Guess who's giving away a copy of her latest mystery The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper? Mystery writer Sally Carpenter.
She is quizzing us on one of her, and my, favorite detectives.
Who IS this guy? Read on to find out.
How do you enter the contest? Just leave a comment.
Here's Sally. Oh, just one more question . . .
How well do you know Lt. Columbo, the
scruffy homicide detective in the rumpled raincoat?
Many mystery writers and readers count television’s Columbo as one of their
favorite fictional detectives. They know that his habit of losing pencils, his
absent-mindfulness and his disheveled looks were only masks for a sharp,
intelligent mind that invariably uncovered the last clue needed to nail the
killer.
When I started writing mystery novels, Columbo
was one of my inspirations. I tried to create unusual clues that helped my hero
with his sleuthing.
Enjoy
these trivia questions about this master of detection. If you leave a comment, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a copy of my book, The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper, an Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel.
1. When did Columbo first run on
TV?
2.
What writing pair created the Columbo character?
3.
What young director honed his chops on the episode “Murder by the Book”
(1971) and later won an Oscar for a film
about Jewish Holocaust survivors?
4. What is Columbo’s first name?
5. What piece of standard police gear
does the lieutenant refuse
to carry?
6.
Which murderer does Columbo not arrest?
7. Which actor ,who played a Columbo
villain (several times!), had
two sons who appeared as crime fighters in other TV shows?
8. In “Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo”
(1990), what was the murder
weapon Vivian Dimitri (Helen Shaver) used in an attempt to kill the
detective and his wife?
9. In which two episodes was the killer
a mystery writer?
10. What real-life mystery writer was a
victim?
11. What piece of
technology—cutting-edge for 1976—was used
to establish the killer’s alibi in “Fade in to Murder”?
12. What three episodes took place
outside of California?
13. Which episode concluded as a
classic “whodunnit” drawing
room mystery with all the suspects gathered in one room as Columbo
named the killer?
14. In “How to Dial a Murder,” two
Doberman pinschers were
trained to kill the victim. What was the “kill” word that made
them attack?
15. What food item is an important clue
in “Agenda for Murder”?
16. What was Columbo’s final case?
Thanks for playing! If these questions were
difficult, don’t despair; the episodes are available on DVD and online.
Sally Carpenter is native Hoosier now living in Moorpark, California
She has a master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school two of her plays, “Star Collector” and “Common Ground,” were finalists in the American College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. “Common Ground” also earned a college creative writing award. “Star Collector” was produced in New York City and also the inspiration for her book.
Carpenter also has a master’s degree in theology and a black belt in tae kwon do.
She’s worked a variety of jobs including actress, freelance writer, college writing instructor, theater critic, jail chaplain, and tour guide/page for a major movie studio. She’s now employed at a community newspaper.
She’s a member of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles and “mom” to two black cats. Contact her at Facebook or starcollector@earthlink.net.
The Baffled Beatlemaniac Caper (Oak Tree Books) is available on Kindle, Nook or paperback from Oak Tree Books or Amazon.
Thanks for being my guest today, Sally. Who doesn't love Columbo?
When I started writing mystery novels, Columbo
was one of my inspirations. I tried to create unusual clues that helped my hero
with his sleuthing.