Death of the Reader: Recent Episodes

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Join Flex and Herds as they take you on a Murder Mystery World Tour in Death of the Reader. From classic British puzzles in the Golden Age of Detective Fiction to the weirdest of foreign detective fiction, explore everything in the grizzly world of the 'locked room'. Each week we'll feature academics, authors and more as we trace the influences of the genre around the world.

We discuss Parts 1 & 2 of Jim Noy from The Invisible Event's 2022 debut murder mystery, 'The Red Death Murders'. Based on 'Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe, we find ourselves looking through the eyes of a young boy named Thomas, as the plague assailing the kingdom of Prince Prospero has finally broken the Prince's quarantine. A knight is found dead with slit wrists atop the Prince's tower, and soon thereafter another trusted ally dies before their very eyes. How can the peace continue when there is not just a plague, but also a murderer in their midst? We're joined by Jim himself to talk about the foundations of the novel, and why Thomas was his chosen perspective. Also cowboys, because we can't get Jim and Herds in a room without a cowboy-related cinematic detour.

We discuss chapters 14-18 of Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik's reinterpretation of an 18th-century Chinese magistrate-detective, Judge Dee. One of the Judge's associates invites him to see a play about a fictional magistrate solving three mysteries. Despite his bewilderment at the convolutions of theatre, Judge Dee realises that he's just watched a meta-narrative, and goes about unravelling the final clues keeping him from understanding the grand conspiracy operating right under his nose. Will justice prevail before it is too late?

We discuss chapters 8-13 of Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik's reinterpretation of an 18th-century Chinese magistrate-detective, Judge Dee. With a growing surety of how his predecessor was killed, speakers bring new cases before the tribunal, telling stories of missing women, abandoned marriages, and the ever-present threat of a tiger, potentially of supernatural persuasion. As religious affiliations begin to complicate district politics, how does Judge Dee keep his house in order?

We discuss chapters 1-7 of Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik's reinterpretation of an 18th-century Chinese magistrate-detective, Judge Dee. In the fifth book in Robert's series, we revisit Judge Dee's appointment to Peng Lai, witness him meeting his aides, and solving his first three cases as the lead magistrate of the district. The Bolting Bride, the Butchered Bully, and his murdered predecessor all paint a picture of a town with a darkness at its core, but Judge Dee is determined to have is overwhelming expertise at just about everything keep the district in order.

We discuss two films adapted from Seishi Yokomizo's 'The Inugami Curse', both made by Kon Ichikawa, both starring Kōji Ishizaka as Kosuke Kindaichi. Originally adapted in 1976, then remade in 2006, the film follows the inheritance dispute of the powerful Inugami pharmaceutical family. The patriarch passes, and his various wives and their children have their claim to wealth upended by the return of Sukekiyo, a grandson scarred unrecognisable in the second world war. The death of a legal representative draws the attention of the enigmatic Kosuke Kindaichi, who finds both allies and enemies as he tries to prevent the police from imprisoning the wrong person. What changed between the two versions of the film, and how does this Japanese classic hold up?

We discuss chapter 6 of Szu-Yen Lin's impossible-house impossible-crime novel, 'Death in the House of Rain'. Translated by the author himself, the House of Rain is an enormous mansion in the shape of the Chinese character for rain. Device X rears its dubious head as Ruoping Lin has to complete his picture of four horror-movie deaths in eerily similar circumstances. Do they all point to one killer? Did Flex's hail-mary solution actually work? Check out Jim Noy's list of 100 Mysteries at The Invisible Event. Flex is also joined by Lucy Campbell to talk about her debut crime fiction novel, 'Lowbridge', the roles of women, healing from loss, and learning about people indirectly. Thank you to Ultimo Press and Benson PR for providing copies to 2SER.

We discuss chapters 1-4, and later 5, of Szu-Yen Lin's impossible-house impossible-crime novel, 'Death in the House of Rain'. Translated by the author himself, the House of Rain is an enormous mansion in the shape of the Chinese character for rain. Bodies keep dropping in mysterious, small rooms around the House of Rain. Cranial injuries galore, who is bloodthirsty enough to be rid of these young women? Herds also challenges Flex to one extra chapter to see how that alters the scope of the crimes. Flex is also joined by Joanna Jenkins and Stuart Black to talk about corporate crime fiction, after the release of their books 'How to Kill a Client', and 'The Signatory', respectively. Thank you to Allen & Unwin, Interactive Publication and DMCPR for providing copies and helping arrange this panel.

