Detective and Mystery – Retro Radio Podcast

Seeking some rest and relaxation, Holmes and Watson refresh themselves, but Holmes is never too run down to take on a new mystery. Lady Clavering’s husband has been missing for years, and wants help in declaring him legally dead. Is there some clever advice Holmes might offer to get around the law? That’s not Holmes style. Birds, bon fires, and the beauty of nature continue to soothe our detective heroes. Threats from the brother get Holmes riled up, but the experience leaves him refreshed. Exploring the eerie depths of a cavern, Watson manages to discover a new cave, complete with a body. Can it be the missing man? The hundred year old corpse, and diary seem to mirror the events of the current situation of a missing person, whose wife is cheating on his brother. Holmes begins to doubt the corpse is all that old. Trapped by a cave in, Holmes signals for help with a bird call, and a bon fire discloses a clue. When the cops arrive, he may already have the mystery figured out, so its off to confront Lady Clavering. Secrets are exposed, criminals are captured, and Holmes contemplates the quiet retirement as a beekeeper.

George gets a letter from a college gal, majoring in botany, and has a strange problem involving flowers, and murder. It turns out that she and her husband are both freshmen at the university. They are a little older because of being veterans of the recent war, and both are using their GI Bill benefit. . To make things even more strange, and uncomfortable, they have a son who attends the college as a sophomore. The mystery involves a project she is working on with her professor with a new strain of orchid. The son is upset that a love triangle might be going on. Or at least concerned that the rumor mill thinks his mom has a thing going on with the professor. George and Brooksie make the rounds interviewing the folks on the campus. The rash of accidents takes a more serious turn when they discover a body in the greenhouse, it looks bad for either the son or husband. By now, all the clues are in, and George calls the cops to have all the remaining players gather together in the greenhouse. The mystery is solved in classic mystery novel fashion.

The scene of a crime raises flags as to the motive, and Johnny is soon on hand to investigate the aleged suicide. A friend of the dead woman sets Johnny on the trail of boyfriends. Expensive perfume, and a heart shaped key get the ball rolling for Johnny. The wealthy employer of Joan is shocked at the murder, but cooperates with giving any information he needs. Corey is Joan’s gtruck driving boyfriend. Might he be the jealous type, and suspecting Joan was running around on him? Police find a bit of evidence that puts Johnny back at square one. Is it suicide or not? Johnny feels there’s still clues to discover, and lies that need to be exposed. There’s still the matter of that heart shaped key, and it could unlock the secret to the mystery. But there’s just one more twist to this tale.

Watson had found himself in a mystery, and wrote a letter to describe the problem to his friend Holmes. A friend of Mrs Watson, a proponent of woman’s rights, is seen and the ladies catch up on old times. Her uncle, Colonel Warburton has claimed to be hearing things that aren’t there. Is this a medical case, right up Watson’s alley? As the old officer, and old doctor compare war stories, an inaudible whistle causes the colonel to think it’s voodoo, and someone is out to get him. Holmes sends a curious telegram. Does the colonel have a dog? Watson doesn’t know why that’s important, but telegrams back there was a dog, but it was recently killed. Holmes arrives, but is he too late? Is the colonel mad? He may know the secret to prove the colonel is more sane than those around him. What kind of experiment does the detective want to conduct to prove his point? How will it expose the mystery, and who would want to harm the colonel?

In a penthouse apartment, a district attorney and a woman sit talking together. The high profile murder has all the news paper reporters and legal types buzzing, and we learn the details surrounding the crime. Through the combination of voiceover and flashback drama we discover a love triangle, and a jealous jilted lover. When a proposed idea for murder is first mentioned to his gal, she thinks it’s just a plot for the comic strip he draws. As life in the swanky players unfolds, there’s more than only a murder in the funny papers afoot. At the crucial moment, the cops rush in, and truths are revealed, proving the story being spun for the listener might be full of lies. What tipped off the district attorney to the plot that was intended to involve him in inadvertently providing a defense for the killer?

