James Scott Byrnside's Blog

I’ve had a few stuffy reads lately. Well regarded, well written, well mannered—well, well, well. And then, I read this pulpy, wild tale. It’s freeing. The novel teems with coincidences and improbable turns, yet they never feel arbitrary. Within Markham’s feverish style, these chance encounters take on the rhythm of a nightmare—events emerging and dissolving… Continue reading The Devil Drives (1932)

It took longer than expected, but I finally finished a solid draft of Killer Pete. I’m going to take a month-long break. I’m going to read, exercise, meditate…anything but write. Whenever an idea comes to me, I’ll make a note of it. The next story will have a smaller cast and more action. Pete is… Continue reading October update

In the summer of 1924, reclusive inventor Horace Cobb is found dead inside his fortress-like workshop. The door was locked from the inside, the windows sealed with iron, and no one could have entered or left. Yet Cobb lies shot through the heart—his killer apparently a six-foot automaton dressed as a cowboy, revolver still smoking… Continue reading Killer Pete

This blog has never been what you’d call “regular.” I’m an author, not a blogger, and the only real reason this thing exists is to share the occasional update or bit of news. Does that help build an audience? Absolutely not. Every now and then, I’ve also posted a review. And in the short, uneven… Continue reading Murder Mansion (no, not that one, the other one) 1928 — Herman Landon

Let’s hope this bad boy’s structual integrity survives one more reading. I hope to have an update about the newest story soon and maybe a review or two (gasp!) Hope all is well…

The brain can find any way to question the life choices of its vessel. You could be happily skipping down the street without a care in the world and your brain might suddenly shout, “Hey! What if you’re a low-life piece of garbage? Have you considered that possibility?” Things like that often creep into my… Continue reading George Langelaan, Marie-Louise von Franz, and Self-Doubt

I’m still working on the automaton story, temporarily titled Pistol Pete. It’s about an inventor who’s found dead inside a locked room—one that’s constantly watched. No one else is inside, so suspicion falls on the only possible culprit: his cowboy automaton. I’ve also been mulling over a second story about a multiple murderer. This killer… Continue reading July 24, 2025 Update

I recently read Boris Akunin’s Murder on the Leviathan. It’s as good an Agatha Christie pastiche as you’re likely to find: a closed-circle mystery with an international cast, full of elegant clues, class tensions, and the familiar contrast between social decorum and violence. Akunin writes in lucid, accessible prose that keeps the narrative crystal clear.… Continue reading 7-5-25

The precise difference between story and plot changes depending on your source. A friend of mine once said that story contains all the meaning—theme, character, the DNA of a work’s soul. Plot, he claimed, is just the roadmap. I didn’t argue. I like maps. I’m a plothead. The idea that one bad decision could destroy… Continue reading Story vs Plot

Sherlock Jr (1924) Sherlock Jr. (1924) is a dazzling showcase of Buster Keaton’s inventive brilliance, blending slapstick, surrealism, and cinematic sleight-of-hand into a compact, breathless marvel. As a projectionist who dreams himself into a detective film, Keaton uses groundbreaking visual tricks—seamless edits, dream logic transitions, and meta-movie magic—to explore the boundary between film and reality.… Continue reading My Favorite Films of the 1920s