A teenager is the carer for her stepfather – who is dying of a respiratory disease and is mostly bedridden. She is tied to him by money, as she has to stay if she wants to inherit.
This is slowly driving her nuts, and she spirals out of control as she lures a tv installer [...]
“And if she didn’t want to be found, she didn’t have to be. She knew how to have the interest paid through off-shore accounts so that no one could track it. She even knew a quick and almost legal way to change her name. Traceable, but she hadn’t committed a crime. She didn’t need to [...]
Continue reading about Cowboy Grace – Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“And if she didn’t want to be found, she didn’t have to be. She knew how to have the interest paid through off-shore accounts so that no one could track it. She even knew a quick and almost legal way to change her name. Traceable, but she hadn’t committed a crime. She didn’t need to [...]
Continue reading about Cowboy Grace – Kristine Kathryn Rusch
As the title suggests, a collection of work related to the title character, including herself, Phineas Trout, McGlade, and others. So they range from straight shooting, to hardboiled hits, to perverted black comedy.
As far as his short stories go, this is the best stuff, and two of these tales are extremely strong.
Jack Daniels Stories [...]
Zombie living bacon wife.
4 out of 5
http://www.jakonrath.com/Jack.zip
Not getting in blackmail.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.jakonrath.com/Jack.zip
Bad Horse is back.
4 out of 5
http://www.dccomics.com/media/excerpts/7722_1.pdf
“Her illusions about Stipe ended the moment he peeled open his Velcro girdle and his stomach flopped down over his crotch, hiding whatever might be there.
His illusions about her began the moment she unzipped her space suit, and her flesh burst out the seams like Pop ‘n Fresh dough. But they were too far along [...]
“I’m just the guy in the shack. The one who either waves you through and opens the gate, or stops you to see if you’ve got a pass. If you do, or if I get the homeowner on the phone and he says you’re okay, then I jot your name and license number in my [...]
Continue reading about The Man With the Iron-on Badge 1 – Lee Goldberg
“”What are you up to?” the woman asked in a ragged breath nearly drowned by mucous.
“Killing time.”
“That’s my job.” Her voice was smooth and soft this time, betraying youth. The man broke up another Alka Seltzer in his hands and threw it to the tottering birds mirrored in his sunglasses.
“We have a job for you.” [...]
Macklin was actually bringing the Cadillac back to its spiritual roots. The chassis of the 1959 Cadillac was inspired by the World War II Lockheed P-38 Lightning Fighter plane and now his new, restored “Batmobile” was just as lethal.
First, Macklin made the car nearly impregnable to gun fire. He replaced the fuel lines with steel [...]
“Listening to the Bowel Movement made Los Angeles Mayor Jed Stocker grimace. The tinny electronic sound and screeching lyrics blaring over the stereo speakers across the room made Stocker feel like he wasn’t in his office but strapped into a dentist’s chair having his teeth drilled.
Without Novocain.
An insistent pounding at the door, which at first [...]
“Eddie’s hands were moving now, as if grabbing ideas out of the air and thrusting them into the hungry maw of his voracious pitch. Crofoot watched with a poker face. Eddie didn’t care whether Crofoot liked it or not; the pitch had a life of its own, it couldn’t be stopped.
”Then a black Corvette pulls [...]
Rebus ghost guilt.
http://www.royalblind.org/index/21/news/84/Exclusive-Inpector-Rebus-Story.html
“That was just a gag, J. W,” the little flapper said. She almost sounded mad. “Claire Ives doesn’t really smoke cigars.”
“Hell if she doesn’t. That girl’s a vixen. Acts like she’s a man. Why, if I’d had a chance—”
“You did, J. W.,” The girl winked at Tate. ‘You had your chance, and you ended up [...]
Cold and alone case.
