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
MURDER ON THE BLACKBOARD: Hildegarde Withers on Page and Screen
In switching from a monthly author to theme-based posts, I fear the Tuesday Night Bloggers got it a little backward. You see, in May we explored travel and vacations , all whilst I was still slaving away at my teacher’s desk. Now it’s June, when summer vacation starts for haggard educators (oh, and kids, too!), … Continue reading MURDER ON THE BLACKBOARD: Hildegarde Withers on Page and Screen
DUMB WITNESS: Deconstructing Second-Rate Christie
Agatha Christie often complained about Hercule Poirot, but don’t you think she was more or less having us on? Yes, she claimed to have grown tired of his mannerisms and foibles, the very qualities she had instilled in him: his obsession with neatness and order, his vanity over his moustaches and his shoes, his taste … Continue reading DUMB WITNESS: Deconstructing Second-Rate Christie
PLOT VS. CHARACTER: Thoughts Inspired by a Fellow Blogger
“No plot is devoid entirely of character, and even the most character-rich study has to give them something to do – particularly in my given field of crime fiction. At a more atavistic level it’s really about writing over character or plot, but give me that choice and – 63 times out of 80 – … Continue reading PLOT VS. CHARACTER: Thoughts Inspired by a Fellow Blogger
Ah Sweet Mystery! 