Arsenic Books

This play is an absolute joy to read, with characters who come into their own, If anyone loves the movie or enjoys theatre, this has quite alot for everyone, funny dialogue, romance, murder and of course Teddy... after reading this I was tempted to run up the stairs shouting "CHARGE!!!"
Shipping to the UK was brilliant too came on the expected delievery date.

This is an enduring classic comedy that has been staged with actors of all ages including those in high schools, community theaters and professional productions. The script contains jokes based on the status of "the theater" at the time (common discussions among critics at that time parallel the line in a Simon and Garfunkle song, "is the theater really dead?") The story line is built on a wonderful array of eccentric characters. A great deal of the comedy is based on dramatic irony, where the audience knows something that some or all of the actors on stage do not. Great to stage and fun to see.

I received the product very quickly and easily as is usual with Amazon.

Although these words refer to Teddy Brewster in this hilarious play by Joseph Kesselring, they could have applied equally to most of the other members of the Brewster household. Teddy thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt, always "charging" upstairs when he is not in the basement digging "locks for the Panama Canal." His two elderly aunts, with whom he lives, also have their own bizarre secret, for which the hand-dug "locks" in the basement are employed to good effect.

Jonathan, Teddy's "disagreeable" brother, who disappeared many years ago, returns during the play with secrets of his own. With his face altered by plastic surgery, he is accompanied by Dr. Einstein, with whom he plans to set up an operating room in the house so the doctor can give new faces to criminals. The only normal person in the family is Mortimer, a drama critic who hates plays, engaged to marry Elaine, the innocent daughter of the minister next door. Mortimer is particularly upset by Jonathan's return--"the most detestable, vicious, venomous form of animal life I ever knew."

The frantic action, the ironies, the comic routines, and the dramatic surprises all center around two bodies, hidden at various times in the window seat of the living room, and the reactions to them by the various people within the household. The local police, friends of Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha, stop by to chat, have coffee, and protect these "sweet" old ladies, often at the worst possible moments, while Mortimer tries to decide what to do about his strange family and the bodies in the house.

Arsenic and Old Lace is such a strong play, with so many hilarious moments, that it is not surprising that this is a staple of local theaters and high school drama groups. Much of the play involves sight gags, contretemps, and weird characters behaving outrageously. Careful delivery of lines and subtlety of gesture are far less important here than the high- speed action, over-the-top characterizations, and split second timing of entrances and exits. One of the funniest and most often performed plays of American theater, Arsenic and Old Lace is as delightful in the twenty-first century as it was when it was first performed in 1941. Mary Whipple

It was hard to read this without thinking of the wonderful movie. In a nutshell it is a play about a family where mental illness (insanity) is rampant. One character thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt and is building the Panama canal in the cellar. Two characters think they are performing a charity by poisoning lonely elderly men which the Teddy Roosevelt character perceives to be victims of yellow fever and buries them in Panama canal locks. These characters are perceived by neighbors as kind and gentle souls. Another character is an escapee from a hospital for the criminally insane. It is understandable why the sane member of the family is afraid to get married. He finds out that he is not related by blood to this family. The play is wonderfully written. I found it disturbing that these kindly gentle elderly women were serial killers. It just goes to show things are not always what they appear. Also, torture was alluded to in the play. All in all a good read.

A man is poisoned during a chess match, and Wolfe gets called by the daughter of the arrested suspect to clear her dad and find the real killer. Naturally, Wolfe must do this while staying firmly ensconsed in his Manhatten brownstone, while Archie Goodwin does his legwork. The story quickly develops a natural suspect after an initial series of interviews of all the people surrounding the death. But it also takes an interesting twist when another dead body is found. I enjoyed that just enough clues were left in the story to allow me to figure out who the killer was just before Wolfe announced it. Here's a hint ... the method of murder was a little different than you may originally think it is. Enjoy!

For some reason the Amazon listings don't include the audio CD version of this outstanding book.

Michael Prichard's reading style is ideally suited to this great story about chess players and the "perfect murder." The variations in personalities at the Gambit Club prefigure the chess stars of the 70s.

From a view of character study, this one is really, really good (and great to listen to also).

My 5th Nero Wolfe book, and I loved it. I caution new readers that the Nero Wolfe books are an acquired taste. For women the Wolfe character is edgy. But, this puzzle of who poisoned what, etc. really grabbed my attention, and I dreamed about it for days (a good sign for me). I can tell that I'm finally getting into these books because I envy Wolfe's life. He's a recluse, and that's my big goal in life -- a recluse with lots of help to do my chores. It'll never happen, and that's why reading these books is satisfying a longing in me.

