Lighting the Pipes

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

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

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

LTP Noir returns with a bang for a close look at the original 1947 adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's novel "Nightmare Alley". From the fascinating, tormented life of its author to the tension between rising star and skeptical studio mogul, Josh gives the lowdown on how this conmen thriller and its controversial carnies were brought to life. This episode tracks the full-flavoured story of a once-forgotten Noir that's finally found its redemption.

Origins@02:30; Summary@08:30; Production@31:50; Rewiew@1:01:30

Inspired by the real life Tang-dynasty magistrate, Di Renjie, Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee stories continue a rich history of Chinese crime writing, gong'an, featuring government figures who solve mysteries. In this adventure, Judge Dee and his entourage find themselves seeking shelter in the Morning Cloud Monastery, suspiciously linked to the mysterious deaths of three young women. Dee and his lieutenant Tao Gan leave no stone unturned (and no tea undrunk) in their pursuit to unravel the dark secrets of this two-faced, peace-proclaiming sanctuary! We had a great time talking about this intriguing text, recommended to us by our buddy Nick over at The Book Graveyard (https://www.youtube.com/@TheBookGraveyard).

FastFacts@9:45; Summary@46:00; PIPES@1:07:15

In the conclusion of our two-part feature on Leslie Charteris' globetrotting collection from 1956, we join The Saint on his three final adventures. In "the Lovelorn Sheikh", Simon Templar buddies-up with a sympathetic dowser in the Middle East to aid his zany struggle for freedom and finance. Then it's off to Singapore, where a Somerset Maugham story holds the key to understanding the criminal conflict and history behind "The Pluperfect Lady". This gives way to the final yarn, "A Sporting Chance", wherein The Saint looks to expose the links of a drug chain while enjoying a spot of fly-fishing in Canada's great outdoors.

Story 1@01:30; Story 2@30:00; Story 3@57:30

Our exploration of Leslie Charteris's famous character continues here in the first of a two-part special on this (not-so) short story collection from 1956. From the warm beaches of Bermuda to a naturalist colony on Ile du Levant, the Saint's predictable charm, comeuppance and occasional moral lecturing are all on display here amidst a series of globe-trotting capers. This episode features reviews of stories 1-3 in the collection, "The Patient Playboy", "The Talented Husband" and "The Reluctant Nudist". Pack lightly and leave your disbelief behind - you're travelling with Simon Templar, remember!

Story1 @04:00; Story2 @26:00; Story3 @48:00

In this episode, our final of the year, we send 2025 on its way with a deep-dive into John Gardner's ninth James Bond continuation novel. While on "vacation" in Canada, Bond's forced leisure is cut short when he's sent to investigate Lee Fu-Chu, aka "Brokenclaw", a half-Blackfoot, half-Chinese billionaire with a penchant for deception and murder. When leading scientists begin disappearing across the continent, 007 gets drawn further into Brokenclaw's criminal world and his plans of economic sabotage.

2025 has been a great year on the pod and in this episode we look back at this successful and surprising stretch of reading and collaborating across thirty episodes. In addition to sharing our rankings for the shared novels and stories we explored, we also share some laughs and challenges in tackling our annual Sherlock and Year-in-Review quizzes!

Damon Runyan's Broadway stories are characterised by crooks, rogues and revelers with hearts of gold. In "Dancing Dan's Christmas" from 1932, we see a trio of pals, led by Dan, on a Christmas mission to make Gammer O'Neil believe in Santa. All it will take is a cheap disguise, some stolen jewels and the courage that only comes from necking Tom and Jerry cocktails for a couple hours beforehand! LTP Festive continues with Josh's choice for 2025 and a deep-dive into this short, charming holiday caper.

FastFacts@3:15; Summary@14:00; PIPES@19:45