It seemed a good idea at the time, but in the cold light of day, calling this event “GADzooks!” seems a shuddering case of The Cutes! The Puzzle Doctor calls his a “chapter to chapter”, and JJ will appear with his own “Spoiler Warning” in this format in July! True to form, PD remains spoiler-free, … Continue reading READ-ALONG WITH BRADLEY! The Red Widow Murders: Part One
John Dickson Carr
G.A.D.ZOOKS! A Special Announcement
Gadzooks! Definition: a cry of surprise or irritation. The perfect epithet for when you have turned that page to where the sleuth drops all pretense, points to the least likely suspect and declares: “It was you!” … Continue reading G.A.D.ZOOKS! A Special Announcement
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
GOOSEBUMPS: THE CHRISTIE EDITION
Mr. JJ of The Invisible Event (you do know that JJ is his last name, not his initials, right? His first name is Al) recently posted on my favorite topic, Agatha Christie, detailing some of the highs and lows he had experienced after nearly twenty years of reading the Queen of Crime. It was a … Continue reading GOOSEBUMPS: THE CHRISTIE EDITION
GAME, SET, AND MATCH, CARR STYLE
Before you read any further, please note that if I had any trouble with today’s mystery novel, it had more to do with me than with the book itself. You see, the school term finally came to an end on Friday, and I have to say that if someone had rung my doorbell two weeks … Continue reading GAME, SET, AND MATCH, CARR STYLE
CASTLE TO LET: 80 RMS W/PORTCULLIS, WEREWOLF INCLUDED
“It’s possible that Sonia believed it, but she’s a woman and it’s only to be expected.” There’s nothing more satisfying on a rainy holiday weekend than to curl up with a good mystery. Make it a classic tale from a prolific author of the 1930’s, dripping with atmosphere and stocked with a perplexing impossible crime … Continue reading CASTLE TO LET: 80 RMS W/PORTCULLIS, WEREWOLF INCLUDED
APOLOGIA: In Which One Modern Mystery Causes Me to Reflect on Too Many Issues for One Post . . . and Asks You to Come Along for the Ride!
A few months ago, I told you I would never buy a Louise Penny mystery again, for a host of reasons you can feel free to check out here. But Penny is fun to listen to in the car, so last week I went to the library and checked out Glass Houses, the thirteenth in … Continue reading APOLOGIA: In Which One Modern Mystery Causes Me to Reflect on Too Many Issues for One Post . . . and Asks You to Come Along for the Ride!
POINT ME IN THE RIGHT MISDIRECTION (Part Two: The Magician and the Empress)
You’re looking up at the slide and thinking: Wow! Brad’s top two mystery authors are . . . Franklin W. Dixon and Carolyn Keene! (Whom I think are the same person . . . or syndicate . . . or something.) Did you ever imagine a blogger would finally give these authors their due? Actually, … Continue reading POINT ME IN THE RIGHT MISDIRECTION (Part Two: The Magician and the Empress)
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
THE MASTER AT WORK: The Problem of The Green Capsule
Bear with me: I’ve got a fantastic book to talk about today - John Dickson Carr’s classic The Problem of the Green Capsule (aka The Black Spectacles, 1939) – but I’m going to take my own sweet time getting to it. Like so many in this vast blogosphere, I follow a lot of other bloggers … Continue reading THE MASTER AT WORK: The Problem of The Green Capsule
Ah Sweet Mystery! 