By Anthony Boucher & Denis Green
Crippen & Landru Publishers, $19.00, 262 pages
In 1946 the Sherlock Holmes radio show suffered a blow when the actor who voiced Holmes left the program. Writers Anthony Boucher and Denis Green created a new character for radio…Gregory Hood. Readers can enjoy 14 complete and never before published radio scripts in The Casebook of Gregory Hood. The collection is edited by Joe R. Christopher who provides a thorough introduction and footnotes throughout that clarify names, dates and songs. Each script is between 17-20 pages since radio plays had a broadcast time of 25 minutes. Gregory Hood is an amateur sleuth who is helped by sidekick and friend Sanderson Taylor. The plots unfold in famous places throughout San Francisco. Boucher and Green left clues to the cases so readers who pay attention can solve the mysteries along with Gregory. This book is great for those who enjoy theater and students of radio. People interested in learning about the structure of scripts will also benefit from it. Some of the most interesting parts are the lines that explain sound effects, character’s clothing and stage directions. Reading a play requires active use of the imagination. Treat yourself to this unique experience.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin
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