Detective and Mystery – Retro Radio Podcast

Actually an installment of the Mystery Playhouse, hosted by Peter Lorre. He presents a story about an empty bottle, but one that’s not quite empty. Mr Wilder takes his wife to a doctor, concerned that she’s going mad. Is there actually a creature that lives in the bottle? He goes into flashback to portray how the bottle came into his wife’s possession. It was a dark and stormy night as Wilder shops at a curio. The shopkeeper tells about the bottle. The owner of the bottle will go mad in a short time if he can’t get rid of it. He also can only sell it for less than he paid for it. The purchase price? Just 2 cents. Soon strange things happen. Wishes come true almost immediately. Is the legend of the bottle true? The rewards come with a tragic price though, and Wilder soon thinks he’s going mad. Robert finds he can’t simply throw the bottle away, it keeps coming back to him. Can it be smashed to pieces? Not wanting to see her husband suffer, Susan sets out to find the next buyer of the bottle. Who would buy it for only a penny? They’d be stuck with it? How did she fall into her own trap to buy the bottle for a penny? Is there a way out for her, or is her fate to go entirely mad? Is there a way out, a way for the sale to go for less than a penny? Will the skeptical psychologist have the answer for the supernatural legend?

A wealthy benefactor summons Sherlock Holmes to visit him in his weakened state. The German man wants Sherlock to impersonate him, and represent him to conclude a peace treaty. The master of disguise thinks that all he needs to do is work on a German accent to make the deception complete. What will it mean when Watson and detective Lastraad visit? Will Holmes be able to pull off his disguise? Filling in for the German official, Holmes holds up to grilling about the events surrounding an explosion earlier. Though Watson is competent in asking the questions, has he been able to come to any important decisions? Holmes tries to warn Watson off of further investigations, but will it come too late? Danger explodes, but Watson isn’t harmed by the bomb. Holmes has disappeared again but will Watson prove to be a capable detective for Lastrahd? Witnesses become hostile, and the investigation seems to stall. As Watson closes the case, Sherlock shows his hand to sort out the details too expose a klleer and a traitor.

It’s that time of year for Casey, Ann, and Ethylbert as they groan about having to work on the Christmas holiday. It’s all just a hazard of their prospective jobs. As tired as they are, Ethylbert stays in the Blue Note to serve up the holiday drinks, while Ann and Casey head out on the street to get their latest story. Meet the characters on Bum’s Blvd. There’s a couple people that Casey recognizes, and their stories unfold, there’s also a mixture of bums, street people, and the homeless, some more honest than others. When Casey discovers a man in a Santa suit who was robbed, he sets out to help the overly trusting santa. Can he get the stolen money back? Mr Shepherd, the man in the Santa suit, has the highest belief that the crook is actually honest, and will return the money. Is Casey’s outlook too synical? Is there hope to find virtues among the people of the gritty street life? Shepherd has come to the street to help people, but will he connect with the one he came to give the money to? Stand by for the ending, and join Casey back in the Blue Note where a message of hope is offered. The world might just be one big family afterall. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "retrootr-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Sam Spade on Amazon"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B00BDR8A9M,B006421JJY,1570196451,1932806229"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "d044d97d5e71edb0df9497c070c428e8";

Charlie and #1 son are helping to plan for the annual police Christmas party. Carols are sung at the piano. The party takes a less than festive turn when a man in a santa suit is found dead. Charlie gets busy with checking on clues, and is soon on the trail of his suspects. A dark colored van is a major clue, but it seems to have vanished. As Charlie and #1 son move in, a man with a sinister voice fills them in on motives for the killing. With some decisive action from Charlie, the bad guy is taken down, and the party can resume.

Actually a presentation of the Mystery Playhouse, and introduced by Peter Lorre. Details of an inheritance, blackmailers, gamblers, and a private detective all emerge. At the mansion of the eccentric family, detective Pierce has plenty of shady characters to choose from, while sifting out who might be the guilty party. Will he be making a payoff to the blackmailers? Or falling prey as a pawn in some kind of cover up for murder? The plot thickens when bodies pile up. Jonathan Pierce and his girlfriend put the heat on the gambler, and others in the house as he digs for clues, and hopes to crack the shell of the killer. Clues explode to the surface, and Jonathan is certain he can solve this case, but will he be in time to keep the cops from arresting the wrong man? In classic mystery novel fashion, and with high dramatic flare, the loose ends are tied up, the mystery exposed, and the real crook is handed over to the cops.

