Something different to read. As you may know (or not), I am interested in typography.

Just My Type A very good book on types, typographers, creators, the why this or that type was created, big names and “corporate branding”, and so on. A must read if you are interested in typography, the story of printed / electronic language, or even simply curious.

Sites
Official http://www.simongarfield.com/ [EN]
The test which type are you? http://www.pentagram.com/what-type-are-you/ [EN]

Third part of the adventures of the professors with the top hat, still on DS

Graphics
For a DS game, that is a console limited by its portable capacity, it is beautiful. Still that “ligne clair” style for the game, and cartoon for the cinematographic scenes.


Grade: 9 / 10

Music
I am not really fond of it. They wrote music in the right style, but… tiring. And the break for each enigma, and the sounds at each find, it is horrible.
Grade: 6 / 10

Gameplay
Simple and fluid. The manipulation that were one of the strength of the two first Layton were kept, there is still a possilibity to make a “draft” for enigmas. The moves should be done a bit more easily (like done either with the icon or with a button), but for the rest, everything is very well.
Grade: 9 / 10

Length / Sidequests
With 168 enigmas and minigames and coins to discover, no length problem, even if the plot is fluid enough to go forward quickly. Oh, and the mini games are side quests, and 100 solved enigmas (I think) are enough to finish the game.
Grade: 8.5 / 10

Story / characters
I must admit a weakness for Gentlemen, steampunk, time travel and detectives, so this game is right in my style. Add some paradoxes and humour, and it is really perfect.
Grade: 9 / 10

In the end…
Again, a must buy. And if you have to choose one of the three, take this one.
Final grade: 8.3 / 10

Images source:
Official site http://www.professorlaytonds.com/

I update this article due to my shopping and reading…

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency – Tears Of The Giraffe – Morality for Beautiful Girls – The Kalahari Typing School for Men – The Full Cupboard of Life – In The Company of Cheerful Ladies – Blue Shoes and Happiness – The Good Husband of Zebra Drive – The Miracle at Speedy Motors – Tea Time for the Traditionally Built) Very good detective stories, though I would not recommend these to the faint of heart, taking place in South Africa. Mma Ramotswane opens indeed the first detective agency run by women in the whole of South Africa. She finds missing people, helps people in difficulty, and above all, drinks bush tea (roibos). A dive in the authentic Botswana.

Sunday Philosophx Club (Isabel Dalhousie) (The Sunday Philosophy Club – Friends, Lovers, Chocolate – The Right Attitude to Rain – The Careful Use of Compliments – The Comfort of Saturdays – The Lost Art of Gratitude) A detective story too, but a bit different. If Nr1 is a series that gives a large space to life lessons and country ambiance, Sunday Philosophy Club mixes philosophy and life in Edinburgh. Isabel Dalhousie has a quiet life, editor of a philosophy review, and it is because of her philosophy and morals that she tries to solve mysteries.

Sites
McCall Smith http://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/ [EN]
Editeur français http://www.10-18.fr [FR]
TV Series http://www.bbc.co.uk/ladies/ [EN] & http://www.hbo.com/the-no-1-ladies-detective-agency/index.html [EN]

Stories of magicians, sealed rooms, mysteries… and humour!

Infos
A BBC series that fits both in Comedy and Detective styles, where you can surprisingly find actors like Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Bill Bailey, Anthony Head, and so on.
Written by: David Renwick
Director: Marcus Mortimer

Cast
Alan Davies: Jonathan Creek
Caroline Quentin: Maddy Magellan
Anthony Head (1 episode), then Stuart Milligan: Adam Klaus

Summary

Madeline Magellan, investigation journalist, is called by a burglar who affirms that the thieving and murder accusation on him is wrong. She quickly realises that in fact, the police has the wrong culprit, but cannot understand how the person she suspects, the victim’s wife, could come out of her office unnoticed. During her inquiry, she meety Jonathan Creek and decides to ask for his help as an expert of impossible things…

Jonathan Creek is an inventor of many magic acts for several “famous” artists, the man behind all the mad tricks but is not interested (and even refuses) to be on the stage. Timid and uneasy in love and romance, he is a genius. He is often wearing a Trench-Coat, and has long curly hair. Maddy is brilliant but unappreciated by editors. She always manages to get in places were a good investigation is needed, and has a slightly shady reputation… Adam Klaus is Jonathan’s “boss”, a magician comfortable on stage and anywhere he can make conquests (love ones, naturally).

