Games on the Web
Gumshoe Online
Wheaton City in the 1930s was a hellhole of mean streerts and meaner people, but down those streets a shamus man must go... and in Gumshoe Online, the popular online role-playing game, you are that shamus. Players are expected to gather the evidence and crack the case, using a standard Internet browser (but not, so far, Apple's Safari). Central to the game is the idea of episodic content; so check back often -- there's also something new -- and nasty --happening in Wheaton City.
Salon Magazine 5-Minute Mysteries
Discontinued but still online.. If you ever got a kick out of those five-minute mysteries as a kid, check out those literary little brainteasers, by such writers such as Margaret Lucke (who kicks in four featuring her San Frasncisco eye Jess Randolph), Dick Lochte, Ken Weber, Don Cushman, Tim Green, David Talbot and Jon Katz.
Sleuth
An open-ended, detective role playing game (RPG) where you solve mysteries by searching for clues, questioning suspects and interviewing witnesses. Every mystery is unique with different victims, suspects and clues. All mysteries are solvable, in fact there are always two ways to solve any single mystery, but player skill and a small amount of luck are necessary to nab the guilty suspect.
USA Network
The USA Network offers several on-line games of possible interest to viewers of this site, tied-in, quite naturally, with their private-eyish detective shows Monk and Psych.
Murder Parties and Events
www.playmurdermystery.com
They sell boxed murder mystery games, and are currently re-engineering the site to include links to all sorts of mystery sites and resources.
Host a Murder Online
Custom murder mystery games and parties with unique interactive features. This site helps you plan, create and customize "one-of-a-kind" murder mystery games.
Haley Productions Interactive Challenges
Susan Haley and her crew help you custom-design your own murder mysteries, games and scavenger hunts to help make your next corporate event unforgettable. They focus on team building, training, problem-solving, conferences and more, out of their world headquarters in San Rafael, California. They also offer Do-It-yourself whodunit scripts and mystery games for purchase. If you're interested, give 'em a call at 415-456-3302, or try their toll-free number at 1-800-293-3302. Or head to their web site, and see what all the fuss is about.
Bogie's Mystery Tours
Run by Karen Palmer, of Bogie's Restaurant fame, Bogie's Mystery Tours is the original participatory mystery events company and creators of Mystery Dinner Theater. Karen and company have perpetrated play-fair whodunits since 1981 featuring professional actors and well-known mystery authors. Their interactive mystery events are perfect for special events, corporate entertainment, team building, scavenger hunts, fund raisers, private parties for all ages, weekends, cruises,and incentives. You can elso e-mail Karen at BMT@Bogies.net.
The Killing Kompany
New York-based The Killing Kompany produces murder mystery dinner theatre shows for public and private events, where TV, film and Broadway actors are concealed among among the audience, who may at any time end up involved in the the plot. Prices start as low as $35 per person for a fine meal in a restaurant in your area, and a murder mystery show where you get to solve the mystery and match wits with the detective. They're willing to take the show on the road, and have done just that for such big corporations such as Pepsi-Cola and Mercedes, and regularly stage interactive evenings at clubs and theatres in the NYC area. You can call 'em at 1 888 SHOOT-EM, or (212) 802-9638 or e-mail 'em at killingkompany@killingkompany.com.
Murder Mystery, Inc. (New York)
Supposedly the largest producers of live interactive mystery's in New York and the world. Since 1988 they boast of having produced over 4000 shows both nationally and internationally. They proudly guarantee that at their events, "everything will be perfectly executed, including some of the guests!"
Mysteries For Hire (San Francisco)
What's different about Mysteries For Hire is that none of their mystery events are scripted. You select a theme for your event and they work with your guests to create your unique experience. Even they claim they don't know exactly what is going to happen.
Murder Made Merry
A scriptless, interactive mystery game. You and your guests will be characters in a party where you will all become involved in a murder. One character is the murderer, one the victim, and all the other guests must root through the clues to find the guilty party. All games are downloadable in PDF format and ready for you to play. You will have a killer time!
Shot In The Dark Mystery Games
Murder mystery games for kids and adults, as well as a a bi-weekly ezine entitled The Reaper Reader with host tips, mini mysteries and lots of other mystery-related fun.
Collecting
Detective
Fiction on Stamps
Now here's something a little off the beaten track: stamp guru
Steve Tussel maintains this fascinating site focussing on, like
the title says, "Detective Fiction on Stamps." It's
a relatively small topic, but over a dozen countries have issued
postage stamps (and other philatelic items), hoping to cash in
on the lucrative collector's market, mostly, connected to or
commemorating fictional detectives and/or their authors. |
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 The
Gold Medal Home Page
Eddie Stevenson's in-depth salute to the primo PBO publisher, with over 450 Authors, 200 author pages, 1500 Titles and over 1000 Cover Scans! Gold Medal, of course, was the home of Richard Prather, Stephen Marlowe, John D. MacDonald, Dan Marlowe, Peter Rabe, Charles Williams, Vin Packer, Jim Thompson, David Goodis, Wade Miller, Gil Brewer, Lionel White, Bruno Fischer, Harry Whittington and a zillion others. Currently MIA.
Sparky's TV and Movie Tie-in Paperbacks
Sparky's specializes in TV and Movie tie-in paperbacks
and cult movie soundtracks from the US and UK, mostly cult, detective,
horror, sci-fi and adventure. Their website has sample photos
and listings. You can also e-mail them your want lists or questions.
