In my last post, I asked my readers to spot all of the clues/mystery tropes/mystery genre conventions in the passage below. I said, rather mysteriously, that I counted between 12 and 16 of the things myself. I now present you with my own list of Clues, Tropes, and Genre Conventions. … Continue reading
In murder mysteries, there is generally a certain amount of text between the title page and the discovery of The First Corpse. This text usually Sets The Tone and Builds Tension. It is also Positively Salted With Clues; this is so that The Reader will Feel Like An Idiot later. … Continue reading
Lady Ermyntrude Coldfish Castle Dearest E, I say, you’ve jolly well got to drop whatever you are doing (probably something silly, like Higher Math, which is just the sort of thing that would appeal to your frivolous mind) and come here at once! Conjuro Te! If that is Latin, which… Continue reading
A Kind Of Teaser Visitors to this blog may or may not be aware that I also have a website, The Athertonian. The distinction between The Athertonian and Atherton’s Magic Vapour is slightly vague in my mind, and it is about to get even more difficult to tell the two… Continue reading
The Mystery Section: An Open letter to Barnes and Noble, with painstakingly constructed visual aids Dear Barnes and Noble, I love mysteries. Therefore, when I found myself in a Barnes & Noble the other day, I naturally drifted over to the Mystery section. I had forgotten how useless this would… Continue reading
Zeppelin Z is for Zeppelin: A Poem Eleven Little Pleasure-Seekers On a Zeppelin One Got Vertigo, and Then There Were Ten Ten People Up Where The Air Is Fine; One Went Mad, and then There Were Nine. Nine Old Friends in the Hands of Fate; An Old Quarrel… Continue reading
Yacht Gentlemen! Do you sometimes Find It Necessary to have a Private Chat in Pleasant Surroundings With Someone Who May Or May Not Be Going Home Again? Do you find it Difficult to find a Venue for your Business Meetings? Are you getting tired of Disposing of Witnesses? Have you… Continue reading
X Marks The Spot Where The Body Was Found Notes: No case in over a week. Nothing of real interest since the case of The Bilious Barking Bouncing Baby Bassinet (I shudder to remember the details of that case, and yet I would trade my current peace for another like… Continue reading
Widow Four Times A Widow, She Will Brave The Altar Once More Madame Carnehomme Will Walk Up The Aisle Again- Will The Fates Be Kinder To Her This Time Than They Have Been Thus Far? “Zometimes I wonder if I am Cursed!” Says the Charming Mme. Carnehomme Madame Carnehomme, the… Continue reading
Villains A Policeman’s Guide To Villains Chapter 8: Villains In Crimes Involving Toffs How to Identify a Toff Style of Murder 1) Your suspects: do any of them have Titles? For these purposes, “Sir” and “The Hon.” both count as titles. 2) The victim: had he a Title? If he… Continue reading
