Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials is a new 3-part Netflix series featuring a modern adaptation of Christie’s 1929 novel, starring Mia McKenna-Bruce as Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Caterham, and Martin Freeman as Superintendent Battle. A death, following a country house party at Chimneys, first considered an accidental overdose of a sleeping potion, is ruled a murder. The investigation into that death accelerates when another murder triggers a notion that both deaths are due to a secret society.

Jerry House correctly points out The Seven Dials Mystery (1929) Is one of Agatha Christie’s weakest mysteries.  Christie brings back the characters from an earlier novel, The Secret of Chimneys: Lady Eileen (Bundle) Brent, Lord Caterham, Bill Eversleigh, George Lomax, Tredwell and Superintendent Battle.

I liked McKenna-Bruce as the feisty Bundle. But Christie’s story involving everything from a country house murder to elaborate international espionage and a secret cabal of weirdos who (at least in this Netflix adaptation) meet wearing face masks shaped like clocks ends up being a bit silly despite the murders.

Robert Barnard noted that this novel had the “Same characters and setting with Chimneys” and then concluded his view of it by adding “but without the same verve and cheek”. I agree. GRADE: C (novel), Netflix series: B

As Valentine’s Day approaches, I’ve been listening to CD compilations of Love Songs. First Love (2013) includes some hits from the 1950s and 1960s. Many of these songs are engraved on my mind because I listened to them on my transistor radio hundreds of times! Classics like “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher and “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys never get old to me. And hearing “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me” by The Miracles–a song I don’t hear very often on our Oldies radio station–brings back a lot of memories.

Ultimate Love Songs Collection: The Power Of Love (2003) includes more recent love songs. Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” and “When Will I See You Again” by The Three Degrees–a group as cool as our current weather!–always tickle my ears when I hear them.

Whether you’re in the mood for some great love songs from the Fifties and Sixties, or more current songs, these two CD compilations bring the Love into this February! Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+ (for both)

TRACK LIST:

• 1. Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
• 2. At Last – Etta James
• 3. My Guy – Mary Wells
• 4. Stand By Me – Ben E. King
• 5. Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) – Roy Orbison
• 6. My Girl – The Temptations
• 7. Great Pretender, The – The Platters
• 8. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
• 9. You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me – The Miracles
• 10. I Heard It Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
• 11. Book of Love, The – Dusty Springfield
• 12. When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
• 13. Just One Look – The Hollies
• 14. God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
• 15. I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher

TRACK LIST:

1	Céline Dion–	The Power Of Love	5:45
2	Oleta Adams–	Get Here	4:37
3	Mariah Carey–	Vision Of Love	3:32
4	Neil Diamond–	Heartlight	4:26
5	Michael Bolton–	How Am I Supposed To Live Without You	4:16
6	Phil Collins–	Groovy Kind Of Love	3:30
7	Billy Joel–	This Is The Time	5:01
8	Gloria Estefan–	Anything For You	4:05
9	REO Speedwagon–	Can’t Fight This Feeling	4:57
10	Heart–	These Dreams	4:16
11	Cyndi Lauper–	Time After Time	4:01
12	Bonnie Tyler–	Total Eclipse Of The Heart	5:37
13	Dan Hill With Vonda Shepard–	Can’t We Try	3:59
14	Paul Young–	Everytime You Go Away	5:26
15	Jack Wagner–	All I Need	3:31
16	The Doobie Brothers–	What A Fool Believes	3:44
17	Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes–	If You Don’t Know Me By Now	3:29
18	The Three Degrees–	When Will I See You Again	3:02

Back in the late 1950s and 1960s when I was reading Manhunt it seemed like Jack Ritchie had a story in almost every issue. In his detailed INTRODUCTION, Jeff Vorzimmer writes “Ritchie’s stories appeared in 117 issues of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and in 116 Alfred Hitchcock anthologies.” That is an amazing writing career!

The Best of Manhunt 4: The Jack Ritchie Stories (2022) includes 23 of Ritchie’s stories from Manhunt and five stories from MANTRAP, MURDER! and SMASHING DETECTIVE STORIES. Plus, a Jack Ritchie bibliography!

Jack Ritchie specialized in short stories. In an interview for Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine Ritchie said, “I’ve alway felt that there hasn’t been a novel published that couldn’t be reduced to a better short story. Often the very long novels are really collections of short stories and sometimes they even include what are basically articles. Victor Hugo was good at that. He put about 30,000 words into Les Miserables delineating the history, structure, and whatnot of the Paris sewers. Now if I’d been in his shoes I could have describe the sewers in two paragraphs. Maybe one. Les Miserables itself would have become a novelette. Possibly even a pamphlet.” Les Miserables has almost 1,500 pages!

