Martin Edwards's Blog, page 284

John Humble and the Hoax Ripper Tapes

When I lived in Leeds for a couple of years in the 70s, the Yorkshire Ripper was at work, and my abiding memory is of how the serial killings terrified so many people, and interfered with the lives of so many women who were afraid to walk some of the city's streets. It was a grim time, and there was real cause for celebration when, at long last, the police finally caught Peter Sutcliffe.

Arguably, his arrest was delayed by the hoax letters and tapes sent to the police and which set them off...

Diva: movie review

More than 25 years ago I watched the cult movie Diva, a French language film made in 1981. With the passage of time, I'd forgotten the details of the story-line, but I did at least recall that I'd rather enjoyed it, so I decided to give it another go.

I'm glad I did. It's a gorgeously made film, and it has a complicated plot, with perhaps too many turns for plausibility. This isn't, first and foremost, a realistic film, but rather a movie that is stylish and studded with memorable scenes and s...

Forgotten Books - The Talkative Policeman

Rupert Penny was one of the most interesting writers of the late Golden Age, and his 1937 debut novel, The Talkative Policeman, is my choice for today's entry in Patti Abbott's series of Forgotten Books. It is a book that was for many years almost impossible to find, but is now available at a modest price in a pleasing paperback edition, thanks to that splendid small press Ramble House, who have reprinted all the elusive Penny titles.

The book features a Challenge to the Reader, in the Ellery ...

Helsinki and Stockholm

The last two ports of call on my recent cruise were the capitals of Finland and Sweden respectively. I hadn't done any research in advance, so I didn't know what to expect of Helsinki. I thought it might be rather an anti-climax after St Petersburg. But in fact, I liked it very much. As always, a sunny day helped a good deal, and my only regret was not managing to fit in a boat tour round the city's waterfront – always a good way to see a place.

Such a tour was a real highlight of the final...

The Cathedral of Spilled Blood

Predictable to a fault, I'm afraid. As soon as I learned that St Petersburg boasted a notable 'sight' known as The Cathedral of Spilled Blood, my crime-writing instincts went into overdrive. Within hours, I worked out a story-line that would feature a cruise ship, a trip to St Petersburg, and – naturally – a trip to the cathedral. I duly followed in the footsteps of a group of characters whom I've so far only sketched out in my mind.

The Cathedral is stunning, and so is St Petersburg. I have n...

Glimpses of Copenhagen, Rostock and Tallinn

Copenhagen was the first stop on my travels around the northern countries of Europe. I've visited Denmark three times now, and it's a country which I find very appealing. So far, I haven't read any crime novels set in Denmark, but this is an omission I'd like to put right soon. On this occasion we didn't manage to make it to the Tivoli Gardens, but in the past I've found it a magical place – whether it's ever featured in a Danish crime story, I don't know. Is anybody able to enlighten me...

Back from the Baltic

I've finally made it back from a truly enjoyable holiday cruising around the capitals of the Baltic. It's been a period of relaxation and, to some extent, recuperation, and now it's time to start catching up on the real world. My thanks in particular to those who commented on posts in my absence, and my apologies for not being better at publishing and responding to them – it proved trickier than expected to remain in contact via the internet for someone as technologically challenged as I...

Short Story Specialists

Fiona mentioned Stacy Aumonier recently, in relation to his story 'The Octave of Jealousy', which has a structure reminiscent of La Ronde. I haven't read it, but I've read one or two stories by Aumonier, who in the course of his short life (1888-1927) established a formidable reputation as a short story writer. Julian Symons was an admirer, and so was James Hilton, author of Goodbye, Mr Chips.

Although Aumonier published six novels before TB cut short his life, there seems to be general...

Pulp

I've not seen many films directed by Mike Hodges other than the iconic Get Carter, but the pleasure of meeting him prompted me to take a look at another of his movies (which he also scripted) starring Michael Caine. Pulp is the story of a pulp fiction writer, British but based in Italy, who is hired to write the autobiography of a dying gangster (Mickey Rooney, of all people.) He becomes embroiled in the violence that lurks not far beneath the surface of his adopted homeland, and his efforts ...

Forgotten Book - Which I Never

Which I Never, by L.A.G. Strong, seems like a very suitable candidate for inclusion in Patti Abbott's series of Forgotten Books. It was almost totally forgotten way back in 1980, when I first chanced upon it, when Collins Crime Club celebrated its Golden Jubilee by reprinting a dozen Crime Club titles from the past. The books were chosen by Julian Symons and he provided a short but valuable introduction to each volume.

First published in 1950, Which I Never was the fourth of Strong's five...