Still in the mood for thrillers. Here are some recent reads: And Then There Were None, 1939, by Agatha Christie This one is unlikely to be reimagined by Kenneth Branagh, but you never know. And Then There Were None is one of Christie’s grimmest, and most famous tales. Due to its original title, it is also one of her most controversial. Christie loved to use nursery rhyme references in her book titles, and this book actually incorporates an entire rhyme in the book as a twisted […]
Speaking of Mustaches …
I have been into thrillers lately … Murder on The Orient Express, by Agatha Christie, 1934 I had to re-read this classic Agatha Christie novel after recently seeing the Kenneth Branagh movie version. I have always been a huge fan of David Suchet and his version of Christie’s most famous detective, Hercule Poirot. I was initially horrified at the promotional photos of Branagh’s take on the inimitable Belgian’s famous ‘stache, but I actually enjoyed his lively take on the character. Maybe some of that enthusiasm […]
Down the Rabbit Hole with Ira Levin
My latest writing project is of a spooky nature, so I thought I might get a little inspiration from one of my favorite horror movies, Rosemary’s Baby. It didn’t disappoint and holds up after many viewings. Mia Farrow is having a tough trimester in Rosemary’s Baby After the umpteenth time of watching poor Mia Farrow find out what was really behind her linen closet, I got to wondering about the source material. A trip to the library resulted in a bag full of Ira Levin thrillers: Rosemary’s […]
As Spooky As Ever: We Have Always Lived in the Castle
We Have Always Lived in the Castle is an amazing, unsettling book. It is a tale told by a fanciful and unreliable but fascinating narrator, Mary Katherine Blackwood, or Merricat, as her older sister Constance calls her. Merricat and Constance and their Uncle Julian and Merricat’s cat Jonas live in Blackwood House, on top of the hill overlooking a small and small-minded village. The author Shirley Jackson was a master of the macabre and creepy. Her short story “The Lottery” continues to haunt schoolchildren every year, […]