Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie

Betsy meets her patient.

Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie (1943) directed by Jacques Tourneur It’s a particularly cold and snowy winter in Ottawa, so recently graduated Canadian nurse Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) is quite willing to be hired for private nursing duty to take place on the island of San Sebastian in the West Indies. On the ship… Continue reading Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie

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

Cover by Brian Stauffer

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

Book Review: High Disaster

Book Review: High Disaster by Lionel Derrick Senator Harland Harrington used to be your typical Republican lawmaker. During his two terms in office, he stood for conservative family values, sensible government spending, and bringing home the bacon for his constituents in Oregon. But a man has needs. Two years ago, he hired Arlene Day to… Continue reading Book Review: High Disaster

Book Review: The Case of the Bludgeoned Teacher

Book Review: The Case of the Bludgeoned Teacher by Jim Hollis Miss Celeste Aubin is the French teacher at Rainey High School. Physically, she’s very attractive, and knows how to exploit her appearance to manipulate men. Personality-wise though, she’s manipulative and grasping, and plays favorites with the students. So when she turns up dead, hit… Continue reading Book Review: The Case of the Bludgeoned Teacher

Book Review: Fletch and the Man Who

Book Review: Fletch and the Man Who by Gregory McDonald It’s still early in the presidential primary process, but Governor Caxton Wheeler’s campaign has already hit a road bump. His long-time press representative had to be let go due to a feud with Mrs. Wheeler. A fresh new face has to be found to deal… Continue reading Book Review: Fletch and the Man Who

Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1949

Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1949 edited by Ellery Queen It’s time for another issue of this venerable mystery magazine. The cover this time is uncredited, and does not directly match any of the stories in the issue. “Double Exposure” by Ben Hecht opens the issue with a tale of a psychiatrist who… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1949

Book Review: Great Stories from the Saturday Evening Post

This cover is by Stevan Dohanos, who often did covers for the Post, and illustrates a conversation he had with a mailman. Note the two red stars on the sleeve for twenty years' service.

Book Review: Great Stories from the Saturday Evening Post edited by Ben Hibbs For many years, the Saturday Evening Post was one of America’s most popular magazines. Every week, it would show fascinating photographs, interesting non-fiction articles and a selection of short stories and serialized fiction. With more than 200 short stories being printed in… Continue reading Book Review: Great Stories from the Saturday Evening Post

Comic Book Review: The Complete Al’s Baby

Comic Book Review: The Complete Al’s Baby written by John Wagner, art by Carlos Ezquerra Chi-Town in the near future has had a law enforcement crisis and is overrun with retro gangsters reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties. Possibly the most ferocious of these felons is Al “The Beast” Bestardi, top hitman and enforcer for the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Complete Al’s Baby

Book Review: Web of Everywhere

Book Review: Web of Everywhere by John Brunner Hans Dykstra is a criminal. Along with the blind poet Mustapha Sharif, he uses illegally obtained location codes to visit abandoned teleport stations and photograph their surroundings. This time they’ve found a surprisingly intact house in Sweden, the former owners dead of personal violence rather than war… Continue reading Book Review: Web of Everywhere