Special day, special blog! It can all be summed up in three little words: Anniversary, Apology, and Announcement. Anniversary On my way to buying my first Christie! Exactly five years ago today, this little fellow began his adventures in blogging, and what a world it opened up for me. I literally found my people, and, … Continue reading THE PROBLEM IN 3A(s)
NEVER META-MYSTERY I DIDN’T LIKE: The Sentence Is Death
“The thing about you, Tony, is you write stuff down without even realizing its significance. You’re a bit like a travel writer who doesn’t know quite where he is.” Is there any modern author who embraces the style, tropes and fashions of classic crime fiction more frequently or creatively than Anthony Horowitz? Whether it’s in … Continue reading NEVER META-MYSTERY I DIDN’T LIKE: The Sentence Is Death
DAY-OLD BLANCMANGE: Paul Halter’s The White Lady
It turns out that if you Google “white lady,” it’s an actual thing. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the legend of a woman in white pervades the folklore of multiple countries. She tends to be the ghost of a woman who died by violence, committed suicide or, in the scarier versions, killed her husband and/or … Continue reading DAY-OLD BLANCMANGE: Paul Halter’s The White Lady
IT’S SHORTS WEATHER: Perusing Bodies From the Library 3
So far, August 2020 is not sorting itself out to be the summer of anyone's lifetime. In another galaxy, long ago and far, far away, I would be reveling in memories of a marvelous July trip to London and New York, meeting old friends and cramming in as many intense discussions of a GAD variety … Continue reading IT’S SHORTS WEATHER: Perusing Bodies From the Library 3
YOU TAKE DYSTOPIA, I’LL TAKE DAT TOPIA: Pondering the Hunger Games Prequel
Let me take you back to a meeting held one year ago in the editorial offices of Scholastic Books: Editor: Ladies, I fervently believe that the YA dystopian novel has not burned itself out yet! Even in these unsettled times, young people are spoiled and complacent. They love to read about worlds where adults have … Continue reading YOU TAKE DYSTOPIA, I’LL TAKE DAT TOPIA: Pondering the Hunger Games Prequel
MURDER AT DUNGAREES, PART NINE: Items Lost and Found
Dramatis Personae The Household Lord Benjamin Petty . . . master of Dungarees Castle Lady Henrietta “Hetty” Petty . . . his wife, a former movie star Worth . . . the butler Mrs. Jolley . . . the cook Peter Moss . . . the gardener Gladys . . . the housemaid The Guests … Continue reading MURDER AT DUNGAREES, PART NINE: Items Lost and Found
MURDER AT DUNGAREES, PART EIGHT: Some Points of Interest
Dramatis Personae The Household Lord Benjamin Petty . . . master of Dungarees Castle Lady Henrietta “Hetty” Petty . . . his wife, a former movie star Worth . . . the butler Mrs. Jolley . . . the cook Peter Moss . . . the gardener Gladys . . . the housemaid The Guests … Continue reading MURDER AT DUNGAREES, PART EIGHT: Some Points of Interest
THE 2020 MYSTERY PROJECT . . . . SORT OF
First of all, I want to apologize! I'm over two weeks overdue with a new installment of "Murder at Dungarees." For the most part, I say that work has been the cause of the delay. The last two weeks have seen us reach the final moments of the craziest spring semester of my teaching career. … Continue reading THE 2020 MYSTERY PROJECT . . . . SORT OF
BAIN OF MY EXISTENCE: The Mystery Novels of Jack Vance
Most of the suggestions I get for new/old reads come from fellow bloggers, which can lead to exciting discoveries. Sure, a lot of time is expended trying to resuscitate some British guys who wrote 700 novels and then vanished into obscurity. And there’s a wealth of potential crime queens who wrote pure gold, maybe two … Continue reading BAIN OF MY EXISTENCE: The Mystery Novels of Jack Vance
WHY MINE EYES DIDN’T DAZZLE: Christie’s Sleeping Murder
2020: My pal JJ finishes his first run of reading Agatha Christie. Mazel tov, JJ! Because he tackled the books in order of publication, his last read was Sleeping Murder. His review came out yesterday. 1940: According to biographer Laura Thompson, Christie began a staggering period of production, probably egged on by the bombs of … Continue reading WHY MINE EYES DIDN’T DAZZLE: Christie’s Sleeping Murder
Ah Sweet Mystery! 