Classic Mysteries

Good Times Ahead

We are now just one week away from the start of Bouchercon 2012, meeting this year in Cleveland. For those who have never been, this conference usually attracts well over a thousand people - lots of mystery readers and, of course, plenty of mystery authors as well. The conference is named for the late Anthony Boucher, mystery author and critic, and it has been held every year since 1970.

Authors and fans mingle over the four day conference, with plenty of opportunities for book signings. There are nearly 80 panel discussions and other major events, not to mention the annual presentation of the Anthony Awards. As I mentioned here earlier, I will be hosting a panel of four authors talking about Private Investigator mysteries. I hope any of you who are attending the conference next week will stop by on Thursday afternoon and say hello.

Among the honored guest authors this year are Elizabeth George, Robin Cook, Mary Higgins Clark and Les Roberts - in fact, Roberts will be part of my panel. The toastmaster for the event will be John Connolly. In fact, Hundreds of other authors will also be on hand.

Will you be there? I hope so - and I hope I'll see you there.

 

"Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard"

On the surface, it would appear there was nothing interesting about Louis Thouret. He was one of the many workers who left their suburban homes outside Paris every morning and took a train into Paris to work. There certainly seemed to be no good reason why he should have been murdered in a Parisian alleyway. But the more Chief Superintendent Maigret investigated the murder, the more curious questions kept turning up.

That's the situation in "Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard," a 1953 novel by Georges Simenon, the incredibly prolific author of hundreds of stories and novels, including 75 about Maigret. It is the subject of today's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the full review by clicking here.

Simenon's books are far more noteworthy for their characters than for their plots; Maigret normally solves the crimes he encounters by studying the people involved, coupled with largely routine police work. So it is with Louis Thouret, the quiet, nondescript victim of murder. When Thouret's widow is called to identify her husband, she does so - but informs Maigret that the victim is wearing the wrong clothes. Her husband would never wear shoes like that! Or such a tie! Certainly he did not wear them when he left home that morning! And where did he get all that money in his wallet? All she knew was that he went to work on the train each morning and came home faithfully on the train each evening.

As Maigret digs more deeply, he finds that Thouret was not the man he seemed to be. The company where he supposedly worked had closed three years earlier. As best as Maigret could tell, Thouret spent much of the day sitting on a bench on a boulevard. So where did his money come from? And what kind of work did Thouret really do - work that his shrewish wife knew nothing about?

It's a fascinating story. Reading Simenon, I find myself drawn into the lives of his characters. Little Monsieur Thouret stays in my imagination long after I have learned the answers to Maigret's questions. The murder mystery in this book, frankly, is secondary to the true mysteries of its chief characters. I am glad that Penguin has republished "Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard"; it is also available in an edition for the Amazon Kindle. I recommend it heartily.

An Intimate Look at "The Great Detectives"

In the late 1970s, writer/editor/bookstore owner Otto Penzler edited a fascinating anthology. It consisted of short articles about 26 fictional detectives, written by their creators, the authors who invented the characters. It has been out of print for quite a while; I still have a much-thumbed-over Penguin paperback copy on my bookshelves.

Now, it's back. The Mysterious Press has published electronic editions of "The Great Detectives: The World's Most Celebrated Sleuths Unmasked by Their Authors" - and it deserves a place in the library of every reader of classic detective stories. Some names will be very familiar: there's an article about Roderick Alleyn by Ngaio Marsh, one on John Appleby from Michael Innes, an article on Inspector Cockrill from Christianna Brand. You'll find other detectives, like H. R. F. Keating's Inspector Ghote, Ed McBain talks about the 87th precinct, and Carolyn Keene looks at the origins of Nancy Drew.

You may not recognize some of them - Duncan Maclain, Quiller, Inspector Schmidt. There's even a classic cartoon character - chester Gould's Dick Tracy. The articles are all short and loaded with details from the authors about their brainchildren.

It's all available in a wide variety of electronic formats from Open Road Media and The Mysterious Press. The illustrated button on top will take you to Amazon for their Kindle version; if you are so inclined, I get a small percentage when you order from them through that link. If you prefer another format, you'll find a listing of the available versions by clicking here. Classic mystery lovers will really be doing themselves a feature by getting this book.

