Lighting the Pipes

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A canonical tour of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and their colourful contexts. More an enthusiast’s journey than an expert’s quest, episodes aim to blend research and literary analysis with banterful conversation and review.

Bowman & the BFG


    • May 31, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 42m AVG DURATION
    • 103 EPISODES
    • 3 SEASONS


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    Latest episodes from Lighting the Pipes

    LTP Noir: Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2025 57:28


    "I'd hate to take a bite of you... you're a cookie full of arsenic."Alexander McKendrick's compelling noir is full of lines like this, courtesy of screenwriter Clifford Odets - quite fitting for intrigue set in the back-stabby world of showbiz journalism. Burt Lancaster may appear more dinky here than normal but don't be fooled by his glasses: JJ Hunsecker is a powerful and fiendish columnist who employs an ambitious press agent, Sidney Faclo, played by Tony Curtis to break up his sister's romance. Conflict and betrayals emerge from the darkness here, masterfully rendered through sharp angles and lighting contrasts by Oscar-winning DP, James Wong Howe. Decorated with subtle touches and engaging performances, "Sweet Smell of Success" was a critic's favourite when released in 1957 and Josh lays the whole story out in this episode of LTP Noir.Pre-Production @ 01:55; Summary @ 23:00; Production @36:00; Review @47:00 Get your Magic Mind here!

    The Benson Murder Case (1926)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 128:24


    According to Ogden Nash, "Philo Vance needs a kick in the pants", and Dashiel Hammett described the character's posturing as being, "like a teenager who had been studying the foreign words and phrases in the back of their dictionary". S.S. Van Dine's foppish sleuth certainly does make an impression on a reader and here, in his first appearance, we get to follow his methodology and manipulation alongside DA John Markham and "The Benson Murder Case". Opinions weren't hard to come by during our read and review of this crime classic!Fast Facts @15:00; Summary @41:00; PIPES @55:00Get your Magic Mind here

    LTP 007: Role of Honour (1984)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 101:04


    Another year, another 007 continuation novel for John Gardner! In 1984 it was "Role of Honour", his fourth effort, which pits a rich but disenchanted James Bond up against a SPECTRE in sheep's clothing. From computer programming to terrorist training, Endor battles and blimp jumping, Gardner leaves little on the cutting room floor with this one, taking readers to crazytown and back in this raucous spy thriller.

    LTP Special: The Eiger Sanction (1975)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2025 120:22


    Fresh on the heels of last week's novel review, we're proud to present our conversation about Clint Eastwood's film adaptation of Trevanian's "The Eiger Sanction" from 1975. Recorded a few years back with our good buddy Jeff Chapman from Bond By Numbers, no Eiger stone was left unturned in this deep-dive investigation, re-polished for your listening pleasure.

    The Eiger Sanction (1972)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 60:28


    Get Your Magic Mind Offer

    LTP Noir: This Gun For Hire (1942)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 71:27


    Get Your Magic Mind Offer

    The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2025 123:34


    Ashenden (1928)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 119:57


    Throughout the first World War, acclaimed novelist W. Somerset Maugham worked for British Intelligence in Switzerland. Under cover as a writer, Maugham used his knowledge of travel, languages and culture to great effect, infiltrating high society and common folk alike in his job of greasing the wheels of espionage. A decade later, Maugham fictionalized his experiences in this book, a pseudo-autobiographical account of his time on the continent. Brimming with intrigue and colourful supporting characters, the linked stories of "Ashenden" are skillfully controlled narrative glimpses of war-time spycraft by a figure who's been there and done it. Fast Facts @ 2:00; Summaries @ 28:00; PIPES @ 1:35:00

    LTP 007: Icebreaker (1983)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 78:01


    Happy New Year! Our survey of John Gardner's continuation novels carries on with a chat over his third effort. If, like many, you buy into the belief that a Bond's third outing is his best ("Goldfinger", "The Spy Who Loved Me", "Skyfall".... Fleming, too, wrote "Moonraker" third) then Gardner should be stretching comfortably by now. "Icebreaker" sees 007 unite with an inter-agency operation in Finland to thwart a fascist terrorist group. Join us as we explore Gardner's world of snowmobiles, double agents and smoked salmon fireside chats.