We discuss the first chapter of Szu-Yen Lin's impossible-house impossible-crime novel, 'Death in the House of Rain'. Translated by the author himself, the House of Rain is an enormous mansion in the shape of the Chinese character for rain. A year ago, three gruesome and stomach-turning murders took the original inhabitants of the house. A year later, the family of the deceased, and their daughter's university classmates, arrive for an ill-fated vacation. Dark, grizzly, and drenched in rain, this Taiwanese murder mystery may leave you broken, but it's a fight you'll enjoy taking, or so Herds tells us. Also, the discussion didn't make the episode, but you should check out Aidan's recent review of 'The Rope Artist' over on Mysteries Ahoy! if you're interested in the heavier subject matter of this book.

We're joined by Brad Friedman of 'Ah Sweet Mystery' to discuss chapters 12-14 of Yukito Ayatsuji's second outing in his Mansion Murder series. Two more murders have taken place, and Shimada has to accept his role as detective before more blood is spilled. Brad and Herds unite to burn Felix at the stake for his ridiculous gambit to solve the unsolvable. How does this novel stack up against the iconic 'Decagon House' that preceded it, and where can the series go from here? We also have a conversation between 2SER's own Irene Diakanastasis and Mercedes Mercier about her second Laura Fleming novel 'Black Lies'. Fleming is tasked with convincing confessed murderer, Tomas Kovac, to disclose the location of his victim’s body before the secret dies with him, following a terminal cancer diagnosis. Thank you to Harper Collins for providing copies of 'Black Lies' to 2SER.

We're joined by Brad Friedman of 'Ah Sweet Mystery' to discuss chapters 6-11 of Yukito Ayatsuji's second outing in his Mansion Murder series. Brad and Herds are convinced they know what the trick is, and how the trick works, but can they figure out why it happened, and to whom? A simple mystery may not be as simple as it seems, as the doom befalling the Mill House draws out further accounts of the past, and the cruel motives of the less murderous crimes. We also speak with Robert Gott about his latest political satire, 'Naked Ambition'. The minister for transport has decided to enter his portrait into the Archibald Prize, but people might get snagged by the large member at eye-height. Thank you to Scribe Publishing for providing copies of the book.

We're joined by Brad Friedman of 'Ah Sweet Mystery' to discuss chapters 1-5 of Yukito Ayatsuji's second outing in his Mansion Murder series. Entering into a relentless writing pace that saw two books published in 1988, Ayatsuji welcomes us into the struggle between Shimada Kyoshi and the enigmatic, deceased Seiji Nakamura. Every year, the son of a famous artist begrudgingly invites guests to view his father's collection. One year ago, two people died and one disappeared during the visit, and yet the troupe of remaining guests returns, as fate summons a second doom. We also speak with Dennis Altman about his debut Crime Fiction novel, 'Death in the Sauna'. Thank you to Benson PR and Shute the Messenger for providing copies on behalf of Clouds of Magellan Press.

We discuss stories ten to twelve in G.K. Chesterton's debut outing with his most iconic detective, Father Brown. An innocuous preacher with an eye for the human spirit, Father Brown cares less for the wrong and right of the law, than the soul. As the collection closes, leadership upends trust, religion is turned on its head, and an impossible crime is committed. Truly there is no better man for the case.

We discuss Martin Edwards' latest novel, 'Blackstone Fell', from chapters 12-23. Rachel Savernake begins her militaristic campaign against the town of Blackstone, sending her forward force in the form of Cliff Trueman, ready to get his imaginary uncle whacked by whoever may have been committing crimes at the sanatorium. Meanwhile, Rachel ingratiates herself in the town and gets to work on the mysterious death of our would-be protagonist Nell Fagan. It's a strategic masterclass as Flex struggles to unravel the centuries of criminology behind the sinister marshy locale. We're also joined by Martin Edwards himself to talk about the power Nell Fagan imbues upon Rachel, the intention of subversion, and more, ahead of our in-depth chat on the spoilers next week.

