“As soon as I heard you were coming over, I said to myself: Something will arise. As in former days, we will hunt together, we two. But if so, it must be no common affair. It must be something – something recherche - delicate – fine . . .” No fictional detective had a more … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #3: The A.B.C. Murders
2024 REPRINT OF THE YEAR #2: Cat of Many Tails
As soon as we received our invitations to take part in the 2024 edition of Reprint of the Year over at Kate’s blog, Cross-Examining Crime, I knew that one of my books had to be Ellery Queen’s Cat of Many Tails! I’m sure most of you know that “Ellery Queen” is the alias of cousins Frederick Dannay (the plotter) … Continue reading 2024 REPRINT OF THE YEAR #2: Cat of Many Tails
2024 REPRINT OF THE YEAR, #1: The Little Sparrow Murders
On Hayley, on Neeru, On Moira and Janet! On Aidan, on Stevie, Fly over the planet! On Bev and Mallika: It’s gonna be great To celebrate reprints - We do it for Kate!!! And that’s my miraculous little holiday rhyme to get you into the spirit of the occasion! (The real miracle would be anyone … Continue reading 2024 REPRINT OF THE YEAR, #1: The Little Sparrow Murders
BRAD’S WEEK-LONG BIRTHDAY PARTY BEGINS TODAY!!!
That's right, folks, my birthday is coming! Okay, the actual date is a week from today. A passel of famous artistic folk consider themselves lucky to share the day with me, including Ludwig von Beethoven, Jane Austen, Noel Coward, Arthur C. Clarke and Margaret Mead. Frankly, this has been a year full of challenges, but … Continue reading BRAD’S WEEK-LONG BIRTHDAY PARTY BEGINS TODAY!!!
NOIRVEMBER MADNESS: THE HITCHCOCK TOP THIRTY (Brad vs. Screen Drafts)
Good morning, and Happy Thanksgiving! Today I’m grateful for my family, for the possibility that my mashed potatoes will turn out even fluffier than last year’s (first, you need to dry them out on a warm burner after they’re boiled, and then you mustn’t over-mash them or they get too starchy), and I’m grateful to everyone and … Continue reading NOIRVEMBER MADNESS: THE HITCHCOCK TOP THIRTY (Brad vs. Screen Drafts)
THE POIROT PROJECT #2: The Mystery of the Blue Train
Re-reading The Mystery of the Blue Train proved to be a bit of a challenge, but not for the obvious reasons. My recent bout of COVID left a going-away present in the form of pneumonia; a kitchen remodel stretched out to months, and my 60-year-old Pocketbook copy of Train fell apart in my hands while … Continue reading THE POIROT PROJECT #2: The Mystery of the Blue Train
MORE FUN AND GAMES WITH BOOK CLUB: Five Great Mystery Debuts
My Book Club is full of fun and fascinating people, but our collective book selections have been a decidedly mixed bag. And so last month, we took a break from these doldrums (perhaps mystery lovers should call them “humdrums”), and did something a little different: each of us shared their ten favorite mysteries from the … Continue reading MORE FUN AND GAMES WITH BOOK CLUB: Five Great Mystery Debuts
“A strange and dangerous experiment in love and murder” THE NOIRVEMBER ’44 DRAFT
Fresh off our Columbo Distaff Draft, the Three Musketeers (we have got to come up with a better name for ourselves – maybe I’ll have a contest!!) didn’t have to think hard to arrive at our next topic. The glorious sub-genre of cinematic mystery known as film noir has a history as dark and complex as the … Continue reading “A strange and dangerous experiment in love and murder” THE NOIRVEMBER ’44 DRAFT
CHRISTIE SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO: My Personal Rankings of Agatha’s 60’s Novels
Recently, my friend Kemper Donovan hosted that Dynamic Duo (and fellow friends), Dr. Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown, on his podcast All About Agatha in order to compare rankings of the 1960’s Christie novels that have consumed Gray and Mark over the past year on their delightful podcast, The Swinging Christies. Actually, the guys have been loose … Continue reading CHRISTIE SWINGS LIKE A PENDULUM DO: My Personal Rankings of Agatha’s 60’s Novels
Ēkaṭi āgāthā krisṭi ḍābala bila mubhi nā’iṭa (Agatha Christie Bengali Double-Bill Movie Night)
My recent viewing of Chorabali, the Indian adaptation of Cards on the Table, had the added bonus of my getting to speak with a number of folks possessed of great knowledge about the sprawling Indian film industry. Turns out that, while we have all heard of “Bollywood,” there are actually over fifteen major film “industries” spread throughout the country, delivering a … Continue reading Ēkaṭi āgāthā krisṭi ḍābala bila mubhi nā’iṭa (Agatha Christie Bengali Double-Bill Movie Night)
Ah Sweet Mystery! 