Book Review of the Week: The Last Hack: A Jack Parlabane Thriller By Christopher Brookmyre Atlantic Monthly Press 2017 $25.00 The Last Hack is the latest in the Jack Parlabane series. Beginning in 1996, they focus on an investigative journalist’s digging into mysteries and the ensuing misadventures. At this point in the series, Parlabane […]
Author Archives: Christopher Chan
DVD Review– The Hippopotamus
DVD Review– The Hippopotamus The Hippopotamus is a not a traditional mystery. There is no murder or theft. The narrative centers on Ted Wallace, a hard-drinking poet (Roger Allam) whose career has stalled. When his inappropriate behavior leads to his dismissal from his drama criticism job, his goddaughter hires him to investigate a series […]
DVD Review– Agatha Christie’s Family Murder Party and Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games
DVD Review– Agatha Christie’s Family Murder Party and Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games The DVD releases of Agatha Christie’s Family Murder Party and Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games are French adaptations of Christie novels, originally released under the title The Little Murders of Agatha Christie (Les Petits Meurtres d’Agatha Christie). The productions are notable for taking […]
DVD Review– Sherlock: Season 4
DVD Review– Sherlock: Season 4 (Warning: Some oblique spoilers follow!) Sherlock has always been about experimenting, taking a gamble on what will work as a dramatic adaptation, and being remarkably successful for the most part with the chances it takes. Giving Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories a 21st-century update was always a risky […]
DVD Review– Suspects, Series 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5
DVD Review– Suspects, Series 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 Suspects is a British police series with an intriguing twist: it’s largely unscripted. The show is shot like a documentary, the actors are given the basics of each scene, and the conversations are ad libbed. In the right improv-trained hands, the show could be […]
BOOK REVIEW: You Gotta Be Dirty: The Outlaws Motorcycle Club In & Around Wisconsin
BOOK REVIEW: You Gotta Be Dirty: The Outlaws Motorcycle Club In & Around Wisconsin By Michael Grogan Badger Wordsmith 2016 $14.95 In this true-crime history, Michael Grogan looks at the criminally inclined motorcycle gangs that were active around the southeastern Wisconsin area. Milwaukee is the hometown of Harley-Davidson, and though most motorcyclists are respectable […]
DVD Review– American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson
DVD Review– American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson takes a ready-made plot from real life and dramatizes it effectively, even if all of the themes of the case aren’t entirely given the justice they deserve. The murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman […]
Book Review: The Trophy Child By Paula Daly
Book Review: The Trophy Child By Paula Daly The Trophy Child By Paula Daly Grove Press 2017 $25.00 The Trophy Child is an exploration as to what makes a dysfunctional family. Is it the combined flaws of each member, or is it just one toxic person who poisons everything? In Paula Daly’s terrific […]
DVD Review– The Fall, Series 2
DVD Review– The Fall, Series 2 Late in the second series of The Fall, a serial killer looks into a video and asks, “Why are you watching this?” A good question, I told myself. The Fall has a lot going for it, particularly the magnificent Gillian Anderson in the lead role, and a palpable […]
Review of the Week: The Whole Art of Detection
Review of the Week: The Whole Art of Detection The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes By Lyndsay Faye Mysterious Press 2017 $25.00 Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson have inspired generations of writers to continue adding to their adventures long after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set down his pen. Lyndsay Faye […]
DVD Review– Agatha Raisin, Series 1
DVD Review– Agatha Raisin, Series 1 This series is based on the mystery novels of M.C. Beaton. Although I have not read any of her work, it is my understanding that some of these adaptations are very loose indeed, dramatically changing the character of Agatha and altering the identity of the killer in other […]
DVD Review: The Passenger
DVD Review– The Passenger This six-episode French-language miniseries is purportedly about the hunt for a serial killer, but the really compelling drama comes in the search for the truth about its protagonist. As the story opens, the police come upon a particularly grisly murder: a man is found dead with a bull’s head stuck over […]