October 2025 – Mysteries Ahoy!
6 posts published by Aidan during October 2025| Mysteries Ahoy!
Lately it’s been tough to find extended chunks of time to read. One of the challenges has been not knowing where I will be when I do find a spare half hour. This problem presented itself yesterday when I took lunch to my wife at her work. Traffic was light, I got there half an […]| Mysteries Ahoy!
It is incredible to think that today my blog turns eight years old. It doesn’t seem like that long since I posted my very first review (The Detective Wore Silk Drawers) here. Clearly time passes quickly when you’re having fun. In those eight years, I have reviewed over six hundred books. I have also written […]| Mysteries Ahoy!
It recently occurred to me that I have never offered detailed thoughts on a Miss Marple book. That seemed a pretty significant omission, particularly given my blog’s title was inspired by a M…| Mysteries Ahoy!
As I have previously confessed on this blog, beer does not constitute a particularly big part of my diet these days. Were I a bigger drinker however I might find myself losing that taste after read…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Originally Published 2016 The English country house is an iconic setting for some of the greatest British crime fiction. This new collection gathers together stories written over a span of about 65…| Mysteries Ahoy!
The Long Arm of the LawMartin Edwards (ed)Originally Published 2017 I have mentioned before that I am a bit of an unbeliever when it comes to short stories. I understand and respect the craft and I…| Mysteries Ahoy!
The Medbury Fort MurderGeorge LimneliusOriginally Published 1929 The Medbury Fort Murder came as something of a surprise to me. While the blurb certainly highlights the locked room element of the s…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Weekend at ThrackleyAlan MelvilleOriginally Published 1934 I always look forward to getting my hands on titles from the British Library Crime Classics range but this one was particularly exciting f…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Willy Griff is a struggling actor, drifting around LA while picking up occasional commercial work or bit parts. Lately he has been getting by with the help of his lover Doris, a woman married to a wealthy businessman. Unfortunately for Willy, the husband has got wind of the affair and is determined to end it.| Mysteries Ahoy!
Hisatoro is a teenager who, thanks to an unusual condition, has matured far beyond his years. You see, several times a month Hisatoro relives days nine times over in a time loop he dubs the Trap.| Mysteries Ahoy!
As a fan of Agatha Christie and audio drama, I am surprised at myself. Somehow I never clocked that Audible had released another adaptation of a Poirot adventure. This is even more surprising to me given that I'm an Audible member, so I already had access to this. I'm not quite sure what their algorithm was up to there...| Mysteries Ahoy!
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the most famous Sherlock Holmes adventure. That made it the natural choice to kick off a series of television movies starring Ian Richardson. The plan was to create six but HBO were thwarted by an unexpected competitor.| Mysteries Ahoy!
The Mysterious Mr. Badman is a wonderfully obscure addition to the British Library’s Crime Classics range. First published in 1934, the publisher unfortunately folded shortly afterwards, leav…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Of all the writers I've read and written about for this blog, no one confounds me quite like Fuminori Nakamura. The last time I reviewed one of his books, The Rope Artist, I grappled with my feelings about his work. If we had a Facebook relationship status it would be 'it's complicated'.| Mysteries Ahoy!
When I began my Holmes on Film series, I knew there would be some rough spots. There was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes - a film that pitted the Great Detective against dinosaurs. That movie was a masterpiece compared to the 'comedy' film, Holmes and Watson.| Mysteries Ahoy!
There are several reasons that I typically prefer to read a series in order. One is that I like to chart the development of a writer and their style. But the other is that I am, at heart, terribly …| Mysteries Ahoy!
Originally published 195987th Precinct #10Preceded by ’til DeathFollowed by Give the Boys a Great Big Hand For a wealthy businessman, a kidnapping puts him in a predicament as troubling as an…| Mysteries Ahoy!
I have some good news…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Originally published in 1929 Roger Sheringham #5Preceded by The Silk Stocking MurdersFollowed by The Second Shot Sir Eustace is a cad of the first water, with a specialty in other men’s wives…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Anthony Berkeley at Sherborne School in 1911, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons In Berkeley, wit, charm and flair warred with demons. He loved to confound people’s expectations. The contra…| Mysteries Ahoy!
The BBC has been making quality radio adaptations of vintage crime novels for decades. Unfortunately though, with the exceptions of Christie and Sayers, these adaptations haven’t been easy to…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Sergeant Cribb and Constable Thackeray investigate the murder of a medium during a séance.| Mysteries Ahoy!
The Detective Wore Silk DrawersPeter LoveseyOriginally Published 1970Sergeant Cribb #2Preceded by Wobble to DeathFollowed by Abracadaver A few years ago Soho Crime reissued the Cribb stories with s…| Mysteries Ahoy!
The Sergeant Cribb mysteries hold a special place in my heart. This is not only as a reader but also as a blogger. The reason is that this series has been with me since the start of the blog. My ve…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Originally Published 1938Nigel Strangeways #4Preceded by There’s Trouble BrewingFollowed by The Smiler with the Knife What do you do when you plan a murder then, inexplicably, your victim tur…| Mysteries Ahoy!
A Quiet PlaceSeicho MatsumotoOriginally Published 1975 A Quiet Place is one of those novels that presents a particular challenge to review without mentioning at least a few spoilers. This is becaus…| Mysteries Ahoy!
We are only be a few days into the New Year but I am already looking to the future. I spent this morning perusing publishers and booksellers’ websites and catalogs. A few publishers have yet …| Mysteries Ahoy!
Originally published in 1932The American edition was published as Clerical Error that same year The Reverend Mr. Pardicott is struck by the idea that he should kill one of his parishioners, Colonel…| Mysteries Ahoy!
Those of you who have been around this blog for a while will know that I am a bit of a fan of the inverted mystery. While I make a point to read a pretty wide variety of crime and mystery fiction, …| Mysteries Ahoy!
The Voice is a collection of six short stories written by the prolific Japanese mystery writer, Seicho Matsumoto. I have read several of his novels over the years, most recently Tokyo Express, and …| Mysteries Ahoy!
I Married a Dead Man tells the story of a young woman in dire straits. Its protagonist, Helen, is unmarried and eight months pregnant. She seeks help from the father but he isn’t interested. …| Mysteries Ahoy!
