100 Great Mystery Shows

Mad About Mystery: 100 Wonderful Television Mysteries From the Seventies looks at one hundred fabulous and often funky television mysteries from one of the most exciting and turbulent decades in history, the 1970’s. Along with fondly-remembered made-for-TV movies and iconic detective shows such as The Rockford Files, Columbo and Charlie’s Angels, there are interviews with some of the unique and talented players who were part of these productions, both in front of and behind the scenes. Hart to Hart’s Stefanie Powers kicks it all off with a terrific introduction. Take a look at feathered hair, leisure suits, lava lamps, bellbottoms, everyone’s favorite murderous Zuni doll and the fuzz – and some of the greatest television mysteries and detectives ever created.

Our universe is filled with important questions that both captivate the minds of scientists and capture popular imagination. This volume traces many of these questions, shedding light on everything from time travel to the nature of atoms. Divided into sections called Physical Matter and Forces, Space, Human Body, Earth, Other Life-Forms, and Human Triumphs and Troubles, the book elucidates the latest scientific theories in easy-to-follow, engaging terms.

H.R.F Keating, author of The Perfect Murder and mystery reviewer for teh Times of London, offers a concise commentary on the finest mystery books ever written. From Poe's tales of mystery and imagination to P.D. James's A Taste for Death, Keating delivers a highly-readable evaluation of the 100 authors and their masterpieces. This collection is a must for all devoted mystery readers. "Something to offer almost everyone. If you are only just embarking on a life of crime fiction...a reliable guide." -The New York Times "Remarkably balanced and highly entertaining." -Library Journal "Keating, himself a mystery writer of note, has compiled a truly standout survey...This is a gold mine of lively writing, sensible insights and easy-going erudition." -The Philadelphia Inquirer "Ideal browsing fare." -Booklist

Crime fiction is one of the most popular literary genres and has been for more than a century. At the heart of almost all forms of mysteries—from the Golden Age puzzler to the contemporary police procedural, from American hardboiled fiction to the Japanese timetable mystery—is the investigator. He—or, increasingly, she—can be a private eye, a police officer, or a general busybody. But whatever forms these investigators take, they are the key element of crime fiction. Criminals and their crimes come and go, while our attention is captured by these fascinating characters who exist at the intersection of so many different literary and social roles. 100 Greatest Literary Detectives offers a selection of the most influential, important, and intriguing fictional sleuths—amateur or professional—from around the world. From Sherlock Holmes to Harry Hole, Kinsey Millhone to Kiyoshi Mitarai, the detectives profiled here give readers a broader picture of one of fiction’s most popular genres. Each entry summarizes the distinctive features of notable investigators and their approaches to crime, provides a brief outline of major features of their fictional careers, and makes a case for their importance based on literary-historical impact, novelty, uniqueness, aesthetic quality, or cultural resonance. The characters profiled here include Lew Archer, Martin Beck, Father Brown, Brother Cadfael, Adam Dalgliesh, Mike Hammer, Miss Jane Marple, Hercule Poirot, Ellery Queen, Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, Kay Scarpetta, Sam Spade, Phillip Trent, V. I. Warshawski, Lord Peter Wimsey, Nero Wolfe, and many others. Readers will find some of their favorite detectives here, learn more about their literary and cultural significance, and discover other great sleuths—old and new, local and international—in this engaging volume. 100 Greatest Literary Detectives provides a fascinating look into some of the most intriguing fictional characters of all time.

One hundred essays celebrate fiction's greatest detectives.

The award-winning television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999) has been described as “the smartest, funniest show in America,” and forever changed the way we watch movies. The series featured a human host and a pair of robotic puppets who, while being subjected to some of the worst films ever made, provided ongoing hilarious and insightful commentary in a style popularly known as “riffing.” These essays represent the first full-length scholarly analysis of Mystery Science Theater 3000—MST3K—which blossomed from humble beginnings as a Minnesota public-access television show into a cultural phenomenon on two major cable networks. The book includes interviews with series creator Joel Hodgson and cast members Kevin Murphy and Trace Beaulieu.

Journey through a universe of forgotten truths.