Although Martin Short admits his character in Only Murders in the Building—a theater director named Oliver—is “not the obvious choice to get so deeply embroiled in a murder investigation,” Short himself has a longtime love for the genre. Literary Sleuths That Inspired Him: “The Hardy Boys, when I was 9.” Fave Childhood Mystery Series: “The Thin Man [movie series with MyrnaLoy and WilliamPowell]. I would watch TheAlfred Hitchcock Hour [1962–65], which was fabulous—there were a lot those anthology shows that were just one-off mysteries.” If I Were in Clue: “I’d like to think of myself as a Colonel Mustard—I’m not a Professor Plum. And you know what? I like the simplicity of the lead pipe.” How to Make Murder Funny: “I always think that when comic actors try to be funny, that’s when they’re not particularly funny. You create a character, you create human behavior and you put that person in a murder mystery.”
Best New Mysteries of Fall 2021
Check out these new lethal literary picks for fall.
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins: A London houseboat is the scene of the crime when a 23-year-old man is found dead, spelling trouble for three women linked to the victim. Don’t get too comfortable; the red herrings will keep you guessing. (August 31, Riverhead) The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman: The Thursday Murder Club’s quartet of clever septuagenarian Sherlocks is back, this time in search of murderers and stolen diamonds from their luxe retirement village. (September 28, Pamela Dorman Books) All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon: It’s 1923, and a young Black theologian—and Sherlock fan—attempts to solve her father’s cold case murder in a city ruled by the KKK. (October 5, Tyndale) Death at Greenway by Lori Rader-Day: At Agatha Christie’s holiday estate, nurses sheltering children during World War II bombings become involved in a deadly mystery. (October 12, William Morrow)
Movie Whodunits
These fun films have it all—crimes, crafty motive reveals, star-studded suspects, satisfying twists—and they’re streaming so you can enjoy anytime. Knives Out (2019): Who doesn’t want to watch ghastly and dysfunctional family members ChrisEvans, JamieLeeCurtis, DonJohnson and ToniCollette become suspects in their family patriarch’s (ChristopherPlummer) highly suspicious death? Clue (1985): Based on the board game of the same name, this star-studded (TimCurry, ChristopherLloyd, MadelineKahn) campy cult-classic marries slapstick chaos with killer clues. Murder on the Orient Express (2017): This adaptation of the classic AgathaChristie novel boasts charismatic characters and plausible killers (KennethBranagh, PenélopeCruz, WillemDafoe, JudiDench, JohnnyDepp, MichellePfeiffer), balancing murder, mystery and humor. Next, Inspire Your Inner Sleuth With the 15 Greatest Murder Mystery Movies of All Time