For anyone unfamiliar with Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries I'd highly recommend this novel. While it is not my favorite of Stout's Nero Wolfe stories, it is a nice introduction to to Nero Wolfe and his confidential assistant Archie Goodwin. Wolfe is a 285 pound orchid collecting genius of a detective who almost never leaves his office for work. he can be cranky and avoids work whenever possible. Archie is a sarcastic ladies-man who's job is to do the leg work for Wolfe as well as keep him focused.

The opening sections of the book illustrate the quirks of the main characters and as I said make a good introduction for new readers.

The mystery itself is interesting and full of the twists and turns that I have come to expect from a Nero Wolfe novel. It is written in Stout's signiature sytle and kept me guessing for much of the book. In the end, Stout does a good job of tying everything up and showing the logic behind the solution and how Wolfe and Archie got from point A to Point B to the solution.

A Review by Alex

Jerin is playing the usual twelve players with messengers running in a room with Jerin alone telling the layouts of each board. A man had come in with some hot chocolate for Jerin. The man's name was Blount. Later that night, Jerin dies and Blount is thrown in jail because they all think he did it. Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin have to solve the mystery and see to it that Blount is innocent. The only way they can solve it is the use of his daughter, Sally.

I really love and enjoy the fact that this book makes me think and makes it so I use my brain a little. It is a mystery, so therefore I have to be smarter than Archie. I was always trying to figure out if it is someone or not and when I read to find out it's not one person I try to guess who it could be. This book also gave me suspense, I got so excited when they were about to do questioning with someone like Sally or the mother. I always find out something new and clues of the killer. This book was also a perfect read when it came to pages, only 137 pages and the text was a bit on the small side but still made it a perfect size. Not too quick and not too long. This book always gave me a surprise.

This is a great mystery for those who love to use their brain figuring things out. Gambit is a really exciting book to discover new suspects and an unexpected murderer. You will dive into the book and not want to put in down caused by the eagerness to read about who did it and why.

This book is so clever and fun and surprising, I read it twice--and the second time, I read it aloud to my nephew, who was riveted. He loved the illustrations and all the "real life" stuff that helps you solve the mystery--the postcards, the ad about the secret service hiring. And he LOVED the sidebar about how to compare fingerprints; he's fingerprinted half of Los Angeles by now...and, of course, he's waiting for me to visit again so we can read the next book in the series together. Any book that gets a kid to do THAT deserves a medal!

Wow!! What a great series. As a homeschooling mom, I could not be more happy with this series of books. My 10 year old is enthralled - I even loved the book when I pre-read it! The mystery is detailed just enough to capture and hold the young reader's attention. The historical facts are delivered in a manner that entertains without lecturing. Keep it up Bill Doyle!

I started the book and didn't put it down until I was done. I really loved it!!! I want Mom to get me number 3, 4 & 5 .... I can't wait until they are out!

I loved this book! I finished it (with the help of my dad) over the course of three nights and tried to guess all of the mysteries. I can't wait to see what characters are in the next book. What happens to Asyla???

My students are waiting in line to read this book! Its illustrations support and add interest to the historical elements of the story. Light humor, appealing characterizations, and intrique accessible to 5th graders make it a must read.

Arsenic Lullaby Pulp Edition Zero starts where the first issue left off and gives you a bit of history on all of the characters from the Arsenic Lullaby comic book universe. With this and issue #1 being published a year apart it gave Doug plenty of time to work on his MAD MAGAZINE, Just Below the Surface feature. but dont worry working on a bit of a watered down version of Arsenic Lullaby for mad magazine hasnt changed his dark humor writing style a bit. this issue starts with what has to be one of the darkest one page stories ever printed and continues with a hilarious 8 pager featuring the cow aliens (no idea if they actually have another name, guess i should ask doug)next up Tex Buckaroo shows up in a very violent and well paced story fighting a giant inuit eyeball god. next is a story of Baron von Donuts first love (a thinly veiled chiquita banana lady) which involves a very bored boss and a shark attack. rounding out the issues are a few more one page gems and a Bureau Of Things Not Yet Tried story that has to be seen to be believed. all in all another great issue by Doug P and his cast of thugs and malcontents.

Alien Centaurs! Romance! Tex Buckaroo Battling an Indian God! Nazis! A giant Eye Ball! The ever hilarious Douglas Paskiewicz has just released his next offensive offering, Arsenic Lullaby Pulp Edition No. Zero. Never have I laughed so hard reading any other comic artist's work, which is why I own most of the Arsenic Lullaby collection, and you should too!

A well written and informative book...of intrest to forensic specialists, amateurs and the merely intrested. Lets hear more from this author!

