“Life doesn’t stand still, even when murders and mysteries force themselves into the lives of ordinary people like ourselves. Things seem to go on much as usual, and you talk and eat and get on with your everyday life, because there’s nothing else to be done about it; but it’s all in your mind, and … Continue reading RE-BRANDING #2: Heads Will Roll in Heads You Lose
ACDC PART TEN: In Which The Reader Is Warned . . . about The Reader Is Warned
After a notable pause, we return to my Carter Dickson celebration with The Reader Is Warned (1939), the tenth book John Dickson Carr wrote under this pseudonym and the ninth Sir Henry Merrivale mystery. Frankly, this is a difficult one for me to write about because, for the first 168 pages, it is so wonderful that it … Continue reading ACDC PART TEN: In Which The Reader Is Warned . . . about The Reader Is Warned
RE-BRANDING! A Project of Love
It’s high time that I begin to fulfill a goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Christianna Brand is one of my four favorite mystery authors, and yet I have devoted very little time on this space to her work and her career. There is sadly very little in print about … Continue reading RE-BRANDING! A Project of Love
BOOK CLUB ON THE DEFENSE: The Case of the Shoplifter’s Shoe
Oh, to be in England! This week marks the eve of Bodies from the Library ’22, the long-awaited return to celebrating face-to-face all things related to the Golden Age of Detection. Most of my friends will be there, but here I am, stuck in the provinces. My Facebook feed alternates between the results of friends’ daily … Continue reading BOOK CLUB ON THE DEFENSE: The Case of the Shoplifter’s Shoe
THE CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION: The D.A. Calls It Murder
“The devil of it is, this isn’t like one of those detective stories, which you can solve by merely pointing the finger of suspicion at the guilty person. This is a real life, flesh and blood murder case, where we’ve got to produce actual evidence which can stand up in a court of justice. I’ve … Continue reading THE CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION: The D.A. Calls It Murder
THE SAD SAGA OF SHINWELL JOHNSON: Elementary Season 5
Throughout our journey so far through Elementary, CBS’ modern rendering of detective Sherlock Holmes, creator Robert Doherty has found various ways of turning to the original canon of stories by Arthur Conan Doyle for inspiration. We have seen standalone episodes that have either delighted or disappointed us. More significantly, Doherty has used characters – both major … Continue reading THE SAD SAGA OF SHINWELL JOHNSON: Elementary Season 5
THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET: The Best Weapon
Our little circle of folks who enjoy Golden Age mysteries have found untold pleasures finding each other on the Internet. While Agatha Christie may be the most frequently published author of all time, I have become convinced that I may be the only person west of the Mississippi who – well, not reads her, but deep dive-reads her. … Continue reading THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET: The Best Weapon
DOWNTON ABBEY, A SAME OLD SAME OLD ERA
Yes, my friends, I know: I do not usually review mainstream films here, as this blog is reserved for the mystery genre, albeit in all its forms. Today, however, I saw Downton Abbey: The New Era, and I would like for a moment to contemplate the mystery of Julian Fellowes. Here’s a man, a well-born peer … Continue reading DOWNTON ABBEY, A SAME OLD SAME OLD ERA
LONDON SHORTS WEATHER: Book Club Reads Capital Crimes
My Book Club is changing things up a little for May with a collection of short stories. Under the aegis of author and editor Martin Edwards, the British Library has published a number of these collections. Although they all tend to provide a mini-survey of mystery fiction, ranging from the pre-GAD era to the modern … Continue reading LONDON SHORTS WEATHER: Book Club Reads Capital Crimes
DADDY ISSUES: Elementary Season 4
Last time, I credited Robert Doherty, creator of the CBS TV series Elementary, for excellent transitions between seasons, and the entry into Season Four is no exception. In fact, it may just be the best yet. Since the start of the series, the name “Morland Holmes” has been injected into our consciousness. It was Morland who … Continue reading DADDY ISSUES: Elementary Season 4
Ah Sweet Mystery! 