4 out of 5
http://www.onipress.com/downloads/oni_whiteout_1.cbr
Nice place, cop.
http://www.imagecomics.com/content/onlinecomics/fell_001/fell_001_002_600×900.jpg
4 out of 5
http://www.imagecomics.com/iconline.php4?title=fell_001&page=2
Murder free case.
http://www.dccomics.com/media/product/1/5/1587_180×270.jpg
4 out of 5
http://www.dccomics.com/media/excerpts/1587_1.pdf
Physical administration.
http://i.newsarama.com/images/23_IRIS-01-CMYKcrop.jpg
3.5 out of 5
http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=1297&page=25
Blackmail go round sabretooth sister skewer.
4 out of 5
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=storysprite&sort=-publicdate&page=1
Continue reading about Murder In the Family – Leigh Brackett
Abbott makes this distaff version of a dodgy criminal taking and corrupting a clever youth look effortless. A hardboiled style that is pretty much as good as it gets.
Not so effortless for the protagonist as she becomes embroiled in the schemes of the wrong bloke.
Also refreshing to see a very short novel, too, no padding [...]
“Bogie and Bacall were open to a venture, and that was radio syndication. From an informal recording studio, they could do a radio series in a few months and have it syndicated over time by the Frederic W. Ziv Company. With Bacall, it was a package deal that was worthy of Slate Shannon, Bogie’s alter [...]
Continue reading about The Quan Yen Statue – Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall
Atticus Kodiak is hired as an extra for a Sentinel guarding job – and finds out that all is not as it seems on this supposed cakewalk. Automatic weapons attacks, assassins, decoys, and more are to be dealt with.
Then we discover why the title: the real target is a star witness who was a [...]
Blade bike bash.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.thedaemon.com/freedomtmpreview.html
The old cable across the road trick, for starters.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.thedaemon.com/daemonpreview.html
Tired of being stuck in.
3 out of 5
Continue reading about Rapunzel Strikes Back – Brendan Dubois
The Sargasso Ogre is literally a pirate. Operating in a region that gives him his name. Doc and his crew become embroiled after they find out about a ship that is ‘on his list of scalps’.
The Ogre himself manages to fight Doc to a standstill, in a man on man hand to hand brawl. Both [...]
Bruising finish.
3 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Try%20the%20Girl.html
“How else would I make a nickel?”
4 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Trouble%20Is%20My%20Business.html
Continue reading about Trouble Is My Business – Raymond Chandler
Joe and Max Chil, chilled, its politics with a dead deer.
3.5 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Spanish%20Blood.html
Dope smuggling shootout.
3.5 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Smart-Aleck%20Kill.html
Token Ware choker.
3.5 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Pickup%20On%20Noon%20Street.html
Continue reading about Pickup On Noon Street – Raymond Chandler
Gem theft sucker.
3 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Pearls%20Are%20A%20Nuisance.html
Continue reading about Pearls Are A Nuisance – Raymond Chandler
Some missing pearls, a dame, a dodgy cop, and a really good night for drinking.
4 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Red%20Wind.html
Shoe money half coyote not quite out of Japanese gunmen, but out of nazis.
3.5 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20No%20Crime%20In%20the%20Mountains.html
Continue reading about No Crime In the Mountains – Raymond Chandler
Croupier scam snatch.
3 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Nevada%20Gas.html
Psychic strong-arm man.
3 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Mandarins%20Jade.html
Saints and Snares.
4 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20The%20Man%20Who%20Liked%20Dogs.html
Continue reading about The Man Who Liked Dogs – Raymond Chandler
Sloppy plant.
3.5 out of 5
Sloppy plant.
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20The%20Lady%20In%20the%20Lake%20short%20version.html
Continue reading about The Lady In the Lake – Raymond Chandler
Muso sister suicide revenge.
4 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20The%20King%20In%20Yellow.html
Continue reading about The King In Yellow – Raymond Chandler
“I sighed. “Gunfire,” I said. “A dead man on the floor. A naked, doped girl in a chair not knowing what had happened. A killer I couldn’t have caught and you couldn’t have caught–then. Behind all this a poor old roughneck that was breaking his heart trying to do the right thing in a miserable [...]