This book was an excellent source of information pertaining to forensic science. It got my interest up again and I am now entering university with the hopes of becoming a forensic pathologist. I liked how Barrett used real cases and real people to explain forensics. I could not put this book down and although it was disturbing in places I thought it was great. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in forensics and who has a strong stomach!

Although these words refer to Teddy Brewster in this hilarious play by Joseph Kesselring, they could have applied equally to most of the other members of the Brewster household. Teddy thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt, always "charging" upstairs when he is not in the basement digging "locks for the Panama Canal." His two elderly aunts, with whom he lives, also have their own bizarre secret, for which the hand-dug "locks" in the basement are employed to good effect.

Jonathan, Teddy's "disagreeable" brother, who disappeared many years ago, returns during the play with secrets of his own. With his face altered by plastic surgery, he is accompanied by Dr. Einstein, with whom he plans to set up an operating room in the house so the doctor can give new faces to criminals. The only normal person in the family is Mortimer, a drama critic who hates plays, engaged to marry Elaine, the innocent daughter of the minister next door. Mortimer is particularly upset by Jonathan's return--"the most detestable, vicious, venomous form of animal life I ever knew."

The frantic action, the ironies, the comic routines, and the dramatic surprises all center around two bodies, hidden at various times in the window seat of the living room, and the reactions to them by the various people within the household. The local police, friends of Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha, stop by to chat, have coffee, and protect these "sweet" old ladies, often at the worst possible moments, while Mortimer tries to decide what to do about his strange family and the bodies in the house.

Arsenic and Old Lace is such a strong play, with so many hilarious moments, that it is not surprising that this is a staple of local theaters and high school drama groups. Much of the play involves sight gags, contretemps, and weird characters behaving outrageously. Careful delivery of lines and subtlety of gesture are far less important here than the high- speed action, over-the-top characterizations, and split second timing of entrances and exits. One of the funniest and most often performed plays of American theater, Arsenic and Old Lace is as delightful in the twenty-first century as it was when it was first performed in 1941. Mary Whipple

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (01/07)

Martin Edwards in "The Arsenic Labyrinth" has integrated a unique cast of characters with an intriguing plot. The story is centered on unraveling intricate relationships and secrets from the past. A drifter, a journalist, a historian, and a police inspector, all play significant roles in uncovering this unsolved mystery from the cold case file. The setting for the story is Coniston, a small community in England's Lake District.

Edwards has created a group of characters with distinctive personalities, many of whom were in his earlier Lake District Novels. The carefully developed plot is moved along through the medium of dialog. Edwards's use of astute interrogations and his elaborate detail of police investigation procedures match the classic writers of this genre.

Ten years after the disappearance of Emma Bestwick, a newspaper article and an anonymous phone call stir up interest in the unsolved case. The police reopen the cold case file and begin revisiting family members, relatives, and those even remotely involved at the time of Emma's disappearance. The inquiry takes DCI Hannah Scarlett and her team to the Museum of Myth and Legend and to the ominous Arsenic Labyrinth, a succession of stone tunnels previously used in removing arsenic from tin ore.

There are numerous unexpected and complex plot twists. A second body, buried in the mine for 50 years, is discovered near Emma's corpse. New clues and multiple speculations turn up during the new investigation. Suddenly the reader is faced with another unexpected turn of events that leads to a suspenseful surprise ending.

The plot is well implemented and the narration is outstanding. I found "The Arsenic Labyrinth" an enjoyable read and am eager to read more of the works of Martin Edwards.

What do you define as "sick" or "twisted" in the comic/cartoon world? If you answered with Johnny the Homicidal Maniac or anything by Vasquez, stop reading now, and go ahead and hit that "no" button below. While he has a good art style going, Vasquez tries way too hard to get something accross. Here with Arsenic Lullaby though, Douglas Paszkiewicz gets things done in a snap, and makes sure they stay in mind for a while. I was first introduced to the series a few years back and couldn't believe my mind. How in the hell was this even allowed to be released? I mean, even tentacle hentai has a place in the world for some people. But here, we're treated to something so out there, that if you have a sense of humor, you have to appreciate it.

