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Lighting the Pipes

Blending research and literary analysis with conversation and review, we lock down crime stories and read them their rights. The game is afoot!

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#150
Yesterday · 1 hr 54 min
LTP 007: Live and Let Die (1954)
Our Fleming series refurb continues with this review of 1954's "Live and Let Die", originally produced back in February of 2026. Our discussion goes deep the into inspirations and publication history behind Fleming's second novel before taking on the text itself. In order to separate hazard from hokum within Mr Big's criminal enterprise, James Bond must handle the streets of Harlem, travel south on the Silver Phantom with a voodoo mystic and neutralise a handful of colourful henchmen. From hotel bombs to subterranean lairs, biting sharks to keel-haul executions, "Live and Let Die" feels like adventure-Bond's coming out party! Context@5:30; Summary@31:20; Review@45:00; Scoring@1:37:30
#149
Tuesday · 2 hr 49 min
Maigret and the Burglar's Wife (1951) w/ The Book Graveyard
Another Simenon mystery means another chance to chat with our buddy Nick Anderson from The Book Graveyard. This episode looks at the "Maigret and the Burglar's Wife" from 1951. This case sees Maigret negotiate a Paris heatwave and the neighbourhood of Neuilly in following a dangerous lead brought to him by an unlikely source. A dentist and his mother fall under suspicion as the plot thickens around a missing body, family secrets and a twice-broken pane of glass. So open your windows and catch a breeze with us and Nick - "The Burglar's Wife" is blowing through with a strong scent of Simenon supremacy! ParisFF@20:45; Plot Summary@44:00; PIPESreview@1:20:00 Check out this episode and all of Nick's other offerings at The Book Graveyard on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookGraveyard
#148
August 14 · 1 hr 9 min
The Biter Bit (1858)
We return to Wilkie Collins and early detective writing with a study of this comic story, originally published in the Atlantic Monthly back in April of 1858. Mr Yatman, a hard-working SoHo stationer, has been robbed at home and now faces financial ruin. Conditions and suspects in the crime point to a "closed circle" mystery. When the veteran Sergeant Bulmer is taken off the case, a young upstart named Matthew Sharpin takes over the investigation... in a manner of speaking. Sharpin is well-connected but absurdly self-confident and Collins leans into the popular form of epistolary writing to chart this young man's (not-so-tragic) fall. Summary@7:50; PIPES@28:40. For more on Wilkie Collins, check out our episode on "The Moonstone" from March 2022.
#147
August 11 · 1 hr 55 min
Ripley Under Ground (1970)
Fifteen years after the publication of "The Talented Mr Ripley", Patricia Highsmith returns her ambitious con-man to readers in "Ripley Underground", the first of four follow-up mysteries. Tom is married and living outside of Paris now, six years following the events of the first novel, and enjoying the quiet life of a wealthy man. His criminality has mellowed since escaping to Greece in the wake of the Dickie Greenleaf affair, characterised by some art forgery and a minor role in a fencing scheme. However, problems ensue for Tom when an American collector hollers "fake!" and starts an investigation. Lies need covered and bodies need buried as Tom is thrown back into the disguise game. PlotSummary@05:00; PIPES@42:00 Check out our earlier episode on "The Talented Mr Ripley" (04/03/2022) for full author bio and publication history.
#146
August 7 · 1 hr 57 min
LTP 007: Casino Royale (1953)
Ian Fleming's 007 novels changed the terrain of popular spy fiction for ever and gave birth to an empire of legacy for actors, artists, creatives and enthusiasts the world over. In 2015 we set up a recorder, arranged some Skype calls and trialled this podcast gig a little for posterity. By leaning into conversations around Fleming's work, our appreciation for something like LTP emerged. Our initial Bond project took us a calendar year and change and it's taken us ten more just to get these older episodes cut, reconditioned and up to snuff. We think we've made the mark but you can be the judge! Starting here, with 1953's pulp thriller "Casino Royale", we are proud to present our original Fleming discussions, never before released, into the LTP 007 pipeline. AuthorBio@12:45; PublicationInfo@44:00; Discussion@54:45; Scoring@1:39:15
#145
July 27 · 1 hr 46 min
LTP Special: Operation Mincemeat
In July of 1943, as Allied forces planned desperately for Mediterranean access into Europe, Britain's Naval Intelligence were spearheading an intrepid operation, a bait-and-switch of colossal consequence. Commander Ian Fleming, serving as personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence, helped to encourage the intricate planning for what would soon become Operation Mincemeat. This episode is a special Summer treat, recut and newly presented from a July 2022 episode on Bond by Numbers. Jeff Chapman, our resident military expert, cracks cover and leads us through a tour of this remarkable operation and features of Ben McIntyre's 2010 book. We also offer our thoughts on the 2021 film adaption, directed by John Madden. History&Operation@04:30; FilmReview@1:16:00