    2024 Review & Holiday Quiz

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2024 66:25


    Our final episode of 2024 looks back on an entertaining year of reading for the show. We also present our rankings for each text covered and share in the challenge of our first holiday Sherlock quiz!

    Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 77:01


    It's Christmas at Gorston Hall and the Lee family is preparing to welcome family home for the holidays at the behest of grizzled, mischievous patriarch, Simeon. But when the guests arrive, bringing all their baggage in tow, a brutal murder amplifies family conflict to a breaking point. In this year's holiday read, LTP mulls wine and conversation over Hercule Poirot and one of Agatha Christie's most celebrated locked room mysteries.

    Enter the Saint (1930)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2024 140:10


    Despite first appearing on the scene in 1928's "Meet the Tiger", author Leslie Charteris promoted this volume from 1930 as the proper introduction of Simon Templar, aka "The Saint". Across three novellas ("The Man Who Was Clever", "The Policeman with Wings" and "The Lawless Lady") his dandified crime-buster makes his literary debut here, taking on London gangsters, outsmarting dwarfish diamond thieves and navigating round a ring of high-seas scam artists. So polish your halos and brogues, its time for close and classy combat with Simon Templar!Fast facts (5:45), "The Man Who Was Clever" (26:30), "The Policeman With Wings" (1:08), "The Lawless Lady" (1:44:20).

    Phantom Lady (1942)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2024 138:34


    Scott Henderson is facing execution for a murder he didn't commit and the countdown clock is ticking. His only chance of reversing fortune rests in a close friend's ability to scour New York's grimy nightlife and locate the anonymous woman who can prove he wasn't at the crime scene. Such are the opening stakes in Cornell Woolrich's pulp thriller, "Phantom Lady", the focus of our latest review. Demonic drugs, fever dream rhythms and even an orange pumpkin hat - what could be more Halloween than that! Thrills and chills abound in this twisty, influential noir.

    LTP 007: For Special Services (1982)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2024 88:11


    In his second continuation novel, John Gardner returns Bond to the USA and reunites readers with some canonical staples. Motivated by a recent spate of airline hijackings with potential SPECTRE links, Bond is sent by M to investigate an ice-cream magnate from Texas whose guarded compound and general milieu reeks of suspicion. But the decision to resurrect Fleming's narrative ghosts comes with hefty responsibilities and there's a thin line between successful fan-service and ephemeral tokenism. Join us as we go down the literary gunbarrel for another LTP 007 and discuss the finer points of Gardner's sophomore effort!

    SoHo Sins (2016)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2024 110:44


    Richard Vine's debut novel transports readers to the sharp, seedy world of Manhattan art shows, broken hearts and criminal enterprise. What starts as helping out a murder investigation soon becomes much more for art-dealer (and friend of victim) Jackson Wyeth. "SoHo Sins" is crafted by Vine with a knowing pen, one that is encouraged by a wealth of career experience in the art game and inspired by the busted-up detective narrators of noirs gone by. LTP is excited to be back and kick-starting a new round of reviews with this 2016 entry from Richard Vine and Hard Case Crime.

    The Mask of Dimitrios (1939)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 136:33


    Who killed Dimitrios Makrupoulos? That's what obsessive mystery writer Charles Latimer is eager to find out in Eric Ambler's classic thriller from 1939. As he racks up European passport stamps in pursuit of an answer, the dark and criminal underbelly of a continent in flux is exposed to him, offering Latimer much more than fodder for his next novel. Join LTP as Josh and Scott give chase and explore both author and novel. Fast facts @ 8:50; Summary @ 27:15; Pipes @ 44:30

    LTP 007: Licence Renewed (1981)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 58:34


    Our look at the post-Fleming world of 007 continues with "Licence Renewed", John Gardner's inaugural outing and the first James Bond novel of the 1980s. An ousted nuclear scientist with a Braveheart complex seeks revenge in this spy adventure. From fixed horse races and holographic bedrooms to night-driving and devilish highland games, we portion out the narrative goods and take focus down the literary gun-barrel.

    Charles Altamont Doyle (1832-1893)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 48:07


    Artistry and imagination ran in the bloodline of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's family. His father, Charles, was driven by powerful appetites and ambitions that aptly reflected the Victorian spirit and would come to greatly influence his son. However, his personal life and mental health were marked by persistent struggle. From his advantaged start in London to his tumultuous adult years in Edinburgh to his final days in Dumfries, we step off the beaten track in this special episode for a sojourn through the life and legacy of Charles Altamont Doyle.

