It's Criminal

Fer-de-Lance is the first in the series of Nero Wolfe books, written by Rex Stout between 1934 and 1975.  When I first found out about Nero Wolfe, the books were much harder to get in the UK. As a result, I ended up reading them out of order. I've decided to review them in chronological order.  This book is a strong opener for getting a feel for genius private detective Nero Wolfe and his legman Archie Goodwin. The reader is also introduced to other main, recurring characters, such as Fred Durkin, Fritz Brenner and Saul Panzer.  A murder goes unrecognised due to the victim dropping dead on a golf course with no obvious way that he could have been anything other than natural causes. However, the disappearance of the brother of a friend of Fred Durkin's wife soon has Wolfe and Archie on the case.  Fer-de-Lance is one of my favourite stories. It sets the scene and pace for the others that follow. The story is well-paced without skimping on detail. Like Watson for Sherlo...

  Spoiler warning – there will be some spoilers here, so read on with caution if you have not seen all the episodes. Destroying Angel is my choice from this series. The plot is standard in this one, but what makes this one a favourite is the strength of the characters and the talent of the actors who bring them to life.  We have the excellent Samantha Bond playing Suzanna Chambers, who doesn't even bother to hide how insignificant she'd considered her husband. Samantha excels in playing morally bankrupt and emotionally cold characters, but I have seen her handle warmer and more sensitive characters just as well.  Samantha is one of several recurring actors and, to date, has appeared in three Midsomer Murders episodes. Jonathan Coy (Kenneth Gooders) and Abigail McKern (Julia Gooders) are a rather macabre comedy duo who should not be married. Justice is dealt to all three of them, along with Tristan (played by Tom Ward), by a killer hell-bent on avenging the death of two pe...

  When I started compiling the list for this, I could not stop at 10.  This is an entry that will probably have a few episodes of its own.  Here's the first 10 performers who should have played Columbo villains. 1. Jeremy Irons. He's the right mix of charming and chilling. He can play hard without being nasty. He'd turn on the charm with Columbo (as Louis Jordan did in Murder Under Glass).   2. Billie Whitelaw. Her steely gaze would have turned Medusa into stone. However, she could also play more vulnerable characters. She would have had Columbo second guessing himself.  3. Alexander Siddig. An actor capable of presenting a benign exterior with a very sinister edge. He would have brought a calmer, colder villain.  4. Anton Diffring. When I watch the episodes with Jack Cassidy in them, Anton is the actor that he reminds me of. They both have an icy charm that hides the fire of evil that's brewing beneath it.  5. Angela Pleasence. She's every bit as...

S poiler warning -  there will be some spoilers here, so read on with caution if you have not seen all the episodes. There are also two contenders: Judgement Day and Beyond the Grave. I like Beyond the Grave a lot as it has a slightly different quirky feel, and Troy gets a sidekick (albeit temporarily in the form of Nico, Cully's boyfriend). However, when it comes to an episode I return to repeatedly, it must be Judgement Day.  For those of you who are also Agatha Christie fans, there is a slight nod to one of her most famous stories in this episode.  The underbelly of this perfect village is a little more on show thanks to womaniser and total bad 'un Peter Drinkwater. This was an early role for Orlando Bloom but one he fulfilled very well for the short time he was on the screen.  John Nettles also steals a scene with one of the episode's best lines upon discovering Peter's body. He is not happy that his chance to nick the little scrote for a series of burglaries bec...

  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...