On Mysteries and "Literary" Criticism

There has been a lot of discussion over the past, oh, I don't know, 80 years or so about whether "mysteries" can or should qualify as "real" literature. Are traditional, puzzle-oriented mysteries really without value, as far too many literary crticis have argued?

I finally found what I think is one of the best single comments I've ever seen refuting that argument.

In Phoebe Atwood Taylor's 1931 novel, "The Cape Cod Mystery," her narrator, a character named Prudence Whitsby, observes:

"I read mystery stories for the one and simple reason that they exercise my wits. I fail to get any stimulus out of these modern novels full of sordid reminiscences and biological details."

Amen. (Attn: P.D. James and so many others...)

"Footsteps in the Dark"

A gloomy old English country mansion - actually part of a ruined priory. A group of young, adventurous people who are determined to live in the house. A group of peculiar (and not overly friendly) villagers, full of tales of supernatural doings. A skeleton falling out of a wall. And a far-too-often-sighted cowled spectre known as "the monk." who may be haunting the place.

Just the everyday sort of thing for the characters in "Footsteps in the Dark," a Golden Age mystery by Georgette Heyer. It is the subject of today's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can click here to listen to the full review.

"Footsteps in the Dark" was Georgette Heyer's first mystery, published in 1932. While she is generally remembered more for her romances than for her mysteries, the latter were mostly quite good, written with humor. This one is more along the lines of an Edgar Wallace-type thriller than a traditional "puzzle" mystery - there does tend to be a fair amount of lurching from revelation to revelation - but the overall effect is delightful.

The story concerns Charles Malcolm, whose wife, Celia, along with her brother and sister, Peter and Margaret Fortescue, have inherited a ruined priory, in which they intend to live. The lack of electricity (I am not certain about running water!) appears to be no handicap to their determination. What might be a problem is the fact that the place apparently is haunted; a cowled figure, known as "The Monk," has been seen walking the halls at night.

Naturally, the quartet refuses to be frightened. And, equally naturally, things escalate to the point of murder. But the whole story is told with such good nature and humor that it is hard to take it as anything more than a fine evening's entertainment - which it is. You'll enjoy the characters - there are a few mysterious strangers running around, after all - and the Priory makes a wonderful setting - and there's much more going on there than may meet the eye.

Georgette Heyer's "Footsteps in the Dark" is back in print again from Sourcebooks Landmark; it is also available for the Amazon Kindle.

Happy Birthday, Agatha

Writer and blogger Jeffrey Marks reminds me that today is Agatha Christie's birthday. She would have been 122 years old. So go ahead and bake a cake (perhaps with a file in it - or a pinch of arsenic) in her honor. Among the Crime Queens, she still reigns supreme.

Exciting News from Bouchercon

Bouchercon 2012, the granddaddy of mystery conferences which will be held this year in Cleveland October 4-7, has announced its lineup of panel discussions for the conference. You can see the entire list here. I think it's an exciting collection. There's something to please fans of just about every crime fiction/mystery genre and sub-genre.

And, I'm proud to say, they have asked me to moderate one of the panels Thursday morning, October 4. It's called "What Would Rockford Do?"  It's about private eyes in mysteries, with four authors of PI novels: Les Roberts (whose PI, Milan Jacovich, works the meaner streets of our host city, Cleveland), Howard Shrier, whose PI, Jonah Geller, is based in of Toronto but (so far) has been called to American cities to work; Jack Fredrickson, creator of Dek Elstrom, whose investigations are mostly carried out in Rivertown, not far from Chicago; and Jack Bludis, whose detective, Brian Kane, works the glittering streets of Hollywood in the early 1950s. They're all interesting characters, and I anticipate a lively and entertaining discussion.

I hope, if you're coming to Bouchercon, that you'll come join us for the panel - and, by all means, please introduce yourself and take part in the conversation. There are a LOT of exciting panels this year, including ones on Sherlock Holmes and on Nero Wolfe that I don't want to miss. See you there?

"Death Leaves No Card"

If it was a case of murder, it was a case with remarkably few clues. When members of the Maplewood family and their servants broke down the bathroom door, they found the body of Basil Maplewood, who apparently died while getting into his bath. Certainly there was nobody else in the locked bathroom. And yet there was no indication at all of how the young man might have died. Even the post-mortem didn't come up with a likely cause of death. You'd have to say, really, that in this case, "Death Leaves No Card." Which is the title of the Golden Age mystery by Miles Burton which is the subject of today's audio review on the "Classic Mysteries" podcast. You can listen to the full review by clicking here.

