Reviews 
Whether it be a book, movie, or something else, here’s a critique.
Murder at the Lanterne Rouge
J’adore Paris. Et vous? San Francisco-based author Cara Black sets her Aimée Leduc Investigation series in Paris, which the author frequently visits. Each novel features one of Paris’ twenty arrondissements, and in this tweflth entry, it’s time for the 3rd Arrondisement—wherein lies Paris’ oldest Chinatown—to shine. Aimée Leduc accompanies her long-time business partner, René, to dinner in… Read More ›
Murder on the Blackboard II
“But I’m not a detective. I was mixed up in one murder case because I happened to be at the Aquarium when a dead body appeared in the penguin tank upside down, and in another because I was having tea with the Inspector when he heard the alarm…” So says Miss Hildegarde Withers when asked… Read More ›
Murder on the Blackboard I
The perfect casting can make or break an adaptation of any story. One successful example of superb casting is that of Edna May Oliver in the role of amateur sleuth Hildegarde Withers. Hildegarde Withers is a New York City teacher (originally from Boston) who, in Murder on the Blackboard, is described as “in the neighborhood… Read More ›
Floodgates
Floodgates. For some, in New Orleans, they are an obsession. From one character’s desire to end the plague of pestilence to another’s discovery of their potential failure, the floodgates holding back the water is central to this murder mystery tale. Faye Longchamp, taking a few semesters off to work a project that could help with her dissertation,… Read More ›
Death Before Bedtime
Next time you invite guests over for a dinner party, check them for explosives. It’s not like we’re talking Fourth of July firecrackers here. No, one of Senator Leander Rhodes’ guests has brought 5-X, a new type of explosive, in the hopes that the senator will help secure a government contract. Need it be said? Senator… Read More ›
Skull Duggery
As a forensic anthropologist, Gideon Oliver knows his skeletons. “He felt himself a little at loose ends if he wasn’t involved in some forensic case or another…it was never very long before one came and found him.” Where forensic science is mainly about identifying the cause of death, forensic anthropology is about identity of the remains. In this… Read More ›
Grifter’s Game
“For a few minutes I just stood there and felt foolish. I’d picked up more than a wardrobe at the railway station. I’d picked up a fortune.” So says con man Joe Marlin upon discovering the suitcase he nabbed contained “sixty cubic inches of raw heroin” inside a sealed box. Not long after, he encounters… Read More ›
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 ›
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 ›
The Poisoned Martini 