    LTP Selects: The Devil's Foot (1910)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 46:33


    We conclude this summer's Sherlock Selects series with "The Devil's Foot", originally published in 1910 and presented later in Conan Doyle's "His Last Bow" collection. Highlighted by a dastardly villain with a vengeful, colonial mind, this story also features a drug-induced journey into the unknown which tests Holmes and Watson's friendship to the max! Edwardian adventure awaits you in this conversation, originally recorded in June of 2018.

    Still Life (2005)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 113:27


    Louise Penny's debut novel transports readers to the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada, and the fictitious village of Three Pines. The mysterious death of a retired teacher, Jane Neal, sends this secluded community into a fog of suspicion marked by the exhumation of buried secrets, insecurities and dark history. Working the case is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, veteran of the Sûreté du Québec, whose peaceable personality puts him in good stead among the denizens of Three Pines. So pack your bag, readers, and book your B&B: visitors to the leafy lanes of "Still Life" can expect lessons in archery, antique furniture and amateur art! Fast Facts @4:00, Summary @19:30, Review from 43:30.

    LTP Selects: The Illustrious Client (1925)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 65:41


    Josh's selection for this year's "Sherlock Selects" returns us to The Illustrious Client. Marked by the predatory exploits of a dastardly Baron, this later Conan Doyle story (1925) spins its archetypal threads of good vs. evil while promoting emergent themes in context of suffragette and female agency. Our chat, originally recorded in-person during the summer of 2018, has been trimmed down, tidied up and newly introduced here for our annual Summer Redux. Enjoy!

    LTP Noir: Force of Evil (1948)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2024 77:51


    In this installment, Josh presents a clean line through the scandalous phlegm of HUAC and the red scare in Hollywood which served as backdrop for many great film noir productions, including 1948's "Force of Evil". Director Abraham Polonsky fills each frame with atmosphere and suggestive imagery to help convey themes of family conflict and corruption. Heralded still for its lyrical, razor-sharp script, "Force of Evil" has earned a place in the pantheon of film noir. John Garfield, Thomas Gomez and Beatrice Pearson star in this compelling thriller showcasing the rot of capitalist greed in the American underworld.

    LTP 007: Colonel Sun (1968)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 121:28


    In this episode, our first in a new branch exploring the continuation novels of James Bond, we look down the literary gunbarrel at "Colonel Sun", written by Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis). Published four years after Ian Fleming's death, Markham's compelling adventure situates agent 007 in a new world of espionage. "Colonel Sun" comes on the heels of Amis's successful non-fiction character-piece, "The James Bond Dossier" and marks the first "official" 007 fiction of a new era. So, hop aboard the good ship LTP and brandish your shades and parasols - we're setting sail right now, straight for the Sun... Colonel Sun!

    Rebecca (1938)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2024 130:59


    "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."Thus starts the troubled narrative of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 classic novel. Part mystery story, part Gothic romance, Rebecca manipulates features of both genres to impressive effect. It offers readers a haunting depiction of tormented characters in an eerily prescient country mansion. The novel follows our naive narrator as she tries to make sense of married life in the aristocracy, complete with a controlling housekeeper, destructive family secrets and more repressed baggage than you can comfortably carry! Bio & Context @ 4:55, Summary @ 25:15, Review @ 48:30

    Agent of Chaos (2017)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2024 52:26


    Kami Garcia's "Agent of Chaos" is one of two X-Files origin novels published in 2017. The story is set in 1979 and follows a 17 year-old Fox Mulder. A soon-to-be High School graduate, Mulder is struggling to negotiate the choppy waters of his parents' recent divorce as a spate of child abductions casts an anxious cloud over the D.C. area. Mulder grows obsessed when he starts to piece together evidence missed by the authorities and soon sees the case as a chance to make amends for the loss of his own sister, Samantha, five years earlier. Garcia's novel offers an engaging and decisive snapshot of Fox Mulder before his transition into adulthood and employment with the FBI.

