Femme Fatales in Cinema by Teresa Inge

During my childhood, I watched many black-and-white films. But out of all the films I watched, femme fatales captivated my attention the most since they represented mystery, beauty, seduction, and danger. The term "femme fatale," French for "fatal woman," describes female characters who use their charm to lure men into traps that are compromising or deadly. This character has appeared in numerous films, evolving through different eras with seduction and deception.

Film Noir

In the film noir genre of the 1940s and 1950s, two of my favorite femme fatales is Rita Hayworth in Gilda and Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity who emerged as this quintessential character. These women were objects of desire who used their sexuality as a weapon with unsuspecting men and then orchestrating their downfall. They reflected female empowerment, fascination, and fear.

Contemporary Cinema

As cinema evolved, so did the portrayal of femme fatales. In the 1990s, films like Basic Instinct had viewers in fear as Sharon Stone pushed the boundaries of sexuality and manipulation even further as character Catherine Tramell. These contemporary femme fatales were intelligent, confident, and unapologetically sexual, thus changing the cultural landscape of women taking control of their destinies.

Modern Cinema

In modern cinema, femme fatales continue to be a prominent figure, appearing in films such as Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. These characters often blur the lines between victim and villain. Ultimately, the appeal of the femme fatale lies in her ability to captivate viewers with her presence. She reflects the evolving dynamics of power and sexuality in society.

Today, I still watch black-and-white movies. Sometimes they play on TV in the background while I write or work around the house. Other times I catch a glimpse of the femme fatale characters that I watched during my childhood.  

Diet Killers: Recipes for Readers – Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Cake from Molly MacRae

 

The chocolate chips are hiding like little sneak thieves.

To my mind, good short stories are jewels. They’re small, intense, and brilliant. That makes the new anthology from the Guppy Chapter of Sisters in Crime, Gone Fishin’: Crime Takes a Holiday, a cache of glittering gems. This is the eighth Guppy anthology, to date, and I think it’s the best. The bloggers of Writers Who Kill are well-represented in the volume. James M. Jackson is the editor, Connie Berry wrote the introduction, Mary Dutta, Margaret S. Hamilton, and KM Rockwood each have a story in the book, and Grace Topping coordinated the whole shebang—she herded writers to get their stories in on time, lined up judges made sure they turned in their results on time, edited, etc. (that “etc.” covers a LOT more work). In all, there are twenty-three stories, and they offer a wide variety of crime fiction for your reading pleasure.

Just as Gone Fishin’ has something for everyone, so does Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Cake. For cookie-lovers it has the familiar taste of the classic cookie the recipe is based on. For cake-lovers it has a lovely, moist texture. For those who like surprises a sneaky crunch of sugary cinnamon covers the top and bottom (and the sides if you’re lucky enough to score a corner or edge piece). And, of course, there’s chocolate. A slice of Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Cake is perfect for dessert or with a cup of tea or coffee while you’re reading Gone Fishin’.  You’ll find buy links at the bottom of this post to catch your own copy.

 

Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Cake

(Adapted from the King Arthur Baking Company which adapted it from Snacking Bakes by Yasameen Arefi-Afshar.) 

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips (or more. Next time I’ll use more.) 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in center. Grease 8-inch square pan then line with 2 pieces of parchment paper, making a sling (really, you don’t want to skip this step) and lightly grease parchment (again, you really want to do this).

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle bottom and sides of pan with about half of this mixture.

In a large bowl, whisk remaining sugar and eggs until pale and foamy (takes only a minute). Add sour cream, oil, and salt and whisk until mixed and smooth.

Whisk in baking powder and baking soda (I always rub the powder and soda through a fine mesh strainer in case of lumps – seems like there are always lumps in one or the other). Fold in flour and chocolate chips, mixing until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed and golden, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (or with a bit of melted chocolate on it). Let cake cook in pan on a rack about 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper sling to lift the cake out of the pan and onto the rack to finish cooling before cutting.

 

Get your copy of Gone Fishin’: Crime Takes a Holiday at Barnes & Noble or Amazon, or find it at an independent bookstore through Bookshop.org.

 

I, The Jury by Mary Dutta

The first mail delivery of 2025 brought me a jury summons. A month later, I presented myself at the local courthouse to perform my civic duty.

Courtroom dramas abound in popular culture. From the golden age of mystery to Perry Mason to legal thrillers to the multiple iterations of the Law and Order franchise, audiences have a seemingly endless appetite for trials, juries, and judgments.

My jury duty experience did not involve tearful confessions, surprise witnesses, or soaring legal oratory. In fact, it did not involve a courtroom at all. I spent the day in the large jury waiting room with several hundred other potential jurors, none of whom were ever called up for an actual trial.

That doesn’t mean nothing interesting happened. I entertained myself observing my fellow citizens and coming up with story ideas.

The first order of court business was allowing people who wanted to get out of jury duty to line up for a chance to speak with a judge. Most of them were sent straight back to their seats. One woman with an infant was allowed to leave, as was another woman in a wheelchair. I don’t know if their particular circumstances were factors in their successful appeals, but I could envision a story where the mother steps out of the building and hands the baby back to his real parent, or where the non-ambulatory woman rolls around the corner and then skips off, leaving her chair and her obligations behind.

After the judges left, the waiting began. Several people passed the time by indulging in long, one-sided cell phone conversations. Annoying, yes, but one such discussion, about why grandpa gets to spend more time with the grandkids than grandma does, got me thinking about family dynamics and how they might fuel my next crime fiction tale.

Not every social interaction was a monologue; people chatted with their neighbors as well. I don't write romance, but the situation seemed ripe for a rom-com-style meet-cute. Or the hatching of a business deal. Or perhaps someone confiding in a stranger something they would never tell those closest to them. The plot possibilities are endless.

At 3:30, I was dismissed. It felt good to do my part in supporting the constitutional right to a trial by jury. And since I can’t be summoned again for another three years, I have plenty of time to write those stories.

What’s your favorite fictional courtroom drama? And have you had one of your own?