I have a bone to pick with Agatha Christie. Yes, I know, I’m her biggest fan. Why, this very month, my pal JJ (of The Invisible Event) and I will be stepping in the ring and going several rounds in the whole Christie vs. Carr debate. But here’s the thing: in addition to my role … Continue reading ACTORS AND AGATHA: An Acerbic Analysis
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: The Terrorists
If I could find a local group, or a class, or convocation of fans who share my passion for classic mysteries, believe me, I would. Embracing the esoteric makes a guy lonely! Honestly, the main reason I became a blogger was to find other weir- er, GAD lovers who view life as one gigantic “Challenge … Continue reading AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: The Terrorists
A IS FOR . . . ANTICIPATION
I’m so excited to tell you that the Tuesday Night Bloggers are back! After a month-long hiatus, during which, frankly, most of us were plowing through 1937 mysteries for Rich’s Crime of the Year feature at Past Offences (I clocked in three!), the TNG is returning next week with a new topic, accompanied by a … Continue reading A IS FOR . . . ANTICIPATION
WHERE DO YOU START? Mysteries, My Students, and Me
Every spring, I commit the ultimate act of selfishness: I drag my high school drama students into the swirling maelstrom of my GAD (Golden Age of Detection) addiction by putting them into groups and giving them the assignment of conceiving, scripting, and performing an original murder mystery in the classic tradition. I don’t make it … Continue reading WHERE DO YOU START? Mysteries, My Students, and Me
PROLOGUE TO A THROWDOWN
This was supposed to commence in April! VS. JJ, my fine, deluded friend from The Invisible Event, broached the subject several months ago of having a friendly competition, to wit: we would allow our friends to select the Number One titles by Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, and then … Continue reading PROLOGUE TO A THROWDOWN
DICKSON CARR’S “ROGER ACKROYD”: The Burning Court
Get ready, folks! The tension is mounting! April nears, and JJ (The Invisible Event) and I are about to get hot and heavy with our two favorite mystery authors: Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr. After intense polling that involved thousands of mystery fans - okay, maybe thirty? – the top novels by each author … Continue reading DICKSON CARR’S “ROGER ACKROYD”: The Burning Court
MISS SILVER AND THE GREAT CONFLUENCE OF 1937
I love prolific authors. Agatha Christie, John Dickson Carr, Ellery Queen, and Ngaio Marsh basically got me through my teens and 20’s and taught me the ABC’s of classic mystery fiction. Yes, each of them had their share of clunkers, but, by and large, their output was brilliant. Of course, other mystery writers made their … Continue reading MISS SILVER AND THE GREAT CONFLUENCE OF 1937
YULE LOGS IN SPRING: Farjeon’s Mystery in White
I had it all planned out, I swear. I had picked up from a local bookstore two classic Christmas mysteries recently revived by The British Library – J. Jefferson Farjeon’s Mystery in White ands Mavis Doriel Hay’s The Santa Klaus Murder – and had intended to provide convivial fun over the holidays with a singularly … Continue reading YULE LOGS IN SPRING: Farjeon’s Mystery in White
LARCENY IN LAVENDER: Curtis Evans’ Murder in the Closet
It has been a pleasure hosting the Tuesday Night Bloggers during February’s exploration of Love (and Murder) in Bloom. Here are the months’ previous posts: Week I Week II Week III This week, Kate at Cross Examining Crime assesses the degree of success with which Dorothy L. Sayers combined murder and romance between her ace … Continue reading LARCENY IN LAVENDER: Curtis Evans’ Murder in the Closet
THE LOVE DETECTIVES: Hammett’s The Thin Man
REPORTER: Say, is he working on a case? NORA: Why, yes – REPORTER: What case is it? NORA: A case of Scotch. Go in and help him. I rarely venture into hard-boiled territory, but I have always had a deep fondness for Dashiell Hammett. I bought myself a copy of his Five Collected Novels years … Continue reading THE LOVE DETECTIVES: Hammett’s The Thin Man
Ah Sweet Mystery! 