Lighting the Pipes

Lighting the Pipes
  • 5.0 (4)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Blending research and literary analysis with conversation and review, we lock down crime stories and read them their rights. The game is afoot!

  1. 12/30/2025

    LTP 007: Brokenclaw (1990)

    In this episode, our final of the year, we send 2025 on its way with a deep-dive into John Gardner's ninth James Bond continuation novel. While on "vacation" in Canada, Bond's forced leisure is cut short when he's sent to investigate Lee Fu-Chu, aka "Brokenclaw", a half-Blackfoot, half-Chinese billionaire with a penchant for deception and murder. When leading scientists begin disappearing across the continent, 007 gets drawn further into Brokenclaw's criminal world and his plans of economic sabotage.

    1h 15m

  2. 12/27/2025

    2025 Review & Holiday Quiz

    2025 has been a great year on the pod and in this episode we look back at this successful and surprising stretch of reading and collaborating across thirty episodes. In addition to sharing our rankings for the shared novels and stories we explored, we also share some laughs and challenges in tackling our annual Sherlock and Year-in-Review quizzes!

    56 min

  3. 12/19/2025

    LTP Festive: Dancing Dan's Christmas (1932)

    Damon Runyan's Broadway stories are characterised by crooks, rogues and revelers with hearts of gold. In "Dancing Dan's Christmas" from 1932, we see a trio of pals, led by Dan, on a Christmas mission to make Gammer O'Neil believe in Santa. All it will take is a cheap disguise, some stolen jewels and the courage that only comes from necking Tom and Jerry cocktails for a couple hours beforehand! LTP Festive continues with Josh's choice for 2025 and a deep-dive into this short, charming holiday caper. FastFacts@3:15; Summary@14:00; PIPES@19:45

    52 min

  4. 12/16/2025

    LTP Festive: Waxworks (1930)

    It's Christmas Eve in Oldhampton and as residents enjoy what's left of their pre-holiday errands, cub reporter Sonia is looking to eschew the society fluff of her regular assignments by tackling a more thrilling angle. Nobody has yet spent a night among the wax effigies in the local Hall of Horrors without meeting a ghastly end. Success here would certainly propel Sonia over the bigoted jibes and through the glass ceiling of her toxic workplace. Ethel Lina White's "Waxworks" first appeared in the December 1930 edition of Pearson's magazine and was the precursor to her 1935 novel, "Wax". In Part 1 of LTP's Festive Season Triptych, your hosts explore this fascinating short story and its context. Fast Facts@14:45; Summary@38:45; PIPES@45:45

    1h 22m

  5. 11/26/2025

    Killer in the Rain (1935)

    Before Philip Marlowe there was... "shamus"... aka Proto-Marlowe! In this episode, Scott goes on solo assignment through the pages of Black Mask magazine to share his thoughts on Raymond Chandler's 1935 story "Killer in the Rain", the key progenitor of The Big Sleep. From salacious booksellers to double-crossing hoods, this complex story presented readers with the blueprint for what would become a sinful California and a gripping, fool-proof character methodology that Chandler would draw and double-down upon for years to come. So grab your trench-coats and join LTP through the drenched pavements and heavy secrets of LA. Watch where you step, it's wet out there.

    37 min

  6. 11/18/2025

    Berlin Game (1983)

    In this, his first Bernard Samson narrative, Len Deighton gives us the story of a weary MI6 veteran who's pulled back into danger when a suspected mole threatens London's Berlin intelligence network. As Cold War pressures intensify, Samson is forced to negotiate frayed loyalties and return to the divided city of his youth, where nostalgia threatens to cloud his professional judgement further. Deighton's prose balances the tight rope of moral uncertainty while softly critiquing early Thatcherism - the result being a portrayal of Britain as a nation losing coherence... not to mention its secret intel! Fast Facts@12:30; Summary@38:00; PIPES@58:00

    2h 27m

  7. 11/05/2025

    LTP 007: Scorpius (1988)

    From a post 9/11 framework, some could read John Gardner's Scorpius as chilling and prophetic. In the year of its publication, however, it was aiming to hit more contemporary targets. From growing world terrorism to the microchip boom, from satanic panic to luxury golf resorts, this outing sees M throw Bond into a complex web of inter-agency activity and exceedingly heavy stakes. Our run through the Gardner sweep continues with a closer look at this heavy-set and slithering seventh installment. Summary@6:00; Review@30:00

    1h 10m

  8. 10/24/2025

    Blood Sugar (2019)

    It's Halloween on Yellow Street and outcast Robbie Glinton has a plan for revenge. Let down by teachers, abandoned by parents and ignored by "the man", he and his troop of juvenile delinquents (Jody, Dags and Midge) are out for a little payback. Daniel Kraus' Blood Sugar, an exclusive Hard Case Crime publication from 2019, presents a complex story of trauma covered in seasonal guise and a veneer of adolescent reflection. Left to navigate their social and familial woes as best they can, Robbie's team of misfits prepare for the ultimate trick-or-treat with poisoned candy and weaponised sweets. Kraus gives readers a lot to chew over in this engaging story, told to us through the unique voice and teenage eyes of Jody. Fast Facts@7:45; Summary@22:00; PIPES@42:00

    1h 39m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Blending research and literary analysis with conversation and review, we lock down crime stories and read them their rights. The game is afoot!

Information

  • Creator
    Lighting the Pipes
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2017
  • Show Website
    Lighting the Pipes