Category Archives: Robert Bloch

THE TODD DOSSIER (1969) by Robert Bloch

Posted on 4 April 2014 by

This medical thriller was the first novel by Robert Bloch that I ever read, though I didn’t know it at the time. The reason I picked it up was because it was credited to Collier Young, the creator of Ironside … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014 Vintage Mystery Challenge Bingo, Friday's Forgotten Book, Novelisation, Robert Bloch | 52 Comments

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Annabel (1962)

Posted on 1 October 2013 by

During the week David Kelsey lives in a little apartment in Froudsberg but at weekends he drives off to a large secluded house near Ballard to become ‘William Newmaster’, where he dreams of a life with his ex-girlfriend Annabel, now … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013 Book to Movie Challenge, New York, Patricia Highsmith, Robert Bloch, Tuesday's Overlooked Film | 37 Comments

THE HORIZONTAL MAN (1946) by Helen Eustis

Posted on 31 December 2012 by

Phew! By the skin of my teeth I’ve managed to complete the 2012 Vintage Mystery Readers Challenge. To celebrate, and as my last blog post until late January, here is my (short) review of Helen Eustis’ influential Edgar-winning debut. Set … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge, Amnesia, Campus Crime, Five Star review, Golden Age Girls, Margaret Millar, New York, Robert Bloch, Scene of the crime | 22 Comments

The Blake Edwards mysteries

Posted on 6 November 2012 by

In a career spanning six decades, writer-director Blake Edwards (1922-2010) really mixed it up, making almost every conceivable type of film. There were westerns (Panhandle and Wild Rovers), musicals (Darling Lili and Victor Victoria), dark drama (Days of Wine and … Continue reading →

Posted in Blake Edwards, Cold War, Espionage, Evelyn Anthony, Hollywood, London, Michael Crichton, Mickey Spillane, Mike Hammer, Paris, Police procedural, Private Eye, Robert Bloch, Rome, San Francisco, Scene of the crime, Screwball, Tuesday's Overlooked Film, TV Cops | 44 Comments

ONE FOR THE ROAD (1958) by Fredric Brown

Posted on 31 August 2012 by

A whodunit that, as the title suggests, is more than a tad on the bibulous side, One For the Road is one of the less well-known mysteries by cult author Fredric Brown and  one of his last. In the 40s … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Alphabet of Crime, Arizona, Crime Fiction Alphabet, Fredric Brown, Friday's Forgotten Book, Robert Bloch | 14 Comments

SOME OF YOUR BLOOD (1961) by Theodore Sturgeon

Posted on 18 May 2012 by

OK folks, this one might get a little bit tricky. For the record, let me state that Exhibit A, Some of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon, is a remarkable book. It describes an investigation into a person’s character, via a case … Continue reading →

Posted in Friday's Forgotten Book, Margaret Millar, Psycho, Robert Bloch, Scene of the crime, Theodore Sturgeon | 42 Comments

THE SCARF (1947 / 1966) by Robert Bloch

Posted on 20 April 2012 by

“I have the heart of a young boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk” Robert Bloch was the prolific author of novels, short stories and screenplays in the horror, science fiction and mystery genres. He also possessed … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Vintage Mystery Reading Challenge, Amnesia, Chicago, Friday's Forgotten Book, Los Angeles, New York, Psycho, Robert Bloch, Scene of the crime | 37 Comments