    Doctor Glas (1905)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2024 116:46


    Hjalmar Söderberg's compelling novel caused quite a stir in Europe when it was published in 1905. His protagonist - a restless, brooding doctor in Stockholm at the turn of the century - grows obsessive when a patient comes to him with a delicate problem. Written in loose epistolary fashion, the inner monologues of Doctor Glas juxtapose beautiful reflections on life and morality with odious thoughts and scheming about the local minister, Pastor Gregorius. Oh, and did we mention the patient was the Pastor's wife? Yeah, it's all to play for here and tragic love is the trophy. Söderberg's narrative has a lot to offer: great beauty, dark trauma and hectares of fertile Freduian farmland to map!

    The Black Lizard (1934)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2024 95:45


    In this episode we travel to the Land of the Rising Sun where master detective Akechi Kogoro plays a game of cat and mouse with the titular Black Lizard, a femme fatale unlike we've encountered so far! Serialized at the height of Imperial Japan, before its ill-fated bid at Pacific supremacy, this twisted tale by Edogawa Rampo (the pseudonym of Taro Hirai) weaves a narrative of jewelery-theft and kidnap-come-torture. Channeling the spirits of Poe's disturbed imagination and Conan Doyle's straight-ahead pacing, Rampo delivers a lively, memorable read. So join us as we take on "The Black Lizard"!

    The Long Shadow (1975)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2023 74:31


    Our final episode of 2023 investigates Celia Fremlin's "The Long Shadow" from 1975. Fremlin's text spins an intricate domestic mystery surrounding the recently-widowed character of Imogen Barnicott. Strange things start happening around her home at Christmastime and her late husband's family arrive to spend the holidays with their own baggage weighing heavy. But house guests are only the start of Imogen's trouble: nightmarish visitors, misplaced books, anonymous letters, a stolen cat... oh, and accusations of murder - what holiday would be complete without them! So, stoke the fire and grab your favourite grog, it's time for a holiday mystery!

    LTP Selects: The Blue Carbuncle (1892)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 55:18


    In this special episode we polish the dust off our first chat on "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" from 2017 and reintroduce the story just in time for the holidays! As the only Holmes story set firmly within the Christmas season, "Carbuncle" occupies a special place in the hearts of many readers. Published in the January 1892 edition of The Strand, it offers readers a fine mix of intrigue, mishap and fireside fuzzies.

    Call for the Dead (1961)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2023 102:43


    1961's "Call for the Dead" was a striking premiere in spy fiction. Not only was it the careful, opening gambit in John le Carré's long and dominating career, it also marked the first appearance of George Smiley, the author's recurring intelligence officer of unlikely composition. Accented by a polite, unassuming conduct, Smiley is slightly overweight and a bit lovesick, too, all of which stood him in sharp contrast to the "known quantity" literary spy of the day. Drawing on his own experiences of work with Britain's intelligence services, John le Carré sculpts his inaugural text out of post-war mortar and emerging cold-war realism.

    LTP Noir: Detour (1945)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2023 60:26


    In this installment, Josh gets behind the wheel of "Detour" and takes listeners through the hairpin turns of Edgar G. Ulmer's "poverty row" production. When it was released in November 1945, "Detour" exceeded expectations, impressing post-war audiences and critics alike with inspired editing, nihilistic storytelling and a standout performance by Ann Savage as the vicious Vera. From Martin Goldsmith's source material to Leo Erdody's compelling post-production score, this special episode covers all tire-worn avenues of Ulmer's classic noir!

    Batman: Year One (1987)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2023 97:31


    Batman first appeared in the May 1939 edition of "Detective Comics", the creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Since then, the caped crusader and his story have been re-imagined through myriad themes and variations. Arguably the most compelling of these came In 1987, when artist and writer Frank Miller portrayed the first year of Bruce Wayne's activity as Batman. His four-part story runs in parallel to that of Police Lieutenant James Gordon, whose arrival and ascension in Gotham city is of equal importance. In this episode, Josh and Scott discuss Miller's graphic novel, starting with a detailed look at the origins of the character and its artists (6:25) before presenting a full plot summary (36:20) and finally reviewing the work in its entirety (54:00).

