The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

John Mortimer's Rumpole of the Bailey

The creator of one of the most memorable mystery characters has passed away. John Mortimer wrote the Rumpole of the Bailey books which have entertained many people for many years. Mortimer passed away on Friday, January 16th (2009). His creation of Horace Rumpole, a Barrister at the Old Bailey in London, is such a uniquely different character.

Horace isn’t a flashy “know it all” type of defense lawyer. If anything, the other lawyers in the office think of him as not very smart, someone who drinks a “little” more than he should, someone with whom they don’t want to chair a case. But for some reason, Horace usually wins his cases. Perhaps because he believes that everyone deserves a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance… as many chances as it takes before they retire from their lives of crime. 

Horace is that type of character. He may not be the smartest in the group, but if he’s on your side, you have a very good chance of getting to go home instead of staying in jail. And all of this is because Horace Rumpole is a cunning barrister who is able to manipulate the system.

As a barrister himself, Mortimer was able to show the reader (and in the case of the television series, the viewer) the petty machinations of a British law office. Fortunately for us, Horace was almost oblivious to the dog-eat-dog environment. He actually seemed to prefer being at the office than going home to “She who must be obeyed.” (his wife Hilda.) Mortimer was able to make us (the readers and/or viewers) like Horace, even though Horace is very flawed.

So, although John Mortimer passed away, Horace Rumpole will live on…

Hercule Poirot with David Suchet

All of you Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie’s Belgian private detective) fans are more than likely already aware of David Suchet’s wonderful portrayal of the rather prim, always correct detective. For those of you very few people who have not yet experienced any of the Agatha Christie’s Poirot delightful shows, you will be glad to know that you have many hours of entertainment to look forward to.

The setting is London in the 1930s. The scenery is perfect. I love the outside shots of the London streets: the architectural detailing is exactly how I imagine it must have been back then. As a lover of art deco, I love seeing the “modern” furniture, the clothes, and cars.

The long running British series starred four regulars: David Suchet as Poirot, Hugh Fraser as Capt. Hastings (his not-so-astute side kick), Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp, and Poirot’s very capable, always correct secretary Miss Lemon was played by Pauline Moran. All of them “became” the characters they portrayed for this series. (I have since seen two of the actors in other projects, and was surprised to see one of them playing the evil villain!)

What a treat it is to watch these shows… from Poirot’s penguin-like walk to Poirot trimming his  waxed moustache. The attention to detail really pays off for the viewer. Miss Lemon’s bobby pin curls, Capt. Hastings’ car fetish, and even Inspector Japp’s overcoat… the detailing is perfect. It’s all a treat to watch! And, the friendship between Inspector Japp and Poirot goes so much farther than the predictable rivalry that “modern day” shows depict.

This Poirot series is as cozy as you can find. I truly believe that Agatha Christie would have been very happy with this series… no gore, plenty of humor, great ambiance, quirky characters (Poirot being the quirkiest! – a model for today’s “Monk” character) and no need for “adult” situations. Poirot is able to solve all of the cases with the use of his “little gray cells” so that Inspector Japp is able to close the cases, and retain his dignity.

♦If you would like to see more TV & Movies suggestions, click here.♦

Annette Blair, Kate Carlisle, & Joanne Clarey : New Authors to the Site…

I don’t know if anyone noticed, but this is the first time that I put authors on the “New Mystery Book Releases” page before I actually had added the authors to the site. Right after I get your recommendations of authors to add to the site, I add their names to the list of all of the authors who I currently have on the site. Usually, I have posted the new recommended authors before they release a new book, but not this time… (This is probably way more information than you want to know!)

I have the new authors’ little “blips” on the “What’s New” page, so I won’t repeat myself. But, here are the three new authors to the site:

Annette Blair

Kate Carlisle

Joanne Clarey

I am trying to make my way through my list of recommended authors so that I can get them posted soon. I just hate starting the new year with a back log of things I didn’t get accomplished last year!

My Computer Desk is All Set Up Downstairs…

My son, daughter, and husband put together a new computer desk for me in the guest bedroom downstairs, so I should be all set to go! They did this on Saturday, and I spent yesterday trying to get things organized. Sprite isn’t crazy about the set-up, since she really is a creature of habit, but I think that with time she’ll learn to enjoy her life of leisure… sprawling out on the guest bed.

Oh, and speaking of Sprite… My family corrected me >>> She’s only fourteen years old! (Barbara, I thought she was the same age as Duncan!) My mistake… I think that since I’ve been calling her fourteen since December, knowing that she would soon be that age, I got confused and added on a year on Sunday. Well, it’s no surprise, since she sometimes acts like she’s 15!

By the way, during the computer desk relocation, we weren’t aware that our server went down and the management company that we pay to make sure that the server is always working apparently didn’t catch the problem immediately… so if you sent a comment on Friday night, I lost it. I’m sorry about that. 

As I type this entry, Sprite is snoozing contentedly. I am pretty sure that she will come around to this new computer site. She may be old, but she can certainly learn new tricks!

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