Ben Hopkins’ impressive directorial debut is a mythical mystery set in a Jewish shtetl in 19th-century Central Europe. Simon Magus is a simple-minded man revered for his reputed magical powers. Into his life comes the devilish Sirius whose aim is to corrupt both the Jewish and Roman Catholic communities using Magus as the unwitting deus ex machina.
Category: Mystery
Peter Gunn investigates the murder of Scarlotti, a mobster who once saved the detective’s life. The primary suspect appears to be Fusco, who has taken over. In the middle of the case, an unclothed woman calling her self Samantha shows up at Gunn’s apartment. The investigation gets grizzlier as it goes on, including the bombing of Mother’s, one of Gunn’s hangouts. Finally, Fusco gives Gunn a deadline to prove the mobster didn’t kill Scarlotti – or else Gunn will be killed.
A prostitute is murdered on the streets of a tough, low-income neighborhood. A diabetic retired boxer who knew her is appalled by the lack of interest shown in the case by the police or anybody else in the neighborhood, and decides to investigate the case himself.
The Bar Association disbars attorney Tyler Cradon when it appears he was implicated in the murder of a prominent vice crusader. Cradon, not wishing to be without an income, is impressed by the way Joan Carroll handled a small-town murder, poses as a real estate agent and offers to get her into a law firm of a friend of his. Placed in the office of Roberts, running a front for Cradon, Joan is taught every trick of the trade.
While on shore leave to celebrate his first anniversary, Lt. Peter Duluth takes his wife, Iris, to a Los Angeles hotel but is turned away. When mysterious Colette offers them her suite, the young couple becomes entangled in a murder plot. Aided by two PIs, Peter and Iris find two corpses and are desperate to locate Colette before she becomes the next victim, but the killers are one step ahead.
Private eye P.J. is reluctant when he gets a new job: he shall protect Maureen Preble, mistress of millionaire Orbeson, mainly from attacks by his wife and her greedy family. In truth Orbeson plans a deadly intrigue in which P.J. is to play a central part. Meanwhile P.J. falls in love with Maureen and Orbeson’s money.
Wisecracking female private eye Belinda Prentice has to put in a lot of overtime when her first client is murdered. Following the clues to an apartment house chock-full of suspicious characters, Belinda predicts-correctly, as it turns out–that there’ll be several more killings unless she can pinpoint the guilty party and ascertain his or her motives. Meanwhile, her police-inspector father wishes aloud that Belinda would give up the p.i. business and settle down with a nice young fellow.