Classic Mysteries

Murdering the New Year

Here we are on New Year's Eve, and I find I have been remiss in not providing some suggestions about mysteries themed to an observance of New Year's. No fears. Janet Rudolph at Mystery Fanfare has been on the case and offers a long list of appropriate mysteries to bring in the New Year with a few hearty murders. For those of us who love the classics, you'll find books by Dorothy L. Sayers, Carter Dickson, Patricia Wentworth, Ellery Queen and the Lockridges among many many others.

Hat tip: The Rap Sheet.

Looking Back: "The Frightened Stiff"

In my podcast review of "If the Shroud Fits" this week, I mentioned the fact that the Kelley Roos novel sounds as if it was the dialogue from a screwball comedy movie.

That really shouldn't come as a surprise, as another Roos mystery, "The Frightened Stiff," published in 1942, actually was made into a popular and successful movie, called "A Night to Remember." It starred Brian Aherne and Loretta Young as Jeff and Haila Troy - Haila was renamed "Nancy" for the movie. I checked Amazon, and the movie is still available as part of a collection of classic screwball comedies called "Icons of Screwball Comedy, Vol. 2 (Theodora Goes Wild / Together Again / A Night to Remember / The Doctor Takes a Wife)." Read it, watch it - or both, it's an enjoyable way to spend an evening.

The book answers the rather awkward social question: what do you say when the police knock on your Grfeenwich Village apartment door in the morning to ask about that naked dead man in your garden. It's a situation made doubly embarrassing when it becomes apparent that the man had been drowned in your bathtub. And it goes on from there.

(And, again for disclosure, if you buy something from Amazon through my links, I get a small commission, which is much appreciated..."

"If the Shroud Fits"

Take New York City, on a rainy day in October, around 1941. Take a newlywed couple, Jeff and Haila Troy. She's an actress and occasional model. He's looking for a job, in just-pre-World-War-II New York. They're light-hearted. They have good, if somewhat strange friends. And they have a habit of getting involved in murder mysteries. At any rate, that's the situation in "If the Shroud Fits," by Kelley Roos, the husband-and-wife writing team responsible for a series of light comedy-mysteries featuring Jeff and Haila. It's the subject of this week's audio review on our Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the full review here.

What are the Troys like? Think Nick and Nora Charles. Or Mr. and Mrs. North, for that matter. They have a tendency to get caught up in screwball situations and to spend a fair amount of time trying to keep their friends out of trouble, which is not always easy to do when you're dealing with a murder case. "If the Shroud Fits" is a fast, funny mystery that sounds like the plot line of a 1940s Hollywood movie. You'll enjoy it.

Leading Children to Mysteries

As a person who dearly loves the classic mysteries of my childhood, I am wholeheatedly in favor of introducing children to good, well-written and enjoyable mysteries early in their reading careers. First of all, I am convinced that the only way to make sure they have reading careers is to show them that reading can be fun and exciting. And, perhaps not surprisingly, I think that mysteries will do that.

That's why I welcome this new idea and challenge from Carrie at the 5 Minutes for Books blog. She has initiated the Children's Classics Mystery Challenge. On the second Tueday of every month, from January to June, 2010, she will be gathering suggestions for great children's mysteries on her blog. I'll be participating from here (with links, of course), and I urge my readers to join in.

I have a lot of ideas of my own about classic mysteries that are appropriate for kids and which, if my own experience can be any guide, should get them hooked on these marvelous books. My wife, a school librarian, has additional suggestions which she'll be funneling through me. Your suggestions will also be welcomed. I'm looking forward to getting this started next month.

Kindle in the Crunch

OK. December 23. Crunch time for the holiday gifts, right? So Amazon advises that you can still order a Kindle wireless electronic reader device up until midnight Eastern Time tonight and still get it delivered tomorrow. Before Christmas. And the delivery is free. (And, yes, if you use that link, I get a small percentage.) Still trying to decide if you want to give a Kindle? This sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Just sayin'...