Jack Ritchie died in 1983 but his stories live on. This STARK HOUSE edition brings some of Ritchie’s best stories to a new audience. If you’re a fan of well crafted short stories, The Best of Manhunt 4: The Jack Ritchie Stories should be high on your list of books to read. GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION: War and Peace on a Postcard By Jeff Vorzimmer — 7

THE STORIES FROM MANHUNT:

MY GAME, MY RULES — 12

Replacement — 18

Hold Out — 26

Interrogation — 30

Solitary — 37

Try It My Way — 44

The Deveraux Monster — 50

Ripper Moon! — 64

Devil Eyes — 77

The Canary — 82

The Wire Loop — 88

Goodbye, World — 93

The Partners — 99

Degree of Guilt — 107

Divide and Conquer — 112

You Should Live So Long — 119

Kill Joy — 125

Don’t Twist My Arm — 130

Deadline Murder — 137

Fair Play — 149

Shatter Proof — 151

The Queer Deal — 158

Going Down — 167

THE STORIES FROM MANTRAP, MURDER! and SMASHING DETECTIVE STORIES

Anniversary of Death –171

A Torch for Tess — 181

Dead Cops are Murder — 191

Death Rail — 202

Rainy Afternoon — 208

A JACK RITCHIE BIBLIOGRAPHY — 211

I’ve been a fan of Sharon Isbin–one of the great classical guitar players in the world–for decades. Over the years, I’ve watched Isbin perform with various symphony orchestras. I’ve also enjoyed her solo concerts. And, I listen to her wonderful music CDs on a regular basis.

SHARON ISBIN: TROUBADOUR presents a fascinating portrait of Sharon Isbin’s career. As a young girl, Isbin was interested in rockets. SHARON ISBIN: TROUBADOUR starts with film of Isbin firing off rockets in her backyard when she was a kid. Isbin’s father took the family to Italy for a year. Isbin’s brother was supposed to take guitar lessons, but backed out when he realized all the practice he would be required to do. Sharon Isbin took his place…and the rest is history.

Isbin fell in love with her guitar and decided at an early age she wanted to be a performer. SHARON ISBIN: TROUBADOUR traces Isbin’s long career as a performer and a teacher. The Juilliard School approached Isbin to establish a guitar option for their gifted students. Isbin’s Juilliard guitar majors continue to learn and astonish with their marvelous performances.

Isbin had a lot to overcome over her career. Conservative European symphony orchestras did not consider the guitar as a legitimate classical instrument. After years of touring, Isbin convinced many of them to allow her to perform with them. And, a woman musical performer–a guitarist–was a rare phenomenon which took decades to achieve acceptance.

If you’d like to listen to Sharon Isbin’s inspired playing, 5 Albums is the perfect opportunity. Not only do you get five of Isbin’s best albums, but it’s available at the bargain price of $17! You can’t beat that! GRADE: A (for both the TV documentary and the 5 Albums)

