Is your social calendar a bit light this month? Are you craving the society of irascible people? Do you fancy a peek into a 1920’s country house party where anything can happen – and where you might have a say in what follows? To be honest, I don’t know what will follow, but here is … Continue reading YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED . . .
MAY I SUGGEST YOU READ A MURDER MYSTERY?
I have to admit I’ve been stressed for about . . . three and a half years. Bernie Sanders said recently that the current health crisis is “on the scale of major war,” but I’ve felt battle-scarred, mostly by tweet, for some time now. And now, thanks to COVID-19, I’m in exile: our schools have … Continue reading MAY I SUGGEST YOU READ A MURDER MYSTERY?
SWING LOW, SWEET HARRIET: Blue Murder, by Harriet Rutland
Thanks to Curtis Evans of The Passing Tramp, I was introduced to Harriet Rutland, who had the gall to: a. be a good mystery writer, and b. only write three books. (That tends to be the sort of author Curtis comes up with!) Thanks to the folks at Dean Street Press, all three novels are … Continue reading SWING LOW, SWEET HARRIET: Blue Murder, by Harriet Rutland
FRIEDMAN’S FACE-OFF WITH FAN FICTION
Say what you like about Jeff Bezos and his insidious plan to take over the free market – the guy knows what I like. All I do is buy a few things (a week), and my home page zings with spot-on recommendations. As you might imagine, a lot of them have to do with classic … Continue reading FRIEDMAN’S FACE-OFF WITH FAN FICTION
MURDER GETS GRAPHIC: The Detection Club, by Jean Harambat
Far be it from me not to cave into peer pressure. When Kate Jackson reviewed the English translation of a French graphic novel placing seven members of the famed Detection Club into an actual mystery, I snapped like a long bean. Despite the fact that the English translation of this comic book mystery is … Continue reading MURDER GETS GRAPHIC: The Detection Club, by Jean Harambat
SICK IN BED WITH MY TBR
Ladies, has this ever happened to you? You are knee deep in the busiest, most frantic month of the year – oh, let’s call it January. You have mountains of responsibilities, from tending to the needs and emotional meltdowns of over a hundred people, most of them children, in pursuit of a finished goal (the … Continue reading SICK IN BED WITH MY TBR
IMAGINE POIROT SINGING: A Look at That Rarest of Things, the Mystery Musical
Here it is, the middle of January, the perfect time to start making your summer plans! Seriously, my Seasonal Affective Disorder is kicking up, and having something to look forward to can really cheer you during these dreary days. This summer, I’m visiting two of my favorite cities. First stop is London, where I will … Continue reading IMAGINE POIROT SINGING: A Look at That Rarest of Things, the Mystery Musical
THE BIG FIVE, or, Brad’s Smartass Quintet
WARNING: If you have not read the following titles, certain facts are laid before you in the discussion below that give away all or part of the solutions: The Sittaford Mystery, Lord Edgware Dies, Dumb Witness, Death Comes As the End, They Do It With Mirrors. Don’t be a fool – turn back and read … Continue reading THE BIG FIVE, or, Brad’s Smartass Quintet
ELLERY QUEEN AND THE BRIDAL DISASTER
No, I’m afraid this is not a piece of meta-fiction. This is a problem, a burning question from one fan to many others. See, I don’t see why all our posts have to be reviews. I got into this racket to initiate conversation with others, and there is this question that has been burning a … Continue reading ELLERY QUEEN AND THE BRIDAL DISASTER
A NEW/OLD AUTHOR TO USHER IN THE NEXT DECADE
Do you ever play that game: “If you could live in a different era, what would it be?” It’s a tricky idea: we comb through history and think about all the good things. How much fun would the Renaissance be if you caught a little case of the Black Death? The 1950’s ushered in rock … Continue reading A NEW/OLD AUTHOR TO USHER IN THE NEXT DECADE
Ah Sweet Mystery! 