Best mystery and suspense plays of the modern theatre Book

A Witness for the Prosecution *** - Since the creation of television, plays like this one (and Hostile Witness in Stanley Richard's other set) spawned a vibrant industry of courtroom dramas from Perry Mason to Matlock and beyond. This play has the requisite plot twists and re-twists that lead to a mildly surprising ending. (Some of the surprise is probably ruined by our constant exposure to these plots.) I thought the characters except Leonard Vole were flat. The wife has a lot of potential as a character but it's never developed. Sir Wilifrid and Mayhew are almost not there. The movie actually sounds better with more developed characters. (02/19)

Dial M for Murder *** - Although I don't understand the title whatsoever, this is an intriguingly suspenseful play. This is not a who-dunnit, but more a how-dunnit. The characters have a bit of life. The ending has a bit of deux ex machina as Hubbard comes from nowhere to solve it. It might have been more interesting to have Max slowly unravel what was happening.

The Sleuth *** - This starts out with a pair of fascinating characters and a wildly unpredictable situation, but the situation gets more predictable and repeats itself several times. The enthusiasm of the first scene is replaced by a quizzical déjà vu by the end.

Arsenic and Old Lace*** - This is a humorous suspense yarn playing off stereotypes. (Though in a rather obvious way.) The characters are all rather disturbingly crazy. And the ending, for my tastes, wraps things up a bit too neatly.