Book Review: A Man Lay Dead

Book Review: A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh Sir Hubert Handesley’s weekend entertainments are to die for, so young reporter Nigel Bathgate has been told.  And now, thanks to his well-to-do older cousin Charles Rankin, Nigel will have the chance to participate in one himself.   The game is “Murders”, which should be jolly good… Continue reading Book Review: A Man Lay Dead

Book Review: Fire-Tongue

Book Review: Fire-Tongue by Sax Rohmer If there’s one thing a detective hates, it’s when their client hems and haws about explaining basic details of why they need a detective, only to die just as they make up their minds with only a cryptic last utterance as a clue. But that’s the situation Paul Harley… Continue reading Book Review: Fire-Tongue

Book Review: The Buried Life

Book Review: The Buried Life by Carrie Patel Centuries after the Catastrophe that made living on the surface of Earth too dangerous for most humans, Recoletta is a thriving underground city.  Conditions have improved on the surface enough so that there are farming communities up there, but the vast majority of people would rather stay… Continue reading Book Review: The Buried Life

Audio Review: If We Were Villains

Audio Review: If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Eleven years ago, seven drama students entered their fourth year at the prestigious Dellecher Classical Conservatory.  Now, a decade after the end of that school year, one of those students, Oliver Marks, is being released from prison.  Former police detective Colborne has never entirely bought the official… Continue reading Audio Review: If We Were Villains

Magazine Review: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Nov/Dec 2016

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Nov/Dec 2016 edited by C.C. Finlay The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction started publication in 1949.  According to Wikipedia, it was supposed to be a fantasy story version of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine as it was at the time, classic reprints mixed with new material of a higher literary… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Nov/Dec 2016

Book Review: Minnesota Vice

Book Review: Minnesota Vice by Ellen & Mary Kuhfeld As I have mentioned before, Minnesota has many fine mystery and crime writers.  Mary Kuhfeld is probably best known under the pen name Monica Ferris, under which she has written nineteen Betsy Devonshire Needlework Mysteries.  (Thus the subtitle “Monica Ferris Presents” for these self-published books.)  Ellen… Continue reading Book Review: Minnesota Vice

Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, January 1977

Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, January 1977 edited by Ellery Queen Having enjoyed a recent issue of this magazine, I decided to root around for an older copy.  This one was published in December 1976, but the cover date was a month ahead.  Frederic Dannay (half of the “Ellery Queen” writing team) was still… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, January 1977

Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59

Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59 by Gosho Aoyama Quick recap:  When teen genius detective Shin’ichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in  the American edition) is targeted by a mysterious criminal organization, the experimental poison used shrinks him to child size rather than killing him.  Assuming the identity of Conan Edogawa, the pint-sized sleuth moves in with… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59

Book Review: The Four False Weapons

Book Review: The Four False Weapons by John Dickson Carr Richard Curtis, junior partner at the law firm of Curtis, Hunt, D’Arcy & Curtis, is beginning to regret his career choice.  The office-bound life of a solicitor is dreadfully dull for a young man that longs for adventure and secret missions!   Just as he… Continue reading Book Review: The Four False Weapons

Book Review: The Black Bat #1: Brand of the Black Bat & Murder Calls the Black Bat

Book Review: The Black Bat #1: Brand of the Black Bat & Murder Calls the Black Bat by Norman Daniels (writing as G. Wayman Jones) Tony Quinn was a handsome, wealthy and highly competent district attorney until the day of Oliver Snate’s trial.  This time he had proof of the gangster’s illegal activities, actual recordings… Continue reading Book Review: The Black Bat #1: Brand of the Black Bat & Murder Calls the Black Bat