To introduce a coming feature to the podcast, Keith shares some background on the Saint, and includes a handful of clips from a BBC presentation. Starting out in print form, the imperterbable, suave, worldly, sardonic, man about town, created by Lesley Charteress easily made the transition frolm the page, to the screen, radio, and eventually television. Well established as a fictional character as early as 1928, the Saint was physically strong, egotistical, and bias, He had a past as a gambler, gun runner, smugler of whiskey and perfume, he was in the Spanish foreign legion, tramped across America, fought his way across Mexico, and struck it rich in South America. He lost fortunees as easily as he could make them. No wonder the swashbuckling adventurer was known as the 20th Century Robin Hood. In living his life on the edge, he righted wrongs along the way. By the time of it’s radio debut in 1939, the Saint had appeared in several movies. There would be a few short series that chronicled novels of Simon Templar’s adventures, before the long running feature would air, starring the velvet voiced Vincent Price. Included today is the Audition from 1940, with introduction by Lesley Charteress himself. He introduces the primary characters, and sets up the story. The Saint is believed to be a criminal, at least by the harried police commissioner. However, when a police detective, and friend of the Saint inadvertently gives a secrret password, he gets a special bundle from a spy ring. Simon, just as randomly, happens along to help his friend who sports a fresh bump on the head. Finding the package contains bundles of dollar bills,, Simon investigates, finds trouble, and steps outside the law for some flamboyant poetic justice. Racketeers are raked over the coals, and a trap is set to capture the whole spy ring. What does the Saint want in return? Just to alert his cop friend, Henry, to hand over the enemies of the state. Then, Lesley is back to comment on next week’s story, complete with a short preview of the drama under the sea.

A friend of Candy has an amulet that he wants examined. They get into a cute argument over college loyalties. Candy recommends her friend Rembrandt Watson for ideas about the amulet, that was found at a crime scene. He deciphers the writing, and it leads Candy to nab a character for Mallard. Although the man is a respectable citezen in the eyes of the law, Candy has her doubts, and puts her detective skills to good use in tracking him. Candy the hunter, becomes Candy the captured. The details of the sinister plot are revealed, but it comes at the price of being forced into a sealed tomb, and left to suffocate. Where’s the cops when you need them? Will Candy’s policeman friend, Ray Mallard show up? He somehow does, and fills in the details that Candy hasn’t already figured out. Hey, are they going to talk with that brick wall between them all night? He promises to get her out if she promises to go to a Roy Acuff movie with him, his favorite cowboy movie star. Given the options, Candy decides to face being left in the sealed tomb. Cute ending.

In New York, Johnny investigates the matter of a bond agent. His high profile gangster client, Jack Madigan, has caused two key witnesses to fly the coup. Making the rounds, Johnny talks with the relatives of the missing witnesses. A sultry dame in a low cut dress isn’t who she claims to be, and Johnny isn’t buying it. His meeting with Jack Madigan is equally not impressive to Johnny. Where are the missing witnesses, and what size concrete shoes are they wearing? What about the second witness? Johnny’s investigation is a little too close for Madigan, and guns soon start blazing. Back to the office of the bond agent, Mr Struel, and time to cut through the lies. Johnny starts his rounds over again, and is back to confront the dame. Will she come clean with what she knows about Madigan? Bodies pile up. Will the remaining witness be located? When a scuffle breaks out, who will need protection from who?

A legend about a ghost sighting on the date he was hanged, is at the center of Watson’s tale today. The invitation to visit the castle, and a dying, elderly man is irresistible to Holmes. Family house servants have been at the castle for years. The old man has died, and the ghost has been seen before Holmes arrives. Does this hamper the mystery at all? What creaky old secrets will the castle turn up, as Holmes pokes through it? Family skeletons emerge, while sightings of the ghost are anticipated. There’s something awfully physical about that ghost, but before Holmes can do anything the ghost becomes a corpse, and a killer is on the run. Clues turn up with the original suit of armor. As motives are examined, evidence becomes more clear. Murders continue, so Holmees needs to work fast to stop the killer. Holmes is sure there’s a natural killer behind the matter, but if the ghost appears again, he’ll hang up his hat and magnifying glass forever.

A shipment in Singapore needs to leave port on time. It’s up to Johnny Dollar to make sure the delays don’t run up a bill with the insurance company. Malaria seems to be keeping the captain and crew out of commission. Is it just a misfortune of being in the tropics, or is there any reason to suspect fowl play? Johnny tracks down leads to uncover murder, and threats of danger. When he snoops a little too closely, those threats explode in his face. Johnny isn’t put off, and is soon back on the exotic streets to find connections to the steamship line. A soft spoken dame seems to be at the center of all the shootings, will Johnny learn anything from her? Has he come face to face with the mastermind of the conspiracy? Has Johnny found the detail it’s going to take to outsmart the crazy troublemaker, and take him down? The bodies aren’t through piling up as Johnny closes in on his man.

