Early in E.C.R. Lorac's Shroud of Darkness, one character is said to be reading a novel by Josephine Tey (the translator doesn't care to say which one, probably because it was hosted by another publisher) It is a noticeable happening as references to Tey and his work are pretty rare in contemporary crime fiction, in … Lire la suite The Fifth Queen
Okay, I'm cheeky again and indulging once more in the polemical with a title-question that probably will irk some of my readers. Let them know however that my intentions are pure and my puzzlement sincere. It all started with this clip from the latest issue of Publishers Weekly posted by John Pugmire over at his … Lire la suite Do Whodunits Age Better Than « Crime Novels »?
Considering how long it lasted, how devasting it was and how deep and lasting were its political and social effects, one may find it odd that the Great War featured so little in Golden Age mysteries. This is relatively understandable in the case of the American school as the conflict was soon sidelined, if not … Lire la suite At War with the War
Le traitement de la Grande Guerre par la littérature policière est pour le moins paradoxal. Si elle représente aujourd'hui un thème majeur du genre, grâce notamment à la vogue du roman policier historique, il n'en fut pas de même à l'époque. Contrairement à sa petite soeur vingt ans plus tard, la Der des Ders n'a … Lire la suite La Guerre fantôme
The first entry in what I intended to be an irregular feature proved to be such a success that I'm fast cashing in on it with more books that you've probably never heard of and no less probably never will come across unless you are lucky or speak the most beautiful language on Earth. Reginald … Lire la suite Nice Book If You Can Get It, Part II
Chose promise, chose due. Here is a list of some the most obscure items in my "crime fiction" pantheon, the ones that probably even their authors forgot after writing them. Though the title implies otherwise - you know I can't resist a pun, especially a lame one - not all books listed here are that … Lire la suite Nice Book If You Can Get It
Having been an active, talkative and combative member of the online crime fiction community for nearly twenty years, I have "met" and befriended lots of people and acquired an enviable if not entirely accurate reputation in this selective and competitive milieu. I am, painting with the broadest of broad brushes, "that extremely knowledgeable French guy … Lire la suite Digging Obscure Mysteries
