Author: jamesscottbyrnside
I'm a murder mystery/impossible crime fanatic and author. I like locked rooms, footprints in the snow, missing murder weapons, and unreliable suspects.
The Synopsis Blues
1947 Maine and Gretta Grahame is living her best life. She has successfully escaped her past for several years, settling in the safe, sleepy town of New Sweden. Besides working at the local library, Gretta is president of her murder-mystery book club. She knows a lot about murder mysteries. She claims there's no plot she… Continue reading The Synopsis Blues
The Greek Coffin Mystery
Jerry Lewis once tried to explain his distaste for widescreen aspect ratios by thundering, "It's lazy to shoot a film in widescreen; everything is in the goddamn frame. There's no need for pictorial skill!" Whether I agree with Mr. Lewis's opinion on widescreen ratios (or indeed, what constitutes pictorial skill) is entirely moot, but I… Continue reading The Greek Coffin Mystery
My very second poll!
Here is a picture of me and a random cat in Istanbul. I'm not going to do these polls forever. At some point, I'll simply read what I want from the big pile. I've discussed reviewing some contemporary authors (both self and traditionally published), and those will come...sometime soonish--probably in the winter. In the meantime,… Continue reading My very second poll!
Cat and Mouse
Murder's such a lonely business: there's never anyone to talk to. The winner of my reading poll was Christianna Brand's Cat and Mouse. There is a specific reason I hadn't read this book for so long, but I can't tell you because it's a spoiler...sort of. Here's the deal. C&M is not a detective story… Continue reading Cat and Mouse