We discuss Martin Edwards' latest novel, 'Blackstone Fell', from chapters 1-11. Firebrand journalist Nell Fagan is in the small Yorkshire town of Blackstone Fell, investigating the death of Ursula Murray, after her son, Vernon, alerted Nell to potential foul play. Nell suspects there is something more going on in the town, and returns to London to blackmail Jacob Flint into arranging an audience with the reclusive Rachel Savernake. For our final game of the year, Flex is charged with solving the growing string of murders, and the suspicious demise of Nell herself. We're also joined by British Crime Fiction royalty, Felix Francis, to talk about his latest novel 'Hands Down', the latest Dick Francis' Sid Halley story. As a member of what he calls 'the greatest crime fiction factory (family) of the 20th century', Felix has dined with all the greats. We talk about how his ageless Sid Halley compares to Nell Fagan, and his journey from physics student to author. Thanks to DMCPR and Simon & Schuster AU for providing copies of 'Hands Down'.

We discuss Edmund Clerihew Bentley's iconic novel, 'Trent's Last Case', from chapters 12-16. The case is over, Trent takes his standard journalist's pay for his work, and resorts back to his artistic exploits and a jaunt through Europe. Soon though, the death of Sigsbee Manderson becomes a ghost of its' own sort, haunting Trent's journey and ensuing romance with Mabel. After a long wait, Cupples reunites to debrief on the case, and celebrate the romance, only for a cruel twist to afford itself to Trent. We also speak with Martin Edwards, president of The Detection Club, CWA Diamond Dagger Winner, and acclaimed murder mystery author and historian, to talk about what made 'Trent's Last Case' such a monument in crime fiction history, but also why we hear so little of E.C. Bentley's further work. Martin's latest historical non-fiction is 'Life of Crime', a dense and enthralling read for crime fiction fans, and his latest original fiction, 'Blackstone Fell' is our next and final novel for 2022!

Andrew Pople from Final Draft talks with Matthew Spencer about his debut thriller, 'Black River'. Journalist Adam Bowman and Detective Sergeant Rose Riley find their lives in orbit as a serial killer patrols Sydney's Parramatta River. Bowman is convinced it'll be the story of his career, with the press clawing for news of what they recalcitrantly dub the 'Blue Moon Killer'. Career-making or not, Riley has to manage a Sydney gripped by fear, and Bowman has to wade into the dark corners of his past. Sleepless nights and personal turmoil await at every turn as their collaboration threatens to either sink or save the case. This discussion originally aired on Final Draft, July 23rd 2022. Thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing Final Draft and Death of the Reader Copies.

We discuss Edmund Clerihew Bentley's iconic novel, 'Trent's Last Case', from chapters 6-11. Our third venture to a coroner's inquest this year sees us delving into the many oddities of the presentation of Sigsby Manderson's corpse. From scratched wrists to a peculiar state of dress and a nigh-inexplicable lack of blood, there's no doubt of foul play, but what ties it all together. Trent meets with Manderson's internationally-sourced workforce to find more about how he treated them. A terrible possibility occurs to him, and all he has to do is ask Mabel the right question before submitting his theory, but can he tear his emotions away from the mess he has found himself in? We also speak with Lisa Ballantyne, author of 'The Innocent One'. A decade after The Angel Murders in Lisa's debut novel 'The Guilty One', we return to the world of Sebastian, the boy accused of murdering his friend at age 11, and his solicitor Daniel. Sebastian is now an adult, and finds himself in a prickly situation after his university tutor dies in hauntingly similar circumstances to the victim of the decade-old case from the previous novel. How has the world of courts changed in our narratives since 'Trent's Last Case'? Thank you to Pegasus Books for copies of 'The Innocent One' and arranging our time with Lisa.

We discuss Edmund Clerihew Bentley's iconic novel, 'Trent's Last Case', from chapters 1-5. Said by many to be the progenitor of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, this friendly rebuttal to G.K. Chesterton's 'The Man Who Was Thursday' can feel eerily familiar if you've read much of our back catalogue on the program. It may not be the best plotted or most challenging novel of the Golden Age, but it's easy to see the springboard it left for the many writers who would follow in its wake. A parody so well versed in its own context that now over a century on, we look at it as a historical marvel more than the joke it seems was intended. We're also joined by Dr. Philomena Horsley, a long time member of Sisters in Crime Australia, and chair of their Davitt Awards, to talk about the posthumous crime fiction debut of another long-tenured member, Dr. Janna Thompson's 'Lockdown'. An engagingly nostalgic romp through the annals of philosophy within the halls of an aged care facility, it shows with heart that age is no barrier to our beloved genre. Thank you to Clan Destine Press & Shute The Messenger for copies of 'Lockdown'

