tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826101215822428783.post8816623325109218328..comments2024-02-24T19:42:39.876+05:30Comments on Bill the Butcher: Death in the CaliphateBill the Butcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08436195659154078021noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826101215822428783.post-90608207619692031972015-11-26T06:34:42.028+05:302015-11-26T06:34:42.028+05:30Oh yes. I liked that book. It was one of the inspi...Oh yes. I liked that book. It was one of the inspirations for this story.<br /><br />Of course, the story is basically about what an ISIStan might look like if - or, as is becoming likely, when - it's set up and has to deal with existence as a nation with all the problems that come along with that. I usually use my detective stories as a framework for looking at other things. Bill the Butcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08436195659154078021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826101215822428783.post-20106040095382739002015-11-26T02:46:56.045+05:302015-11-26T02:46:56.045+05:30I've been thinking, and this story seems to be...I've been thinking, and this story seems to be redolent of the third Poirot novel, about Roger Akroyd. Radically different milieu, of course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826101215822428783.post-45270604492230212102015-11-24T13:58:59.275+05:302015-11-24T13:58:59.275+05:30It took awhile, but I just finished your novella. ...It took awhile, but I just finished your novella. Quite a lot going on. A classic murder mystery that actually qualifies as a good murder mystery, and an interesting projection of what might happen with the Daesh.<br /><br />A good murder mystery must have the reader unable to see who was the murderer, until the Great Detective explains, and then it's obvious who it was. One of the popular murder mystery writers said she starts by picking a murderer. Every clue makes it clear that he or she is the only one who could possibly be the murderer, everyone else is clearly eliminated. Then she randomly selects any other character to be named as the real murderer by the Great Detective at the denouement. Doesn't qualify as a good murder mystery. This novella does.<br /><br />Great work. I wish you could get it into something like Ellery Queen.<br /><br />MichaelWmeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com