My advice
Loaded at the same time with British humour, life stories and a very good detective story with intricate plots, Jonathan Creek is often broadcast as a repeat on the BBC Entertainment (after several showings on BBC channels and on France 4). The series ends after the fourth season, because of a drop in the audience at the main actress change, but a new Christmas Special could be watched in 2008 and an Easter Special is programmed for April 2010.

Various
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/jonathancreek/ [EN]
http://www.jonathancreek.net/ [EN]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118363/ [EN]

(Images source: BBC)

I know, I know, one more detective series. What do you expect? I am a fan, after all.

Infos
Detective stories for the BBC, adapted from books, unfortunately there are only 8 stories (of two episodes each)
Written by: John Hawksworth, Jill Hyem, Elaine Morgan, Jeremy Paul, Alan Plater, Brian Thompson, from the stories by Margery Allingham
Directors: Martyn Friend, Robert Chetwyn, Ken Hannam, Christopher Hodson, Michael Owen Morris, Robert Tronson, Ronald Wilson

Cast (recuring characters)
Peter Davison: Albert Campion
Brian Glover: Magersfontein Lugg
Andrew Burt: DI / DCI Oates

Summary
Albert Campion (pseudonym) is a British detective of wealthy background, taking care of any investigation concerning his friends or not directly interesting the police force, though with very good contacts with this one and particularly with his friend Oates. Helped by his butler Lugg, a former gangster, Campion however does not look dangerous at all: thin, glasses, dressed very cleanly and smart, he seems to be a simpleton. And yet, he shows very quickly but discreetly impressive capacities of deduction, is athletic, and can defend himself.

My advice
A detective series set around 1930, with two excellent actors perfect in their roles for the main characters, what else could one ask for ? Stories are nice though sometime a little bit far fetched, eight 100 minutes investigations, British humour on top of that.

Various
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pn4w2 [EN]
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094430/ [EN]
http://www.margeryallingham.org.uk/ [EN]

(Images source: BBC)

BBC4 broadcasts Wallander, a detective series, in its original swedish version, with subtitles.

Infos
A series made in Sweden and in Swedish, subtitled for the BBC and broadcasted in parallel with the new series (with Kenneth Brannagh). It seems that Paris Première did offer an original version with French subtitles.
Created by Henning Mankell, Petra Revenue
Written from the detective stories of Henning Mankell
Director: Stephan Apelgren

Cast
Krister Henriksson: Kurt Wallander, the chief inspector around whom all the series revolves, who had alcohol problems amongst other things (see picture above)
Johanna Sällström: Linda Wallander, Wallander’s daughter, policewoman (see picture above)
Mats Bergman: Nyberg, Forensic Technician, often a bit strange
Stina Ekblad: Karin Linder, the pathologist
Fredrik Gunnarsson: Svartman, one of the inspectors under Wallander’s orders
Ola Rapace: Stefan Lindman, one of the inspectors
Douglas Johansson: Martinsson, one of the inspectors
Marianne Mörck: Ebba, receptionist/phone hostess of the police station
Göran Aronsson: Grönqvist

Summary
Ystad, small coastal city of the south Sweden, has a police station were the main (though not commanding) officer is Wallander, a very good policeman who had / has problems (alcohol, relationship with his daughter, …). In the first episode, Wallander is looking for a sadistic killer while his daughter Linda integrates the same police station he works in. In the second episode, a strange hostage-taker explodes a bomb with esoteric symbols. And in the third episode, murders happen during a military parade, and Wallander suspects three missing conscripts to have something to do with the crimes (the country is neutral, though member of the EU, and still has an army).

