Today’s post is not so much tinged with irony as soaked in it. Many months ago, Kate Jackson invited me to be part of a sort of “contest” designed to cast a light on some of the marvelous re-issues of classic mysteries that have occurred this year. We were asked to name our poison, so … Continue reading REPRINT OF THE YEAR : Les Crimes Impossibles, à la Française
Paul Halter
ADDENDUM WITH FAERIES
A couple of days ago, I wrote about the latest Paul Halter translation, The Man Who Loved Clouds. I bought the book as soon as it came out because, for some perverse reason, I like to be among the first to review Halter. But work prevailed, I read slowly, and several fine bloggers beat me … Continue reading ADDENDUM WITH FAERIES
“IT’S CLOUDS’ ILLUSIONS I RECALL . . . “: The Latest from Paul Halter
I can hardly begin to sort the barrage of thoughts and feelings that have swirled around me like the wind while reading The Man Who Loved Clouds, the latest novel by French author Paul Halter to be translated into English courtesy of John Pugmire and Locked Room International. The announcement several months ago of its … Continue reading “IT’S CLOUDS’ ILLUSIONS I RECALL . . . “: The Latest from Paul Halter
PAUL ET MOI DANS LE GRAND POMME!
Before we start, let’s take a quiz. One question only, multiple choice. Go on – you know you want to. QUESTION: Look at the picture below: Can you identify who this is? Is it . . . A brilliant but disreputable (and proud of it!) classic mystery blogger (HINT: his name rhymes with “cray-cray”); A … Continue reading PAUL ET MOI DANS LE GRAND POMME!
BRING IT ON, CHINA: Death in the House of Rain
One of the surer signs that GAD crime fiction is coming back in a big way is the rising availability of detective novels from other lands. And I couldn’t be happier about it! From the British Library’s recent collection Foreign Bodies to the explosion of Scandanavian crime fiction (some of it legit!), we’re starting to … Continue reading BRING IT ON, CHINA: Death in the House of Rain
THE SEVEN BLUNDERS OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF CRIME
I want to make it clear right from the start. I have nothing against ambition. They called the Wright Brothers foolhardy for imagining they could fly. Yet this real-life Daedalus and Icarus gave vent to their ambition, and because of them I can now relax in my cramped seat on Jet Blue, hoping against hope … Continue reading THE SEVEN BLUNDERS OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF CRIME
GOING THROUGH PAUL HALTER’S SHORTS
Maybe it’s due to the mad whirl of school starting up again, but I’m having a hard time focusing on murder mysteries. I’ve been juggling a Carter Dickson, a Rex Stout, and a Theodore Roscoe, and I can't finish any of them. I’ve lost my follow-through! Maybe there’s just too much teacher stuff running through … Continue reading GOING THROUGH PAUL HALTER’S SHORTS
PUZZLING PUDDLES: Paul Halter’s The Madman’s Room
“A family united all together under the same roof, in an old manor, with a generous and very rich man. If this were a novel, it would end in tragedy.” It would seem that the madman here is yours truly. My problematical relationship with author Paul Halter has been well documented on this site. And … Continue reading PUZZLING PUDDLES: Paul Halter’s The Madman’s Room
SACRE BLEU! Caught Having a Good Time with Paul Halter
Those of you who have been kind enough to follow my excursions into classic mystery fiction know that along my reading travels there have been one or two travails, no more so, I fear, than my attempts to embrace Paul Halter, the modern-day French John Dickson Carr devotee and wannabe. God knows I’ve tried - … Continue reading SACRE BLEU! Caught Having a Good Time with Paul Halter
MY READINGS (AND REVISITINGS) OF 2016
Happy New Year, everyone! As a new blogger, I have only just become aware of the tradition in this community for those who blog about books to reflect on the past year in reading. Yes, let’s focus on the reading because in most other respects, for me at least, 2016 was not a keeper! So … Continue reading MY READINGS (AND REVISITINGS) OF 2016
Ah Sweet Mystery! 