Paperback
Parade
Gary Lovisi's zine, subtitled "The Magazine for Paperback
Readers and Collectors," doesn't fool around -- it delivers
the goods. Defiantly low-tech, it's nonetheless a pretty spiffy
looking piece of goods -- oh, if only those great covers were
in colour! Each issue is full of trivia and lore, everything
from theme collections (DRUGS! ABORTION! LESBIANS!) to alternative
covers, and the stories behind the writers, illustrators and
publishers.
FIRSTS
Magazine
If you love books, and are interested in collecting
them (although, I must admit, I prefer reading 'em) you might
like to check out FIRSTS: The Book Collector's Magazine.
The premier publication in its field, FIRSTS is an invaluable
resource, providing information, entertainment, and an entry
into the delightful world of book collecting. The site includes
reference to the June 1998 Mystery & Detective issue and
instructions on how to get a sample issue.
Pulp
Fiction Postcards
A site dedicated to preserving (and selling) memories of yesteryear's
pulpy artwork. They sell not only postcards adorned with the
covers to titles like Shameless Honeymoon and Black Opium, but
key chains, T-shirts, and more. But, even if you don't buy a
postcard, you can electronically send a free pulpy postcard,
or just browse through a great collection of pulpy old covers
from paperbacks and the pulps.
If you go to http://www.pulpcards.com/e-pcs/images/pc-238.jpg,
you'll even find a postcard illustration of the book 'Hard Boiled'...
Tawdry Town
Check out their main drag! Tawdry Town mission purpose is to act "as a forum for the examination, consideration and exhibition of paperback books produced by both the major publishers and the semi-underground following World World II," and then gleefully announces that many may find the books on exhibit therein and the attitudes of the authors offensive" and informs us that "the creator...does not endorse violence toward women, unsafe sex, negative attitudes toward or stereotyping of gays, lesbians, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, African-Africans, Asian-Asians, or Latinos, whether residents of bordertowns or otherwise; wrestling and/or hairpulling among women in lingerie, or any of the other multitudinous reprehensible acts depicted in these books." Unfortunately, the main drag doesn't seem to have been paved in a while...like, ten years?
Collectibles
and Gift Ideas
Try the sources below for gifts ranging from t-shirts,
lawn ornaments, handcuffs, tapes of old radio shows, books, mugs,
puzzles, and more, ranging from tacky to tasteful, from marvelous
to morbid.
Amazon.com
Gee, I never heard of these guys. I think they may have books
to sell, or something...
Brodart
The complete source for all your library needs,
from labels, binding supplies and book covers to furnishings.
They're so well-known in the industry, and among serious bibliophiles
like my pal Jan, that their archival-quality jacket covers are
commonly referreed to simply as "Brodarts." For serious
collectors.
eBay
Think about it. For rare or one-of-a-kind gift ideas, you just
never know what you'll find here.
Levenger
Some elegant and practical gifts for "serious readers."
Now if only they sold time to read....
M
is for Mystery
Books, magazines, audio books and gifts, including several created
exclusively for the store. They offer such mystery-related items
as mugs, T-shirts, sweats, board games, dinner games, puzzles,
kids' novelties, and CD Rom games.
Murder
Mystery Games
Want to host your own murder party? These folks might be able
to help.Formerly known as Creative
Gifts and Books for Kids, this Greer, South Carolina
landmark is a one of a kind stoire, specializing in mystery games
and puzzles for all ages. They've changed their name, but they
want to assure you that their products and service remain unchanged.
The Mystery Shoppers' One-Stop
Some mugs, posters, and other gift suggestions, as well as books.
Selections seems a mite skimpy this year.
Radio
Spirits
Specialists in various old-time radio goodies,
most notably cassettes and CD's of old episodes. Also videos,
and the elusive Matese Falcon statuette.
Unofficial
LA County Coroner's Office Gift Shop
Just what you really need: body bags, business card holders,
mugs, T-shirts, toe tag key chains, etc., all adorned with the
crest of the LA County Coroner's Office.
Photography & Artwork
Film Noir Woodcuts
Guy Budziak may just be the only man alive currently selling hand-printed woodcut posters taken from scenes from classic film noirs. The Summer 2007 cover, for example, was taken from This Gun For Hire, starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. For more on the painstaking process and attention to detail that Guy brings to each and every one of his posters (and a look at his growing selection) visit his web site..
 Film Noir Portraiture & Promotional Photography
I swear -- this is SO COOL. Jim Ferreira offers B&W photographic portraits that capture the spirit of '30s Hollywood glamour and '40s film noir cinema. Be that "Dish'y Dame" or "Private Dick" you have always wanted to be. Located in the San Francisco bay area (why can't they be everywhere?), but gee, what a great idea.
Interactive
Fiction
Story
Noir Text
An ongoing hardboiled private eye story. Read the story, continue
it. Like they say, "The story goes where it goes and ends
where it ends. crank up your creativity and pitch in." WARNING:
a high tolerance for similies is recommended.
Mystery
On-Line
An on-going mystery written by visitors to the site. Amateur
and published writers submit the next chapter for the on-going
mystery, and each month they publish the next chapter of the
continuing story selected from all the submissions received.
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