Brian Abbott

LATEST ARTICLES ( 306 )

• Chapter by Chapter: The Mystery of Edwin Drood

  

  Read along with The Poisoned Martini each week and examine the the origins of mysteries in the earliest examples of the genre.Illustration for cover of Oxford... Read more

  Posted on 09 March 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Hosting a Murder Mystery III

  

  Revisiting and refining themes.Have you ever hosted a murder mystery party?  It can be a lot of fun.  The idea of hosting one certainly appealed to me, having... Read more

  Posted on 09 March 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 40

  

  Blog Week VI kicks off with a new writing challenge.Each month, The Poisoned Martini presents a photo to spark your creativity. Read more

  Posted on 08 March 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Blog Week VI (March 8 – 14)

  It’s been a long while, but it’s time for the return of Blog Week!Now you might be asking: what’s Blog Week?  Think of it like TV’s sweeps, the time of year whe... Read more

  Posted on 06 March 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Josephine Tey’s To Love and Be Wise

  

  Tey’s 3rd Inspector Alan Grant has to be one of the most ingenious mysteries ever written, and it begins with a good-looking young man arriving at a party…Book... Read more

  Posted on 23 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• A Cold Day for Murder

  

  Book by Dana StabenowFirst, a young national park ranger has gone missing in Alaska.  Then an investigator sent to find him has disappeared, too.  Will it be a... Read more

  Posted on 16 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 39

  

  February brings a potentially romantic setting for this month’s writing challenge…Each month, The Poisoned Martini presents a photo to spark your creativity. Read more

  Posted on 13 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Weep No More cocktailWill you cry into your glass with this Friday cocktail, Weep No More?Because of its name, this drink reminds me of Mary Higgins Clark’s 198... Read more

  Posted on 06 February 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  White Lion cocktailWinter may be roaring outside, but have a little quiet roar inside by the fire with this Friday cocktail, the White Lion. Read more

  Posted on 30 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Live Read: Dead Man Walker

  

  The Poisoned Martini‘s is privileged to be reading Duffy Brown’s forthcoming mystery novella, Dead Man Walker. This 4th book in the Consignment Shop Mystery... Read more

  Posted on 16 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Top 10 Fantasy Novels in 2014?

  

  Reflecting on last year’s top mysteries made me curious to take a look at the fantasy novels of 2014.  What were the most popular?  Perhaps you may be... Read more

  Posted on 12 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 38

  

  This month’s challenge brings a quartet of images that may tell a story of a journey.Each month, The Poisoned Martini presents a photo to spark your creativity. Read more

  Posted on 09 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Top 10 Mysteries in 2014?

  

  2015 has certainly arrived, along with the cold.  But I still find myself reflecting on the year that was.  What were the most popular mysteries of 2014? Read more

  Posted on 07 January 2015 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Tom and JerryThis Friday–’tis still the season–try an old traditional Christmastime cocktail, the Tom and Jerry.No, it doesn’t have anything to do with that... Read more

  Posted on 27 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• 12 Murder Mysteries for Christmas

  

  Recommended Reads: 12 Murders for the HolidaysIn the mood for a little murder this holiday season?  Stories set around the Christmas holiday season have a... Read more

  Posted on 22 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Poinsettia cocktailCelebrate season’s greetings with this Friday cocktail, the Poinsettia.I’ve seen the Poinsettia pop up on lists of “traditional” holiday... Read more

  Posted on 20 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Writing Challenge 37

  

  This month’s challenge fits in with the holiday season…Each month, The Poisoned Martini presents a photo to spark your creativity. Read more

  Posted on 07 December 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Deleted Scenes

  

  You’ve seen them.  Check out a DVD (or Blu-ray) film or TV series and more likely than not, there’s a deleted scene(s), commentaries by the director or cast,... Read more

  Posted on 26 November 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Frozen

  

  “In winter all this pleasure came to an end, for the windows were sometimes quite frozen over.  But then they would warm copper pennies on the stove and hold th... Read more

  Posted on 24 November 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE

• Friday Cocktail

  

  Presbyterian cocktailWill you find a new religion with this Friday’s cocktail, the Presbyterian?This classic cocktail, once popular, is seldom on bar menus... Read more

  Posted on 22 November 2014 BOOKS, CULTURE