Book Review: Artful by Peter David As long time readers will recall, some years ago I read and reviewed the classic Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. Towards the end, the last we see of Oliver’s friend acquaintance the Artful Dodger is in court, where he’s sentenced to be transported to Australia for thievery. (A crime… Continue reading Book Review: Artful
Tag: murder
Movie Review: Dirty Harry
Movie Review: Dirty Harry (1971) directed by Don Siegel Detective Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) of the San Francisco Police Department is not a nice man. He hates everyone equally (or at least that’s what his coworkers say) and has trouble phrasing things politely. In an establishing moment early in the film, Callahan defuses a potential… Continue reading Movie Review: Dirty Harry
Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales
Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz This hefty volume collects a variety of public domain stories concerning the supernatural. While the majority fall roughly into the category of horror, some are more what we’d call “dark fantasy” and a handful are just “well, that’s a weird thing that happened.”… Continue reading Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales
Movie Review: Five Deadly Venoms
Five Deadly Venoms (1978) dir. Cheh Chang Many years ago, the Poison Clan used its powerful martial arts techniques for evil. By this means, they amassed great wealth, but also many enemies. The remaining members had to move into the remote wilderness to keep their lore alive. Now the last teacher of the Poison Clan (Dick… Continue reading Movie Review: Five Deadly Venoms
Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 69-72
Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 69-72 by Gosho Aoyama We are so far into this series, also referred to as “Detective Conan”, that anyone who’s new should see my reviews of previous volumes as anything here beyond the basic premise can be considered spoilers. Volume 69 opens with famed detective Kogoro Mouri (Richard Moore) being… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 69-72
Book Review: Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic
Book Review: Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic by Catherine Lundoff Per the author’s introduction, the style of stories in this volume were inspired by her love for the artwork of Edward Gorey and Victorian ghost stories. And so we have a dozen short stories of horror and dark fantasy. “The Mask and the… Continue reading Book Review: Unfinished Business: Tales of the Dark Fantastic
Book Review: Murder on a Stick
Book Review: Murder on a Stick by S.L. Smith It is 2013, and the Minnesota State Fair is crowded with thousands of people eating food on sticks. Usually the worst that could happen is a case of indigestion. But today, someone has put one of the sticks to a more sinister use–murder! Virginia Green is… Continue reading Book Review: Murder on a Stick
Book Review: The Holy City Murders
Book Review: The Holy City Murders by Ron Plante Jr. Duke Dempsey might live in Charleston, South Carolina, which likes to tout itself as the “Holy City”, but he’s not particularly interested in religion, or the many churches and temples that dot the landscape. He’s much more focused on bourbon and keeping his private investigation… Continue reading Book Review: The Holy City Murders
Movie Review: The Shanghai Cobra
Movie Review: The Shanghai Cobra (1945) directed by Phil Karlson World War Two may be over, but Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is still working for the federal government. This proves useful when an old friend asks his assistance in handling a series of murders. It seems that each victim works for the Sixth National Bank, and… Continue reading Movie Review: The Shanghai Cobra
Book Review: Thief River Falls
Book Review: Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman “Write what you know.” Thriller author Lisa Power followed that maxim in her fourth book, entitled Thief River Falls. It’s set in her home town of Thief River Falls, Minnesota and features real locations there, and even the real names of some of the residents. The verisimilitude… Continue reading Book Review: Thief River Falls