Actually Mystery Playhouse, hosted by Peter Lorre. A man has such a vivid nightmare of murder that he goes to report it to his brother inlaw, who is a policeman. Vince even has a button that he claims to have torn from his assailant, and a key. How could it be just a dream? Despite the emotion, the cop is too jaded to believe the story. The teletypes spring into action to report a murder, and Vince is allowed to go along with his brother in law, Cliff. Everything in the nightmare matches the details of the crime scene. Now Cliff turns on him, trying to slap the truth out of him. What a buddy, good thing this is before the days of police brutality laws. Sane heads prevail when the local sheriff helps out with further details of the crime, actually a double murder. Details of the murder begin to form the background story. Is Vince’s nightmare actually that, or is he experienceing a mental block? Can a hypnotist release him from his amnesia? Or has someone been playing mind games to make Vince think he committed murder? Regardless, the question remains, if it wasn’t Vince, then who?

After weeks at sea, Holmes and Watson arrive in Calcutta to solve their latest problem. The Summer of 1894 finds them on the hunt for a legendary missing white elephant. For centuries, prophecies have foretold the death of an elephant, and soon after, the death of the Maharajah. The next step, to meet the Maharajah. Descriptions of the bejeweled and golden palace are offered as Holmes and Watson wait, and hear the distant call of an elephant. The aged ruler reluctantly agrees to be examined by Dr Watson, who has a treatment for his eye trouble. Now that Watson has examined his patient, Holmes wants to examine the sacred white elephant. Despite hearing the trumpeting of the beast not long ago, the huge animal seems to have disappeared. Will the life of the Maharaja be in danger? Holmes follows a trail of clues to solve the problem of the missing elephant, a murder, and a cover up surrounding a change of power. Western methods tip their hand over those of Eastern poisoning, but is there any justice that Holmes might bring. Is the crime of one king to another one above the law?

Lured in by a damsel in distress, the Saint finds himself in the hands of lackeys from a gang. What does the gangster, Kelly, have to tell the Saint? It’ll take work on Simon’s part to keep out of trouble when gunshots ring out from behind the locked office door. Though the Connely Silver mine has been emptied of all it’s wealth, Simon is sure there’s more to it. Still sticking up for the dame, Betty Connely, Simon faces off with a thug for some quick justice. Doing some prospecting of his own, Simon takes Betty out of town to visit her mine. In the mine shaft, danger arises. Simon fends it off, and finds the answer he needs. If the mine is played out, what makes it so valuable? There’s still one more twist to this mystery, but Simon explains the nuances behind the secrets as he exposes, and hands over a killer.

Paying a visit to Holmes, Watson finds his friend in a gay mood, and on a new case. Holmes lays out the details of the murder in the governor’s mansion. In interviewing the suspects, Holmes is fearless, and not swayed by bluster, and pompous attitudes. On the expansive estate, Holmes picks up where police investigations have failed so far. Clues come together for Holmes. With the massive collection of fire arms, will it be possible to find the murder weapon in the midsts of them? Wouldn’t it be just as easy to simply have tossed the weapon in the lake? What final clues will emerge? Holmes has it figured out, and it’s time to gather in the courtroom to bring it all together. Holmes makes his case, and presents the judge with the evidence, and the killer. Still need clarification? Holmes breaks it all down for the likes of Watson.

An old car crosses paths with Simon Templar, and it causes him to cross path with gun toting gangsters. Intimidation doesn’t work well when used on the Saint. Always on the alert, he turns the tables, and makes easy work of his would be captors. Interest in the old car grows, and means gunplay, and the body count begins to rise. A tale of stolen cash leads to Mr Ritchie. Where will his trail of following the money lead Simon? To more danger, but first it leads to a dame. With yet another corpse on his hands, the Saint has one more reason to want to find the secret behind the car. The loose ends to the story are being tied up. Simon finds himself back in the company of Turner, the thug he left with a lump on his head to get to the root of the story, and who knew about it. Though the end is in site, there’s danger for Simon, right up to the greedy end.

