The place to look for the origins of the literary private eye is in 19th century France with the character of Eugene Francois Vidocq.
Archives: Kinsey Millhone
Ross Macdonald takes hard-boiled fiction to new levels of style and plot
January 18, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: fiction, journalism, Private eye, writers, writing.
Just when the reading world thought that the hard-boiled detective novel had reached its zenith with Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, along comes Ross Macdonald. The similarities among the lives of Hammett, Chandler, and Macdonald (whose real name was Kenneth Millar) are striking and significant: All had difficult and disruptive childhoods. Each, for a time, • Read More »
The death of a great mystery writer; and more crimes against English; newsletter Jan. 5, 2017
January 8, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: newsletter.
This newsletter was sent to everyone on Jim’s email list (3,662) on Friday, January 5, 2017. Special note: If you have unsubscribed to this list previously, I apologize for this email. I had some problems with the list this week — due mainly to my incompetence — and some unsubscribers may have been added back in. • Read More »
G is for Grafton: Mystery writer Sue Grafton succumbs to cancer at age 77
January 2, 2018 | By Jim Stovall | No Comments | Filed in: books, journalism, Private eye, writers, writing.
Sue Grafton’s private eye, Kinsey Millhone, has taken her place beside Hammett’s Sam Spade, Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe, and Macdonald’s Lew Archer.