Arsenic Lullaby focuses around Voodoo Joe, a guy who was cursed, and now has a voodoo mask for a head, and magic powers. Aside from not being able to get the mask off (though really, the mask is his head when you look at it), he doesn't really care about going back to normal. He has zombie fetuses, as they're not as high-maintenance as regular sized zombies. So Joe "helps" people in getting revenge on whoever they want in the off-chance that the curse is removed. What are some examples of his work? Try helping a kid get revenge...on himself because he doesn't have abusive parents. All the cool kids at school have abusive parents, and he feels left out, having parents that don't have drinking problems or hit him. So he asks Joe to be his dad for a little bit. Wonderful. When he gets home from school, Joe goes, "Well well, look who finally strolled in", gets "I was at school" for a reply, "YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'VE BEEN!?" and slaps 'em. Later, a guy wants revenge on his son, so he has Joe cut off his hands. A priceless moment kicks in when he and Joe go to shake hands. Oops. Another guy wants revenge on his dad for being mean to him as he grew up, so Joe swaps the soul of one of his fetuses with the guy's, so he can go into his new stepmom, so he can torture his dad again, but this time, savor it. Finally, someone has Joe starve her husband, who's huge and abusive. Once more of course, the fetuses come into play. Each story is short but sweet. Joe's fetuses get into all sorts of trouble. Two get carried off by raccoons, and another accidentally gets salt on itself. As you can see, this comic isn't for those with weak stomachs or get offended easily. Even the forward in the beginning mentions how you'll be laughing, then looking around to make sure no one sees what you're laughing about. And chances are, this will happen to you. Try reading this on a bench in a public area and see what happens.

But the comic isn't all about Voodo Joe and his zombie fetuses. There are a few that involve The Clot, a guy who had to get all of his skin removed after getting a virus. So he goes around, looking for a skin donor. The guy is nothing but mucles walking around, with rubber gloves, boots, goggles, and blood tanks strapped onto his back. Things don't go so well when he goes home to his ex-wife and daughter, who are immediately creeped out by him. So he goes and looks for doners from his neighbor, who's nice and tall with lots of skin to share. Some other side stories involve a farmer with toilet paper as soft as a baby duck, cows that give powdered milk, a talking Chinese kite, Judgement Day, the boogey man killing himself, and my favotie- a US Census Agent. This guy had my sides hurting with laughter. His job was to count ever man, woman and child in the US. Once finished, his job is to kill every baby born after he was done counting in order to keep the number as accurate as possible. Yeah, the guy's nuts. He tip toes around parks, zapping babies with cattle prods, giving them milk from before World War I, throwing them off of buildings, acting as a doctor taking patients for vaccination shots, but really injects them with scarlet fever (god that one was priceless), and more. At the same time as doing his job, he's trying to stick to the books, and not engage in a relationship with a woman from work that helps him get rid of babies. Yes, Arsenic Lullaby is a very strange world, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

If there's anything wrong with the series, it's that the art style is incredibly basic. I'm one to talk here, as my style's perhaps even less detailed than what's drawn here. A lot of the characters look the same, especially kids. I had to flip back and forth to see if it's the same kid I just saw a few pages ago. Joe and the Census Agent get most of the detail, if any. This makes sense, but it'd be nice if a little more went into everything. Oh well, the comic isn't about heavy detail, it's about being funny, which it dishes out in spades. The other minor problem is going to make me sound even more picky. It's the spelling and grammar. Heck, even the use of question marks is nearly non-existant here. But a few words were misspelled, like "their". That confused me when I got to it, but some people out there that don't know the difference won't mind. Maybe a reprint is in the future with corrected words? Nah.

Arsenic Lullaby's one of my favorite comics, and it's a shame more people don't know about it. I'll say it again- if you have any interest in the derranged at all, you'd do best to track down this book somewhere. A few comic shops still carry it, but I think it may be out of print, as Amazon doesn't even have new ones to order. And if Amazon doesn't carry something, there's a problem. Do whatever you can though, the book's great.

ok where to begin with this review...if you are into any kind of dark humor from comics like scud the disposable assassin or johnny the homicidal maniac to movies like feast,slither and sean of the dead this is definitely the comic book for you. i have been reading this book for 10+ years since Douglas P first started publishing so i thought i had seen everything doug had to offer. of course i was proven wrong while reading arsenic lullaby pulp edition #1, with the introduction of Tex Buckaroo(a John Wayneish ex tv cowboy who decides he is a guardian angel)and the continuing adventures of Baron von Donut (a living, breathing,hard drinking,suicidal breakfast food spokesman)and the ever popular fan favorite Voodoo Joe(a voodoo cursed guy who is pretty sure he has to get revenge for people to get his curse and voodoo mask removed) so if you are a fan of darker than dark humor and really really twisted violence you should definately pick this book up and if you think you arent a fan of that kind of thing just read this issue and i guarantee you will be afterwards. so check it out you wont be sorry!!!

A friend of mine let me borrow this book and I was so impressed with it that I had to buy it. It is full of very brief horror stories with 2 or three longer ones in it. Some of the stories get really edgy. A couple get down right bizarre but all kept me interested. The stories are a mix of old school style storytelling with a modern sensibility. A great book for lonely ,stormy nights.