Lighting the Pipes

In London's bewildering atmosphere of furtive strangers, a search for a man in spectacles leads two unwitting gentlemen into a decidedly eccentric succession of encounters, stories and revelations. To do Arthur Machen's late-Victorian text justice, we called in the pros and were joined by Nick Anderson from The Book Graveyard. Together, we (tried to) uncover every cobblestone of every dark alley Machen brings us down. This episode is a double-length Halloween indulgence, detailing all the literary sleuthing, shifting narratives and supernatural horror this foundational novel has to offer.

FastFacts@06:30; PlotExplorations@48:00; PIPES@2:48:45

Check out Nick's wide...

Two outcast sisters and an uncle with diminishing faculties are all that remains of the Blackwoods after tragedy struck the family six years ago. That poisonous event permeates the plot with unspoken force and what's left of the Blackwoods have hunkered down in their manse to weather the storm of bigotry from outside. Only eighteen year-old Mary Catherine leaves the home for supplies each week, braving the villagers' scorn and judgement. History is poised to repeat itself when cousin Charles enters the scene with designs of getting the family (and himself) back on track. Merricat shares her experiences through...

What do you get when you mix a fractured and vulnerable post-war society with a master criminal bent on mind-control and an altruistic state prosecutor desperate to clean up the streets? Norbert Jacques' "Dr Mabuse", that's what! The psychological thriller that took Germany by storm in the early 20th century is up for discussion in this episode. First translated into English by Lilian Claire in 1923, our review concentrates on the Carrier translation from 2026. From sweeping set-pieces to convoluted fever-dream prose, we ponder all the mysteries here in our first Autumn read of the season.

FastFacts@11:00; Summary@30:30; PIPES@58:30<...

British Industrialist Hugo Drax is cheating at cards at M's private club. James Bond is recruited to play the player but what starts as a lesson in humility soon evolves into a more dangerous game masking darker threats. Fleming's "Moonraker" is his third 007 novel and held by many fans as the author's best outing. Originally recorded in March of 2016, this conversation secures all the gyroscopic settings and launches listeners straight into the face of this contentious James Bond adventure. We're pleased to finally share this episode, the third chat from our original Bond series.

Intro&Publication@3:00; Summary@26:00...

In this episode we return to Leslie Charteris's singular Saint for a lightly linked trio of narrative rides from 1932. First published in the pages of Thriller magazine in April, June and August of that year, these three novellas once more pit Simon Templar against London's criminal underground. First up, "The Inland Revenue" sees The Saint take on a master blackmailer. Next, Templar faces a mystery of international extortion with "The Million Pound Day". Finally, "The Melancholy Journey of Inspector Teal" has our hero chasing down a diamond-smuggling assassin. All three deliver high stakes hijinks, Saintly resourcefulness and glimpses into...

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!

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

"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 o...

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<...

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...

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<...

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<...

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...

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

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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...

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.

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!

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...

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...

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

It's Christmas Eve in Oldhampton and as residents enjoy what's left of their pre-holiday errands, cub reporter Sonia is looking to eschew the society fluff of her regular assignments by tackling a more thrilling angle. Nobody has yet spent a night among the wax effigies in the local Hall of Horrors without meeting a ghastly end. Success here would certainly propel Sonia over the bigoted jibes and through the glass ceiling of her toxic workplace. Ethel Lina White's "Waxworks" first appeared in the December 1930 edition of Pearson's magazine and was the precursor to her 1935 novel, "Wax". In Part 1 of...

Before Philip Marlowe there was... "shamus"... aka Proto-Marlowe!

In this episode, Scott goes on solo assignment through the pages of Black Mask magazine to share his thoughts on Raymond Chandler's 1935 story "Killer in the Rain", the key progenitor of The Big Sleep. From salacious booksellers to double-crossing hoods, this complex story presented readers with the blueprint for what would become a sinful California and a gripping, fool-proof character methodology that Chandler would draw and double-down upon for years to come. So grab your trench-coats and join LTP through the drenched pavements and heavy secrets of LA. Watch...

In this, his first Bernard Samson narrative, Len Deighton gives us the story of a weary MI6 veteran who's pulled back into danger when a suspected mole threatens London's Berlin intelligence network. As Cold War pressures intensify, Samson is forced to negotiate frayed loyalties and return to the divided city of his youth, where nostalgia threatens to cloud his professional judgement further. Deighton's prose balances the tight rope of moral uncertainty while softly critiquing early Thatcherism - the result being a portrayal of Britain as a nation losing coherence... not to mention its secret intel!

Fast Facts@12:30...

From a post 9/11 framework, some could read John Gardner's Scorpius as chilling and prophetic. In the year of its publication, however, it was aiming to hit more contemporary targets. From growing world terrorism to the microchip boom, from satanic panic to luxury golf resorts, this outing sees M throw Bond into a complex web of inter-agency activity and exceedingly heavy stakes. Our run through the Gardner sweep continues with a closer look at this heavy-set and slithering seventh installment.

Summary@6:00; Review@30:00

It's Halloween on Yellow Street and outcast Robbie Glinton has a plan for revenge. Let down by teachers, abandoned by parents and ignored by "the man", he and his troop of juvenile delinquents (Jody, Dags and Midge) are out for a little payback.

Daniel Kraus' Blood Sugar, an exclusive Hard Case Crime publication from 2019, presents a complex story of trauma covered in seasonal guise and a veneer of adolescent reflection. Left to navigate their social and familial woes as best they can, Robbie's team of misfits prepare for the ultimate trick-or-treat with poisoned candy and weaponised sweets...

The John Gardner sweep continues with "Win, Lose or Die", the eighth continuation novel in his cycle of Bond adventures. With this story, Gardner keeps on trend-jumping, here drawing inspiration from the "Top Gun" and "Iron Eagle" craze of the era. Bond returns to the Navy, upgrades to Captain and plays War Games with some very important dignitaries in order to defend a top-secret Steward's Meeting from a new terrorist threat. So grab your aviators and fire up the After Burner Arcade, we're flying back to 1989 for one final wild ride of the decade!

In this special episode, Nick Anderson from The Book Graveyard lends his enthusiasm and rides sidecar through our exploration of "Maigret and the Ghost". When one of the Inspector's colleagues from the 18th arrondissement is gunned down in the peaceable Avenue Junot, Maigret has to pick up the loose ends of a secretive and time-sensitive investigation. From spooks in the window and open-marriage antics to expensive art and a flashy yellow jaguar, this later Simenon novel presents readers with... drumroll please... "the night of opening and closing doors"! In addition to the LTP review, this monster episode also features...

Dr Richard Talbot: "I'm writing a paper on ailments of the heart."

Nora Prentiss: "A paper? I could write a book!"

LTP Noir is back with "oomph" and a deep-dive into 1947's Nora Prentiss, directed by Vincent Sherman, a love affair that literally goes up in flames. Not only does Josh give his final word on this compelling "Women's Noir" but shines deserving light on the career of Ann Sheridan, an outlier Warner Brothers star who held her own in the feisty world of Crawford, Davis and De Haviland.

Plot Summary@2:30; Production Feature@24:00...