Marriage, murder awkwardly mix in ‘Busman’s Honeymoon’ (1937)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Sayers wraps her Harriet Vane quadrilogy with a decent mystery and a plodding start to the Vane-Wimsey marriage.
Mystery
Marriage, murder awkwardly mix in ‘Busman’s Honeymoon’ (1937)
‘Gaudy Night’ (1935) explores chaos of changing times on campus
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Ambitious yet flawed, the Oxford-set 10th Wimsey novel is an essential read for fans of Sayers’ alter-ego Harriet Vane.
‘Have His Carcase’ (1932) coasts along with multiple intrigues
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Sayers’ interest in the procedure of detection remains, but this second Wimsey-Vane collaboration operates on additional levels.
‘Sorority Row’ (2009) lines up worst traits of the Naughties
Frightening Friday (Movie review): They’ll always know what you did last semester, but that doesn’t mean the paces have to be quite so formulaic.
Good Lord, ‘Five Red Herrings’ (1931) has a lot of logistical details
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): If you want layers beyond the pure mystery puzzle, you might find the sixth Wimsey novel to be a slog.
‘Simple Art of Murder’ (1950) has overly complex street-level mysteries
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Not as accessible as the Marlowe novels, this collection is worth reading for Chandler’s titular essay.
Prowling for an unsung Eighties slasher? Try ‘The Prowler’ (1981)
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Slathered with trope-building sequences and sub-Hitchcockian suspense, Zito’s film nonetheless has a shlocky pull.
No sophomore slump for Philippous with ‘Bring Her Back’
Movie review: The brothers follow “Talk to Me” with an even more meticulously crafted film, although it trades scares for an overall unease.
Parker takes the baton from Chandler in refreshing ‘Poodle Springs’ (1988)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): One of the most successful authors inspired by Chandler gets his own crack at Marlowe by finishing “The Poodle Springs Story.”
Bava lays a foundation with ‘Blood and Black Lace’ (1964)
Frightening Friday (Movie review): But later works would put his style innovations to scarier use than this procedural murder plot.