		CD1 Journey To The Amazon – Music By Almeida, Barrios, Brouwer, Canonico, Lauro, Montana, Salvio, Thiago De Mello And Vianna (Pixinguinha)
1-1		Historia Do Luar (Chôro)
1-2		Seis Por Derecho
1-3		Waltz Op. 8, No.4
1-4		A Hug For Pixingha
1-5		Chants For The Chief, No. 2: Uirapurú Do Amazonas = Uirapurú From The Amazon
1-6		Julia Florida
1-7		El Marabino
1-8		Waltz, No.3 (Natalia)
1-9		Porro
1-10		Batucada
1-11		Lago De Janauacá
1-12		Chants For The Chief, No.1: A Chamada Dos Ventos / Canção Noturna = Wind Call / Nocturne Song
1-13		Canción De Cuna (Lullaby)
1-14		Aire De Joropo
1-15		Cochichando
1-16		Chôro Alegre (A Hug For Tiberio)
1-17		Cavaleiro Sem Armadura = Knight Without Armor
		CD2 Dreams Of A World – Folk Inspired Music For Guitar By Duarte, Gismonti, Granados, Lauro, Lecuona, Padre Donostia, Ramón Y Rivera, Ruiz-Pipo, Shemer, Takemitsu, Tárrega, Theodorakis And Thiago De Mello
2-1		Virgilio
		Canción Y Danza No. 1
2-2		Canción
2-3		Danza No. 1
		Appalachian Dreams Op. 121
2-4		Fantasia: Katy Cruel–Shady Grove–The Foggy, Foggy Dew
2-5		Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair
2-6		Darling Cora
2-7		Putney Hymn
2-8		Finale: O’Brien’s Jig–Red-Haired Boy–Planxty George Brabazon
2-9		Londonderry Air
2-10		Agua E Vinho
2-11		Romanza
2-12		Brisas Del Torbes
2-13		Canto Siboney
2-14		Preludio No. 6: Dolor
2-15		Recuerdos De La Alhambra
		Four Songs
2-16.1		Of Sting And Honey
2-16.2		Tomorrow
2-16.3		Jerusalem Of Gold
2-16.4		Spy Girl
		Two Epitaphios
2-17		One Day In May
2-18		You Have Set, My Star
2-19		Varre-Vento
2-20		Dedicatoria
		CD3 Rouse • Dun Guitar Concertos
		Concert De Gaudi For Guitar And Orchestra
3-1		Allegro
3-2		Largo Sereno
3-3		Svolazzante
		Concerto For Guitar And Orchestra (Yi2)
3-4		Rubato
3-5		Adagio
3-6		Andante Agitato
3-7		Cadenza
3-8		Ending
		CD4 Baroque Favourites For Guitar – Music By Albinoni, J. S. Bach And Vivaldi
		Concerto In D Major R. 93
4-1		Allegro
4-2		Largo
4-3		Allegro
		Concerto In A Minor BWV 1041 / In G Minor BWV 1058
4-4		[Allegro]
4-5		Andante
4-6		Allegro Assai
4.7		Adagio
		Concerto In A Major R. 82
4-8		Allegro Non Molto (Quasi Andante)
4-9		Larghetto
4-10		Allegro
4-11		Adagio, From Keyboard Concerto In F Minor BWV 1056
4-12		Prelude For Lute In D Minor BWV 999
4-13		Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring, From Cantata BWV 147
		CD5 Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez, Villa-Lobos Guitar Concerto, Ponce Concierto Del Sur
		Concierto De Aranjuez
5-1		I Allegro Con Spirito
5-2		II Adagio
5-3		III Allegro Gentile
		Concerto For Guitar
5-4		I Allegro Preciso
5-5		II Andantino E Andante
5-6		III Allegretto Non Troppo
		Concierto Del Sur
5-7		I Allegretto
5-8		II Andante

“A book unwritten is more than a void. It accompanies the work one has done like an active shadow, both ironic and sorrowful. It is one of the lives we could have lived, one of the journeys we did not take.” George Steiner, 2006

I’ve read many of George Steiner’s twenty-seven published books, but I would also have liked read some of these unwritten books that Steiner never finished writing. Steiner devotes each chapter of My Unwritten Books (2008) to a writing project that was started, but never completed.

In the first chapter, “Chinoiserie,” Steiner is approached by noted literary critic and editor, Frank Kermode, to contribute to Kermode’s MODERN MASTERS series. Steiner suggested a polymath like himself, Joseph Needham. Needham was best known as a biologist and sinologist. But, when Steiner sat down with Needham, the two men did not get along. That was their one and only meeting. Steiner did contribute a volume to Kermode’s MODERN MASTERS series, but it was Martin Heidegger (1979).

“Invidia” is NOT about the incredible AI computer chip company. Steiner starts writing about Francesco degli Stabili (aka, Cecco d’Ascoli) a mostly forgotten Italian writer and runs out of gas.

“The Tongues of Eros” might have been too spicy for most publishers. The essay starts off this way: “What is the sexual life a a deaf-mute? To what incitements and cadence does he or she masturbate?” (p. 61). These are questions I had not considered before Steiner’s jarring beginning.

“Zion” is a brief essay on what it’s like to be a Jew. “I had hoped to hammer out these arguments in a full-scale work. I lacked the clarity of vision to do so.” (p. 122)

“School Terms” is a dated essay on the difference between English schools, European schools, and U.S. schools. Steiner had been a Visiting Professor at many colleges and universities over his long career. Based on his time teaching at various institutions, Steiner makes some observations that are now completely obsolete and defunct.

I’m not a pet person, but Steiner loves animals. “Of Man and Beast” concludes: “To write my ‘animal book’ would have required not only eminent psychological and narrative skills. It would have necessitated raw introspection. I did not have the guts.” (p. 182)

“Begging the Question” focuses on Steiner’s politics–where he begs the question of what his politics is.

