Martin Edwards, in his canny “Foreword,” praises Joseph Goodrich–playwright and polymath–for the range of his interests and his insights into key mystery writers.
From the first essay on Dashiell Hammett to Goodrich’s takes on Ellery Queen, this book presents a series of thought-provoking analyses. After reading these essays, I wanted to drop everything and read the writers Goodrich discusses: Hammett, Daly, Meyer, Gifford, Goodis, Lucille Fletcher, Rex Stout, and Ellery Queen. Fun, entertaining, and enlightening! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Foreword by Martin Edwards — 1
INTRODUCTION by Joseph Goodrich — 3
THE LINEUP
Dashiell Hammett: Beyond Thursday — 7
Elizabeth Daly: East Side Stories — 11
Nicholas Meyer: An Appreciation — 14
Frederick Irving Anderson: Infallible –18
Barry Gifford: You Want It Darker — 20
Ashley Weaver: A New Golden Age — 24
David Goodis: Drugstore Dostoevsky — 28
Peter Quinn: Man About Town — 33
Dilys Winn: Magical Mystery Tour — 37
Gordon McAlpine: Untangling Holmes Entangled — 41
REHERSAL FOR MURDER: CRIME ON STAGE AND SCREEN
William Link: “Just One More Thing…” — 47
Anthony Shaffer: Grand Artificer of Mystery — 50
Lucille Fletcher: She Has Our Number — 54
Amnon Kabatchnik: Life Upon the Wicked Stage — 58
Stephen Sondheim: A Way Through the Maze — 63
Foyle’s War: Television’s Finest Hour — 68
Pushing the “Panic” Button, Or: How Plays Get Written — 73
Hearing Voices — 82
Nero Wolfe: From Page to State — 84
Flummery, Flapdoodle, and Balderdash: Nero Wolfe in the Age of Alternative Facts — 86
Killer Tunes: Music for Mystery Writers — 91
ELLERY QUEEN, MASTER DETECTIVE
A Challenge to the Viewer — 99
A Kind of Triumph — 102
Adventures in Radioland: Ellery Queen On (and Off) the Air — 104
Confessions of a Literary Safecracker — 113
On the Road with Manfred B. Lee, Part One: “We Could’nt Even Give Tickets Away” — 116
On the Road with Manfred B. Lee, Part Two: “The Most Profound Mysteries…” — 120
On the Road with Manfred B. Lee, Part Three: “The Same Bloody Imagination…” — 124
REQUIEM FOR A DANDY
Remembering Derek Marlowe — 131
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS — 179
THE AUTHOR — 181
This looks like a lot of fun. Some of these writers I had forgotten all about. Like Elizabeth Daly.
Patti, UNUSUAL SUSPECTS is a great memory-jogger!
Patti, Daly is being reprinted in Kindle editions. I get several different Kindle “sales” offerings daily, and I’ve noticed several of her books have been on offer. I only read her first book, many years ago.
This does sound like something I would read. I knew the late Dilys Winn from her bookshop, Murder Ink. She and Carol Brener used to sell my fanzine there. I also sold books to Amnon Kabatchnik, who had a huge want list of things he was looking for.
Jeff, my Want List has dwindled as I slowly divest more and more books.
sounds interesting, though I’ve not read many of the authors. I’ve read only a few Eliz. Daly, and maybe one L. Fletcher. I think I’ve read the most of Ellery Queen & Nero Wolfe.
The Dilys Winn chapter is intriguing, though I only went to Mys. Bookshop in NYC., not her shop, I remember the PB’s that were reissued based on her recommendations, and also the owner of Scene of the Crime in LA. I wish I’d kept them as I had the complete set
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Maggie, you would enjoy UNUSUAL SUSPECTS. It generated a list of READ REAL SOON books for me!
Could be interesting. Though I have other critical works to go through, mot from old favorites. Thanks for the pointer.
Most, that is.
Todd, you would enjoy UNUSUAL SUSPECTS. It’s a quick read and informative.
Sounds very interesting. I enjoy reading just about any mystery reference books. AND reasonably priced too.
tracy, I have a number of mystery reference books that I refer to often. Cost is always a factor.