Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
It was fortuitous that I visited Bletchley Park at the same time as The Imitation Game is in theaters, because parts of the movie were actually shot there. The production crew meticulously recreated several sets, and even better, left them up after the shoot. I’m not sure if they will be a permanent fixture, but I thought … Read more
The sine qua non of the war effort at Bletchley Park was the need to break the German Enigma machine. The Enigma was basically a mechanical cipher machine that was used by every German military (and some civilian) sectors to transmit messages about troop movements, bombings, battle plans, Uboats, and other German war tactics. The … Read more
Those of you who know more than I do about codebreaking (and that’s likely most of you reading this) know this already. But I didn’t, so for myself and others who don’t, there are six basic steps to codebreaking, as practiced in Bletchley Park during the War. The signage at Bletchley explains: “If you can … Read more
As the war progressed, so did the work at Bletchley, particularly after Alan Turing developed the Ultra. And all in total secrecy. It’s amazing to think that over 10,000 people worked at Bletchley over the war years, but no one knew. The secrecy was impenetrable — something that would probably be impossible today. And it … Read more
Most of you you know I’m a former film and video producer as well as a history addict, particularly periods of history that are fraught with conflict. I was lucky enough to visit Bletchley Park in the UK over the holidays, and, of course, I took dozens of photos which I’ll organize and post in … Read more
So, I was opening my email a couple of mornings ago when I saw a message from a stranger, saying someone wanted to kill me. Luckily, this person knew who it was, and if I sent him $4,000 right away, he would take measures to protect me. Oh, and I shouldn’t call the cops if … Read more
Robert Kennedy spoke those words when he announced he was a candidate for the Presidency in March, 1968. (Apocryphal, no?) Anyway, I just saw the “1968” exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. Here’s a bit of the posters, photos, and signage. If you’re in Chicago, go! There’s also a fabulous exhibit of Vivian Maier’s photography. Great … Read more
Hi, all. Guess what? After posting here, on FB, Twitter, and Google+, I got a call around 3 pm from ADT Corporate Relations. How could they help me? The problem, which required me to simply press 4 numbers on my keypad — really, that was it — is fixed, and my alarm is now working. … Read more
Before I went to Berlin several people, including my brother, told me how much I was going to love the city. And I admit that Berlin is big, bustling, easy to get around, and everyone there speaks English. But Berlin isn’t Germany the way New York isn’t America and London isn’t Britain. I didn’t see … Read more
The Killer Femmes “bundle” (also available on Nook, Kobo, and iBooks) is special because I’m sharing space with some of my favorite authors in the crime fiction community. They are all terrific writers, and I gobble up their books as soon as they come out. But I realize you might not know them… so today I’m … Read more