When there is a murder, it is only natural to expect that the cops will show up quickly to begin their investigation. If you are the officer in charge of that investigation, it is, perhaps, a little less natural to find that the three children who live in the house next door are lying to you, stealing evidence, sending you off in the wrong direction and, at the same time, plotting to make sure that you wind up married to their widowed mother. What's a beleaguered detective to do?
Welcome to "Home Sweet Homicide," by Craig Rice, a fast and funny mystery. The film version, shot in 1946, used to be a mainstay of late-night TV movies. The book is generally listed on several "definitive" lists of important and influential mystery novels from the first half of the 20th century, and it's a lot of fun. It's the subject of this week's podcast review, and you can listen to it here.
One of my favorite moments was getting to watch this movie with Craig's children one night while researching my biography of Craig (Who Was That Lady?)
Posted by: Jeffrey Marks | November 17, 2008 at 09:03 PM
That must have been an amazing experience. I haven't read "Who Was That Lady" yet, but I know that the Schantzes recommended it in their intro to "Home Sweet Homicide," and it's on my list. Thanks for the comment!
Posted by: Les Blatt | November 18, 2008 at 07:57 AM