An observation I had in my years working for Sports Illustrated: athletes and the heroes of crime fiction have much in common, but most simply this—a ruthless clarity of purpose and an ability to perform at their best when the action reaches its climax. Below I’ve assembled a football team populated by great characters from…
Broadly speaking, there are two types of mystery stories: whodunnits and whydunnits. We read a mystery story to find out who committed the crime (with the why, the motive, often serving to help the investigator find the culprit), or we read knowing from early on who the guilty party is as the story lays out…
It is said that “Clothes make the man,” but that may be true for some more than others. I’ve been thinking it over, and found a pattern when it comes to clothes in crime fiction. Detective characters stand out in the crowd. Usually their manner—curious, attentive to detail, driven, and intelligent—sets them apart, but there’s…
I’ve got this actor friend, Brian Kerwin. He’s been working in the business for over thirty years. You’ve seen him in the movies, the soaps, TV sitcoms and dramas, and, if you’ve been lucky enough, on the Broadway stage. Suffice it to say, he’s one of those real recognizable faces. And therein lies the problem.…
As a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers, I am allowed to make fun of them. Just as as a blond Swede, it’s perfectly legal for me to tell blond or Swedish jokes. NO ONE WILL ARREST ME. Mysteries always involve a murder and somebody trying to solve the case. Action mysteries pump up the…
Peter Falk, the actor who played the inimitable Lt. Columbo, passed away at the age of 83, according to KTLA. During Columbo’s 13 seasons, Falk’s homicide detective was rumpled and bumbling, very soliticitous and ingratiating with the suspects who he always treated as his betters. He was the northeastern version of the slow-talking southern gentleman,…
