Lighting the Pipes
Episodes
Where the Body Was (2023)
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we head back to the world of graphic novels and explore the suburban mystery of "Where the Body Was" by celebrated comics duo, Ed Bru...
LTP 007: Death is Forever (1992)
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The iron curtain has fallen. Intelligence is dispersing in its heavy draught. Europe is transitioning towards a single market. Conditions are ripe for...
Assignment Sorrento Siren (1963)
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The long-running "Assignment" spy fiction series by Edward S Aarons showcases CIA operative Sam Durell in a range of pulpy, Cold War adventures. "Sorr...
He Who Whispers (1946) w/ The Book Graveyard
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Mystery Writers of America honoured John Dickson Carr with two Edgars (1950, 1970) and a Grand Masters Award (1963) in acknowledgement of his long...
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (1923)
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In February 1923, Howard Carter unearthed the tomb of Tutankhamun and fed the '20s&nb...
Swag (1976)
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we crack open "Swag" from 1976, one of Elmore Leonard's leanest Detroit crime novels. This caper follows Frank Ryan and Ernest "Stick...
Whose Body? (1923)
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When an inconvenient corpse is discovered in a Battersea bathtub, a complex puzzle unfolds for the London authorities. What's with the pince-nez and b...
LTP 007: The Man from Barbarossa (1991)
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When a celebrated Soviet hero is alleged to have marched among the SS in some of history's worst butchery, James Bond is sent to validate the claims a...
LTP Noir: Nightmare Alley (1947)
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
LTP Noir returns with a bang for a close look at the original 1947 adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's novel "Nightmare Alley". From the fascinati...
The Haunted Monastery (1961)
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by the real life Tang-dynasty magistrate, Di Renjie, Robert van Gulik's Judge Dee stories continue a rich history of Chinese crime writing, g...
The Saint Around the World (1956) - Part 2
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In the conclusion of our two-part feature on Leslie Charteris' globetrotting collection from 1956, we join The Saint on his three final adventures. In...
The Saint Around the World (1956) - Part 1
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Our exploration of Leslie Charteris's famous character continues here in the first of a two-part special on this (not-so) short story collection from ...
LTP 007: Brokenclaw (1990)
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our final of the year, we send 2025 on its way with a deep-dive into John Gardner's ninth James Bond continuation novel. While on "va...
2025 Review & Holiday Quiz
27 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
2025 has been a great year on the pod and in this episode we look back at this successful and surprising stretch of reading and collaborating across t...
LTP Festive: Dancing Dan's Christmas (1932)
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Damon Runyan's Broadway stories are characterised by crooks, rogues and revelers with hearts of gold. In "Dancing Dan's Christmas" from 1932, we see a...
LTP Festive: Waxworks (1930)
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's Christmas Eve in Oldhampton and as residents enjoy what's left of their pre-holiday errands, cub reporter Sonia is looking to eschew the society ...
Killer in the Rain (1935)
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before Philip Marlowe there was... "shamus"... aka Proto-Marlowe!In this episode, Scott goes on solo assignment through the pages of Black Mask magazi...
Berlin Game (1983)
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this, his first Bernard Samson narrative, Len Deighton gives us the story of a weary MI6 veteran who's pulled back into danger when a suspected mol...
LTP 007: Scorpius (1988)
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From a post 9/11 framework, some could read John Gardner's Scorpius as chilling and prophetic. In the year of its publication, however, it was aiming ...
Blood Sugar (2019)
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's Halloween on Yellow Street and outcast Robbie Glinton has a plan for revenge. Let down by teachers, abandoned by parents and ignored by "the man"...
LTP 007: Win, Lose or Die (1989)
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The John Gardner sweep continues with "Win, Lose or Die", the eighth continuation novel in his cycle of Bond adventures. With this story, Gardner keep...
Maigret and the Ghost (1964) w/ The Book Graveyard
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, Nick Anderson from The Book Graveyard lends his enthusiasm and rides sidecar through our exploration of "Maigret and the Ghos...
LTP Noir: Nora Prentiss (1947)
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Richard Talbot: "I'm writing a paper on ailments of the heart." Nora Prentiss: "A paper? I could write a book!"LTP Noir is back with "oomph" and a ...
Twice Shy (1981)
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What would happen if a bunch of thugs were chasing down an old-man's horse-betting system? And what if only a sharpshooting physics teacher and his jo...
Billy Summers (2021)
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Billy Summers, ex-marine, is an assassin with a moral compass and a mind scarred by trauma. In Stephen King's 2021 thriller, he takes on some "very ba...