Watson recounts an evening in 1887, when he was relaxing with his new bride. They discuss possible family investments. Is it a fraud, or a new and revolutionary invention? John thinks it has to be a fraud, since the doctor who invented it is actually a woman. Mrs Watson insists on witnessing the machine in action. Is it really possible to travel in the 4th dimension? Time? Racing home, will the Watson find the personal papers waiting for them? At Baker Street, Holmes has been reclusive, and deep into his own projects. What will he have to say about travel in the 4th dimension, and the new metal that makes it possible? Of course, the fraud is clear to Holmes, and together they go to the woman doctor’s, after hours, to do some snooping. Where will the mystery go, when her dead body is found in her lab, inside the locked metal chamber? Moriarty’s hand soon becomes evident. Holmes has a trick up his sleeve in escaping the locked chamber, but it was Mrs Watson who really saved the day.

Candy gets a phone call from an old pal who is a soldier. He asks her to attend a military party. Sounds innocent enough, but a mystery lurks beneath the surface. She goes to talk to her old friend Rembrandt Watson to extend the invitation to him for the military ball. What’s a girl to do? Shopping for the perfect ball gown works, not to mention stopping off to talk to her sometimes boyfriend, Police detective Ray Mallard. He just might be a little jealous, but lets Candy know it in a special way. Candy learns that she has been set up to be the star attraction in a fund raiser. Though she is less than thrilled over it, the situation is about to get worse. As she goes to meet Rembrandt, she discovers a body, sprawled over the railroad track, and with a train speeding down on him. Not that it would matter much since the man turns out to be a dead body. True to her word, and to support the troops, Candy still heads out to the party, but only after reporting the dead man to the local cops. She dances the night away, and takes a break with one of the soldiers in attendance. He shows his true colors when he roughs her up, and knows an awful lot about her incident with finding the body earlier. She recovers by taking a midnight stroll with a Military Policeman, and just her luck, she finds yet another body on the beach. It’s the guy who smacked her around at the party. What’s going on with this mystery? As she returns inside after all her ordeal, a shadowy figure emerges from the corner of the room that Candy is in. Who is this psychotic guy? Will Candy manage to escape his clutches? And what has been his purpose for his killing spree? Don’t worry, all the dots will be connected to explain all the questions and secrets behind the killer leaving his special calling cards. PS: See what you get when you’re elected as Queen of the Ball? Note to self, no more acceptance of offers to be Queen.

By the days the first world war broke out, the careers of Holmes and Watson were about over. However, they came out of retirement to take on this case at the battle front. Holmes doesn’t rely on powers of deduction to explain to Watson, their driver is an actor, and friend of Mycroft. In the command post, greetings are had all around as papers are verified. The general looks forward to the entertainment troupe, and the performance. So, why is Holmes present so close to the front lines? A mysterious message has drawn the star away from the show, but Holmes steps up to fill in. The show must go on! On stage, Holmes delivers the Shakespearean lines to applause inside, and distant gun fire outside. An attempted murder has been committed with a German pistol. A plot of espionage is revealed. How much military information has been leaked? One good betrayal deserves another, and Holmes reveals how he turned matters around for the general, the surprise attack, and the fate of a spy.

Featuring Gerold Moore. Philip is asked to locate a man’s missing wife. The woman isn’t the kind prone to tears, but lately she had been weepy. She sometimes takes off and drives to blow off steam, but is back after an hour. It’s now been three days and Philip is on the job with the promise to find her, but not necessarily bring her back. Based on some clues in the house, Philip goes to a fortune teller to start his search. He hits a nerve when he mentions Norma, the missing woman. Not the kind to waste time, Philip lays all his cards on the line and compares notes with a man who he’s sure knows a lot about the case. Philip may have made short work of the man who has been stalling him, but a dame is sure to make a fool of him. After a thump on the head, Philip awakens to find his fortune teller, and his missing woman out of his grasp. Going back to face his client, he finds the man dead in his house. While Philip waits for the cops, he hears a sound. It’s Norma, with a confession and a suicide note. Can he stop her? Philip tries his best, but there’s still one more loose end to solve, and a last minute plot twist. .

Audio is excellent. After returning home, Watson takes Holmes to the theater for a play based on one of there own stories. The actor portraying Holmes tips him off to watch the person in the box across from his. At intermission, he and Watson meet the lovely Miss Henshaw, who also has had a pearl stolen. Will it turn up? Who is the mysterious Egyptian who stalks her? The actor who portrays Holmes has the mystery figured out, and plans to solve it, even if the real Holmes can’t. Before Holmes can get too many more details, the actor turns up dead, but his clues point to where the real ruby is hidden. Danger looms for our heroes? Has Holmes walked into a trap? Who could have masterminded the mystery, other than the real Moriarty? Hasn’t he been dead for nearly 20 years by now? Watson may be befuddled, but Holmes knows his nemesis has once again escaped justice. What about the ruby? The girl? The Egyptian? And why doesn’t Watson like his portrayal on the stage? The answers to all these questions, and more… will be answered when you listen to the show.