to be heard on that question. I believe there has been a very deliberate attempt on the part of someone, and I am not at the present time naming that someone, although I hope to be able to do … Continue reading TIME OUT FOR GINGER: The Case of the Restless Redhead
Erle Stanley Gardner
SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY LIKE . . . The Case of the Borrowed Brunette
“Next time I run across anyone who is borrowing a brunette, I’m going to let him keep her!” There’s a comforting sameness at the beginning of a Perry Mason novel that is reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes story. A client comes into the office to consult Mason on a problem. Like Baker Street sleuth, the lawyer is … Continue reading SHE WALKS IN BEAUTY LIKE . . . The Case of the Borrowed Brunette
GENTLEMEN PREFER . . . The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde
Let’s get the icky stuff out of the way first: a young blonde woman with a fresh black eye shows up at Perry Mason’s office, and he never expresses concern for her safety or well-being, never offers her a sympathetic comment, an ice pack or a raw steak. In fact, his early questions are disappointingly … Continue reading GENTLEMEN PREFER . . . The Case of the Black-Eyed Blonde
THE CASE OF THE BODACIOUS BOOK COVERS
Mystery publishers have long adhered to the well-known adage – and I’m not talking about “Crime Doesn’t Pay! here” The concept that sex sells applies to books as well as anything else. This is all well and good; in fact, it leans right into the world of pulp fiction where the best of hard-boiled detectives … Continue reading THE CASE OF THE BODACIOUS BOOK COVERS
HIS BOOOOOOKS!! What I Read on My Summer Vacation
Before I left for sweatier climes, I promised all you bibliophiles the following: I would make a pilgrimage to the Strand Bookstore (Broadway at 12th Street) and the Mysterious Bookshop (Warren Street) in downtown NYC; I would read three books and bring back reviews. Done and . . . almost done. On the hottest Thursday morning … Continue reading HIS BOOOOOOKS!! What I Read on My Summer Vacation
A HOLIDAY FROM MURDER
“Start spreadin' the newsI'm leavin' todayI want to be a part of itNew York, New York.” Well, technically, I leave tomorrow – morning flight, no time to blog – but that’s right! I’m taking my first vacation since summer 2019! Frankly, I’ve never been much of a travelin’ man, but there are two places that … Continue reading A HOLIDAY FROM MURDER
PERRY WALKS THE PLANK: The Case of the Substitute Face
If you select at random any one of the eighty-two novels featuring Perry Mason, you stand a good chance of finding an opening in Mason’s office with secretary Della Street looking over the black-eyed blondes, dangerous dowagers, and haunted husbands looking pacing the reception area, selecting one and then escorting them into Mason’s inner sanctum … Continue reading PERRY WALKS THE PLANK: The Case of the Substitute Face
AIM (NOT SO) STRAIGHT AND TRUE: My Resolutions for 2023
A few weeks ago, my pal (and Book Club Arch Nemesis!) the Puzzle Doctor reached his 2000th post on In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel. Not bad for a man who’s only been blogging since 1954. I hit my 500th post last August (it was a dreary review of a dreary book, Dorothy L. Sayers’ The Documents in … Continue reading AIM (NOT SO) STRAIGHT AND TRUE: My Resolutions for 2023
PAT ON THE BACK: Meeting (Some of) My 2022 Goals
“There is no Frigate like a Book to take us Lands away . . . “ These words by Emily Dickenson were emblazoned on the bookplates my grandparents gave me when, at an early age, I declared my love for reading. I pasted them into every volume I owned and used up my stock long ago. … Continue reading PAT ON THE BACK: Meeting (Some of) My 2022 Goals
THE 2022 ROY AWARDS: All in Love is (A.A.) Fair
“’Call a cab,’ she said. “’I have one waiting downstairs.’ “’Are you sporting taxi cabs for your private transportation?’ she asked. ‘Or did you think you were on an expense account?’ “I flared up and said, ‘I thought I was on an expense account.’ “She was silent for several seconds. I sat there wondering whether … Continue reading THE 2022 ROY AWARDS: All in Love is (A.A.) Fair