LTP 007: No Deals, Mr Bond (1987)
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In John Gardner's sixth continuation novel, M has "cream cake" on his face and Bond is brought in to clean up the mess. Ghosts from a former operation...
LTP Selects: The Priory School (1904)
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Dr Huxtable (no, not that one) makes a desperate appeal to Sherlock for help in locating a missing pupil of his stuffy boarding school, Holmes po...
LTP Selects: The Resident Patient (1893)
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A young doctor and nervous sponsor... a criminal history and horrific murder... it must be time for "The Resident Patient"! Following the case of Dr P...
The Yellow Dog (1931) w/ The Book Graveyard
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can't get enough Maigret? Same here! So, when our buddy Nick from The Book Graveyard invited us over to his YouTube channel for a chat about 1931's Th...
LTP Noir: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
26 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are ready for our close-up, Mr DeMille! Just in time for its 75th Anniversary, LTP Noir delivers a supersized episode on the ultimate dark Hollywoo...
The Saint Goes On (1934)
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The Saint Goes On" is the fourteenth book of adventures by Leslie Charteris to feature Simon Templar and his unique skillset of wit, charm and reckle...
LTP 007: Nobody Lives Forever (1986)
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our inspection of John Gardner's continuation novels rolls on with his fifth 007 adventure. Here, James Bond is forced to jettison his annual leave in...
Castle in the Air (1980)
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Part satire, part crime adventure and part screwball comedy, Donald E Westlake's heist caper follows an eclectic team of European baddies vowing to ai...
LTP Special: Sir Francis Walsingham
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode (a listener-favourite from our BBN days), Josh newly presents his research on Sir Francis Walsingham. Dubbed "Spymaster to the...
LTP Selects: The Priory School (1904)
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Dr Huxtable (no, not that one) makes a desperate appeal to Sherlock for help in locating a missing pupil of his school, the great detective polit...
LTP Noir: Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"I'd hate to take a bite of you... you're a cookie full of arsenic."Alexander McKendrick's compelling noir is full of lines like this, courtesy of scr...
The Benson Murder Case (1926)
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to Ogden Nash, "Philo Vance needs a kick in the pants", and Dashiel Hammett described the character's posturing as being, "like a teenager w...
LTP 007: Role of Honour (1984)
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Another year, another 007 continuation novel for John Gardner! In 1984 it was "Role of Honour", his fourth effort, which pits a rich but disenchanted ...
Maigret and the Headless Corpse (1955)
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get Your Magic Mind Offer! 👉 (https://magicmind.com/LTPMAR)Our first foray into the work of Georges Simenon sees us tackle one of the Belgian write...
LTP Special: The Eiger Sanction (1975)
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh on the heels of last week's novel review, we're proud to present our conversation about Clint Eastwood's film adaptation of Trevanian's "The Eig...
The Eiger Sanction (1972)
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get Your Magic Mind Offer 👉 https://magicmind.com/LTP201972's "The Eiger Sanction" was affectionately referred to as a light spoof of the spy genre...
LTP Noir: This Gun For Hire (1942)
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get Your Magic Mind Offer 👉 https://magicmind.com/LTP20LTP Noir is back and this time it's Paramount's 1942 spy thriller, "This Gun For Hire", that...
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886)
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Get Your Magic Mind Offer 👇(https://magicmind.com/LTP20)Made rich through universal themes of duality, friendship and unchecked ambition, Robert Lo...
Ashenden (1928)
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout the first World War, acclaimed novelist W. Somerset Maugham worked for British Intelligence in Switzerland. Under cover as a writer, Maugha...
LTP 007: Icebreaker (1983)
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year! Our survey of John Gardner's continuation novels carries on with a chat over his third effort. If, like many, you buy into the belief ...
2024 Review & Holiday Quiz
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our final episode of 2024 looks back on an entertaining year of reading for the show. We also present our rankings for each text covered and share in ...
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938)
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's Christmas at Gorston Hall and the Lee family is preparing to welcome family home for the holidays at the behest of grizzled, mischievous patriar...
Enter the Saint (1930)
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Despite first appearing on the scene in 1928's "Meet the Tiger", author Leslie Charteris promoted this volume from 1930 as the proper introduction of ...
Phantom Lady (1942)
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Henderson is facing execution for a murder he didn't commit and the countdown clock is ticking. His only chance of reversing fortune rests in a ...