Continue reading about Killer In the Rain – Raymond Chandler
“I could maybe give nine guesses. And twelve of them would be right.”
3.5 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Ill%20Be%20Waiting.html
Sister act revenge.
4 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Guns%20At%20Cyranos.html
Double pearler deception.
3.5 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Goldfish.html
Casino killing group.
3 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Finger%20Man.html
Dodgy dames, crooked cops, one charlatan, one Moose and plenty of booze.
Philip Marlowe is a pretty bright tough guy private eye in Los Angeles, when he is hired to be a bodyguard on a very strange assignment involving supposedly a jewellery ransom buyback.
He is soon crossing paths with various police departments, the rich and powerful, [...]
Continue reading about Farewell My Lovely – Raymond Chandler
Silver-Wig gone.
3 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20The%20Curtain.html
A crippled military man hires Marlowe to see if he can untangle the disappearance of a potential son in law, and whatever two extremely dodgy dame daughters might have got themselves up to in relation.
This, of course, will involve some boozing, some gambling, some gunplay, and a fair helping of wisecracks directed at either sharp [...]
Big Chin slipper her, Shorty.
3.5 out of 5
http://raymondchandler.bravehost.com/Chandler,%20Raymond%20-%20Bay%20City%20Blues.html
“Felony risk beatup escape.”
3 out of 5
http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/fall-2009/fictionfamily-affair-a-smokey-dalton-story-by-kris-nelscott/
Continue reading about Family Affair – Kristine Kathryn Rusch
““Daddy’s dead,” Annie said in a very small voice.”
3 out of 5
http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/fall-2009/fictionfamily-affair-a-smokey-dalton-story-by-kris-nelscott/
Continue reading about Family Affair 2 – Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“The handprint was made of dried blood.”
3.5 out of 5
http://subterraneanpress.com/index.php/magazine/fall-2009/fictionfamily-affair-a-smokey-dalton-story-by-kris-nelscott/
Continue reading about Family Affair 1 – Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Drugs, music, nudity, ferrari retreads.
4 out of 5
http://community.livejournal.com/theinferior4/595953.html
I had read elsewhere that this was rather Chandlerian, and it seems that is certainly the case.
The private investigator in this novel is out to help people, even if he doesn’t particularly like them, and even after getting shot, bashed, abused, lied to, and more.
He has made friends (and feels a lot more than that) [...]
Continue reading about No Good From A Corpse – Leigh Brackett
A lighthearted crime story.
Elements of which include:
A literally extremely low rent ex-basketball player with a Kirlian viewing talent.An ex-slow white centre Perth basketball team owner.Two galahs.One male model bartender.One coke snorting stunner wife.A narcoleptic roadie.Flouncy glamourous aunt.A flaming gym instructor.Dodgy pierced teenagers.A loud Monaro.Stalker hit and runs women.Lamborghini.Toothy triathlete.One wealthy matron.A crimelord of Italian extraction.Couple [...]
Do I shoot the little boy or not?
3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about The True Death of Juanito Rodriguez – Leigh Brackett
The second of her novels I have seen along these lines. It is quite clear that Kress is no thriller writer by inclination or ability.
So sort of an odd thing to do from that point of view, given everything else she has written. E.g. it really never engages at all in any conflict [...]
Hairy Hedonistic hippie harem heroin hiding.
Yep, that’s about the size of it from that era. Well built naked female on the cover notwithstanding not much living up to that – very short, and sex, violence et.c are in rather short supply here.
Some drugs though.
A lawyer is looking for a missing woman, and [...]
Holding start.
3.5 out of 5
Bits missing.
3 out of 5
Continue reading about The Girl Who Knew What They Meant – Theodore Sturgeon
Injury murder prevention.
3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Take Care Of Joey – Theodore Sturgeon
Big Cat mighta got him.
3 out of 5
Continue reading about How They Tried To Talk Indian Tony Down – Kage Baker
Mister smooth operator.
2.5 out of 5
Fake stories.
