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I thought it was really entertaining too, Les. And I do like the picture of university life at the time that it offers. Innes does, I think, an effective job depicting internal school politics.
"Death at the President's Lodging"
"An academic life, Dr. Johnson observed, puts one little in the way of extraordinary casualties. This was not the experience of the Fellows and scholars of St. Anthony's College when they awoke one raw November morning to find their President, Josiah Umpleby, murdered in the night. The crime wa...
I hadn't read Rees before either, Les. I love it that publishers like The Resurrected Press are making these books available again; there are so many authors like Rees, who deserve a wider audience.
"The Hand in the Dark"
Since before the Norman Conquest, Herediths had lived at the estate known as the Moat House. The Herediths, to be sure, were nobility - but there was an undercurrent of violence, and their relations overall with the neighbors of their country home were not always smooth. Certainly when Philip H...
Those are some great fictional detective couples, Les. As I think about it, there is something about the marriage dynamic that can add layers and richness to a series. I think, for instance of Agatha Christie's Tommy and Tuppence Beresford - a terrific couple in my opinion. Lots of food for thought here, so thanks.
Looking Back: Husbands and Wives
Dagobert and Jane Brown make a charming couple - and a very readable pair of sleuths. Here are links to some reviews (and further information) about some other detective couples whom you might enjoy: Jeff and Haila Troy, created by the husband and wife writing team of Audrey and William Roos, wr...
Les - As always, thanks for a fine review. I always like learning as I read, and it sounds as though this has quite a lot of interesting information in it. And that it's a well-plotted mystery makes it even better.
"Murder Gone Minoan"
You might think that the theft of a priceless statuette from the private museum on a magnate's private island shouldn't be all that difficult to solve. You might think that a murder on that same island, cut off from the outside world, with a limited number of suspects shouldn't be difficult to ...
Glad to see you featuring a Rex Stout story, Les. I've always felt that the Wolfe/Goodwin partnership was particularly well-written. And this story's no exception.
"The Red Box"
It was only because of a trick that Nero Wolfe was persuaded to get involved in the case of Molly Lauck. That unfortunate young woman, a fashion model, had made the mistake of opening a brown box of candy and taking a piece - a piece which turned out to have been laced with cyanide. The police ...
I agree with you, Les. Heyer used wit and solid dialogue very effectively in her series. This is a good example of that.
"No Wind of Blame"
Pity poor Inspector Hemingway. Sent by Scotland Yard to investigate a murder, he found himself confronted with a large number of suspects, nearly as many motives, a scarcity of good alibis - and Ermyntrude. And Vicki. What am I talking about, you ask? Why Georgette Heyer's 1939 mystery No Wind ...
I couldn't be happier, Les, that these great classic stories are being brought back. And thanks for reminding us of this review of yours, too. I need to go back and re-read some Crispin...
Looking Back: "Swan Song"
As the Classic Mysteries podcast is now more than 7 1/2 years old, pre-dating the birth of this blog by nearly a year for that matter, I promised my readers at the beginning of this year to start looking back at some of the mysteries I reviewed in the early days of the podcast. I thought that ...
Les - Trust you to share an author who perhaps isn't well known, but who nonetheless had talent. Thanks; I think I'm already benefiting from your participation in the Vintage challenge :-)
"At 1:30"
Damon Gaunt had developed quite a reputation among criminal investigators as a detective who never failed to reach a successful conclusion in a murder case. That's pretty amazing when you realize that Gaunt had been blind since birth - although he had developed his other senses to the point whe...
Les - I agree with you about this one being one of Marsh's stronger entries into this series. Along with the well-taken points you've brought up here, I've always liked Marsh's use of dialogue and wit. In my opinion, both come through here.
"Death in a White Tie"
The brilliant glitter of a London social season acquires badly tarnished edges when a blackmailer goes to work against some of England's most notable social lions and lionesses. Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn turns to one of his friends, Lord "Bunchy" Gospell, known as everybody's fa...
So good to hear that the 'Bony' novels will be re-released! That's a treasure trove of stories, Les, and I'm glad you've highlighted one of them.
"Man of Two Tribes"
One of the most exciting announcements of 2014 concerning classic mystery novels came to us from Australia, where the family of the late Arthur W. Upfield is in the process of re-releasing and re-publishing all of Upfield's work, including 29 mysteries featuring Detective Inspector Napoleon Bon...
Looking forward to what you'll have for us this year, Les!
Forward with Resolution
I'm not sure I would elevate any of these thoughts to the status of a "New Year's Resolution," but I do intend to try a few new things with this blog and podcast, to keep the blood flowing and prevent hardening of the mysterious arteries. First, although I'm participating in the Vintage Mystery ...
Les - This one is an interesting case of Miss Marple doing 'armchair detecting,' isn't it? And I think Christie did a fine job of setting up the story so that would be credibly possible. And you're right: this one's not one of her lighter novels. There is a sadder, darker note here. It's a nicely-done novel.
"The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side"
Miss Jane Marple may have been getting older, but she still valued her independence. She was not going to be treated either as an elderly relic of a bygone age or as an infant to be coddled. That's why she went out for a walk by herself one afternoon. When she tripped and fell, she was helped b...
Congratulations and well done, Les! Most impressive!
BINGO! All 36 Squares on my Vintage Mystery Scorecard - FILLED
As any reader of this blog is aware, I have been taking part in the Vintage Mystery Bingo Reading Challenge at Bev's terrific My Reader's Block blog. The idea was to read books that would - in Bingo fashion - make up horizontal or vertical lines on the challenge image - this one: This Golden c...
