Two versions of one story... with a 32 minute difference By Sam Wiebe The following is from Sam Wiebe's always interesting newsletter (available in free and paid versions, wherein he expounds on writing, crime fiction, film and whatever else catches his attention. Sam, of course, is the award-winning Canadian crime writer and the creator of … Continue reading Out of the Past and Against All Odds
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Vandy Myrick
Created by Delia Pitts Black Jersey girl VANDY MYRICK is the "toughest bitch" in Queenstown, New Jersey. Just ask her. Okay, it's a barely a dot on the map, with a population of only about nine thousand or so, an exurb crammed into twelve square miles, surrounded by farmer fields, warehouses, Big Pharma labs, and … Continue reading Vandy Myrick
Nameless (Io so che tu sai che io so)
Created by Alberto Sordi, Augusto Caminito, and Rodolfo Sonego Okay, this one's a real stretch... Less a private eye film than a film that uses the private eye as a catalyst, offering a cock-eyed look at the aftermath of a private eye's investigation., the 1982 Italian comedy Io so che tu sai che io so … Continue reading Nameless (Io so che tu sai che io so)
Lily Crow
Created by by Liliana Hart. LILY CROW is the heroine in a one-off from author Liliana Hart; a spin-off novella from Hart's  best-selling Laurel Valley romance-tinged series of thrillers, which follows the lives (and loves) of the O'Hara clan of the sleepy, idyllic, post card-perfect town of Laurel Valley, Idaho. But Return to Laurel Valley … Continue reading Lily Crow
John Ryan
Created by Roger Torrey Pseudonyms include Sam Drake, Samuel Drake, John Ryan, R.D. Torrey (1901-46) Yet another of pulpster Torey's seemingly endless supply of hard-boiled private eyes, JOHN RYAN--occasionally accompanied by his bull terrier companion/bodyguard Toby--appeared in at least six stories in 1943-44. And possibly more. With authors as prolific (and hungry) as as some … Continue reading John Ryan
Signed, Sealed and Delivered
P.I. Postage Stamps: If you can't lick 'em, join 'em? Really! These are all actual postage stamps by actual countries, paying tribute to the writers, the actors, the filmmakers and even, amazingly, occasionally the detectives themselves of the Shamus Game. Honest! Or at least sorta. Some countries have legitimate reasons for honouring various detectives on … Continue reading Signed, Sealed and Delivered
Natty “Hawkeye” Bumppo
Also known as "Hawkeye," "Leatherstocking," "The Pathfinder", "Deerslayer" and "La Longue Carabine" Created by James Fenimore Cooper (1759-1851) "I would dare to speak truth, Hurry, consarning you or any man that ever lived." -- Natty reveals his code in The Deerslayer Honorary private eyes throughout history for a thousand, Alex... No, James Fenimore Cooper's frontiersman … Continue reading Natty “Hawkeye” Bumppo
Kip Muldane
Created by Steve Fisher Pseudonyms include Stephen Gould, Grant Lane (1912-80) Although he wrote a ton of crime and detective stories for the pulps, Steve Fisher actually wrote relatively few private eye characters. One of them, though, was KIP MULDANE, a Hawaiian gumshoe who appeared in at least nine stories in Detective Fiction Weekly and … Continue reading Kip Muldane
Johnny Ryan
Created by Steve Fisher Pseudonyms include Stephen Gould, Grant Lane (1912-80) Although he wrote a ton of crime and detective stories for the pulps (and later for novels and the movies), Steve Fisher actually created relatively few private eye characters. One of them was JOHNNY RYAN, a New York City dick who's pretty much a … Continue reading Johnny Ryan
Tony Key
Created by Steve Fisher Pseudonyms include Stephen Gould, Grant Lane (1912-80) Former Federal Agent turned hard-boiled Hollywood dick TONY KEY, he of the white shoes, white sweater and jet black hair, appeared in a dozen or so stories in Detective Fiction Weekly, and Black Mask, written by screenwriter and pulpster Steve Fisher. Tony calls himself … Continue reading Tony Key