We discuss chapters 16-20 of Margery Allingham's final Albert Campion novel, 'Cargo of Eagles', completed posthumously by her husband Philip Youngman Carter. Campion visits Elsy, Oates, and other allies from his venture thus far, gearing up for a final showdown, rescuing Dido and Morty in the dying seconds. Can the gang clear out all the skeletons in the closet? Our intrepid newcomer on Death of the Reader, Lachlan, awaits his fate and the points Herds is fated to steal. We also speak with Australian author Chris Hammer to talk about his latest release, 'The Tilt'. Named after an iconic geographic feature in the Murray-Darling region, the novel sees Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan return from their last venture in 'Treasure and Dirt'. In a case uncomfortably personal for Nell, we also follow the confession of a young boy from WWII, and a teenager from the 1970s, slowly winding their fates together. Thank you to Allen & Unwin for copies of the book and arranging our time with Chris!

We talk with acclaimed television writer, now novelist, Roger Simpson, about his debut venture in our world, 'Halifax: Transgression'. Bringing his long-running telemovie protagonist, Dr. Jane Halifax, forensic psychologist, to the printed page, was a frightening endeavour, but compared to what Roger put her through in the book, we'd say he got off pretty easy. A bizarre string of grotesque murders wherein the killer has proudly displayed their victim, suspended by chains in their own gore, terrifies upper-class Melbourne. Old flame (and Hugh Jackman lookalike) Eric Ringer calls Jane onto the case, to help both the victims and officers deal with the horrors they find themselves in. On the mend from her own traumas in her latest telemovies (Halifax: Retribution), Jane once again is confronted with her own choices and how they landed her here in the first place. Thanks to DMCPR, and Simon and Schuster, for copies of the book and arranging our time with Roger!

We're joined by acclaimed Australian author Chris Hammer to talk about his latest release, 'The Tilt'. Named after an iconic geographic feature in the Murray-Darling region, the novel sees Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan return from their last venture in 'Treasure and Dirt'. Nell has been awarded a role as a homicide detective, and fate (or Chris Hammer, as the case may be), has played her a cruel hand in having her first case drag her right back home to The Cadell Tilt. A water regulator is blown up, and before the town can even start to question why, bodies are found below its now-drained basin. With her family far more involved in the case than she'd like, and a town bustling with the lockdown-driven agitation of conspiracy, the case reaches decades into the past as the voices of the town beckon towards it unsolved mysteries. Thanks to Allen & Unwin for copies of the book, and arranging our time with Chris!

We discuss 'The Woman in the Library', Sulari Gentill's latest metafictional concoction with the author herself. If you followed the social media marketing frenzy ahead of this book's release, it would all seem as though this was a simple crime wherein an overly aware narrator alerts us that one of the three people she just went to coffee with was a murderer, and that you were tasked with figuring out whodunnit. Of course, being a Sulari Gentill metafiction, this is merely the initial set dressing. Following on from Crossing The Lines' questioning of a writer's relationship with their characters, The Woman in the Library pits writers against readers against writers through several layers of reality, and it's letters from a man named 'Leo' that seem to tie them all together. Thanks to Ultimo Press for copies of the book, and for arranging our time with Sulari! If you're a fan of Death of the Reader, or independent media in general - it's our home station's annual 'Radiothon' birthday fundraiser, and we'd love your support! Find all the details at 2ser.com.

To celebrate the release of Jamie West's debut novel 'Death on the Pier', we sit down with the author to talk in depth about the decisions, intricacies, and motivations of his murder mysterious revival of a long-lost theatre; the Brighton Palace Pier. An actress is shot under the cover of her character dying in a play, and it falls to Bertie Carroll to translate the oddities of theatre to his old friend, Chief Detective Inspector Hugh Chapman. A fitting tribute both to British theatre history, and to our beloved Golden Age of Detective Fiction, Jamie continues the long union between the two never-quite distant forms of narrative. There are some pretty major spoilers at the end of this discussion, so please be careful not to miss our warning! If you're a fan of Death of the Reader, or independent media in general - it's our home station's annual 'Radiothon' birthday fundraiser, and we'd love your support! Find all the details at 2ser.com.

