Large Print Reviews - The Twisted Lost Episodes of Brick Mallery Private Investigator

Large Print Reviews

The Twisted Lost Episodes of Brick Mallery, Private Investigator
Written and Directed by Mark Bornstein

Brick Mallery Private Investigator Episode 1: The Denim Cut Shiny Stainless Steel Mirrored Suit or the Return of the Rat Faced Monkey Boy
Episode One (1997), ISBN: 1-894003-02-0
Written and Directed by Mark Bornstein
Scenario Productions
Genre: Humor, Mystery, and Science Fiction

Brick Mallery Private Investigator Episode 2: The Bride of Mallery or as Well
Episode Two (1997), ISBN: 1-894003-01-2

Brick Mallery Private Investigator Episode 3: Down Alive
Episode Three (1998), ISBN: 1-894003-03-9

Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness - August 6, 2001

Brick Mallery is a Private Investigator with a twist - while he does take on normal PI type work, most of his cases tend to be, well, slightly odd...

Mallery is the best private detective in his price range, and he has the award to prove it! He is an irreverent PI from the school of hard knocks and he is not afraid of breaking a few rules to get the job done. Like any good detective, he has a friend on the force who helps him out of scrapes and is generally there to lend a hand when needed. But be forewarned, everyone in Mallery's world seems to be addicted to puns, innuendo, one liners, and flippant remarks.

In The Twisted Lost Episodes of Brick Mallery we are given unique access to Mallery's world. A world in which it was once legal to hunt vegetarians. A world in which Mallery is likely to encounter just about anything from cannibal vampire zombies, to a whip wielding woman with her own chambers of horror, or even a mind control expert, or, dare I say it - even his ex-wife! Mallery faces his villains with a smile, as would any comic book hero. And, with ease, he always manages to escape the clutches of such arch rivals as The Admiral and The Council. But one should not find this surprising, after all Mallery is indestructible, or at least he thinks he is.

To date, three episodes in the Brick Mallery series have been issued:

Episode One: The Case of "The Denim Cut Shiny Stainless Steel Mirrored Suit" or "The Return of the Rat Faced Monkey Boy"
Episode Two: The Case of "The Bride of Mallery" or "As Well"
Episode Three: The Case of "Down Alive"

These are all full-cast productions, complete with a musical score and sound effects. The sound quality is excellent. These stories are pure slapstick, á la private eye style, and they will keep you riveted to your cassette player. Warren Coughlin is superb as Brick Mallery. Give him a fedora and trench coat and he would be right at home in any 1940's detective drama. Paulette Sinclair plays the role of Mallery's smart mouthed secretary. Joel McLeod plays the role of Vic Steed, Mallery's former partner so well that you can almost 'hear' the alcohol on Steed's breath. And let us not forget David J. MacNeil, who plays Brian Dryer, the cop who is always there to lend Mallery a hand and play straight man to his constant one liners. In addition to these 'regulars' the Mallery episodes contain a full support cast, and episodic characters, such as the gentleman who had his eye shot out when he wasn't looking.

Mallery is a wonderfully rich character and his adventures are out-of-this-world. Granted, they may be a bit weak on plotting, but who cares when you having such a great time! While The Twisted Lost Episodes of Brick Mallery - Private Investigator are pure fun, they are not for everyone. They do contain some strong language, violence, and sexual innuendo that may be offense, or unsuitable, for some listeners.

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