My advice
Interesting scenarios, even if sometimes a bit “deja vu”, conveying rather well the atmosphere of Sweden and its mechanisms Wallander’s character is extremely well played, the tortured side, the incapacity to have anything like a normal relationship with his daughter, and so on. It is contemporary police stories with rhythm and punch. It is even better than the Branagh version.

DiversVarious
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g2zsj (BBC4) [EN]
http://www.inspector-wallander.org/ [EN]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UweELQNzeic [SU]
http://www.visitsweden.com/suede/Destinations/Le-sud-de-la-Suede/Culture/Ystad–Kurt-Wallander/ [FR]

(Images source: BBC / inspector-wallander.org)

France 3 broadcasts a rather nice detective series, Murdoch Mysteries, from Citytv.

Infos
A serie already in its second season, from and for Citytv (Canada).
Created by Scott Garvie, Noel Hedges, Cal Coons and Christina Jennings
Written from the detective stories of Maureen Jennings

Cast (in the order of the image above)
Thomas Craig: Inspector Brackenried, Murdoch’s boss, the typical choleric Irish migrant
Yannick Bisson: Inspector William Murdoch*
Hélène Joy: Julia Ogden, the female forensic dr
Jonny Harris: George Crabtree, the constable helping inspector Murdoch in his enquiries

* remember that at the time Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, headed by her majesty Victoria of England (if I am correct in my time evaluation), and so judiciary, police and other systems are copied on England…

Summary
Murdoch is a Catholic policeman in a protestant Toronto. Always well dressed, polite language, using a bicycle to move, he uses for his enquiries rather modern methods (digital prints, bullets comparison, …). The investigations give a good idea of Toronto life before 1900.

My advice
Nice scenarios, including allusions to events of that time (a visit from A.C. Doyle), original characters (Crabtree is a better policeman than he looks like), advanced methods (he even makes a metal detector for Dr. Joy for when she tries to locate bullets in bodies), etc… without causing headaches or psychotic fits. I really like it.

Various
Site officiel: http://www.murdochmysteries.com/

Mary Lester (les bruines de Lanester – les diamants de l’Archiduc – la mort au bord de l’étang – marée blanche – …) Mary Lester est Lieutenant de Police, et les romans de Jean Failler sont, en plus d’être de bonnes histoires policières, l’occasion unique de (re)découvrir la Bretagne autrement. Avec des descriptions des paysages, mais aussi des caractères, des métiers, etc., si vous aimez les romans policiers et la Bretagne, c’est à ne pas manquer…

Site
http://www.marylester.com/ Site officiel
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Failler La page wikipédia, avec les lieux d’enquête en correspondance avec le titre…
http://marylester.free.fr/ site non officiel

Yes, I know, usually I try to present only books in their original language (be it French or English) but… well… I do not read Russian, and it would be a shame to miss this writer: Grigory Shalvovich Chkhartishvili (გრიგოლ შალვას ძე ჩხარტიშვილი), writing as Boris Akunin for Orion Books

The Adventures of Erast Fandorin(The Winter Queen – The Turkish Gambit – Murder on the Leviathan – The Death of Achilles – The Jack of Spades – …) Erast Fandorin is a young man working for the Criminal Investigation Department of the tsarist Russia, who will go far if he does not have too many political problems. As you follow his enquiries, you also discover a “painting” of Russia and other places around 1880, the everyday life, the important places, characters, and son on. And all through the book, the plots are gripping and clever, and the character really evolves for the best.

Sites:
Official: http://www.akunin.ru/ [RU]
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/boris-akunin/ [EN]
Q&A : http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/features2005/akunin/akunin.html [EN]
http://yodup.club.fr/critiques_bouquins/historique/erastefandorine.htm [FR]
http://www.ratsdebiblio.net/akounineboris.html [FR]