We discuss chapters 9-15 of Margery Allingham's final Albert Campion novel, 'Cargo of Eagles', completed posthumously by her husband Philip Youngman Carter. The Demon of Saltey seems alive and well, as the last person to see it is found succumbed to its power. With Mossy dead, it's clear to Campion and Morty that time is of the essence. As the town starts to fill up with gawkers, can the spies see through the noise and stop the killer before they escape with riches. We also speak with Kate McCaffrey, YA author and crime-debutant about her latest novel 'Double Lives'. Radio journalist Amy Rhinehart has found the perfect show to beat her rival station at the ratings, a true crime series where the listeners can shape the investigation. The murder of a young trans woman with echoes of decades past proves a promising first case, and we discuss how 'Double Lives' echoes the generational influences of 'Cargo of Eagles'. Thank you to DMCPR and Echo Publishing for a preview copy of Double Lives.

We discuss chapters 1-8 of Margery Allingham's final Albert Campion novel, 'Cargo of Eagles', completed posthumously by her husband Philip Youngman Carter. An aged Campion finds himself the spymaster as the American spy Morty makes his way to the small Essex town of Saltey. As the investigation arrives in the town, their primary contact, lawyer Hector Askew is found dead, a radio playing in his hands, a bullet lodged in his head. Now long past the days of the action hero, can Campion wrangle his team through the grizzly gang-laden underbelly of Saltey? Flex is joined by producer Lachlan Acourt to find out. We also speak with Mike Ripley, author of ten Mr. Campion continuation novels, the latest of which 'Mr. Campion's Mosaic', launches October 4th. What are the key elements of Albert Campion that shape Mike's vision of the character? We ask Mike what sets the spytective apart.

We discuss chapters 15-21 of the eleventh Albert Campion novel by Margery Allingham. Campion is on the run from the rozzers, and in his escape finds himself in an awkward conversation with a strange man in the back carriage of a train on the way to a meeting with one 'Sir Henry Bull', who just so happens to be that strange man. The nature of our arch-nemesis' scheme is finally revealed, and Campion has to rely on a Deus-Eggs-Machina to stop the hundreds of lorries from bringing Britain to its doom.

We were joined by author Michael Mohammed Ahmad, founding director of the Sweatshop Literary Movement, to talk about his latest novel 'The Other Half Of You', reframing your relationships, and why Western Sydney sees so little crime fiction. This extended discussion goes into deeper detail on what fictions about Western Sydney we still see in the press, the growing literary scene, including the successes of Sweatshop, and more about this year's panel at BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival, 'Myths and Realities: "Middle Eastern Crime" in Western Sydney', where he spoke with Randa Abdel-Fattah, Amani Haydar & Sarah Ayoub. If you haven't yet, I'd also suggest checking out our colleague Andrew Pople's discussions with Michael Mohammed Ahmad on Final Draft, via the 2ser website or your podcast app of choice. Death of the Reader were provided media tickets to BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2022

We discuss chapters 8-14 of the eleventh Albert Campion novel by Margery Allingham. While committing some form of espionage he's probably supposed to know about, Albert Campion is shown the grand scale of the Bridge Institute's power, from dozens of lorries gathered in a cave, to powerful remote detonators that could change the face of warfare. The investigation is upended when his budding ally Superintendent Hutch is told Campion matches the description of a man who fled from a city hospital the day before. Unable to prove it wasn't him, Campion goes on the run, trying to solve what it is he even needs to solve. We're also joined by author Michael Mohammed Ahmad, founding director of the Sweatshop Literary Movement, to talk about his latest novel 'The Other Half Of You', reframing your relationships, and why Western Sydney sees so little crime fiction. This interview was recorded ahead of the BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival panel 'Myths and Realities: "Middle Eastern Crime" in Western Sydney', where he spoke with Randa Abdel-Fattah, Amani Haydar & Sarah Ayoub. Death of the Reader were provided media tickets to BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival 2022