Everything About Agatha

Agatha Christie remains one of the most popular and best-selling mystery authors of all times. Almost all of her output is still in print, making her among the most accessible of the great mystery writers. It's easy to lose track of some of her characters and her plots and her books.

So if you really want to keep track of everything Agatha - if, for example, you are a blogger maintaining a blog about classic mysteries - it helps to have a cheat sheet. And there is no better volume for an Agatha Christie Cheat Sheet on the market than "Agatha Christie," by Mark Campbell, in the Pocket Essential Literature series. It contains lists of all the books and all the short stories and all the series detectives, plus very brief, non-spoiler descriptions of the books and admittedly quite subjective ratings for each one. You'll find invaluable background about Miss Marple - and some of the other inhabitants of her village. There's information about Hercule Poirot's background (not to mention his amazing ability to avoid aging with anything like reality-based development). Harley Quinn, the Beresfords, Mr. Parker Pyne, they're all here, along with relatively minor characters such as Mr. Satterthwaite, Hastings, and Ariadne Oliver.

It is an invaluable reference work, and avid Christie readers will find it a marvelous checklist of some of the best mystery stories ever written. I recommend it highly.

"Murder for Christmas" (a.k.a. "Hercule Poirot's Christmas")

Have yourself a bloodthirsty little Christmas this year by inviting Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot to your house. Our mystery this week has been published as "Murder for Christmas" as well as "Hercule Poirot's Christmas," but it's still the same excellent book to enjoy, hopefully by a warm fireplace, on Christmas night. It's an impossible crime story, for starters, and a very bloody one, a point Christie stresses repeatedly. There's a reason for all the gore, and ultimately it's all part of the mystery too. It's the subject of this week's Classic Mysteries podcast - and you can listen to a complete review here.

Seriously, how much more traditional can you get? It's a British house party, the murder of a family tyrant, a locked room situation, missing diamonds, plenty of bloodshed, and Hercule Poirot. What more could a mystery reader desire?

In any case, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, a happy and healthy New Year, and all the fictional murders you could want to keep you happy.

Last Minute Shopping

Okay, folks, we're in the seasonal crunch. Christmas is coming up this Friday. Done your shopping? Bad weather keep you indoors and online? No problem - last minute shopping continues, and you can still find places willing to deliver by Christmas.

So - if you're so inclined - how about checking out products at Amazon.com. It's a lot more than just books; music, electronics, clothing - you name it. If you use the search box on the upper right side of this page, I get a small commission on anything you buy from Amazon or most of its dealers. Just sayin'...

Hey, why not reward yourself with a Kindle from Amazon this year? There's a woman who rides my train into NY who swears by it - she has it with her every time I see her, and she says she loves it. Good way to read. Did you know this blog is available for the Kindle? As are a great many other blogs, not to mention newspapers, magazines, and, of course, lots of books.

Mysterious Destinations

Taking some time off over the holidays? Trying to figure out something original to do on your next vacation? As mystery readers, how about a visit to some destinations where you can put your detective skills to work? USA Today has ten suggestions, relying on some ideas from Otto Penzler.

Via Xavier Lechard and other friends at the Yahoo "Golden Age of Detective Fiction" mail group

Required Reading for Mystery Writers

It is axiomatic that, in order to be a good writer, you must read, read and read some more. That is just as true for mystery writers - both published writers and would-be writers - as for anyone else. The website Mysterious Matters offers some suggestions for "Required Study for Crime Writers" that are pretty good. From the standpoint of a classic mystery reader, you'll find quite a few recognizable names on the list.

I'm particularly glad to see that she included one of Patricia Moyes's books. Moyes was an extremely accomplished writer who, unfortunately, is just about completely out of print at this point. That's too bad. Her detective, Henry Tibbett, and his wife, Emmy, are two of the best-developed and endearing characters in mystery fiction. I'll have to try to squeeze in a Moyes book on this site in the near future - she is well worth your acquaintance. Here's a link to her books from some of Amazon's resellers.

Hat tip: @BVLawson on Twitter - In Reference to Murder