LTP 007: For Special Services (1982)
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In his second continuation novel, John Gardner returns Bond to the USA and reunites readers with some canonical staples. Motivated by a recent spate o...
SoHo Sins (2016)
05 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Vine's debut novel transports readers to the sharp, seedy world of Manhattan art shows, broken hearts and criminal enterprise. What starts as ...
The Mask of Dimitrios (1939)
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Who killed Dimitrios Makrupoulos? That’s what obsessive mystery writer Charles Latimer is eager to find out in Eric Ambler’s classic thriller from...
LTP 007: Licence Renewed (1981)
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our look at the post-Fleming world of 007 continues with "Licence Renewed", John Gardner's inaugural outing and the first James Bond novel of the 1980...
Charles Altamont Doyle (1832-1893)
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Artistry and imagination ran in the bloodline of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's family. His father, Charles, was driven by powerful appetites and ambitions ...
LTP Selects: The Devil's Foot (1910)
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We conclude this summer's Sherlock Selects series with "The Devil's Foot", originally published in 1910 and presented later in Conan Doyle's "His Last...
Still Life (2005)
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Louise Penny's debut novel transports readers to the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada, and the fictitious village of Three Pines. The mysterious de...
LTP Selects: The Illustrious Client (1925)
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Josh's selection for this year's "Sherlock Selects" returns us to The Illustrious Client. Marked by the predatory exploits of a dastardly Baron, this ...
LTP Noir: Force of Evil (1948)
15 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this installment, Josh presents a clean line through the scandalous phlegm of HUAC and the red scare in Hollywood which served as backdrop for many...
LTP 007: Colonel Sun (1968)
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our first in a new branch exploring the continuation novels of James Bond, we look down the literary gunbarrel at "Colonel Sun", writ...
Rebecca (1938)
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."Thus starts the troubled narrative of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 classic novel. Part mystery story, part...
Agent of Chaos (2017)
06 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kami Garcia's "Agent of Chaos" is one of two X-Files origin novels published in 2017. The story is set in 1979 and follows a 17 year-old Fox Mulder. A...
Doctor Glas (1905)
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hjalmar Söderberg's compelling novel caused quite a stir in Europe when it was published in 1905. His protagonist - a restless, brooding doctor in St...
The Black Lizard (1934)
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we travel to the Land of the Rising Sun where master detective Akechi Kogoro plays a game of cat and mouse with the titular Black Liza...
The Long Shadow (1975)
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our final episode of 2023 investigates Celia Fremlin's "The Long Shadow" from 1975. Fremlin's text spins an intricate domestic mystery surrounding the...
LTP Selects: The Blue Carbuncle (1892)
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode we polish the dust off our first chat on "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" from 2017 and reintroduce the story just in tim...
Call for the Dead (1961)
27 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
1961's "Call for the Dead" was a striking premiere in spy fiction. Not only was it the careful, opening gambit in John le Carré's long and dominating...
LTP Noir: Detour (1945)
18 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this installment, Josh gets behind the wheel of "Detour" and takes listeners through the hairpin turns of Edgar G. Ulmer's "poverty row" production...
Batman: Year One (1987)
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Batman first appeared in the May 1939 edition of "Detective Comics", the creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Since then, the caped crusader and his ...
Five Decembers (2021)
16 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's late in 1941. Honolulu basks in Hawaiian warmth and Battleship Row sparkles with military confidence, just weeks before the day that would live i...
Vertigo (1954)
10 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Boileau-Narcejac's novel D'entre les morts (The Living and the Dead) was published in 1954 and served as the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's classi...
Beast in View (1956)
15 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A brief crank call transforms into a lengthy nightmare for spinster Helen Clarvoe and her anxious orbit around family and friends in Los Angeles. By t...
LTP Noir: Criss Cross (1949)
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Siodmak's gem from 1949 goes under the microscope in this episode. Motivations for this classic plot involve an armoured car heist, an old flam...
The Riddle of the Sands (1903)
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we hoist, brail and kedge our way through Erskine Childer's 1903 prophetic spy thriller, The Riddle of the Sands. Published in 1903 an...
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934)
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A staple of the first-person confessional, James M Cain's debut novel has really lasted the test of time. Now knocking on 90 years of age, "The Postma...
LTP Noir: Pickup on South Street (1953)
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
LTP Noir returns, this time to the mean streets of Samuel Fuller’s New York City at the height of the McCarthy era. Richard Widmark, Jean Peters and...
