I always listen to my commentators so when on November 11, 2022 Michael Padgett wrote: “Whenever I see one of these Best of Whatever Decade compilations I wonder if everyone has forgotten the Fifties. So much great music–Elvis, Orbison, Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and so many others I can’t recall right now. The Fifties might not equal the Sixties or Seventies, but it beats the hell out of any other decade since,” I searched my shelves for some 1950s music. The Time-Life CD The Rock ‘n’ Roll Era: 1959 suddenly appeared after waiting 20 years or so for me to listen to it.

Back in 1959, I was just 10 years old but starting to listen to music on the radio frequently. “Teenager in Love” by Dion and The Belmonts delighted me. Years later, Diane and I lived on Belmont Court East and Belmont Court West (two different houses!). Loved The Drifters’s songs especially “There Goes My Baby” and “Sweets for My Sweet.” And the silky smooth “Come Softly to Me” by The Fleetwoods still charms me.

Do you remember these songs from the Fifties? Any favorites? GRADE: A

TRACK LIST:

Tim Martin delivers a nice mix of classic stories and more contemporary tales in Ghosts of Christmas Past (2018).

My favorite stories are the eerie Robert Hickman story, “The Visiting Star, ” where a famous artist brings more than excitement to her visit to a small town. Then there’s the haunting Neil Gaiman tale, “Nicholas Was.” Kelly Link’s enchanting “The Lady and the Fox” will stay with you long after you finish reading the story.

If you’re in the mood for some well-crafted ghost stories with a special Christmas theme, Ghosts of Christmas Past will delight you! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION by Tim Martin — 1

The story of a disappearance and an appearance / M. R. James — 7

Dinner for one / Jenn Ashworth — 33

The shadow / E. Nesbit — 49

This beautiful house / Louis de Bernieres — 69

The leaf sweeper / Muriel Spark — 83

Christmas Eve on Haunted Hulk / Frank Cowper — 95

The step / E. F. Benson — 133

The vanishing house / Bernard Capes — 157

Someone in the lift / L. P. Hartley — 167

The visiting star / Robert Aickman — 179

Nicholas was / Neil Gaiman — 223

The ghost of the blue chamber / Jerome K. Jerome — 227

The lady and the fox / Kelly Link — 249

Director Tim Burton has wanted to do a movie or TV series of The Addams Family for 30 years. Finally, Netflix gave Burton the Green Light and Wednesday is the result.

“According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wednesday enjoyed the biggest ever opening week for an English language series in Netflix history, overtaking the previous record set by ratings behemoth Stranger Things. Wednesday racked up a staggering 341.2 million hours of viewing globally last week, beating the previous 335 million hours set by Stranger Things Season 4.” (Blackgate.com)

My favorite character–other than Jenna Ortega–is Thing. Hard to believe the incredible range of emotion demonstrated by a disembodied hand, but kudos must be given to Victor Dorobantu, actor, magician, illusionist, and the body behind Thing. Astonishing performance!

I love Wednesday but I have to warn you that Tim Burton delivers a “sanitized” version of The Addams Family. There’s a lot of teenage angst at the school called Nevermore (where unusual students are welcome: vampires, werewolves, psychics, gorgons, etc.). There’s a series of murders in the woods and Wednesday decides to investigate. If you enjoy mysteries and some dark humor, you’ll like Wednesday. GRADE: B+

Margo Jefferson writes about the people and events that changed her into the woman she is today. I was struck by her admission that as a girl, Margo Jefferson found Ike Turner (aka, Izear Luster Turner) compelling. Turner, constantly frustrated yet talented, struggled throughout his career. “Even now when I see a video or hear an old hit, I’m drawn back in. He was an R&B man, a soul man, a pioneer rock and roll man. When he got to the crossroads, his soul was in thrall to manic depression and drug addiction; to years of envy (of Tina, of white rockers turned millionaire stars; of black men he’d once helped sign to record labels–B. B. King, Bobby Bland, Howlin’ Wolf all legends now and where was he?); to a Mississippi childhood that was a trifecta of domestic abuse, sexual treachery and racist violence.” (p. 89)

I was also impressed with Jefferson’s comparison of great women performers: Bessie Smith, Clara Smith, and Ethel Waters on one side; Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan on the other.