Have you started a project and wished you had finished it? GRADE: B

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

AUTHOR’S NOTE………………..IX

CHINOISERIE………………..1
INVIDIA………………..33
THE TONGUES OF EROS………………..59
ZION………………..91
SCHOOL TERMS………………..123
OF MAN AND BEAST………………..161
BEGGING THE QUESTION………………..183

Organizing Crime Classics: Second Edition (2016) takes over 4400 titles in over 260 timeless mystery series and organizes them in handy lists. This Second Edition updates the series that were first organized in Organizing Crime Classics, First Edition (2012). You can read my review of the first volume here. If you’re into lists, you’ll love Organizing Crime Classics, Second Edition. GRADE: A

How do you organize your books?

Three Big Fat Books, over 1800 pages all together. That’s what I read when I tackled Adrian Tchaikovsky’s “The Final Architecture” series. I’m always a little wary of novels that include “reference” sections of dozens of characters, worlds, species, and space ships. In this case, my wariness was justified.

Shards of Earth (2021) opens the series with a massive space battle between mostly humans and a moon-sized space craft with an Architect inside that will rebuild a planet while killing the billions of inhabitants. The only defense humans have is a group of “Intermediaries”–surgically modified navigators who can pilot space ships through unspace. One of the Intermediaries (or Ints) is Idris Telemmier who actually connects with an Architect and ends the battle. But, after 50 years, the Architects are back to “remake” more worlds.

Idris is the key character in all three books. However, Tchaikovsky bulks up the story with subplot after subplot. Things start to slip out of control in Book #2, Eyes of the Void (2022) when more conspiracies spring up. You’d think with the fate of the inhabited planets are stake, the various groups would unite to save themselves. But, no. All the various alien groups also maneuver for leverage and advantage against an awesome opponent like the Architects.

Lords of Uncreation (2023) introduces more plots that swirl around The Eye–a working alien device that might turn the tide against the might Architects. Idris has the ability to search for secrets in unspace that may provide the solution to defeating the Architects. However, when the conclusion arrives, it’s ho-hum.

Was it worth reading 1800+ pages to conclude with disappointment? I’m not a happy camper.

Shards of Earth: GRADE: B

Eyes of the Void: GRADE: C

Lords of Uncreation: GRADE: C–

I started reading comic books when I was about seven years old (1956). It began with Walt Disney comics–Uncle Scrooge was a favorite–then moved to Superman comic books, and sometime in 1957 I discovered Batman comic books.

The Batman comics in the late 1950s intrigued me because they had mystery elements. Batman and Robin were detectives investigating crimes. Sure, the crimes were exotic with criminals like The Joker, The Riddler, and other flamboyant characters pulling off incredible capers. But I loved the crime solving elements of these stories.

So when I saw this volume of Batman comics from the time period I started reading comics, I had to buy it! This volume reprints classic Batman and Robin stories from Batman, Detective Comics and World’s Finest Comics published between 1950 and 1958–a prime time period for me. 

Most of the stories are great Dick Sprang renditions as written by the prolific Bill Finger.  There are some classics here, including the story of the 1950’s Batmobile, the origin of the Batcave, tales of the Bat Signal, as well as Two-Face, The Joker, and other notable villains. 

Are you a Batman fan? Did you read these comic books way back when? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Batman Annual #1 (Summer 1961)

“How to be Batman” (Detective Comics #190, December 1952 – Origins of Batman and Robin retold)

“The Strange Costumes of Batman” (Detective Comics #165, November 1950)

“Untold Tales of the Bat-Signal” (Detective Comics #164, October 1950)

“The Origin of the Bat-Cave” (Detective Comics #205, March 1954)

“Batman’s Electronic Crime-File” (Detective Comics #229, March 1956)

“Thrilling Escapes of Batman and Robin” (Detective Comics #221, July, 1955)

“The Amazing Inventions of Batman” (Batman #109, August 1957)

Batman Annual #2 (Winter 1961)

“The Underseas Batman” (Batman #86, September 1954)

“The Lord of Batmanor” (Detective Comics #198, August 1953)

“Batman, Indian Chief” (Batman #86, September 1954)

“The Jungle Batman” (Batman #72, August/September 1952)

“When Batman was Robin” (Detective Comics #226, December 1955)

“Batman the Magician” (Detective Comics #207, May 1954)

“Batman – The Superman of Planet X” (Batman #113, February 1958)

Batman Annual #3 (Summer 1962)

“The Mad Hatter of Gotham City” (Detective Comics #230, April 1956)

“The Human Firefly” (Detective Comics #184, February 1952)

“The Mental Giant of  Gotham City (Detective Comics #217, March 1955)

“The Joker’s Aces” (World’s Finest Comics #59 (July-August 1952)

“The Gorilla Boss of Gotham City” (Batman #75, February-March 1953)

“The New Crimes of Two-Face” (Batman #68, December 1951-January 1952)

“The Mysterious Mirror Man” (Detective Comics #213, November 1954)

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought I’d listen to one of the 22 volumes of Time-Life’s The Language of Love. Each volume includes 24 Love Songs.

