Back in April of last year, I received an e-mail from a reader made some lovely comments about the blog – before pointing out a gap in my Golden Age coverage: “Many/most of my favorites are here, as illustrated by the fine group cartoon that graces the top of the blog. The reason I bring up Charlie … Continue reading HAPPY CENTENARY, MR. CHAN
PERRY AND DELLA AND PAUL, OH MY! A Perry Mason Menagerie for 2025
If, like me, you’re a fan of Perry Mason, the brilliant defense attorney/sleuth created by Erle Stanley Gardner, you are in luck! Gardner was one of the most prolific mystery authors of all time, and I intend to celebrate that for as long as my mind and spirit can keep this ol’ blog a’runnin’! He … Continue reading PERRY AND DELLA AND PAUL, OH MY! A Perry Mason Menagerie for 2025
“No denying she’s a funny girl, that Belle . . . ” Loose Lips by Kemper Donovan
When it comes to the high seas, I prefer my voyages to be vicarious. I have been known to get seasick on a slow ferry. My antipathy toward those flashy floating malls they call “luxury liners” is balanced by my fascination with all those YouTube videos of people taking and rating one cruise after another … Continue reading “No denying she’s a funny girl, that Belle . . . ” Loose Lips by Kemper Donovan
EVE OF POSSIBILITIES: Looking Back on ’24 and Forward to ’25
It’s New Year’s Eve, the final day of a most, er, dramatic year, and this is my 79th and final post of 2024. It's also the time when some of my fellow bloggers review their accomplishments, perhaps name a “Book of the Year,” and make prognostications about what’s coming up in 2025 that are hopefully vague … Continue reading EVE OF POSSIBILITIES: Looking Back on ’24 and Forward to ’25
THE POIROT PROJECT #3: The A.B.C. Murders
“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
Ah Sweet Mystery! 