Mystery 
Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme
What are your expectations when picking up a mystery to read? Are they different from when selecting a series title? Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme, published in 2010, is the 22nd book in the series, and the first I’ve read. Because it’s a series, I don’t expect the murder to occur immediately. I’m willing to… Read More ›
Cozy Mystery Book Reviews
With news, interviews, giveaways, and reviews, the Cozy Mystery Book Reviews is an active site for fans of mysteries, and in particular, the cozy subgenre. The Cozy Mystery Book Reviews blog boasts ten full-time reviewers (and six guest ones) and nearly 2,000 fans, making them one of the most active cozy mystery sites. They’re hosted… Read More ›
The Cat Who Saw Red
“Jim Qwilleran slumped in a chair in the Press Club dining room, his six-feet-two frame telescoped into a picture of dejection and his morose expression intensified by the droop of his oversized moustache.” Thus, after a hiatus of nearly twenty years, Lilian Jackson Braun (1913-2011) begins The Cat Who Saw Red, the fourth book in… Read More ›
Murder is Everywhere
Here’s a new blog to keep tabs on, Murder is Everywhere. Begun in November 2009, Murder is Everywhere features the voices of seven mystery authors from around the globe. They include Cara Black (the Aimee Leduc Investigation series set in France); Lisa Brackman (with novels set in Mexico and China); Leighton Gage (following the investigations… Read More ›
Top 10 Mysteries in 2012?
With 2013 just around the corner, it’s time to reflect on the year that’s been. What books did you read this year? Were they the most popular? Based on circulation figures at the library where I work, these were the most checked out mysteries in 2012. *** 10. Robert B. Parker’s Killing the Blues by… Read More ›
The Messengers of Death
The great expectations of readers, when picking up a mystery novel, is the promise of a story that rivets our attentions with an intriguing murder and engaging characters, both sleuth and suspects. Consider this, “An envelope is discovered in a cemetery addressed to Mlle Véronique Champourcieux. The letter is kindly posted. Later, that same Mlle Véronique… Read More ›
Miss Marple: a Life and Times
Another entry from the file of “Things Kept!” Here’s another college term paper of interest to mystery readers. This one was for an introductory course, Anthropology 101. You know, one of those courses where you attend the large lecture hall with the ant-like professor lecturing at the front of the auditorium and then further discussion… Read More ›
The Poisoned Martini VII
It’s long past time for Part VII of The Poisoned Martini, an original eStory written by yours truly. To protect his grandson, Thaddeus Alcott will investigate a murder… Recent college grad Rick Gray met an intriguing and pretty co-ed who invited him to a party at her sorority. The next morning, Rick woke up and discovered a young co-ed… Read More ›
Was it a Killer Year?
In 2009, for the first time, I reviewed a book, Killer Year: Stories to Die For… and posted it publicly in the blogosphere. This “review” became my second post on Crimespace. I’d discovered this social network “ning” site as a place for readers and writers of crime fiction and thought it a perfect place to have a… Read More ›
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
C’est incroyable! In this classic locked room murder mystery, “The solution of the problem baffled everybody who tried to find it.” Indeed, it is an excellent example of this mystery troupe. Surely, there must be a secret passage, some means by which the would-be killer escapes, but no, it is explicitly stated that there is… Read More ›
The Poisoned Martini 