Movie Review: The Case of the Curious Bride

Perry can handle drinking coffee during an autopsy, but Spudsy has a weaker stomach.

Movie Review: The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) directed by Michael Curtiz Between movies, star defense attorney Perry Mason has successfully defended an alleged hatchet killer, humiliating the district attorney once again. He’s preparing for a victory feast, the crab dish of which he’ll cook himself, and then a Chinese vacation. At the restaurant, he’s… Continue reading Movie Review: The Case of the Curious Bride

Movie Review: The Bishop Murder Case

Philo Vance's breakfast is interrupted by--murder!

The Bishop Murder Case (1929) dir. David Burton A peaceful morning is broken when Professor Bertrand Dillard (Alec B. Francis) and his manservant Pyne (Sidney Bracey) look down into the house’s courtyard and see the corpse of family friend Robin, nicknamed “Cock Robin”, with an arrow in his chest. Professor Dillard immediately calls District Attorney Markham… Continue reading Movie Review: The Bishop Murder Case

Book Review: Undeveloped: A Pine County Mystery

Book Review: Undeveloped: A Pine County Mystery by Dean L. Hovey Pine County is on the eastern edge of Minnesota, about halfway between the Twin Cities and Duluth. It’s a rural area, with a fair amount of relatively new growth pine timber (you may have heard of the Hinckley Fire.) Much of the economy depends… Continue reading Book Review: Undeveloped: A Pine County Mystery

Book Review: But Not Forgotten | The Schemers

Book Review: But Not Forgotten | The Schemers by Ruth Fenisong It’s time for another Ace Double paperback, this time a pair of mysteries by Ruth Fenisong (1904-1978). She’s best known for her Lieutenant Gridley Nelson series, but he’s barely in the first, and the other is independent. But Not Forgotten Leo Socarus is a… Continue reading Book Review: But Not Forgotten | The Schemers

Manga Review: The Apothecary Diaries Volume 1

Manga Review: The Apothecary Diaries Volume 1 story by Natsu Hyuuga, art by Nekokurage Maomao lives in a country that is analogous to, but is not precisely, Ming Dynasty China. Daughter of a skilled but impoverished apothecary, she early showed a talent for the occupation, and is very skilled with drugs and poisons. She grew… Continue reading Manga Review: The Apothecary Diaries Volume 1

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 83-86

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 83-86 by Gosho Aoyama Quick recap: Teen detective Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub) is shrunk into a pre-teen by an experimental poison. Until he can find a way to reverse the effects, he assumes the identity of Conan Edogawa. He still solves crimes, but it’s harder to get… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 83-86

Book Review: The Hills of Homicide

Book Review: The Hills of Homicide by Louis L’Amour Before he landed the contracts that were to make him America’s most beloved Western writer, Louis L’Amour tried his hand at various other genres of pulp fiction. But the pulp magazine market was drying up, so it was generally a good thing he found other work.… Continue reading Book Review: The Hills of Homicide

Anime Review: Pluto

Gesicht confronts the darkness in his own past.

Anime Review: Pluto On an alternate Earth where robotics technology is far more advanced than our own, self-aware robots have spread into almost every facet of society. Some are virtually indistinguishable from humans, and in recent years, robots have been granted at least some civil rights. But some robots are more powerful than others, with… Continue reading Anime Review: Pluto

Anime Review: Undead Girl Murder Farce

From left to right,: Tsugaru, Aya and Shizuku.

Anime Review: Undead Girl Murder Farce (also advertised as “Undead Murder Farce”) Aya Rindo was turned into an immortal being during the Heian Era of Japan, keeping the appearance of a young woman but gaining knowledge and perceptiveness according to her chronological age. About a year before the story begins during the Meiji Period (Victorian… Continue reading Anime Review: Undead Girl Murder Farce

Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82

Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82 by Gosho Aoyama It’s time once again to catch up on the adventures of Conan Edogawa, boy detective, who is secretly Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub), teen detective who was shrunk by an experimental poison. See my many prior reviews of this series, titled Meitantei Conan (“Detective… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82