“’Miss Marple and Dr. Kennedy both said, “Leave it alone.” Why don’t we, Giles? What makes us go on? Is it her?’ “’Her?’ “’Helen. Is that why I remember? Is my childish memory the only link she’s got with life – with truth? Is it Helen who’s using me – and you - so that the truth will … Continue reading RANKING MARPLE #4: Sleeping Murder
THE PLAY’S . . . SORTA THE THING: Opening The Mousetrap
Today marks opening night for the production of The Mousetrap that I directed at the high school where I spent twenty-eight years teaching drama. I woke up all too early and checked my e-mail, only to find this missive, sent to the cast and crew from our play’s stage manager, a remarkable young woman named Kelania: "Hello, … Continue reading THE PLAY’S . . . SORTA THE THING: Opening The Mousetrap
BOOK CLUB DOES THREE-ACT TRAGEDY: A One-Act Comedy
The Members of Book Club (in order of appearance) Miss Dresden Mrs. Russet-Tate Arthur Mimms Gracie Mimms Mr. Panagotacos Oswald Ginch (Scene: Miss Dresden’s parlor. A small fire plays merrily in the grate. There is a comfortable settee, draped over with a lovely antimacassar, and three oddly assorted armchairs, on each of which rests a … Continue reading BOOK CLUB DOES THREE-ACT TRAGEDY: A One-Act Comedy
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: My Tea with Agatha
My experiences meeting famous people have been few and far between – and they never turned out as I might have expected. I’m not an autograph (or, in these days, selfie) hound. I don’t want to bother someone who has just performed for me or who is on vacation in order, just so I can … Continue reading THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT: My Tea with Agatha
SLEUTHING IN THE DARK: Death Knell by Barnard Kendrick
“One way or another, I’ve developed myself into a monstrously clever fellow. My brain’s as fertile as a pomegranate. My heart’s as cold as Troy Singleton in morgue vault twenty-two. I do jigsaw puzzles and hook together pieces of wood that I can’t even see. It makes a picture of death, Davis. I’m blind Justice, … Continue reading SLEUTHING IN THE DARK: Death Knell by Barnard Kendrick
GHOSTS IN SHORTS: “The Sleeper of Coldwreath” by Tom Mead
Fellow GAD enthusiast Tom Mead has met with great success with Death and the Conjuror, his first novel to feature magician-detective Joseph Spector. It’s a loving and clever take on the classic locked room mystery, and it has garnered deservedly nice reviews for its strict adherence to the rules of classic detection and its multiplicity of … Continue reading GHOSTS IN SHORTS: “The Sleeper of Coldwreath” by Tom Mead
RANKING MARPLE #3: The Moving Finger
“Of my detective books, I think the two that satisfy me best are Crooked House and Ordeal by Innocence. Rather to my surprise on rereading them the other day, I find that another one I am really pleased with is The Moving Finger. It is a great test to reread what one has written some 17 or 18 years … Continue reading RANKING MARPLE #3: The Moving Finger
THE TWILIGHT ZONE, PART 10: The Final Signpost Up Ahead
The past ten weeks of studying The Twilight Zone has been a nostalgic experience for me, but the reason I took this course had as much to do with a feeling I’ve had that this nearly sixty-year-old series has never felt more prescient. As we have seen, Rod Serling performed a fabulous deceit on the network when … Continue reading THE TWILIGHT ZONE, PART 10: The Final Signpost Up Ahead
THE TWILIGHT ZONE, PART 9: Alone Again, Unnaturally
From Season One, Episode 1, loneliness and isolation have been a major theme of The Twilight Zone. By the late 50’s, the age of extended families living under one roof or even in the same community had significantly disappeared in America, and it continues today, with mammoth urban apartment complexes, little-box suburbs, and condominium associations filled … Continue reading THE TWILIGHT ZONE, PART 9: Alone Again, Unnaturally
THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION: Josephine Tey’s The Franchise Affair
Has it really been nearly eight years since I last read Josephine Tey? She seems to stir up a hornet’s nest of opinion whenever one of her books comes up. All I know is that I love a good academic mystery, and someone who knew that recommended Miss Pym Disposes (1946). Beautifully written, funny, dark, and sad, … Continue reading THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION: Josephine Tey’s The Franchise Affair
Ah Sweet Mystery! 