I’m a mystery book blogger by trade, but I warned you in my very first post that, from time to time, I would also talk about films – mystery films in particular. And who epitomizes such a film better than the Master of Suspense, and my favorite film director – Alfred Hitchcock? I often tell … Continue reading WEDNESDAYS AT THE MOVIES: Murders and Maguffins from the Master of Suspense
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS: Death Among the Undead
Like the holiday displays at Hallmark Cards, Locked Room International has delivered the perfect Halloween murder mystery two months early. Publisher John Pugmire and translator Ho-Ling Wong have teamed up to unleash the latest example of shin honkaku mystery fiction on the English-speaking world. And this one is something extra special. It’s another debut novel along the lines of … Continue reading IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS: Death Among the Undead
PLOT-TWIST AND SHOUT, or All’s Well That Doesn’t End Well
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been watching more TV than normal during this Foule Pandemique. Folks tend to divide themselves into two groups: those who seek out and view as many thrillerish mini-series as they can find, finally breaking down in tears if they mistakenly view three programs from Finland in a row, and … Continue reading PLOT-TWIST AND SHOUT, or All’s Well That Doesn’t End Well
REGARDING THE APPEAL
FROM: Rev. Felinius Sonnybear SUBJECT: Mantra Date: 23 August, at 15:07 TO: Bradley Friedman Your presence at our last Zoom Yogathon was troubling, kiddo. You continue to allow yourself to bear the weight of the world on your shoulders. Are you practicing your breathing exercise? Did you receive the packet of licorice beetroot tea I sent you. It must be sipped … Continue reading REGARDING THE APPEAL
PAUL HALTER AND THE LITTLE GREEN MEN
As so often happens in times of great stress, we have turned for relief to outer space. A slew of recent stories suggested that unidentified flying objects were more than likely alien and nature and more frequently spotted by lucid folks than one might imagine. And of course, the BRTS (Billionaire Race to Space) continues … Continue reading PAUL HALTER AND THE LITTLE GREEN MEN
BOOK CLUB REPORT #9: So Pretty a Problem
My Book Club has been playing games with me again. Last month, if you’ll recall, someone selected a novel about a man who hosts a party where he invites several acquaintances whom he knows to be criminals, and during the evening, after having hinted broadly at his knowledge, he is stabbed to death while his … Continue reading BOOK CLUB REPORT #9: So Pretty a Problem
DONE IN? DONE GOOD: Why It Has to Be Murder
In a recent post at The Invisible Event, one of JJ’s readers ended his response, full of interesting observations, with this: “Finally, a point that’s been bugging me for years. Why does so much detective fiction, especially the novels, focus on murder? Detective short stories, at least, tend to be a bit more diverse and focus … Continue reading DONE IN? DONE GOOD: Why It Has to Be Murder
PODCAST MANIA: We Gave a Party and She Wasn’t There!
In what is quickly becoming my favorite two hours every few months, Moira and I have guested on JJ's In GAD We Trust podcast, "Spoiler Alert" edition for the fifth in what I hope will be an ongoing series for the next twenty or so years as we cover Agatha Christie's canon in spoilerific detail! … Continue reading PODCAST MANIA: We Gave a Party and She Wasn’t There!
ACDC PART NINE/BOOK CLUB ’38: Death in Five Boxes
I have just finished reading a review of Carter Dickson’s Death in Five Boxes, written by my pal, the Puzzle Doctor, and I must say – I am confused. Make that doubly confused. My puzzlement first stems from Book Club, of which PD and I are both members. Last month, you might have heard the collective groaning over the Zoom … Continue reading ACDC PART NINE/BOOK CLUB ’38: Death in Five Boxes
CORPUS DELECTABLE: Giving Agatha Christie’s Victims Their Due
Neither S.S. Van Dine’s Twenty Rules nor Ronald Knox’s Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction were manifestos so much as commentaries on what constitutes a good crime novel. Written in 1928 and 1929 respectively, halfway through the Golden Age, these documents reflected with some mirth the “authority” bestowed upon two authors who were at the height … Continue reading CORPUS DELECTABLE: Giving Agatha Christie’s Victims Their Due
Ah Sweet Mystery! 