I have a couple of new projects coming up on the blog - – one for viewing and the other for reading - with which I hope you’ll all get involved. Today’s all about movies – we’ll talk about the reading in two days. Fresh off our Distaff Columbo Draft, the Three Amigos – Sergio Angelini, Nick … Continue reading NOIR ’44 – The Draft Is Coming!
BOOK CLUB TACKLES ITS INNER DEMONS: The Noh Mask Murder
The ever-increasing availability of Japanese honkaku and shin honkaku mystery stories translated into English is one of the greatest perks of the classic mystery revival. I used to talk about each review as “this year’s book,” but now I can’t keep up with the new titles. I’ve got books on my shelf that I haven’t read yet, another Kosuke … Continue reading BOOK CLUB TACKLES ITS INNER DEMONS: The Noh Mask Murder
“Oh, just one more thing ma’am . . . “: THE COLUMBO DISTAFF DRAFT
A shabby raincoat . . . a perpetually lit cigar . . . a mastery at playing the fool! No detective was better at getting under his adversaries’ skin than Lieutenant Frank Columbo of the LAPD. As played by Peter Falk, Columbo appeared in sixty-nine episodes that ran on and (mostly) off between 1968 and … Continue reading “Oh, just one more thing ma’am . . . “: THE COLUMBO DISTAFF DRAFT
SHARING IS CARING: The Case of the Bigamous Spouse
For the past six months, we’ve been looking at Perry Mason mysteries, specifically those with a title that conjures up matrimony – both its pros and cons. One of the highlights for me has been how the seven titles in this mini-series are spread throughout author Erle Stanley Gardner’s career. And now we have hit … Continue reading SHARING IS CARING: The Case of the Bigamous Spouse
BOOK CLUB INVESTIGATES NERO WOLFE’S SHORTS
Let’s talk about novellas - specifically, the Nero Wolfe novellas by Rex Stout. In my admittedly limited range of knowledge and experience, no mystery author has better demonstrated that you can accomplish the same thing in 20,000 words that most writers take 80,000 or more words to do than Stout did. Beginning with 1934’s Fer-de-Lance, Nero … Continue reading BOOK CLUB INVESTIGATES NERO WOLFE’S SHORTS
THE KNITTING WARS: Marple vs. Silver (Part One and Only)
Fans of classic detective fiction know that there are thousands of books by hundreds of authors to choose from. They run the gamut from pure puzzlers to “Had I But Knowns”, from succinct procedurals to opulent thrillers. Their tones rank from despairing to hilarious, and you can pick your sleuths out of a panoply of … Continue reading THE KNITTING WARS: Marple vs. Silver (Part One and Only)
A MINI-SHIN HONKAKU REVIEW: “The Tragedy of Black Swan Lodge”
I haven’t subscribed to Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine for years and years, mainly because the short mystery has undergone the same transformation as the modern novel: puzzles and problems have been replaced with anger and ennui. But the local library has a large, comfortable magazine room, and every two months, I pick up the newest copy of EQMM on … Continue reading A MINI-SHIN HONKAKU REVIEW: “The Tragedy of Black Swan Lodge”
FINAL TWISTS: A Columbo Quadruple Bill
In preparation for our upcoming draft of the best female murderers in Columbo, my pal Sergio Angelini sent me a list of twenty-one episodes. I have covered seventeen of them, and today we’ll look at the final four. Then I’m going to explain the upcoming draft to you – and why we’ll only be drafting fifteen episodes! I’ve only … Continue reading FINAL TWISTS: A Columbo Quadruple Bill
FAIT ACCOMPLI: Two More Columbo Adventures
In all fairness, “Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star” probably had no chance with me from the start. This 1991 episode pits the Lieutenant against Hugh Creighton, “the world’s best defense attorney” (Dabney Coleman). Now, I happen to be intimately acquainted with the world’s best defense attorney: his name is Perry Mason, and, … Continue reading FAIT ACCOMPLI: Two More Columbo Adventures
RATTLING THE LIEUTENANT: Two More Columbo Adventures
Like many popular crime TV series, Columbo succeeded because of, rather than despite, its formulaic structure. Fans endured waits lasting anywhere from weeks to years between episodes for the chance to see Peter Falk wield his fake humility against the overweening ego of a colorful guest star, pop up at awkward and arguably humorous moments to rattle … Continue reading RATTLING THE LIEUTENANT: Two More Columbo Adventures
Ah Sweet Mystery! 