3 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_75.html
Continue reading about Veterans Of Heroic Wars – Michael Swanwick
Mr Righticide.
3 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_74.html
Continue reading about Grace’s Final Irony – Michael Swanwick
Bloody dinner.
3 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_73.html
Continue reading about The Lions Of the Law – Michael Swanwick
Not much of one.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_69.html
Continue reading about Elena the Libertarian – Michael Swanwick
Sordid fame cycle.
3 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_68.html
Continue reading about The Great Wheel Of the World – Michael Swanwick
Topless sermon will do that.
3 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_65.html
Continue reading about Grace In the Madhouse – Michael Swanwick
Justice by Elimination
A group of not very nice people are lured to an island. This is for the case of taking poetic justice somewhat more literally. All of them have been killer types in the past – so now they get theirs.
The twist is that they are killed by methods associated with the [...]
Continue reading about And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
Justice by Elimination
A group of not very nice people are lured to an island. This is for the case of taking poetic justice somewhat more literally. All of them have been killer types in the past – so now they get theirs.
The twist is that they are killed by methods associated with the [...]
Justice by Elimination
A group of not very nice people are lured to an island. This is for the case of taking poetic justice somewhat more literally. All of them have been killer types in the past – so now they get theirs.
The twist is that they are killed by methods associated with the [...]
Old team reunion serial killings.
Poirot and Captain Hastings get a communication that leads them back to Styles, the site of the their first case together.
Also to something a little nastier than your average cozy murder scenario – and the elderly pair have quite a bit to risk in the twisty plot, after [...]
Some bad wedding info.
A young woman has discovered that apparently her mother murdered her father – who was an artists.
Not pleased and not believing of this information she decides to enlist some help.
This help comes in the form of Hercule Poirot’s little grey cells and detective work.
3 out of 5
Continue reading about Murder In Retrospect – Agatha Christie
A fan of a movie star is killed – and the actress in question may have been the actual target of the murder.
One of Miss Marple’s relatives lets her know about the case – as she is holed up elsewhere. Also happy to have a case to solve to go along with that.
2.5 out of [...]
Continue reading about The Mirror Crack’d From Side To Side – Agatha Christie
Here you have your dodgy financier story. Or, when you have a high flyer who is important to the running of your economy any sex, drugs, booze or more esoteric kinks may be overlooked while they are doing the job for you.
But, being a Christie novel, you still have to have a deader – and [...]
Continue reading about An Overdose Of Death – Agatha Christie
Here you have your dodgy financier story. Or, when you have a high flyer who is important to the running of your economy any sex, drugs, booze or more esoteric kinks may be overlooked while they are doing the job for you.
But, being a Christie novel, you still have to have a deader – and [...]
Continue reading about The Patriotic Murders – Agatha Christie
Poirot this time is informed about a murder by mail.
The twist is that the letter is actually from the dead person – an elderly woman whose correspondence reaches him after she is deceased.
This, of course, sets the ratiocinative processes going, so that he can get to the bottom of this dastardly deed.
2.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Poirot Loses A Client – Agatha Christie
Dead patriach, will.
An elderly and not so pleasant father decides to change his will at xmas time, with his family around. This, of course, results in him becoming very mortally challenged in a loud and bloody fashion.
It is up to Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells to work out who is extremely unhappy with [...]
Continue reading about A Holiday For Murder – Agatha Christie
Dead patriach, will.
An elderly and not so pleasant father decides to change his will at xmas time, with his family around. This, of course, results in him becoming very mortally challenged in a loud and bloody fashion.
It is up to Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells to work out who is extremely unhappy with [...]
Continue reading about Murder For Christmas – Agatha Christie
A very glamorous train trip.
This time happens to have one Hercule Poirot involved to solve a somewhat surprising murder on board. Not the easiest thing to do – violently dispose of someone on a train full of people. Therefore the usual investigate need the help of the Belgian little grey cells. Definitely one of the [...]
