Month: May 2012
Opening Shots
Take a “glimpse beyond the page and into the mind of the writer”, and discover the first published stories of mystery and crime writers. Collected in Opening Shots are the stories of twenty authors spanning the years from 1952 to 2000. These are the first published works of such mystery icons as Simon Brett, Max… Read More ›
Clues to Christie
Wouldn’t we all love to get a peek at a mystery author’s secret notebooks, where they’ve plotted out some of their most famous murders? Previously, I’ve mentioned The Agatha Christie Companion, which gives a little insight into her life at the time she wrote her novels (see here). There’s also the more recent Clues to Christie:… Read More ›
A Little French Murder
Read along with The Poisoned Martini … C’est un bon temps pour un petit mord français, n’est pas? You don’t have to know French to enjoy these mysteries. One of the pleasures of reading is being able to visit places we’ve been or long to travel to. So spend an evening, sit back and relax—perhaps… Read More ›
Mystery Readers International
Open to readers, writers, critics, editors, and publishers, the Mystery Readers International is a site for everyone who loves mysteries. You may have heard of the Macavity Awards. Well, this is the organization behind them. “Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden Paw—” Yes, the awards are named after the T. S. Eliot poem… Read More ›
Friday Cocktail
If it’s last call at the bar or time for a nightcap, order up this week’s Friday Cocktail, the Vieux Mot! Literally, in French, the ‘old word’, this drink’s pedigree can be traced to the Prohibition era cocktail, the Last Word. Since I had this charming little bottle of St-Germain, an elderflower-flavored liqueur, I looked… Read More ›
Blog Week IV (May 28 – June 2)
It’s almost that time again…Stay tuned for The Poisoned Martini’s fourth Blog Week! What is it? All week long, there’ll be something new to see, read, or experience on The Poisoned Martini. That means daily posts, and maybe more. Be sure to check out the site daily for an intensive week of posts, starting Monday! Sincerely, Brian… Read More ›
The Celtic Riddle
This is one riddle that may just confound you. Eamon Bryne has died. At the beginning of The Celtic Riddle, the heirs have gathered to listen to the will. None are to happy too learn that part of their possible inheritance is a treasure hunt. Eamon has instructed his lawyers to give each of his… Read More ›
Friday Cocktail
Try a truly sophisticated drink this Friday, the Algonquin. In 1902, the Algonquin Hotel opened in New York City on West 44th Street. The cocktail named for the hotel is certainly over 60 years old, but when exactly it was created (or why) is a little foggy. The hotel’s original owner made the hotel a ‘dry’… Read More ›
Wondrous Beginnings
How did some of science fiction greatest authors get their start? Collected in Wondrous Beginnings are the stories that launched the careers of such science fiction masters as Stephen Baxter, Orson Scott Card, Arthur C. Clarke, Anne McCaffrey, and Gene Wolfe, among others. The collection spans nearly one hundred years! The first story included was… Read More ›
Friday Cocktail
This week’s Friday Cocktail honors Cinco de Mayo with the classic Margarita. One would think the Margarita is as old as such classic cocktails as the Martini and Manhattan, but most accounts suggest it was created much later, sometime in the 1940s. Though differing in account, at least two origins of the drink suggest it… Read More ›
The Poisoned Martini 