Mystery

‘Dain Curse’ (1978), Hammett’s most emotional novel, gets miniseries treatment

Of Dashiell Hammett’s five novels, four inspired an outburst of films: three versions of “The Maltese Falcon,” two versions of “The Glass Key,” six “Thin

READ MORE

‘Four Flies on Grey Velvet’ (1971) completes ‘animal trilogy’ with buzz

Dario Argento’s giallo films are starting to become like tasty snacks three entries in – good for energy, not necessarily nutrition. After “The Bird with

READ MORE

Wilder adds to sleuth’s lore in ‘Private Life of Sherlock Holmes’ (1970)

My biggest surprise after completing Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” literary canon is that he lays the groundwork for bigger stories more so than writing

READ MORE

‘Dial ‘M’ for Murder’ (1981) remains gripping in Plummer’s TV movie

“Dial M for Murder” (1954) didn’t need to be remade, but since it was – in 1981’s quote-mark-enhanced “Dial ‘M’ for Murder” – it’s illustrative

READ MORE

A baffling mystery: Why has there never been a Continental Op TV series?

One of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the history of mystery TV is: Why has there never been a Continental Op TV series? The unnamed

READ MORE

‘Cat o’ Nine Tails’ (1971) a few whiskers short of Argento’s debut

After the twist ending in his directorial debut, “The Bird with the Crystal Plumage” (1970), Dario Argento’s follow-up “The Cat o’ Nine Tails” (1971) was

READ MORE

Add ‘The List’ (2023) to your list of contemporary culture dramas

First-time novelist Yomi Adegoke dramatizes the #MeToo era in surprisingly thrilling fashion in “The List” (2023). While the idea of private “he said/she said” dramas

READ MORE

Hardboiled fiction that goes over easy: ‘Big Book of the Continental Op’ (2017)  

In collecting all of Dashiell Hammett’s Continental Op stories (1923-30), “The Big Book of the Continental Op” (2017) brings a reader back to the excitement

READ MORE

Enter giallo gallery in ‘Bird with the Crystal Plumage’ (1970)

Thank goodness for film historians and geeks. I now enter the third phase of a journey taken by many Gen X and millennial slasher fans.

READ MORE

‘Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes’ (1927) a spooky conclusion to Doyle’s canon

Arthur Conan Doyle writes his last dozen Holmes stories from 1921-27, collected in “The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes” (1927), as if knowing they will be

READ MORE