    Five Decembers (2021)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2023 147:18


    It's late in 1941. Honolulu basks in Hawaiian warmth and Battleship Row sparkles with military confidence, just weeks before the day that would live in infamy. Downtown, Police Detective Joe McGrady receives a brutal double murder case that's about to change his life. The first victim is the nephew of an Admiral; the second is a young Japanese woman. What do these killings have to do with the impending attack on Pearl Harbour and Imperial Japan's grasp for Pacific supremacy? How far will McGrady go to uncover the truth and chase a killer? Find out more as we dive-bomb into extended discussion over James Kestrel's Edgar Award winning war-time thriller, Five Decembers.

    Vertigo (1954)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2023 71:09


    Boileau-Narcejac's novel D'entre les morts (The Living and the Dead) was published in 1954 and served as the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's classic psychological thriller. Over the decades, however, the source material with its war-time setting has been largely subsumed by the influence of the Hollywood production. Here, Josh and Scott explore Jeffery Sainsbury's enduring translation of the original novel by the esteemed French crime-writing duo.

    Beast in View (1956)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2023 102:45


    A brief crank call transforms into a lengthy nightmare for spinster Helen Clarvoe and her anxious orbit around family and friends in Los Angeles. By turns evasive and compelling, Margaret Millar proffers a unique psychological thriller with Beast in View, her Edgar Award winning novel from 1956. Working the case on behalf of Helen (and readers) is unlikely investigator, Paul Blackshear, who sails a sea of choppy emotional waters, characterised by obsession, personal trauma and vindictive love. So, leave your phone off the hook and join us for a look through this enduring narrative gem and its unassuming legacy.

    LTP Noir: Criss Cross (1949)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2023 51:50


    Robert Siodmak's gem from 1949 goes under the microscope in this episode. Motivations for this classic plot involve an armoured car heist, an old flame and axes to grind. Good natured sap, Burt Lancaster, is the inside man on the job whilst making time with his ex, turned gangster's moll, Yvonne De Carlo. Unfortunately for him, head-heavy Dan Duryea is as violent as he is jealous. Josh takes you through the beats of Criss Cross as LTP Noir continues its investigation into the world of Film Noir.

    The Riddle of the Sands (1903)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2023 112:59


    In this episode we hoist, brail and kedge our way through Erskine Childer's 1903 prophetic spy thriller, The Riddle of the Sands. Published in 1903 and foreshadowing the great conflict of nations only a decade away, "Riddle" has held its place among the pantheon of influential spy mysteries for well over a century now. We start our voyage with Josh navigating the short, tumultuous waters of the author's life, rise and eventual fall at the inception of Irish Civil War (8:00). We then bowse the main sail and get down to cruising through brass tacks in our discussion of the novel itself (48:12).

    The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2023 102:34


    A staple of the first-person confessional, James M Cain's debut novel has really lasted the test of time. Now knocking on 90 years of age, "The Postman Always Rings Twice" delivers a ruthless plot at an unforgiving pace. Frank Chambers is an unemployed rambler possessed of a loose moral compass and an appetite for opportunity. Once he drifts upon the Twin Oaks Tavern and into the life of the restless Cora Papadakis things will never be the same again. So, flip the sign and lock the door - it's closing time at the diner but happy hour for another LTP literary investigation!

    LTP Noir: Pickup on South Street (1953)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 44:44


    LTP Noir returns, this time to the mean streets of Samuel Fuller's New York City at the height of the McCarthy era. Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and Thelma Ritter star in "Pickup on South Street", a brutish and caustic yarn where common criminals are considered heroes compared to those stinking Reds! Collect your tickets, friends, and hop aboard as Josh steadies the train through this underrated film's tracks and turns, with stops along the way through Fuller's prolific career in journalism and Hollywood.

    The Triumph of the Spider Monkey (1974)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2023 93:16


    "The Triumph of the Spider Monkey" is the chaotic narrative of Bobby Gotteson, whose repressive lust and murderous rage reach their fever-pitch following a hubris-led journey to California. All but disowned by its author, Joyce Carol Oates, we crack the covers on a new season of LTP with a look at this stylish, often brutal novel, recently resurrected from obscurity by Hard Case Crime. We also take a look at "Love, Careless Love", Oates' never-before collected companion novella.

    LTP Noir: Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2023 81:37


    In 1943, Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" delivered a sinister sucker-punch of a conundrum to naïve North American audiences: What happens when the sleepy, mundane routine of a secure society unwittingly welcomes in maniacal, chaotic forces? Playing on one of Hitchcock's favourite themes, this microcosm of a film has aged exceptionally well. In this episode, Josh breaks down the complex film and considers its legacy.

