Private investigators
'Law & Order' Actor Found Something 'Larger' Than Himself On 'SVU'
Christopher Meloni spent 12 seasons on Law & Order: SVU before leaving the show in 2011. Now he's returning to the franchise, starring in Law & Order: Organized Crime. Originally broadcast April 2019.
A Detective's 'Walk Among The Tombstones' Is Gripping But Unsatisfying
In the '70s, novelist Lawrence Block created New York private investigator Matthew Scudder who chases extreme bad guys. Liam Neeson now plays the character the new grisly film directed by Scott Frank.
Aussie Detective Jack Irish Is More Than Old-School Macho
The fictional Australian hard-boiled detective is the star of several sharp, funny novels by Peter Temple. Two of those books have recently been adapted into TV movies starring Guy Pearce. Critic-at-large John Powers says Pearce perfectly conveys a complex blend of old and new masculinity.
Jason Schwartzman, 'Bored' And Loving It.
After starring in movies like Rushmore and The Darjeeling Limited, Jason Schwartzman decided to move to TV. He talks about playing a novelist moonlighting as a private detective on HBO's Bored to Death -- and details what it was like to work with Wes Anderson on several films.
Sixties 'Vices' Collide in Pynchon's New Novel
Thomas Pynchon's latest novel, Inherent Vice, is a detective romp set at the end of the 1960s psychedelic era. Critic-at-large John Powers has a review.
A Novelist's Hard-boiled Take On Big Sky Country
Crime novelist James Crumley's detective tales were filled with sex, drugs, violence and profanity, and inspired comparisons to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, among others. Crumley died Sept. 17 in Missoula, Mont. He was 68.
The Man Who Gave Us Mike Hammer
Crime writer Mickey Spillane died Monday at age 88. Spillane was most famous for his sex- and violence-drenched Mike Hammer detective novels. His titles include Kiss Me Deadly and I the Jury. While critics rarely praised Spillane, his books were bestsellers. This interview originally aired on Nov. 22, 1989.
Mystery Writer Evan Hunter
Evan Hunter died Wednesday at the age of 78. Under the pen name Ed McBain, he was best known for his finely detailed "87th Precinct" novels. Mystery fans call McBain's books "procedurals" for their close attention to police procedures.
Cultural Heroes and One-of-a-Kinds: Mystery Novelist Mickey Spillane.
Detective writer Mickey Spillane ("Spill-AIN). One of the world's most popular writers of the hardboiled private investigator genre. His most famous character is Mike Hammer. He's began writing about Hammer in 1947. (REBROADCAST from 11/22/89)
"Dumb & Dumber" Directors' Newest Film Is Smarter than You'd Think
Film critic John Powers reviews "There's Something About Mary," The new movie from Peter & Bobby Farrelly.