It's Criminal

  When writing about the Nero Wolfe series of novels, I will only be writing about the ones written by Rex Stout, the original author.  This is down to personal preference. I've read several of the ones that were written by Robert Goldsborough since Rex Stout died in 1975 and I cannot get on with them at all.  I'd rather leave it to those who do like them to write about them. 

  Spoiler warning – there will be some spoilers here, so read on with caution if you have not seen all the episodes. It was a difficult choice as this series has two great episodes: "Dead Man's Eleven" and "Death's Shadow". However, I think Death's Shadow has the edge ever so slightly.  It has the edge, in part, due to the powerhouse performance given by Richard Briers. He provides his benign, downtrodden vicar with some real depth and pathos. By the end of the episode, you fully understand why he resorted to murder. You can also see how all those years of frustration and pain had tipped him over the edge.  The insight into this is partly brought to us by the magnificent performance of Judy Parfitt as Angela Wentworth, Stephen's shrewish, bitter and spiteful wife. There are a couple of scenes where they show that there was a time when they loved each other, but that is long gone. When he finally tells her how much harm she has done to him, you can se...

Spoiler warning – there will be some spoilers here, so read on with caution if you have not seen all the episodes. Caroline Graham wrote seven novels featuring Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby and Detective Sergeant Gavin Troy. Five of these were adapted for TV in the 1990s. Midsomer Murders has been entertaining people since 1997. I will be posting my favourite episode(s) from each of the 23 series that have aired to date in the UK. Once I have seen further series, I will add to this.  Here is my choice for series one.  There's only one contender for this series, “The Killings at Badger's Drift”. It sets the tone from the fantastic theme tune onwards. I think that Midsomer Murders is the British version of Twin Peaks. We are treated to an idyllic country scene with all the things you'd expect: a lavish country pile, a big event and enough emotional and sexual repression to keep any psychiatrist busy.  We are introduced to the sane and stable Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby and hi...

Created using TextArt. I've been a keen reader since I was a child. I don't have as much time to read as I used to, however, I still like getting stuck into a good book. This is the same with films and television shows.  I have noticed that crime fiction is the genre that I return to the most, whether it is reading, listening or watching.  So, this blog with be a mix of reviews of books, films, and television shows that I've watched with crime as the main theme.  Some blogs you can look forward to are on: 1. Midsomer Murders, both the books by Caroline Graham and the television show.  2. Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout, I will write about the books, the characters, the plots, and the A&E series.  3. Columbo as a whydunnit instead of a whodunnit.