A threatening message finds Johnny Dollar on the case of stolen jewels. Adam Kegg is certain it’s all a hoax, and thinks its a waste of time to ransom them back. The trail that Johnny tries to blaze soon seems to run cold. Johnny makes contact with the thief, but is there more happening under the surface? More details emerge as Johnny digs deeper, and the danger starts the body count. Silvia Kegg is distraught over the death of Danny, but was there anything between her and the young bellboy? Did she have something to do with the theft of her own jewels? Are there secrets to find to expose a cover up? Johnny has plenty of suspects to sort through. Maybe the police will help. Just when it looks as if it’s time to give up the case, johnny gets the break he needs.

In the shady streets and alleys of Limehouse, Watson describes the decrepit sights of opium houses, and is fooled by Holmes disguise as he offers aid to the pathetic figures he finds. A man has been spotted in disguise and Holmes suspects the fake opium addict as planning a murder. Back in Baker Street, Holmes is approached by Mr Layton about a business deal, and suspicions of espionage. Is Layton a potential killer? Another visitor could be the intended victim, and a connection to the opium dens may hold the clue to tie it all together. What will our heroes find, back in the waterfront district? With no sign of Holmes, or the two opium addicts, Watson takes the matter to the police. As one victim reaches his dying breath, he whispers a word that Holmes knows is a clue to close the case. Back to Limehouse, and the truth. In epilog, Holmes explains the case to Watson, clarifying how he put the clues together to figure it out.

Audio resolution is a little low, but otherwise clear. Simon Templar is offered cash to leave town, but he has a score to settle. How can he manage getting his vengeance, when he doesn’t know the name of the big shot who few people have even seen? It takes getting rough with gun toting thugs, and pushing around a dame who might get him a step closer to Mr Important. Guns blaze, the rain of bullets finds Rose dead, and the Saint in the company of the District Attorney. Working in his own way, and not necessarily within the law, Simon puts the pressure on the DA. With enemies on all sides, the Saint may be leaving town soon, even if it means being carried out in a box. Danger kicks into high gear as the Saint fights for justice. Wisecracks and boasts put Simon in the clutches of the heavies who want to kill him, but who has who in position to rake over the coals? In the face of the thugs, Simon knows he’s on the right trail, and close to reaching Mr Important.

On an assignment, Casey and Ann investigate a crime scene at a boarding house. A woman has been stabbed to death. The cops gather the clues for the locked room mystery. Could the woman stab erself in the back? How could a killer have gotten in or out of the locked room? It would have taken a strong person to have done the deed. Miss Jessip was an aloof person, a lone wolf, but despite that the boarding house owner, Mrs Banks feels they had a connection. What clues will Casey find in her story as a lonely woman? Is she, or any of her other boarders strong enough to have done the damage the knife did in killing Mis Jessip? The clues are hashed out as Casey and the cops try to make sense of the matter. Casey finds the clue he needs in the lonely nature of the little old boarding house matronn. The big question remains of how such a tiny woman could have done the violent deed. Don’t worry, Casey explains it all as he confronts her.

Joe Collins, a boxer and old friend phones Simon Templar. What kind of trouble is the boxer in? Is there a connection when a toddler named Donnie is placed in Simon’s care, with a note of caution to not even tell the police? Down at the gym, Joe is the sure fire champ who claims his call for help was jumping the gun. Not even assistance from Louie the cabbie is enough to be sure Donnie is fully cared for, so a nurse is hired to sit with the child. Hitting the streets to investigate Joe’s doubtful assurances, Simon and Louie have reason to believe the fight is going to be fixed. Can he get Joe to come clean? The link is made between Joe, his ex-wife, and his son named Donnie. Racing back to his apartment, Simon finds it was Marie, the child’s mother posing as the nurse, and poetic justice has come her way. Where’s Donnie? Do the thugs have him, and a renewed hold over the champ? Louie, and the Saint swashbuckle their way to the rescue. but will they get word to Joe in time to save the fight? Danger isn’t out of the question when guns come out.