#144
July 21 · 1 hr 45 min
LTP Noir: The Big Heat (1953)
Faster than your Keurig, LTP is back and brewing up another rich blend of Film Noir analysis with the big reveal on Fritz Lang's 1953 classic, "The Big Heat", starring Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame. Beginning with its origins as a popular serial by crime fiction author, William P McGivern, and the real-life case that inspired the film, Josh goes deep cover into the life of the enigmatic Lang himself, his influence on the genre and on the film's production. What's with all the coffee talk? Check out the episode and see for yourself! PlotSummary@11:00; Context&Production@34:00; Review@1:29:30
#143
July 12 · 1 hr 42 min
The Labyrinth Makers (1970)
In Anthony Price's debut novel, a WW2-era C-47 Dakota resurfaces twenty-five years after being officially "lost at sea". Its captain was transporting something hot from the dying embers of Nazi Germany and its plunders. The trail went cold when the plane got wet in 1945. But now that it's back, the intelligence networks of East and West resurrect their chase. "The Labyrinth Makers" is the first David Audley spy mystery and sees the Ministry of Defence analyst working to stay one step ahead of a Russain threat. Part art history, part-treasure hunt and part cold-war pursuit, Price's novel is the subject of our latest episode. Fast Facts@02:30; Plot Summary@12:45; PIPES@53:45
#142
July 1 · 54 min
LTP Selects: The Naval Treaty (1893)
Collected in "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes", this narrative is unique in the canon for a few reasons: first, it is the longest short story written by Conan Doyle for publication; secondly, it is one of only a handful of cases that is brought to Holmes by Watson; third, it happened to be one of Conan Doyle's personal favourites; and, finally, it's Josh's choice for this year's Summer series! "The Naval Treaty" follows the unfortunate mishap of Percy Phelps and the intrigue of a stolen document from the Foreign Office in London. This story serves as a warning to any public official who steps away from their work to chase up coffee. Our review here was originally produced in September, 2017.
#141
June 24 · 52 min
LTP Selects: Charles Augustus Milverton (1904)
"The worst man in London... the king of all blackmailers." These are the blunt, declarative answers Holmes provides to his Watson when asked about this story's titular antagonist. Some immodest letters have been intercepted that would mark the ruin of Lady Eva Blackwell and her upcoming nuptials. The fee for their return is a punishing £7000 (over a million dollars today). She's employed Sherlock to help her out and he's not afraid to go the distance for his client... Our Summer Sherlock Selects has returned! First up, Scott's choice of "Charles Augustus Milverton" from the Return of Sherlock Holmes. Originally recorded in January of 2018, this early chat has been reproduced and explores one of the canon's best worst villains.
#140
June 17 · 2 hr 13 min
Scorched Grace (2023)
As if the clammy heat of New Orleans wasn't enough for a nun in full habit, an arson spree is threatening the community of St Sebastian's School in Margot Douaihy's "Scorched Grace". This is the first of the author's Sister Holiday mysteries and introduces readers to the Order of the Sublime Blood and a crime spree that dredges up old trauma with impressive force. Steered by her uniquely queer, conflicted, punk-rock moral compass, Sister Holiday soon adds another vow to her list of holy solemnities - solving this mystery before more lives are taken! FastFacts@6:00; Summary@40:15; PIPES@57:50
#139
May 27 · 2 hr 39 min
The Leavenworth Case (1878)
The year is 1878. Detectives in fiction had cut shapes before (Poe, Collins and Gaboriau had all experimented) but few woman, if any, had ever been credited for work in the genre, let alone acclaimed. Along comes Anna Katherine Green, metaphorically brandishing "fingers up" to the establishment and bestowing upon the literary world this classic narrative. "The Leavenworth Case" is a story of two secretive cousins, a complex murder investigation and the lovestruck young lawyer driven to prove their innocence. It was a landmark publication when it appeared, impressively advancing the chains of the genre and introducing the world to Detective Ebeneezer Gryce in his first of 13 appearances. Thanks to Green, the modern mystery was about to get a transformative kick in the posterior! FastFacts@15:00; Summary@38:30; PIPES@1:20:00
#138
May 7 · 1 hr 48 min
Where the Body Was (2023)
In this episode, we head back to the world of graphic novels and explore the suburban mystery of "Where the Body Was" by celebrated comics duo, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. What starts innocently enough, with some feral Gen-X childhood crime-fighting, soon curdles into something darker: hidden affairs, small-time crooks, unrequited love and a dead body that nobody can quite explain. The mythology of the safe and honest American neighbourhood is left in tatters here by Brubaker and LTP has all the angles covered from its treehouse vantage on the cul-de-sac of Pelican lane! FastFacts@05:00; Summary@31:30; PIPES@46:30
#137
April 30 · 1 hr 39 min
LTP 007: Death is Forever (1992)
