Created by Joseph Dougherty "The omens are bad. Me, I'm going to Florida!" -- you know things are bad when the landlady threatens to call it quits Raymond Chandler's mean streets were never like this! A pleasant surprise was Cast a Deadly Spell, a pulpy, tongue-in-cheek 1991 HBO offering that took the world of the … Continue reading H.P. “Philip” Lovecraft
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From Spenser to Yeats: Jane Yeats, That Is
Feminism's Version of the Hard-boiled Sleuth is on the Wagon and Rides a Harley An Essay by Jill Edmondson Start with one serving of fingertips severed during a rather unfortunate version of Miller time. Blend in a blinding hangover buttressed by a British beer. Add the roar of a Harley drowning out the raspy hacking … Continue reading From Spenser to Yeats: Jane Yeats, That Is
Jane Yeats
Created by Liz Brady "I didn't have my life threatened. I merely had the shit beaten out of me." -- Jane. One tough cookie in Sudden Blow Toronto's bad girl dick JANE YEATS may smoke too much and drink too much beer and may even get a little mouthy at times, but she's more than … Continue reading Jane Yeats
Sex… and Crime Fiction
An Essay by Jill Edmondson "A dirty book is rarely dusty." -- unknown SEX! Now that I have your attention, let's start off with a couple of disconnects. First, the claim that "sex sells." Next is the recognition that in crime fiction readers can find detailed, graphic, visceral descriptions of death and dying, but not … Continue reading Sex… and Crime Fiction
Ontari-ari-ari-o Eyes
Eyes from Canada's Second Largest Province Ontario Benny Cooperman by Howard Engel (Grantham, a thinly disguised St. Catharines) Joe Garrett by Alison Bruce Max Dexter by Chris Laing Kate Garrett & Jake Carmedy by Alison Bruce Terry Lane from Taking the Falls (Niagara Falls) D.B. Murphy by Richard J. Thomas (Owen Sound) John Swan by … Continue reading Ontari-ari-ari-o Eyes
Sasha Jackson
Created by Jill Edmondson It took a surprisingly long time for Toronto to come up with its own street-savvy female gumshoe (do vampire hunters really count?), but SASHA JACKSON is beginning to look like she was worth the wait. Crafty, tough, and tenacious, and not above taking an occasional break every to knock back a … Continue reading Sasha Jackson
Keats, Moses Mosaic, Archie Flock & Caddy Cello (The Navigator Kids)
Created by Christopher Radke (1987--) For those of you who miss The Three Investigators, (with or without Alfred Hitchcock), Christopher Radke may have come up with a thoroughly modern solution: THE NAVIGATOR KIDS, a sly and far grittier update on the kid-run detective agency. Forget the Scooby-style "ghosts," secrets passages, haunted mansions and Jupiter Jones' … Continue reading Keats, Moses Mosaic, Archie Flock & Caddy Cello (The Navigator Kids)
My Scrapbook: “I’ll Be Waiting”
My Scrapbook Chandler Cracks The Saturday Evening Post Illustrations by Hy Rubin Chandler's short story “I’ll Be Waiting” marked the first—and only—appearance of pudgy house dick Tony Reseck. It appeared in the October 14, 1939 issue, and was Chandler's first—and only—sale to the “slicks.” Afterward, Chandler claimed he did it for the money, and at his agent's insistence, … Continue reading My Scrapbook: “I’ll Be Waiting”
Crime & Detective in The American Magazine
Some Significant Contributors & Other Writers of Interest The American Illustrated Magazine began publishing in September 1905 and in June 1906 shortened its name simply to The American Magazine, and ran under that name until 1956. During its long run, it came to be regarded as one of the most popular and successful of the "slicks," … Continue reading Crime & Detective in The American Magazine
Crime & Detective Fiction in The Saturday Evening Post
Some Significant Contributors & Other Writers of Interest The long-running Saturday Evening Post, once the most popular magazine in the United States, got its start way back in 1821, offering something for everyone: news, history, politics, humour, science, medicine, music, cartoons, recipes and fiction. And yes, that includes crime fiction, going back at least as far … Continue reading Crime & Detective Fiction in The Saturday Evening Post