Margo Jefferson provides more surprises: writers that influenced her like Willa Cather and poet Louise Bogan.

If you’re in the mood for a startling journey over a lifetime of music, books, and teaching give Constructing a Nervous System a try. GRADE: B+

After the Buffalo Bills pulled off three victories in 12 days–over the Browns, Lions, and Patriots–they earn a 10-day rest before their game against the NY Jets next Sunday. How will your favorite NFL perform today?

Netflix paid Rian Johnson and his team $465 million to make Glass Onion and a third Knives Out mystery (already in production) so someone thinks this entertaining mystery series will make a lot of money. I have my doubts.

Daniel Craig returns as the great detective, Benoit Blanc, with the unconvincing Southern Accent and finds himself involved in a murder mystery on a Greek Isle owned by billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton. Bron invites his old pals to join him for a “fun” weekend featuring a murder: his. I thought Janelle Monae was great! Kate Hudson was cute, Dave Bautista his usual intimidating self, Kathryn Hahn nails the role as a politician, and Leslie Odom, Jr. plays a convincing tech genius.

Yes, I figured out “whodunit” but did not anticipate the final wacky plot twist. If you’re looking for a clever mastery filled with surprising cameos, check out Glass Onion. GRADE: B+

In 2005, the Mystery Guild published Queen’s Ransom: The Roman Hat Mystery; Calamity Town; Cat of Many Tails (Mystery Guild Lost Classics Omnibus). The Mystery Guild Book Club went on to publish other “Lost Classics” omnibus volumes which I’ll review in the months ahead. But Queen’s Ransom might be the best of them all.

The Roman Hat Mystery was first published in 1929 and became the first Ellery Queen mystery. A body is discovered at the play called Gunplay. The case is investigated by Inspector Richard Queen of the Homicide Squad with the assistance of his brainy son Ellery, a bibliophile and author. Most of the tropes of the future Ellery Queen mysteries are in evidence here: a bizarre crime, cryptic clues, a “Challenge to the Reader, and a shocking solution from Ellery Queen.

Calamity Town (1942) has Ellery Queen visiting Wrightsville getting lodging with the Wright’s – descendants of the town’s founder and members of local royalty.  Ellery settles in an abandoned guest house, nicknamed Calamity House after a series of tragic events that have taken place since it was built. Ellery hopes to use this time to work on his next book, but slowly he’s drawn into a series of murders.

Cat of Many Tales (1949) features a serial killer that throws New York City into a panic. Ellery Queen and his father follow the leads and reveal a cunning solution. Are you a fan of Ellery Queen mysteries? Any favorites? GRADE: B+ (for all three)

After winning two close games against the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions at Ford Field, the injury riddled Buffalo Bills (8-3) play their third Away Game in a row against the desperate New England Patriots (6-5). Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick knows a lost to the Bills would probably end any hopes for a Playoff berth so expect this team to be going all out tonight. The Bills are 4 1/2 point favorites.

Here are some photos from our fun trip to New York City for Thanksgiving:

Mistletoe Mysteries, an anthology of original Christmas mystery stories from 1989, delivers some entertaining mysteries with a Yuletide theme. My favorite story in this anthology is Dorothy Salisbury Davis’s “Christopher and Maggie.” Christopher is a struggling magician in the Great Depression and Maggie is a young woman who would love to teach History but given the harsh economic times, works for Christopher as his “lovely assistant.” Christopher believes Maggie brings “class” to his act. The pair travel from town to town and on their way home for Christmas, they get involved in a bizarre crime.

I also enjoyed Bill Pronzini’s “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Pronzini’s Nameless detective gets talked into being “Santa” for a charity event. Of course, there’s an unexpected theft and Nameless finds himself in the middle of the crime…in a Santa suit!

