Short Story Wednesday: Rogues’ Gallery: The Great Criminals of Modern Fiction (ed.) by Ellery Queen (1945)

Usually when I read a mystery, I want the criminal to be punished and the moral-order restored. Usually. Because at times, I find myself rooting for the criminal and hoping that he escapes the long-arm of justice. In this anthology of short stories, all the criminals escape justice (or rather not but I will come …

The US in the Thirties: The Thin Man, and The Devil To Pay

The stock-market crash of October 1929 destroyed economies all over the world. Hunger, poverty, and unemployment rose and heralded in what is called The Great Depression. I recently read two mysteries written by American authors in the thirties and it was interesting to see how they reflected the tenor of the times.Cover Image: Photo of …

Ellery Queen: A Journey of Discovery

The first time I remember hearing (okay reading) about Ellery Queen was when I read a fine review of Cat of Many Tails at Yvette's blog, in so many words... Subsequently, I read my first Queen The Murderer is a Fox, and realised that there were not one but two Ellery Queen, the writer as well …

Forgotten Book: Cat of Many Tails by Ellery Queen

One day, there was a curious news item. A large family sleeping on the roof of their home was suddenly awakened, hearing the screams of one. Apparently that person had been rudely awakened from her sleep when she felt something sharp digging into her arm. She had cried out in pain and terror. There was …

Forgotten Books: The Murderer is a Fox by Ellery Queen

I hadn't heard of Ellery Queen till I started blogging. Then I got to know that not only is he (actually the pseudonym of two American cousins) a well-known mystery writer but also one of the Big Four. So I went searching for his books and was happy enough to discover that some of his …