Those of you who are good enough to follow my adventures through the treasure trove that makes up A Carter Dickson Celebration will know that we last left off in 1938 with The Judas Window. The next novel, Death in Five Boxes – a first timer for me – will follow in due course. Both … Continue reading AN ACDC INTERLUDE: Introducing Colonel March, Looking Pretty Good in a Pair of Shorts
carter dickson
ACDC, PART EIGHT: Waving Through the (Judas) Window
For those mystery fans who may be in the dark about the title of this post, it’s a reference to Dear Evan Hansen, the award-winning musical about a lonely boy on the spectrum who one day decides to have a drink with his prospective father-in-law over a game of bows-and-arrows behind the locked door of … Continue reading ACDC, PART EIGHT: Waving Through the (Judas) Window
ACDC, PART SEVEN: Smashing the Teacups
After a lifetime of denial, I finally gave Carter Dickson a try a little over two and a half years ago. My experience was so pleasant that I picked up another right away. I based my choice on the fact that a trusted friend was posting a spoiler-filled piece on this one, and I wanted … Continue reading ACDC, PART SEVEN: Smashing the Teacups
ACDC, PART SIX: L Is For Laughter in The Punch and Judy Murders
“Burn me, you’ve been leaving things behind in a way that’s scandalous. All anybody’s got to do to follow your trail across England is just to walk behind and pick up the pieces . . .” (H.M. to Ken Blake in The Punch and Judy Murders) We begin with a quiz. Can you identify the source … Continue reading ACDC, PART SIX: L Is For Laughter in The Punch and Judy Murders
ACDC, PART FIVE/FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT WATSONS: The Unicorn Murders
That GAD staple, the eccentric genius detective, has the potential to be obnoxious. His eccentricities can quickly grow tiresome, and his brilliance at sleuthing is too often accompanied by unmitigated ego or a reticence for explanation that can annoy readers as much as it infuriates the fictional policeman. This is why many classic authors took … Continue reading ACDC, PART FIVE/FIRST LET’S TALK ABOUT WATSONS: The Unicorn Murders
ACDC, PART FOUR: “Don’t Wanna Be in the Room Where It Happened” in The Red Widow Murders
Before I conceived of this chronological Carter Dickson celebration, my experiences with Sir Henry Merrivale were more piecemeal. Even when I spotted and grabbed a lot of Carter Dickson novels on eBay and placed them carefully on my shelf in order of publication, I grabbed down She Died a Lady first because . . . well, … Continue reading ACDC, PART FOUR: “Don’t Wanna Be in the Room Where It Happened” in The Red Widow Murders
ACDC, PART THREE: Footprints and Fade-Outs in The White Priory Murders
“The first thing is to determine the murderer’s motive. I don’t mean his motive for murder, but for creating an impossible situation. That’s very important, son, because it’s the best kind of clue tothe motive for murder. Why’d he do it? Nobody but a loony is goin’ to indulge in a lot of unreasonable hocus-pocus … Continue reading ACDC, PART THREE: Footprints and Fade-Outs in The White Priory Murders
ACDC, PART TWO: HM = History + Mystery in The Plague Court Murders
“Logic and reason, when not tempered with imagination and sympathy and even childlikeness, produce ruthlessness.” (Douglas Greene) A Carter Dickson Celebration continues – some would say has its legitimate beginning – with 1934’s The Plague Court Murders. After all, as I discussed in our first installment, The Bowstring Murders, written on the fly for quick … Continue reading ACDC, PART TWO: HM = History + Mystery in The Plague Court Murders
ACDC, PART ONE: Medieval Ho Hum, er, Mayhem in The Bowstring Murders
And so we begin. A Carter Dickson Celebration has been a long time coming. As I explained before, when I first began to embrace the works of John Dickson Carr, my youthful stubbornness caused me to opt for Gideon Fell and reject Sir Henry Merrivale. Was this foolish of me? Perhaps. Am I unhappy about … Continue reading ACDC, PART ONE: Medieval Ho Hum, er, Mayhem in The Bowstring Murders
A.C.D.B. – An Announcement!
I know my London friends will wake up, open this and mutter, “Dude’s a day late!” However, it is still November 30thin these parts, and so it is still John Dickson Carr’s birthday! Since the man has given me cause to celebrate multiple times since I was about 13, I figure I owe him at least … Continue reading A.C.D.B. – An Announcement!
Ah Sweet Mystery! 