Rather than a “locked room” mystery wherein the victim is found dead in a room where no one could have gotten in or out, Christie traps everyone together on a snowbound train. The victim, the suspects, and the detective are all stuck in the “locked room.” The new movie version, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh is problematic but it was much better than the trailers led me to believe.
“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.” – Edwin Way Teale
In 1888, the wealthy business tycoons of Pittsburgh retreated to their summer “cottages” at a man-made lake that hung high above Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club counted among its members Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick. Elizabeth Haberlin, one of the book’s two protagonists, is the daughter of one of these monied…
It’s June. Time to find a quiet beach and something to read. After a great college class about the history of religious movements in America, I’ve always been fascinated with the activity that grew out of the so-called “Burned-Over District.” And as a frequent volunteer at a Shaker Village I know there is a great deal to…
Maguire has made a name for himself by re-imagining well-known fairy tales and children’s’ stories from the point-of-view of another character. From “Snow White” to “A Christmas Carol”, Maguire uses back story and inventiveness to create an alternate reality. Wicked, which told the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, became a blockbuster Broadway musical.…