Tag Archives: Detective

Stephen King Knows Anti-Vaxxers Are Going to Hate His Latest Book: ‘Knock Yourself Out’ | Rolling Stone

The horror writer talks Holly and why he chose not to erase Covid from the detective’s world

By Brenna Ehrlich, September 5, 2023

Author Stephen King wrote his latest book during the pandemic — and Patrick Semansky/AP

THIS POST CONTAINS spoilers for Stephen King’s new book Holly, which comes out today.

Stephen King is readying himself for a flood of hate when his next book, Holly, drops on Sept. 5. “I think that a lot of people are not going to like it,” he says. “I think that a lot of people — particularly people on the other side of the Covid issue and the Trump issue — are going to give it one-star reviews on Amazon.

But all I can say to those people is, ‘Knock yourself out.’”

While inviting bad reviews before publication may seem like an odd sentiment from one of the most prolific, acclaimed horror writers of all time, well… a lot of things are topsy-turvy these days.

And unlike many writers who have released books over these past few years, King — as is his custom — doesn’t shy away from that discomfort in Holly, which follows the PI he introduced in the Mr. Mercedes series, as she attempts to solve a string of disappearances during the height of Covid.

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/stephen-king-interview-holly-anti-vaxxers-1234816605/

The Art of the Murder Mystery: The 10 Best Whodunits, Ranked | MOVIEWEB

By Brian Hawkins, Published 5 days ago

Paramount Pictures

Murder, mystery, intrigue, and the machinations of the macbre hold a lot of what movie-goers find most entertaining and thrilling about storytelling.

Found within the idea of not-knowing, the classic “Whodunit?” offers something in the foundation of its conception that other genres do not: An active role for each viewer as a guest-detective.

The best murder mysteries/whodunits do just that, they bring the audience into the story, taking them on a ride, introducing characters, obstacles, and setting, to deliver the poignant punch of mystery.

This mystery is what captivates each movie-goer and puts them on both a chase and a race to the finish line, as viewers are tantalized by the mystery and galvanized in their participant-watcher role of both trying to inwardly figure out “who did it” while watching the plot unfold toward the ultimate revelation that either confirms their suspicions or gives them the best “A-Ha!” moment.

Over the years, there have been several movies that have done this extremely well. Here are some of those, ranked.

10/10 Clue (1985)

Clue (1985)
Guber-Peters Company

Based on the original board game of the same name, Clue revolves around six guests who are mysteriously invited to a mansion for a dinner, but when the host of the dinner is murdered, the guests and the attending staff are all suspects as they attempt to figure out who is the killer. The movie is considered a brilliant comedy while simultaneously offering a great mystery to solve.

Editor’s Note: Read more, see link below for original item…

Source: The Art of the Murder Mystery: The 10 Best Whodunits, Ranked

Opinion: Is Sherlock Holmes really the father of modern forensic science? – CNN

Opinion by Roy Schwartz, Updated 2:06 PM ET, Fri May 20, 2022

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is seen in this 1922 photo. (AP Photo)

(CNN) May 22 is “Sherlock Holmes Day,” honoring the birthday of his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes, who turns 135 this year, is one of the most famous literary characters in the world and probably the most famous detective.

He’s come to be referenced as a historical figure rather than a fictional one (often at the expense of his actual author), with countless legends surrounding him. Perhaps the most popular is that he invented modern forensic science.

A reproduction of a copy of the book ‘A Study in Scarlet’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 8th December 1986. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)

This particular aspect of Holmes lore has been addressed in articles, books, documentaries, and college courses and is even cited by forensic experts. But is it really true?

Did Sherlock Holmes (meaning Doyle) invent crime-solving methods like fingerprinting and blood testing years and even decades before law enforcement?

If he did, it would mean that, aside from entertaining generations of readers and viewers and inspiring dozens of other popular characters like Batman and House, M.D., he also deserves credit for helping solve thousands, if not millions, of crimes in the real world.

Source: Opinion: Is Sherlock Holmes really the father of modern forensic science? – CNN

Sherlock Holmes, Scientific Detective | The New Yorker

Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation was born into an age of stunning change. How did Holmes react to his era?

By Rivka Galchen, January 31, 2022

The exhibit “Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects” devotes special attention to Conan Doyle’s “A Study in Scarlet” and “The Hound of the Baskervilles”—which feature notably different Holmeses.Photograph by Charlie Rubin / Courtesy The Grolier Club

The Grolier Club, a private society for bibliophiles on the Upper East Side, with its marble foyer and dark wood-panelled gallery, would be a fine stage for a nineteenth-century fictional murder, perhaps done in the library with a candlestick, most certainly involving a will.

On January 12th, an exhibit called “Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects” opened there. It features a proper Baker Street-number of items from the collection of Glen S. Miranker, a former executive at Apple, who has been buying all manner of things Holmesian since 1977.

There are a number of Arthur Conan Doyle’s letters; an “idea book” in which he jotted notes for possible future stories; and a never-before-displayed speech, written by hand, in which Conan Doyle talks about why he killed off Holmes. There are also handwritten manuscript pages and a pirated copy of “The Sign of the Four,” which Conan Doyle apparently signed, despite loathing the pirating practice.

Source: Sherlock Holmes, Scientific Detective | The New Yorker