SleuthSayers: Unsolicited Thoughts on Spider-Noir

SleuthSayers: Unsolicited Thoughts on Spider-Noir: One of two things would happen with Episode One of Spider-Noir (Amazon Prime, 2026). Either I would press the stop button quickly, or I wou...

Little Big Crimes: This Time Oughta Go Different, by Robert Mangeot

Little Big Crimes: This Time Oughta Go Different, by Robert Mangeot:   "This Time Oughta Go Different," by Robert Mangeot, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, September/October 2025.  This i...

Trace Evidence: You Have to Know Where to Look (by Robert Mangeot)

 Trace Evidence: You Have to Know Where to Look (by Robert Mangeot)

SleuthSayers: Irwin Allen's Second Act: The Master of Disaster

SleuthSayers: Irwin Allen's Second Act: The Master of Disaster: Bob's note: Last month, Part 1 covered Irwin Allen becoming a producer/director of high-concept, plot-holed films and TV shows. His high...

SleuthSayers: Give 'Em the Rock and Roll: Irwin Allen, Part 1

SleuthSayers: Give 'Em the Rock and Roll: Irwin Allen, Part 1: Back in the Network Era of television, directors used a particular camera shot to simulate an almighty kinetic shock or battle damage. The c...

SleuthSayers: It was Random Joe, on Your Porch, With His Teeth

SleuthSayers: It was Random Joe, on Your Porch, With His Teeth: Imagine the scene: A famed detective gathers everyone in the drawing room and lays out the evidence. "Ah, but it is clear," she sa...

SleuthSayers: Adventures In Spelling (Or, An Author Gives Up)

SleuthSayers: Adventures In Spelling (Or, An Author Gives Up): Words. They're kind of important in writing. Words are comprised of letters, optimally in the correct order. I'm a liberal arts maj...

SleuthSayers: Character Tests and Conference Rooms

SleuthSayers: Character Tests and Conference Rooms: Last summer, I did a Killer Nashville panel on character contrasts, and I got stumped on a question. Now, and this is important, I knew the ...

SleuthSayers: Don't Get All Twisted

SleuthSayers: Don't Get All Twisted: Twist endings in short fiction aren’t mandatory.  There. I said it. You hear the "gotta have a twist" advice now and again, and tw...

SleuthSayers: Weapons and What Comes Around by Robert Mangeot

SleuthSayers: Weapons and What Comes Around: Crime fiction has a weapon. Figuratively, I mean, not pistols, wrenches, or candlesticks. Not mystery, not suspense. I’m talking about somet...

Trace Evidence: The Great Catamaran Jacking and Other Happy Accidents by Robert Mangeot

 Trace Evidence: The Great Catamaran Jacking and Other Happy Accidents by Robert Mangeot

SleuthSayers: Perfect Spy 'o the Time: The Macbeth Murder Mystery by Robert Mangeot

SleuthSayers: Perfect Spy 'o the Time: The Macbeth Murder Mystery: It wasn’t an elaborate murder plot, nor did it go as planned. Not Macbeth’s plan, anyway. He put real thought into it, though. Ambushing his...

SleuthSayers: What a Decade of Story Writing Does to You by Robert Mangeot

SleuthSayers: What a Decade of Story Writing Does to You: You should write something. Probably every writer heard that whisper in their head. Come on. Do it. Write something . After all, how hard ca...

SleuthSayers: The Writer As Necromancer by Robert Mangeot

SleuthSayers: The Writer As Necromancer: The Fever Throes of NaNoWriMo 2011. The one-month sprint is way on. In my thing, this European crime lord wants his painting back. Main cha...

SleuthSayers: Kyle in Payables Has Been Binge-Watching, and Now ...

SleuthSayers: Kyle in Payables Has Been Binge-Watching, and Now ...: Please welcome the newest inmate to our cozy little asylum.  Robert Mangeot  has been around the short mystery fiction scene for a few ye...