Book cover of Columbo: Make Me a Perfect Murder

Book description

For decades, generations of television fans have been enraptured by Lt. Columbo, played by Peter Falk, as he unravels clues to catch killers who believe they are above the law. In her investigation of the 1970s series cocreated by Richard Levinson and William Link, Amelie Hastie explores television history through…


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Why read it?

1 author picked Columbo as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Growing up with the German Tatort (Crime Scene) and also with Columbo and Kojak, I always wanted to revisit these entertaining crime dramas from today’s perspective. How do they fare amidst the continuing proliferation of single white men as lead detectives on network and streaming platforms (Sugar, Lincoln Lawyer, etc.) and when compared to the more diverse representation in Dark Winds, Luther, and True Detective?

Hastie’s book provided rich fodder for my lingering curiosity in covering behind-the-scenes aspects, exploring what made Columbo resonate with network viewers trained on Dragnet, and why Peter Falk’s character…

From Sunka's list on TV crime dramas.

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These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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