I’m a big fan of Edward D. Hoch’s Simon Ark series of mysteries involving bizarre crimes. In “The Touch of Kolyada,” Simon Ark confronts a mythical woman from Russian history, Kolyada, who gives presents to children just before Christmas. But, the murder of a professor in the Russian Department of a university casts a more sinister shadow on Kolyada.

If you’re looking for a fun anthology of Christmas mysteries, I recommend Mistletoe Mysteries. The variety of stories provides something for every readers’ taste. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Charlotte MacLeod: A Cozy for Christmas — 1
• Peter Lovesey: The Haunted Crescent — 38
• Dorothy Salisbury Davis: Christopher and Maggie — 66
• Eric Wright: Kaput — 94
• John Lutz: The Live Tree — 124
• Howard Engel: The Three Wise Guys — 142
• Mary Higgins Clark: That’s the Ticket — 163
• Bill Pronzini: Here Comes Santa Claus — 193
• Sharyn McCrumb: A Wee Doch and Doris — 220
• Henry Slesar: The Man Who Loved Christmas — 245
• Edward D. Hoch: The Touch of Kolyada — 274
• Aaron Elkins: Dutch Treat –307
• Susan Dunlap: Ott on a Limb — 335
• Isaac Asimov: Ho! Ho! Ho! — 360
• Marcia Muller: Silent Night — 375

A Beautiful Noise, a jukebox musical of Neil Diamond songs, farmed by a series of therapy sessions between Neil Diamond and his therapist. Diamond’s wife, Katie, persuaded her husband to seek help after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and could not tour anymore. As you might suspect, Neil Diamond is bitter at the drastic changes in his Life and for many of the therapy sessions, Diamond is a hostile client.

But the counselor manages to get Neil Diamond to open up on his long career…and what that success cost him. I knew about some of Neil Diamond’s problems but learned a lot about the ones he kept hidden…except in some of his songs.

Will Swenson (Audra McDonald’s husband), who plays the “young” Neil Diamond in this production, has the dual advantages of both sounding like Neil Diamond and looking like him, too. I loved the scene of Neil Diamond trying to get a job at the Brill Building. Diamond want to change his name but Ellie Greenwich (Bri Sudia) manages to dissuade him and then launches an impromptu audition—two minutes long! Diamond fumbles around while Greenwich rejects his first song attempts, but with only 20 seconds left, Neil Diamond starts singing “I’m A Believer” and a star is born.

A Beautiful Noise takes a chronological approach to Neil Diamond’s long career: the disastrous recording contract with the Mob-run Bang Records, the constant touring, the world-wide success, the failed marriages, and the fatal disease. All along the way, the great music is the one constant in this story.

Most of the audience for A Beautiful Noise were Senior Citizens, but many of them were clearly veterans of multiple Neil Diamond concerts as they knew when to raise their hands, clap along with the songs, and sing “Sweet Caroline.” If you enjoy this music, I recommend A Beautiful Noise. Are you a Neil Diamond fan? Any favorite songs? GRADE: A–

SONG LIST:

1. Opening Montage
2. A Beautiful Noise
3. Neil Pitches Songs: I’ll Come Running / I Got The Feelin’ (Oh No, No) / I’m A Believer (Medley)
4. I’m A Believer
5. Demo Medley: The Boat That I Row / Red Red Wine / Kentucky Woman (Medley)
6. Kentucky Woman
7. Into The Bitter End
8. Solitary Man
9. Cracklin’ Rosie
10. Song Sung Blue
11. Cherry, Cherry / September Morn’ (Medley)
12. Love On The Rocks
13. Hello Again
14. A Heavenly Progression
15. Sweet Caroline
16. Entr’acte
17. Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show
18. Play Me
19. Forever In Blue Jeans
20. Stadium Medley: Soolaimon / Thank The Lord for the Night Time / Crunchy Granola Suite (Medley)
21. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers
22. Brooklyn Roads / America (Medley)
23. Shilo
24. I Am… I Said
25. Holly Holy