Monthly Archives: June 2026

After my disappointment with Chesterton’s “The Blue Cross”, I read the next story in the collection, “The Secret Garden”. This didn’t rely on coincidence; it just relied on an amazingly stupid murder plot. The great detective Valentin invites a bunch … Continue reading →

I just read “The Blue Cross” by G. K. Chesterton, and I’m really puzzled why I had the impression that he was a good author. This story relied purely on contrivance. The protagonist, the great detective Valentin, is looking for … Continue reading →

I have a vice. I like post-apocalypse books (set after the destruction or near-destruction of civilization). Enjoying such novels is, I suppose, part of the same impulse that leads one to enjoy Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children books: the idea of … Continue reading →