In an age where the term “locked room mystery” increasingly seems to mean “closed circle mystery” — as in, one of the limited number of characters in the story committed the crime, as if you’d want there to be an alternative — how refreshing to come across someone in Alex Wagner who actually demonstrates an awareness of what an impossible crime is.
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#1423: Adventures in Self-Publishing – The Westerlea House Mystery [n] (2013) by Adam Croft
Another self-published impossible crime story, I can’t remember how The Westerlea House Mystery (2013) by Adam Croft came to my attention, but it did, I’ve read it, and we’re going to look at it today.
Continue reading#1420: Adventures in Self-Publishing – ‘Body of Matter’ (2022) by Jamie Probin
Having enjoyed Jamie Probin‘s previous stabs at the impossible crime, I turn to the currently last of his stories to be made publicly available, the long short story ‘Body of Matter’ (2022).
Continue reading#1417: Little Fictions – The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction: ‘Coup de Grace’ (1958) by Jack Vance
A fourth story from the 13 Crimes of Science Fiction [ss] (1977) collection, as I further explore my interest in the crossover mystery. Might this be the point where this collection springs to life?
Continue reading#1414: Little Fictions – The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction: ‘The Ceaseless Stone’ (1975) by Avram Davidson
My first two excursions into the 13 Crimes of Science Fiction [ss] (1977) anthology haven’t exactly been roaring successes. Might some actual detective work find things more to my liking?
Continue reading#1411: Little Fictions – The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction: ‘Second Game’ (1958) by Charles V. De Vet and Katherine MacLean
A second delve into The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction [ss] (1979), as I explore the possibilities of another crossover mystery.
Continue reading#1408: Little Fictions – The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction: ‘The Detweiler Boy’ (1977) by Tom Reamy
I am a fan of a good crossover mystery, in which the tenets of crime and detection are placed into a science fiction/Fantasy milieu. So when I heard of a collection called The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction [ss] (1979), you’re darn tootin’ it was only a matter of time before I got to it.
Continue reading#1405: Minor Felonies – Death on the Tracks, a.k.a. Puzzle Sleuth (2024) by Paul Westmoreland
Another Choose Your Own Adventure-style mystery, this one aimed at the younger market. So how does it stack up in comparison to the other two I’ve tried thus far, which were more clearly for grown-ups?
Continue reading#1402: Minor Felonies – The Beanstalk Murder (2024) by P.G. Bell
Given that it revolves around loosely-codified magic, a world of ‘normal’ folk living below a world of ‘giants’ in the sky, and a pigeon who is an art critic, The Beanstalk Murder (2025) by P.G. Bell is a far better book than it has any right to be.
Continue reading#1399: Minor Felonies – Peril on the Atlantic (2023) by A.M. Howell
Following the conclusion of the excellent Adventures on Trains series by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, I — no doubt along, one suspects, with children’s publishers — was keen for another dose of transport-based juvenile mystery-making. And so at the start of the Mysteries at Sea series by A.M. Howell do we find ourselves.
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