Continue reading about Murder On the Calais Coach – Agatha Christie
This time the episode of mortally challengedness happens on a plane flight going from France to England.
This gets two sets of people from different countries interested in solving the case. However, on board is also one Hercule Poirot. The killer had to be on the flight – so it is time for the little grey [...]
A decent collection of longer mystery stories.
Murder In the Mews : Murder in the Mews – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : The Incredible Theft – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Dead Man’s Mirror – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Triangle at Rhodes – Agatha Christie
Guy Fawkes shooting.
3.5 out of 5
Bomber plans.
3 out [...]
A decent collection of longer mystery stories.
Murder In the Mews : Murder in the Mews – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : The Incredible Theft – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Dead Man’s Mirror – Agatha ChristieMurder In the Mews : Triangle at Rhodes – Agatha Christie
Guy Fawkes shooting.
3.5 out of 5
Bomber plans.
3 out [...]
Cocktail poison.
3.5 out of 5
Gervase murder angle.
3 out of 5
Bomber plans.
3 out of 5
Continue reading about The Incredible Theft – Agatha Christie
Guy Fawkes shooting.
3.5 out of 5
Homewrecker holiday.
While doing the taking time off thing, Poirot again manages to find trouble. This time an actress who delights in the seduction of married men encounters someone who objects rather terminally to her activities.
With a random assorted of holidaygoers at a nice beach there are plenty of possible suspects for Poirot to run [...]
Death Comes At the End is something slightly different for Christie. This is a mystery set in ancient Egypt. No shambling mummies out to get people, unfortunately.
However, Imhotep does feature, and his family. When people around them start dying, they have to do some Egyptian sleuthing and work out what is going [...]
Continue reading about Death Comes As the End – Agatha Christie
Here you have your dodgy financier story. Or, when you have a high flyer who is important to the running of your economy any sex, drugs, booze or more esoteric kinks may be overlooked while they are doing the job for you.
But, being a Christie novel, you still have to have a deader – [...]
Continue reading about One Two Buckle My Shoe – Agatha Christie
This is a Tommy and Tuppence novel. The two married investigators are working during the second world war in this particular novel.
A mysterious message containing the phrase from the title is uncovered, and to investigate involves undercover sleuthing by the sea.
2.5 out of 5
A fan of a movie star is killed – and the actress in question may have been the actual target of the murder.
One of Miss Marple’s relatives lets her know about the case – as she is holed up elsewhere. Also happy to have a case to solve to go along with that.
2.5 out [...]
This time the episode of mortally challengedness happens on a plane flight going from France to England.
This gets two sets of people from different countries interested in solving the case. However, on board is also one Hercule Poirot. The killer had to be on the flight – so it is time for the [...]
Continue reading about Death In the Clouds – Agatha Christie
A sad love triangle, too.
A woman is accused of killing the other woman that her fiance may have been interested in.
There is some other collateral damage from this poisoning, as well.
Whether she is guilty or not, those most affected are ambivalent about punishment.
So, up to Poirot’s little grey cells to do some sorting out and [...]
A rather more exotic location than some small, stifling English setting – even if it is mostly peopled by some of the same.
Poirot is taking a trip – and runs into a couple – who soon are an ex-couple thanks to the murder of one of them.
As the river title suggests, there is a reasonable [...]
If you are contemplating dashing off some correspondence to Hercule Poirot, perhaps you should think again – as a reasonable chance you will end up dead afterwards.
The guy here, as the title suggests, has been planted on a golf course. Those who might have done it? Probably any of his family, among others.
Not [...]
Continue reading about Murder On the Links – Agatha Christie
Brothel minister whacking.
3 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_59.html
Continue reading about Grace and Nightmares – Michael Swanwick
Almost fashion scam.
3 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_56.html
Continue reading about The Empress Herself – Michael Swanwick
Pants brain.
3.5 out of 5
http://www.infinitematrix.net/stories/swanwick/sleep_of_reason_54.html
Continue reading about Elena’s Little Secret – Michael Swanwick