‘Bright Orange for the Shroud’ (1965) dominated by dark villain
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): In a novel criticizing the attempted “taming” of Florida, MacDonald shows how scary an untamed man can be.
Mystery
‘Bright Orange for the Shroud’ (1965) dominated by dark villain
It’s a blast getting lost ‘In the Mouth of Madness’ (1994)
Frighting Friday (Movie review): John Carpenter’s gem of meta psych-horror breaches the barrier between reality and fiction.
‘Scream 7’ isn’t quite a scream, but it’s solid and respectable
Movie review: Kevin Williamson proves he still knows how to write, and takes a big step forward as a director. But he settles for good rather than great.
MacDonald goes all-in on McGee with double-length ‘Deadly Shade of Gold’ (1965)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): After the four 1964 novels introduce the unorthodox sleuth, the fifth tome is an international epic.
Twists come at a fast draw in ‘A Purple Place for Dying’ (1964)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Travis McGee finds things aren’t so civilized out West in the third adventure of John D. MacDonald’s series.
‘A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery’ (1987) elegantly adapts Vane-Wimsey trilogy
Sleuthing Sunday (TV review): The three adaptations chronicling their courtship stay faithful to the author’s plots and commentaries on 1930s Britain.
Feig’s ‘Housemaid’ (2025) should’ve cleaned up its script
Movie review: The director’s latest slick thriller boasts fun twists, but the plot and characterizations ultimately flee from plausibility.
McGee’s ‘Nightmare in Pink’ (1964) only partly comes from juggling women
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): The second McGee novel especially reveals the secret that these are men’s romance novels.
‘Someone’s Watching Me!’ is even more 1978 than ‘Halloween’
Frightening Friday (Movie review): Carpenter efficiently packages Seventies paranoia as a prime-time vehicle for Lauren Hutton.
‘Deep Blue Good-by’ (1964) a confident, rollicking hello to Travis McGee
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Already well-established with standalones, John D. MacDonald confidently segues to a series character.