The Triumph of the Spider Monkey (1974)
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"The Triumph of the Spider Monkey" is the chaotic narrative of Bobby Gotteson, whose repressive lust and murderous rage reach their fever-pitch follow...
LTP Noir: Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 1943, Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" delivered a sinister sucker-punch of a conundrum to naïve North American audiences: What happens when...
LTP Noir: Dark Passage (1947)
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Dark Passage” is one of Film Noir's most unique thrillers. The 1947 film boasts an all-star cast, innovative use of first-person subjective camer...
The Body in the Library (1942)
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our first Agatha Christie read takes us to Gossington Hall where the body of a young woman is found, dead and spread, upon the floor of Colonel Bantry...
LTP Noir: The Blue Dahlia (1946)
20 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Josh discusses the troubled and time-pressed production of George Marshall's "The Blue Dahlia". Penned by hard-boiled novelist, Raymon...
Noir (1998)
16 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Better know, perhaps, for his writing in the expanded universes of Star Wars, Star Trek and Blade Runner, K W Jeter is nevertheless one of the pioneer...
LTP Noir: Laura (1944)
07 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Otto Preminger's "Laura" from 1944 is considered a classic of the noir genre. Expertly cast and masterfully directed, "Laura" has remained among cinem...
LTP Selects: The Empty House (1903)
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ten years after propelling his protagonist off the page via Reichenbach in "The Final Problem", Arthur Conan Doyle returns Holmes to his adoring publi...
LTP Selects: The Final Problem (1893)
17 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Good news, Sherlock fans! Summer has arrived (in the northern hemisphere at least) and that means the return of our world-famous "Sherlock Selects" Su...
Anatomy of a Murder (1958)
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inspired by real events, Robert Traver's 1958 novel was the first of its kind - a true "courtroom thriller". Showcasing the genial narrative perspecti...
LTP Selects: Quantum of Solace (1959)
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this pint-sized episode, we reach into the archives and present a conversation from July 2016 on Ian Fleming's "Quantum of Solace". A divisive shor...
LTP Noir: Intro & The Maltese Falcon
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this engaging side-series, Josh flies solo in exploring the production, features and influences of Film Noir. Taking the shape of compact film revi...
The Maltese Falcon (1930)
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" wastes no time cutting shapes and setting angles in its pursuit of modelling the hard-boiled genre. The openin...
The Moonstone (1868)
24 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
"The Moonstone" is regarded by many as the progenitor of the detective novel in English. Published in 1868, it marks, perhaps, the peak of Wilkie Coll...
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955)
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 1955 Patricia Highsmith introduced the world to Tom Ripley, a young and ambitious con-man who gets the break of a lifetime when serendipity (in th...
The Stories of C. Auguste Dupin
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Edgar Allan Poe's contributions to literary form can hardly be overstated. Among many accomplishments, he is widely regarded as the progenitor of the ...
The Black Echo (1992)
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In Michael Connelly's debut novel, readers meet Detective Harry Bosch of the LAPD. Bosch is haunted by several demons from his past, each of which com...
The 39 Steps (1915)
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What do you get when an adventurous British writer combines suspension of disbelief, war-time propaganda and a patriotic dose of daring-do? John Bucha...
The Quiet American (1955)
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In 1955, Graham Greene published "The Quiet American", part character confession and part political allegory, set amidst the changing of the colonial ...
LTP Selects: The Copper Beeches (1892)
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our "Sherlock Selects" summer series concludes here with a real show-stopper! "The Copper Beeches" is one of Conan Doyle's most atmospheric and engagi...
LTP Selects: The Creeping Man (1923)
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When old age hands you lemons... it's time to take monkey gland injections from a quack Czech doctor! Or, at least, that's what Professor Presbury mig...
Knots & Crosses (1987)
08 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this gritty crime thriller, Detective Sergeant John Rebus makes his literary debut. Ian Rankin draws on rich material from the city of Edinburgh an...
LTP Selects: Black Peter (1904)
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A grizzly harpoon murder and a protégé inspector lure Sherlock and Watson out of London and into the remote Weald of East Sussex in this atmospheric...
LTP Selects: The Bruce-Partington Plans (1908)
18 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our "Sherlock Selects" mini-series continues to buffer the Summer's bigger reads, this time with a conversation on "The Bruce Partington Plans" from M...
A Morbid Taste For Bones (1977)
13 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Published in 1977, "A Morbid Taste For Bones" introduced Brother Cadfael to the world, a Welsh Benedictine monk of the 12th Century with a penchant fo...