The mix of songs on this 2-CD set range from “Drive” by The Cars to The Spinners” and Al Jarreau’s “We’re In This Love Together” to Gladys Knight and The Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia.”

TRACK LIST:

1-1	Fleetwood Mac–	Hold Me	3:46
1-2	The Cars–	Drive	3:57
1-3	Roger*–	I Want To Be Your Man	4:05
1-4	Smokey Robinson–	Just To See Her	4:05
1-5	Air Supply–	Even The Nights Are Better	4:00
1-6	America (2)–	I Need You	3:07
1-7	The Spinners*–	I’ll Be Around	3:13
1-8	Todd Rundgren–	Hello It’s Me	3:42
1-9	Bad English–	When I See You Smile	4:21
1-10	Al Jarreau–	We’re In This Love Together	3:48
1-11	Aretha Franklin–	Day Dreaming	4:01
1-12	Ben E. King–	Stand By Me	2:59
2-1	Orleans–	Dance With Me	3:02
2-2	Brook Benton–	Rainy Night In Georgia	3:52
2-3	The Persuaders–	Thin Line Between Love And Hate	3:25
2-4	Seals And Crofts*–	Summer Breeze	3:27
2-5	Charlene–	I’ve Never Been To Me	3:56
2-6	Air Supply–	Sweet Dreams	5:21
2-7	Quincy Jones With James Ingram–	Just Once	4:36
2-8	Debbie Gibson–	Lost In Your Eyes	3:35
2-9	LeBlanc And Carr*–	Falling	3:13
2-10	Gladys Knight And The Pips–	Midnight Train To Georgia	4:40
2-11	England Dan And John Ford Coley*–	We’ll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again	2:52
2-12	Carly Simon–	That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be	4:16

Robert E. Howard is best known for his Conan the Barbarian stories. But Howard–along with the Mythos circle of Robert Bloch, Clark Ashton Smith, Fritz Leiber, and August Derleth–were encouraged by Lovecraft to write stories using Cthulhu, Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, Hastur, and Tsathoggua.

CTHULHU: THE MYTHOS AND KINDRED HORRORS (1987) includes some of Howard’s best Mythos stories. “The Black Stone” provides a creepy artifact. “The Thing on the Roof” shows what can happen if you read a book of forbidden knowledge like Junzt’s Nameless Cults (aka, The Black Book). Very scary!

Howard shows the result of selling your soul to the Devil in “Dig Me No Grave.” “The Shadow of the Beast” has this line: “There are worlds and shadows of worlds beyond our ken, it seems, and bestial earthbound spirits lurk in the dark shadows of our own world beyond their time.” (p. 131) That line could have been part of many of these stories about the mysterious aspects of the secrets of the Mythos.

Robert E. Howard even infused some Mythos elements in his famous Bran Man Morn story, “Worms of the Earth.” If you’re a fan of Lovecraft and enjoy eerie stories with incredible creatures, CTHULHU: THE MYTHOS AND KINDRED HORRORS will delight you! GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• 1 • Introduction (Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors) • (1987) • essay by David Drake
• 5 • Arkham • (1932) • poem by Robert E. Howard
• 7 • The Black Stone • [Cthulhu Mythos Tales] • (1931) • short story by Robert E. Howard
• 29 • The Fire of Asshurbanipal • [Cthulhu Mythos Tales] • (1936) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
• 59 • The Thing on the Roof • [Cthulhu Mythos Tales] • (1932) • short story by Robert E. Howard
• 71 • Dig Me No Grave • [Cthulhu Mythos Tales] • (1937) • short story by Robert E. Howard
• 89 • Silence Falls on Mecca’s Walls • (1987) • poem by Robert E. Howard
• 91 • The Valley of the Worm • [James Allison] • (1934) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
• 119 • The Shadow of the Beast • non-genre • (1977) • short story by Robert E. Howard
• 133 • Old Garfield’s Heart • (1933) • short story by Robert E. Howard
• 145 • People of the Dark • (1932) • short story by Robert E. Howard
• 169 • Worms of the Earth • [Bran Mak Morn] • (1932) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
• 209 • Pigeons from Hell • (1938) • novelette by Robert E. Howard
• 247 • An Open Window • (1932) • poem by Robert E. Howard