"Ordinary life's bad enough, but it's a prince to the stuff we spin out of our rotten unconsciousnesses every night." J.B. Priestley's Benighted does many things well. The house and its insane inhabitants are brilliantly drawn, the storm is a tactile character rather than a plot device, and the tension is always present--anything could happen.… Continue reading Benighted/The Old Dark House
Let's discuss what Gaston Boca's The Seventh Guest is not. 1. It is not a fairly-clued mystery. Much like Death out of Nowhere (a more enjoyable novel IMHO), there is nothing within these pages to challenge the wits of the reader. In fact, the majority of evidence is off the page. I know that sounds… Continue reading The Seventh Guest
On one hand, sexuality is not a prevalent element in detective fiction. It functions as a plot device -- you need a love triangle to give the killer a motive, so you have Bill begin an affair with Kathy's sister, and Bill (who was a totally innocent dude 5 minutes ago) is now a despicable… Continue reading She Died a Lady
I have to write faster and put out a book in ten months rather than 14. (Was it 15? 16? I lost count). Posting details from time to time will keep me writing, so I'll make 4th Book a category and write one post a month. Who knows? It just might work. Bay of Blood… Continue reading My Next Novel
It's difficult to know where to start with the Quentin Patrick bibliography. There are several pen names hiding several real names. (Dick Callingham, Q Patrick, Jonathan Stagge, Quentin Patrick, Patrick Quentin, etc.) My only previous undertaking was Death's Old Sweet Song, one of the best (and most savage) murder mysteries I've read. After reading the… Continue reading The Grindle Nightmare