The iron curtain has fallen. Intelligence is dispersing in its heavy draught. Europe is transitioning towards a single market. Conditions are ripe for a new world order... and for the twelfth continuation novel by John Gardner. "Death is Forever" situates Bond upon the shifting sands of this new environment, investigating the disintegration of "Cabal" - an allied intelligence network that once ran the gauntlet of late Cold War conflicts. From spider-egg sarnies to poisoned dwarves, light-grenade gimmicks to railcar assassinations, Gardner polishes up an old-styled Bond here for a new-era narrative. Summary@06:30; PIPES@43:30
#136
April 22 · 1 hr 31 min
Assignment Sorrento Siren (1963)
The long-running "Assignment" spy fiction series by Edward S Aarons showcases CIA operative Sam Durell in a range of pulpy, Cold War adventures. "Sorrento Siren", its 17th installment, sends Durell to Naples where he races against the clock to locate some stolen art and a rogue, murderous agent with ties to a libidinous Italian Countess. What's worse, his communist counterpart is travelling a parallel path. And if that weren't adventure enough, there's also ancient ruins among an active volcano and warring Italian families to negotiate! The stakes couldn't be higher as LTP takes its first look at this enduring offshoot of genre spy fiction. Shouts to Nick Anderson (https://linktr.ee/thebookgraveyard77) for the recommendation and Paperback Warrior (https://www.paperbackwarrior.com/) for more information on the author and series. FastFacts@03:20; Summary@11:00; PIPES@49:00
#135
April 7 · 2 hr 59 min
He Who Whispers (1946) w/ The Book Graveyard
The Mystery Writers of America honoured John Dickson Carr with two Edgars (1950, 1970) and a Grand Masters Award (1963) in acknowledgement of his long career and contributions to mystery writing. Especially noteworthy across his 40 years of publishing were the innovations he made to the locked-room mystery genre. Though best known and celebrated for 1935's The Hollow Man, Carr's detective Gideon Fell appeared in over two-dozen works by the author. In this episode, Nick Anderson from "The Book Graveyard" joins LTP to discuss "He Who Whispers", one of Carr's most complex and intriguing whodunnits. FastFacts@09:45; Summary@39:00; PIPES@01:08:00; Quiz@02:43:15 Check out Nick on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookGraveyard
#134
March 27 · 53 min
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (1923)
In February 1923, Howard Carter unearthed the tomb of Tutankhamun and fed the '20s zeitgeist an abundance of ancient-world dopamine hits. One writer who picked up on this wave was Agatha Christie, who would return to Egypt five more times in her famous stories. Here, however, she pits Hercule Poirot against a series of sudden deaths at the excavation site of Men-her-Ra's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. As tensions mount and another life hangs in the balance, Poirot must separate myth and whispers of a Pharoah's curse from human greed and murderous methodology. LTP sinks its feet into the soft, deceptive sands of Christie's pocket-size prose in this short episode. Summary@5:00; PIPES@23:00
#133
March 20 · 2 hr 20 min
Swag (1976)
In this episode, we crack open "Swag" from 1976, one of Elmore Leonard's leanest Detroit crime novels. This caper follows Frank Ryan and Ernest "Stick" Stickley, two likeable rogues from the morally-ambiguous side of the tracks who pair-up with a plan to get rich. As the stick-ups slowly stack up, Leonard dismantles the partnership's illusory hold on their American dream and makes room for hubris and happenstance. So keep your head on a swivel because, like any good con, there's a lot more going on beneath the surface of this pacy tale! FastFacts@8:30; Summary@29:50; PIPES@1:03:20
#132
February 28 · 2 hr 24 min
Whose Body? (1923)
When an inconvenient corpse is discovered in a Battersea bathtub, a complex puzzle unfolds for the London authorities. What's with the pince-nez and birthday suit combo? And isn't that a surgical college just across the rooftops? In this episode we strike a match and settle in with Dorothy L Sayers' "Whose Body?" and review the first appearance of Lord Peter Wimsey, her amateur sleuth of impeccable tailoring and disarming flippancy. Layered with mistaken identity, social satire and post-war unease, this celebrated mystery from 1923 balances classic whodunnit mechanics with sharp observations about entitlement and trauma in a changing world. FastFacts@12:45; Summary@47:25; PIPES@1:18:00
#131
February 17 · 1 hr 46 min
LTP 007: The Man from Barbarossa (1991)
When a celebrated Soviet hero is alleged to have marched among the SS in some of history's worst butchery, James Bond is sent to validate the claims and protect the source. Along the way 007 poses as cameraman in a deep-fake propaganda production designed to rewrite history and redirect the dying embers of cold war chaos. Marked by inter-agency intrigue and a staggering cast of secondary characters, John Gardner's "The Man from Barbarossa" was supposedly the writers favourite and might just earn the award for "thickest narrative stew" here on LTP. Lights, camera, action?... well, sort of! Summary@08:00; Review@23:00

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