SEPARATED AT BIRTH II by Rob Lopresti We did this back in April, but it ain’t a summer rerun, because all the questions are brand spanking new. Each pair of actors played the same character, well-known in mystery fiction. The questions get harder as you go down the page. Answers are at the bottom. Have […]

DON’T CLONE ME, BRO! by Melodie Johnson Howe Yesterday morning as I was pouring 1% organic milk into my coffee, I asked Bones if he would have me cloned. Without looking up from his Investor’s Daily Newspaper, he said, “No.” Then he paused, put his paper down, faced me, and said, “What?” “Would you have […]

LIES, DAMN LIES, AND MYSTERY FICTION by James Lincoln Warren Bouchercon 2011 is just around the corner, September 15 through 18, in St. Louis, MO. This year there will only be two of us Criminal Briefers attending, Steve Steinbock and me. Both of us have been assigned to moderate panels, and both of our panels […]

FILM FUN by Leigh Lundin Stephen King wrote an eerie novella, The Langoliers, in which monstrous flytraps chomp away at the world, Pacman-like creatures that consume everything in their path. Recently a friend sent a couple of short films, one which reminded me of a mini-version of The Langoliers. These two short film stories share […]

FUN AND NAMES by John M. Floyd Tom and Ray Magliotti of NPR’s Car Talk These days we all do a lot of driving, to work or play, and almost everyone listens to music or books-on-tape or radio news programs somewhere along the way. As for myself, my wife has converted me to National Public […]

LOCATION LOCATION by Steven Steinbock I’ve probably written about some of this before. Some but not all. So if you feel you’re experiencing déjà vu, don’t try to adjust your set. I promise to include new with the old (along with a few things borrowed, and I’m not sure about the blue). When I began […]

Our lovely and talented Femme Fatale is not feeling as well as she ought this week, and asked me to choose one of her former columns to run this week until she’s back on her feet. I’ve chosen this one from last year (August 19) because it’s one of my favorites and demonstrates how her […]