Book Review: The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro by Edogawa Rampo Edogawa Rampo was the pen name of Hirai Tarou (1894-1965), who I last talked about as the author of The Fiend with Twenty Faces. That children’s book featured Akechi Kogoro as the Detective Boys’ adult mentor, but he was already an established series character… Continue reading Book Review: The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro
Tag: private detectives
Book Review: The Fiend with Twenty Faces
Book Review: The Fiend with Twenty Faces by Edogawa Rampo The year is 1936. Japan occupies Korea and Manchukuo, and has set its sights on the rest of China. But for most Japanese civilians, war is far away. What is exciting right now is the capers of the man known as The Fiend with Twenty… Continue reading Book Review: The Fiend with Twenty Faces
Book Review: Halo in Brass
Book Review: Halo in Brass by Howard Browne (writing as John Evans) Paul PIne, private detective, is hired on a missing persons case. It seems that Laura Fremont, originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, has gone incommunicado in the big city of Chicago. Her plain rural parents are worried sick. The first obstacle pops up in that… Continue reading Book Review: Halo in Brass
Book Review: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys
Book Review: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys by Erle Stanley Gardner Working as a secretary for scandalous writer Mauvis Meade was a pretty good gig for Gladys Doyle. She didn’t ask too many questions when Mauvis asked her to take a meeting at a ski resort with a Hollywood publicist. Her boss even gave… Continue reading Book Review: The Case of the Mythical Monkeys
Book Review: Ding Dong Bell | Certain Sleep
Book Review: Ding Dong Bell | Certain Sleep by Helen Reilly It’s time for another Ace Double, paperbacks with two short books bound upside down from each other. This one, G-528, is from the Giant Double Novel Book series of mysteries. Although it wasn’t advertised as such, this line was entirely devoted to female authors.… Continue reading Book Review: Ding Dong Bell | Certain Sleep
Book Review: Widows Wear Weeds
Book Review: Widows Wear Weeds by A.A. Fair (Erle Stanley Gardner) Erle Stanley Gardner became famous thanks to his Perry Mason stories, featuring a defense attorney whose client is always innocent (of the particular murder the story is about.) But not every one of his story ideas fit that mold, so under the pen name… Continue reading Book Review: Widows Wear Weeds
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine September/October 2021
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine September/October 2021 edited by Janet Hutchings “The years keep coming and they just keep coming.” It seems like just a few months ago I reviewed a 75th anniversary issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, but in fact it was five years ago, and here’s the 80th anniversary issue. It’s… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine September/October 2021
Movie Review: The Amazing Mr. X
Movie Review: The Amazing Mr. X (1948) directed by Bernard Vorhaus (aka The Spiritualist) Christine Faber (Lynn Bari) is not dealing well with the death of her husband Paul (Donald Curtis). He died in an automobile accident two years ago, burnt so badly that the corpse was unidentifiable. It seems impossible that he’s really gone, and… Continue reading Movie Review: The Amazing Mr. X
Magazine Review: Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May/June 2021
Magazine Review: Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May/June 2021 edited by Linda Landrigan In 1956, HSD Publications wanted to create a new mystery story magazine. To boost sales, they licensed the name of Alfred Hitchcock, a famous director who was then the host of a popular television show. While Mr. Hitchcock otherwise had nothing to do… Continue reading Magazine Review: Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May/June 2021
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine June 1952
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine June 1952 edited by Ellery Queen This is the last issue of EQMM I have to hand, but someday I hope to get out to garage sales again…. “Homecoming” by Veronica Parker Johns was inspired, so the introduction says, by the Kefauver hearings and the author getting a much… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine June 1952