"Miles Burton" was one of the pen names used by Cecil John Charles Street, who also wrote as John Rhode and Cecil Way. As Burton, he produced a long series of mysteries featuring Scotland Yard Inspector Henry Arnold and amateur investigator Desmond Merrion. Merrion is absent from "Death Leaves No Card," and Arnold has the field to himself in this very enjoyable locked room/impossible crime mystery from 1939.

As I said earlier, the victim was found alone inside the locked bathroom. He had not drowned. He had not been poisoned. There were no marks of violence on the body. He was, physically, in good health. So how did he die? And why? And who did it? Let me warn you: readers may think they have some pretty good ideas on the subject - but are likely to find that Burton has quite skillfully misled them.

"Death Leaves No Card," in other words, is an excellent traditional mystery, and the "howdunit" is every bit as important as the "whodunit" element. Inspector Arnold, even without his usual cohort, Desmond Merrion, is no slouch and connects the dots quite thoroughly to reveal a pattern that is likely to surprise the reader.

One note on editions: "Death Leaves No Card" is in print, or, to be accurate, print-on-demand, from Ramble House. The Amazon links above will tell you that only a hardcover edition is available. Not so. If you're interested in the trade paperback edition, you can use this link to find and order it directly from Ramble House.

Getting Away with Murder - Again

The culprit, as always, is British mystery writer Mike Ripley, whose monthly column, "Getting Away with Murder" enlivens the Shots Crime and Thriller eZine. Ripley's column pretty well defines the word "eclectic," and his sense of humor makes the column a highly entertaining read.

Among the topics discussed in Ripley's latest, posted just a couple of days ago: a new John Rebus novel coming from Ian Rankin; a Scandinavian import from a couple of crime-writing sisters; a new edition of Ian Fleming's James Bond books; a discussion of a 1961 crime novel by Shelley Smith that was praised by Julian Symons; Ripley clearing his bookshelves; Romanian crime novels; and Ripley's choices for a handful of awards. And that's just the first half of his column!

Whiplash? Disorientation? You may experience some. But with the Ripster, as he signs himself, those are the hazards to be encountered and overcome. If you've never read him, give "Getting Away with Murder" a try.

"The Murder at the Vicarage"

It is never a good idea to underestimate your adversary. Take the case of Miss Jane Marple, an elderly and rather kindly woman living in the tiny village of St. Mary Mead, not very far from London. Over the years, a surprising number of criminals have made the mistake of dismissing Miss Marple from their calculations - only to be confounded by her ability to see right through their schemes.

Miss Marple, of course, is the creation of Agatha Christie, who remains, after all these years, the queen of elegant plotting and careful misdirection in the traditional, Golden Age mystery. Miss Marple first appeared in Christie's "The Murder at the Vicarage," published in 1930, and our book for discussion today on the Classic Mysteries podcast. You can listen to the full review by clicking here.

If you are new to Miss Marple, you should know that, while she has rarely left St. Mary Mead, she has become an expert in her chosen hobby of observing human nature, particularly by sharing the local gossip. The lessons she draws from simple and seemingly trivial village mysteries, such as the disappearance of a container of pickled shrimps, she applies to larger and more complex crimes - including murder.

So when a body is found in the vicarage, which is right next door to Miss Marple's home, she naturally takes a deep interest in the case. When the police inspector assigned to the case, Inspector Slack, goes running off in the wrong direction - well, really in SEVERAL wrong directions - it is up to Miss Marple to see through the various layers of false clues and find the real solution to the case. In true Christie fashion, of course, the reader has been led quite gently and firmly up the wrong path right along with the unhappy Inspector Slack before encountering Miss Marple's elegant - and correct - solution.

"The Murder at the Vicarage" is not necessarily Miss Marple's best outing - or Christie's; for one thing, Miss Marple really isn't given a lot to do until fairly late in the book. But it does introduce her, along with a number of other characters who would reappear in later Miss Marple books, and it is written with enough exuberance to carry the reader over some fairly dry stretches. 82 years after its first publication, it remains readily available in print and it also exists in an Amazon Kindle edition.