“Merricat,” said Constance, “would you like a cup of tea?” “Oh, no,” said Merricat, “you’ll poison me.” “Merricat,” said Constance, “would you like to go to sleep?” “Down in the boneyard, ten feet deep.” July is the month that the Tuesday Night Bloggers have decided to focus on great books that center around poison. Here … Continue reading PICK YOUR POISON: Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle
WAXING JOYFULLY ON MY FAVORITE POIROT NOVEL
The last great Hercule Poirot novel opens, appropriately enough, with a funeral. It’s 1953. Agatha Christie will continue to write for twenty more years, and twenty two more novels will be published. Many of them will be grand stories. Miss Marple will come into her own with seven of her twelve novels appearing after this … Continue reading WAXING JOYFULLY ON MY FAVORITE POIROT NOVEL
NO FRIENDLY DROP: Agatha Christie and Poison
“A strangled cry from the bed startled me. A fresh access of pain seized the unfortunate old lady. . . A final convulsion lifted her from the bed, until she appeared to rest upon her head and her heels, with her body arched in an extraordinary manner . . . Mrs. Inglethorp cried out in … Continue reading NO FRIENDLY DROP: Agatha Christie and Poison
EUREKA! Found a Halter I Like
For those of you who know me, and for both of you who follow this blog, you will immediately understand that this post’s title does not refer to my love of horseback riding (went twice – fell off the horse both times) or wearing brief tops. (I guard my assets well.) No, I am referring … Continue reading EUREKA! Found a Halter I Like
THIS WAY LIES MADNESS: The 1944 Novels of Agatha Christie
By 1944, World War II had been raging for nearly six years. Started by a madman, the widespread death and devastation on the battlefield was matched by the enemy’s constant attempts to undermine the morale of the Allied nations through frequent random bombings of cities and towns and through vicious radio programs designed to shake … Continue reading THIS WAY LIES MADNESS: The 1944 Novels of Agatha Christie
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: Norman Berrow Stumbles a Bit
“ Pretty boring job this, sir, to tell you the truth. Nothing happens. Nothing looks likely to happen.” Nobody pays closer attention to what bloggers recommend than other bloggers! I joined the GAD group on Facebook and started my own little operation here for two reasons: to locate others like me in this lonely world … Continue reading MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: Norman Berrow Stumbles a Bit
LETTER TO TEACHER: Learning About Shin Honkaku
Dear Miss Crabtree, Here is my twenty five hundred word essay that you are making me write as punishment for not following the instructions of our last assignment properly. the Tuesday Night Bloggers wanted us to write about murders that take place in academia, which means school, and I meant to do that but I … Continue reading LETTER TO TEACHER: Learning About Shin Honkaku
BIRTHDAY WISHES TO PAUL HALTER (from a skeptic)
Bon anniversaire, M. Paul Halter. You have hit the same birthday landmark that I did nearly six months ago. Even more amazing is the fact that you have penned forty novels and two collections of stories, all in the past thirty years. If you are going for prolific, like your idol John Dickson Carr, you … Continue reading BIRTHDAY WISHES TO PAUL HALTER (from a skeptic)
Man Proposes, Miss Pym Disposes
The June theme for the Tuesday Night Bloggers is Murder in Academia. As a teacher, I love the idea of murder taking place at school. I can tell you from personal experience that the plethora of bizarre personalities and the escalating tensions that occur, both naturally and unnaturally, over the course of a school year, … Continue reading Man Proposes, Miss Pym Disposes
SICK OF ENTITLEMENT: The Stanford Rape Case
Another college rape, another moment of outrage. Like random shootings across America, which always seem to end up as a rallying cry by the NRA and Congress to protect “basic gun rights,” college assault cases tend to take on a certain sameness. The act occurs, often at a party, usually after much drinking. A boy rapes … Continue reading SICK OF ENTITLEMENT: The Stanford Rape Case
Ah Sweet Mystery! 