As the sages are fond of saying: good things come to those who read Christie. Had I not picked up my first Agatha Christie novel (And Then There Were None) at the tender age of eleven, I might not have devoured the author’s entire canon by my twenties, re-read her voraciously, and set myself up … Continue reading KRIMES FOR KIDS (WITH A CHRISTIE TWIST): Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen
TO BE CONTINUED: Adapting the Modern Mystery
Here’s a quiz: Write down the name of the first Agatha Christie mystery novel you read. Now turn to the person on your left and compare answers. (The chances are about 1 in 66 that they will match.) Next, write down the name of the first Louise Penny novel you read. Now turn to the … Continue reading TO BE CONTINUED: Adapting the Modern Mystery
GIVING THANKS FOR GLASS ONION
You’ll excuse a guy for grousing about the good ol’ days of Hollywood’s Golden Age, when actors were treated like chattel and had to grind out film after film in order to earn those Beverly Hills mansions. Between 1931 and 1939, Bette Davis made 41 movies, Jimmy Cagney made 30, and Joan Crawford 22. Humphrey … Continue reading GIVING THANKS FOR GLASS ONION
THE THREE FACES OF ESG
“We’re a dramatic people. We’re not like the English. The English want dignity and order. We want the dramatic and the spectacular. It’s a national craving. We are geared to a rapid rate of thought. We want to have things move in a spectacular manner.” I read classic mysteries as an escape, so it was … Continue reading THE THREE FACES OF ESG
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE: Agatha Christie’s Military Men
Happy Veteran’s Day, everyone! Since the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, when Our Side struck an armistice with the Germans at the end of World War I, we have honored the men and women who served their countries around the world. (Armistice Day had an official name change in 1954 at … Continue reading THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE: Agatha Christie’s Military Men
THE BOY FROM U.N.C.L.E.: The Arctic Railway Assassin
Tell me it’s not true, Maya! Say it isn’t so, Sam. Et tu, Elisa . . . ? There is a myth in the literary world that authors (and illustrators) are people, too, and that they must be allowed to go where their imagination and passion takes them. I think those who believe this are … Continue reading THE BOY FROM U.N.C.L.E.: The Arctic Railway Assassin
RE-BRANDING #5/BOOK REPORT #WHATEVAH: Death of Jezebel
For the second lovely time, my Book Club has chosen Christianna Brand, and the timing couldn’t be better. For one thing, Death of Jezebel (1948), her fifth mystery, happens to be next on my list for the glorious wallow that is the Re-Branding Project. For another, it happens to have been, for many a year, the most … Continue reading RE-BRANDING #5/BOOK REPORT #WHATEVAH: Death of Jezebel
読書クラブ DOES HONKAKU: Death on Gokumon Island
Westerners’ love for Japanese mysteries is gaining a lot of momentum, shown by the increasing release of new honkaku and shin honkaku titles. In terms of shin honkaku, I’m most excited to learn that The Mill House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji will be coming out next spring. The publication by Locked Room International of Ayatsuji’s The Decagon House Murders is what got me started on … Continue reading 読書クラブ DOES HONKAKU: Death on Gokumon Island
Angela Lansbury
It’s a tale as old as time: the young girl who loses her father at an early age and retreats into make-believe and roleplay; who, after seeing a great performance onstage dreams of performing herself. I write a lot about Agatha Christie, and this describes her to a t – except she never became the … Continue reading Angela Lansbury
GENDER REVEAL PARTY: Mrs. McGinty’s Dead
(Note: while the killer is never mentioned by name, I would urge you to read or have read Mrs. McGinty’s Dead before tackling this post. You have been warned!) In her biography about Agatha Christie, Laura Thompson writes, “It is a paradox, although perhaps not a surprise, that Agatha’s popularity should have increased as her powers declined. … Continue reading GENDER REVEAL PARTY: Mrs. McGinty’s Dead
Ah Sweet Mystery! 