A year and a half ago, I featured a radio version of Arthur Conan Doyle's short story, "The Lost Special" which aired over Escape in 1949. At that time, the Suspense version starring Orson Welles was considered lost. Recently, the audio for that 1943 Suspense version has surfaced thanks to Randy Riddle.

And so, I am taking another look at this version of the story, which is much closer to the original short story. I have mixed feelings about the adaptation as you will hear.

Background music is Grover's Tune by Excellent Adventure

From the fecund mind of mystery/thriller writer, Edgar Wallace, best known as the first screenwriter of the film King Kong. His better known mystery series include the J.G. Reeder and Green Archer series. Wallace's stories were so well accepted over 160 films were made from them. This week I'll look at Wallace and the radio play "Criminal At Large" from the Molle' Mystery Theatre from April 1944. The radio play was based upon a stage play and film called The Frightened Lady.

Music under is Deep Purple played by Art Tatum.

Eric Ambler is mostly known as a writer of spy related novels. Mask of Dimitrios (published in the U.S. as A Coffin for Dimitrios) is about a writer of detective stories who bargains for more than he can handle as he researches the mysterious Dimitrios. He is pulled farther and farther into a web of deceit. The book was made into a film and the film into a radio play as presented on the Screen Guild Theatre in 1945.

A look at the story and Ambler.

From the pen of Dorothy L. Sayers, a different kind of detective story involving her detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. âThe Cave of Ali Babaâ? was heard over Suspense in 1942 based on her original short story âThe Adventurous Exploits of the Cave of Ali Babaâ? published in 1928.

One of Agatha Christieâs most successful stories with her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot was in itself controversial and a number of books have been written about the detective story. Her fellow writers at the time felt she had crossed the line in their ârules of the gameâ? when creating a tidy cozy mystery. Iâll look briefly at the controversy and youâll hear Orson Welles disappointing creation of her Belgian detective in the Mercury Theaterâs production of this well-known detective story.

Iâm back for a brief visit to one of the âlost in timeâ? detective writers - Leslie T. White, an early 20th century forensics detective for the Los Angeles District Attorney. White turned to detective story writing influencing among others - Raymond Chandler. One of his stories was adapted for the Molle Mystery Theater in 1946 and is presented here.