Poirot, dog sniff out Christie’s ‘Dumb Witness’ (1937)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): The Belgian detective’s sense of justice stands out in this Agatha Christie novel.
Mystery
Poirot, dog sniff out Christie’s ‘Dumb Witness’ (1937)
‘Devil Made Me Do It’ cursed by high ‘Conjuring’ bar
Movie review: “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” creates a workmanlike fright flick out of real events that warranted a deeper dive.
With 2 episodes left, 10 ‘Cruel Summer’ questions
TV commentary: Is it possible to believe both Jeanette and Kate? We examine this and other “Cruel Summer” questions as the first season nears its finale.
‘Cards on the Table’ (1936) shows closed-room mystery mastery
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Agatha Christie’s closed-room mystery had me guessing till the end about which of the four suspects did it.
Depressive ‘Solaris’ (1972) is the anti-‘2001’
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): This Russian sci-fi classic is even slower-paced than “2001.” But it offers more intellectual rewards.
‘Rising Sun’ (1992) makes trade pacts thrilling
Michael Crichton Monday (Book review): Crichton mixes a hardboiled murder mystery with Japanese corporate intrigue. It’s outdated but engrossing.
Poirot all business in ‘Murder in Mesopotamia’ (1936)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): You could hand this Agatha Christie novel to a newbie and say “This is the template for a Poirot mystery.”
Poirot airs his theories in ‘Death in the Clouds’ (1935)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Agatha Christie tries a new riff on the closed-room mystery with a closed-cabin mystery.
‘Woman in the Window’ is too transparent
Movie review: Based on a 2018 A.J. Finn novel, “The Woman in the Window” never got under my skin the way I think director Joe Wright wanted it to.
‘Sphere’ (1998) takes its place among sci-fi mind-benders
Michael Crichton Monday (Movie review): I can see why “Sphere” is disliked by many, but I’m surprised it’s not loved by more SF enthusiasts.