    LTP Noir: Dark Passage (1947)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2022 41:18


    “Dark Passage” is one of Film Noir's most unique thrillers. The 1947 film boasts an all-star cast, innovative use of first-person subjective camerawork and some remarkable on-location shooting. What's more, it was the inspiration for "The Fugitive" TV series of the 1960s as well as its 1993 feature film remake (...minus the plastic surgery of course!). In this episode of our cinematic side-series, Josh navigates the murky waters of Delmer Daves's tense and visually compelling manhunt.

    Body in the Library (1942)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 87:46


    How One British Soldier Turned a Parlor Game into 'Clue' | Mental Floss10 Facts About Clue for Its 70th Anniversary | Mental FlossClue (board game) | Clue Wiki | Fandom

    LTP Noir: The Blue Dahlia (1946)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 61:53


    In this episode Josh discusses the troubled and time-pressed production of George Marshall's "The Blue Dahlia". Penned by hard-boiled novelist, Raymond Chandler, and starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake and William Bendix, the story behind this gritty man-on-the-run thriller is as compelling as the adventure itself.

    Noir (1998)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2022 137:57


    Better know, perhaps, for his writing in the expanded universes of Star Wars, Star Trek and Blade Runner, K W Jeter is nevertheless one of the pioneers of cyberpunk fiction. The sub-genre's gritty, challenging tropes are equal parts prophetic and perplexing for readers. Into its tech-heavy milieu of corrupt appetites and dispossessed culture, Jeter situates John McNihil, a singular detective with a unique and nostalgic view of his world, the Gloss of the Pacific Rim. There's not much that Jeter's narrative and world-building shy away from here so hold on to your hats (...fedoras, of course) as we delve deeply into this complex and prescient thriller.

    LTP Noir: Laura (1944)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2022 34:45


    Otto Preminger's "Laura" from 1944 is considered a classic of the noir genre. Expertly cast and masterfully directed, "Laura" has remained among cinema's most stylistic of psychological thrillers for nearly 80 years. So set your clocks and hide your shotguns - in the second feature of this intriguing side-series, Josh explores the context behind Laura's production and considers the factors of its enduring influence.

    LTP Selects: The Empty House (1903)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2022 60:01


    Ten years after propelling his protagonist off the page via Reichenbach in "The Final Problem", Arthur Conan Doyle returns Holmes to his adoring public. Published in Autumn of 1903, "The Empty House" gave eager readers what they'd been seeking for a decade - key answers to the past, a wild villain of the present and much hope for the future. First released in November 2017, this episode has been lovingly reworked for presentation and brings this Summer's Sherlock Selects Series to an end!

    LTP Selects: The Final Problem (1893)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2022 63:27


    Good news, Sherlock fans! Summer has arrived (in the northern hemisphere at least) and that means the return of our world-famous "Sherlock Selects" Summer Series! Last year, we featured four classic stand-alone installments. This season we're tackling the Holmesian mythology with revamped presentations of "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House". First up, Conan Doyle's intrepid attempt to bid farewell to his great detective from December 1893. Our conversation here was first presented in September 2017. Enjoy!

    Anatomy of a Murder (1958)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2022 113:21


    Inspired by real events, Robert Traver's 1958 novel was the first of its kind - a true "courtroom thriller". Showcasing the genial narrative perspective of every-man defense attorney, Paul Biegler, "Anatomy" couldn't be better named as it guides readers through the crooks and crevices of the legal corpus of a murder trial. Groundbreaking and controversial in equal measure for its detailing and confrontation of sexual assault, Traver's story was immediately adapted for the screen by Hollywood legend Otto Preminger, where it gathered further acclaim and social traction. As fiction, "Anatomy" holds up well and, propelled by its warmth and wisdom, offered us a mill's worth of grist for conversational grind.

    LTP Selects: Quantum of Solace (1959)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2022 20:39


    In this pint-sized episode, we reach into the archives and present a conversation from July 2016 on Ian Fleming's "Quantum of Solace". A divisive short story that had James Bond fans scratching their heads, Fleming's narrative experiment positions 007 as after-dinner audience to a morality tale of greed, revenge and marital conflict. It's a curious short story and well worth checking out!

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