Les - So glad you highlighted this one. There's a reason certain books are considered 'foundational' or 'classic' books. This is one of those.
"A Coffin for Dimitrios"
A mystery writer gets involved in a conversation with a Turkish official about crime fiction and crime fact. The writer gets himself taken to the local morgue to view the body of a man described as a petty criminal, one Dimitrios Makropoulos. The Turkish official calls Dimitrios "a dirty type, ...
Les - One of the many things I like about GA/classic mysteries is that there were some great plots that didn't necessarily deal with murder. To keep the reader's attention throughout a 'theft plot' takes a deft hand, and you don't see that as much these days. It happens, but I think less often.
"The Red Thumb Mark"
If diamonds are a girl's best friend (as Carol Channing used to sing), then surely, if they are stolen, a fingerprint is a police officer's best friend? Well, perhaps not. For the young man whose bloody fingerprint was found inside the safe from which the diamonds had been stolen insisted that ...
Les - You've nailed it about Allingham's versatility. As you say, she did all sorts of terrific plots, and she had lots of creative ideas. Some, I honestly think, worked better than others, but she did some very effective GA-style thrillers.
"Look to the Lady"
When you pick up a Margery Allingham mystery for the first time, you can never be sure exactly what you'll get - a traditional puzzle-plot mystery, a thriller, a psychological drama, or something indescribable. In the case of Look to the Lady , her third Albert Campion book, published in 1931, ...
Les - Some of the Perry Mason novels really are solid mysteries as well as being legal stories. Glad you highlighted this one.
"The Case of the Crooked Candle"
A candle most certainly can be an invaluable tool for providing light in dark places. Sometimes, too, it can shed light on an otherwise mystifying crime. That's certainly what happens in The Case of the Crooked Candle , an Erle Stanley Gardner mystery from 1944 featuring one of fiction's most f...
Les - I like the context and the setting. Those fine old department stores are great! But I have to say I'm with you when it comes to believable plot twists. I carry my disbelief with me wherever I go. Still, as I say, the context is appealing...
"Death Wears a White Gardenia"
You have to have at least a little sympathy for the managers of Blankfort's, one of New York City's gigantic department stores. Here they are, all set for one of the biggest sales ever held at the store - a sale which could be critical to the store's long-term prospects - and their business man...
Les - Ah, there's nothing quite like a JDC Gideon Fell mystery to challenge the wits of the armchair detective, is there? And the great thing is, I like Fell's character too.
"The Blind Barber"
There are people who read traditional, puzzle-and-plot oriented mysteries from the Golden Age of Detective Fiction who simply revel in matching wits with the author. Give me the clues available to your detective, these readers say, and I should be able to follow those clues to their logical con...
Les - I like this one very much too. Not so thrilled about the racism in it, but then, it was the product of its times. That aside, I really do like the premise, the building tension and of course the solution.
"Too Many Cooks"
As any regular reader of Rex Stout's novels about Nero Wolfe can assure you, it takes a great deal to move the sedentary gourmand out of his brownstone house on West 35th Street in New York City. The prospect of a great meal, however, may do the trick. That is why, in Too Many Cooks , we are tr...
There is definitely something about the 'country house' mystery isn't there, Les? I've always thought that the best ones are just excellent examples of the whodunit (and sometimes, the howdunit). Thanks for highlighting this one.
"Tragedy at Ravensthorpe"
The police seemed to be baffled by the peculiar robbery...followed by a murder...at the Chacewater family's country estate at Ravensthorpe. The chief constable, Sir Clinton Driffield, tried to make some sense of it by applying a bit of poetic doggerel that asked seven questions: What was the cr...
Les - Oh, I'm very glad you mentioned a Bude novel. In my opinion, his work doesn't get enough attention. And your edition has the added appeal of an Edwards introduction too! Very nice - I'm a big fan of his work.
"The Lake District Murder"
It is all very well for a detective - real or fictional - to discover, by brilliant deduction and/or careful police work, who committed a particular crime, but it is quite another matter to be able to prove the point to a jury. I suspect we can all think of real-life examples, but as this blog ...
Les - I got the word on that too, and it's exciting news. Nice to know there are companies working to keep those classics available.
Looking Back: Oh, Brother!
I suspect that many seasoned readers of historical mysteries may have been drawn to the genre by the marvelous Brother Cadfael mysteries written during the last quarter of the 20th century by Ellis Peters. Set in the England of nearly nine hundred years ago, they are the chronicles of Brother Ca...
Les - I've always like this one quite a lot too. You're quite right that the puzzle itself is interesting, and the solution 'fits.' I also like the interactions among the various members of the Crackenthorpe family. Oh, and I love the character of Lucy Eyelesbarrow :-) Thanks for reminding us of this one. :-)
"4:50 from Paddington"
Elspeth McGillicuddy was quite sure what she had seen. While riding on a train, the elderly woman was looking out her window as another train passed slowly by hers. And through the window in one of the carriages on that passing train, she had seen a man murdering a woman. She reported it, of co...
Les - I'll admit I prefer mysteries with 'fair play.' Still, this one does sound appealing, and I like historical crime fiction. One for my list, methinks.
"Aristotle Detective"
The Greek philosopher Aristotle is still regarded today, nearly 2400 years after his birth, as the father of Western philosophy. According to the brief biography found in Wikipedia, Aristotle's writings covered many subjects, such as mathematics, physics, biology, zoology, logic, politics and g...
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