We were joined by Pamela Hart, acclaimed author of historical fiction and recent convert to the world of crime fiction authorship, to talk about her latest novel 'An A-List for Death', the second novel in the Poppy McGowan series. While looking after her aunt Mary, Poppy goes to find out why Mary's neighbour is late to visit, only to find Daisy bleeding with a wound to her head in her home. The police won't believe it was any more than an accident, and Poppy's keen eye soon has her embroiled in a race against the clock. Daisy can't remember what happened, but can her would-be attacker risk that memory ever coming back? In this (mostly) spoiler-free discussion, we talk more about the lessons Pamela brought from historical fiction, pantsing, and how characters lives off-screen mould them. If you're heading to BAD: Sydney Crime Writers' Festival the morning this comes out, or attending online, 'And Now For Something Slightly Different' is on at 10:30AM, with Pamela's 'Mystery Writing: The Victim is the Story' workshop from midday. The festival runs from 8-10 September 2022 at the State Library of NSW. Thank you to the festival's team for putting us in touch with Pamela, and providing Death of the Reader media tickets.

We were joined by the Artistic Director of BAD: Sydney Crime Writers Festival, Catherine du Peloux Menage to talk about this year's program. Featuring many friends of the show, including recent guests Sulari Gentill, Margaret Hickey, Pamela Hart and Benjamin Stevenson, the program covers our beloved metafictional whodunnits, socially conscious conversations about the broader scope of crime, Sydney's own criminal history, and the zeitgeist of recent debutants. Also true crime (just kidding we love you too). BAD runs from the 8th to the 10th of September, and tickets are available both via the festival's website, or at the door. Come say hi if you see us there! Death of the Reader were provided tickets to the event.

We discuss chapters 1-7 of the eleventh Albert Campion novel by Margery Allingham. A man who does not know himself awakens in a war-emptied hospital, and overhears word that he has killed a policeman. In a panic, the man pulls the fire alarm and flees in an unlocked car outside. A daring chase follows wherein he is tailed by his fiancé and the man he was supposed to meet, had he remembered he was supposed to do so. It turns out he was investigating the Bridge Institute for... something. Probably the card game, right? We're also joined by author Pamela Hart to talk about 'An A-List For Death', the second Poppy McGowan novel, ahead of two events at this year's BAD: Sydney Crime Writers' Festival. Catch Pamela on Friday the 9th of September, from 10:30AM at the 'And Now For Something Slightly Different' panel, or her workshop 'The Victim is the Story' from 12:30PM.

We discuss chapters 10-13 of Dorothy L. Sayers first novel in her Lord Peter Wimsey series. Are murder mysteries realistic, you ask? As the scope tightens and we laser focus on the actions of our lead suspect, Lord Peter Wimsey sits down with a medical student who thinks the genre has unrealistic holes in its premise and debates the point. Unfortunately for the student, they are a character in a murder mystery, so they're fated to lose this fight and recover their lost memory of the final clue for the case. The requisite confession letter arrives, and we learn the true nature of the 'genius' behind this crime. We also speak with Westender and debut novelist Jamie West about his upcoming release 'Death on the Pier'. In Jamie's revival of the decades-lost Brighton Palace Pier Theatre, an actress is shot under the cover of her character dying in a play, and it falls to Bertie Carroll to translate the oddities of theatre to his old friend, Chief Detective Inspector Hugh Chapman. Get subscribed to Death of the Reader's podcast to hear the full spoiler discussion when the book launches in October!

We discuss chapters 5-9 of Dorothy L. Sayers first novel in her Lord Peter Wimsey series. As the police continue to protest Wimsey's involvement with the case, we get to the dense core of the novel, complete with coronary hearings, debates between the Lords Wimsey and Parker, plus a ceaseless list of people named William. Many have said the heart of the novel lies in the interactions between Bunter and Wimsey in this chapter. Can Herds get to the bottom of it all, or is the case all a bit too clinical?

We discuss chapters 1-4 of Dorothy L. Sayers first novel in her Lord Peter Wimsey series. A forgetful moment returns Lord Peter home just in time for news of a grizzly death, suited perfectly to his hobby of detection. An unknown man has been found in the bath of Alfred Thipps, naked but for a pair of spectacles. Inspector Sugg, a policeman already disgruntled by Lord Wimsey's previous efforts, pins the crime on Thipps maid, and Wimsey amasses his allies to hunt the real killer. With a delightful and scattered tone, can Herds unravel this curious debut? We're also joined by Yoyu Li, one of the team behind 'Whispers in the West', a cooperative murder mystery video game we played just before its' Kickstarter launched. We talk about the game's development, the link between narrative and game design, and more.

We discuss chapters 25-36 of Tara Moss' new Billie Walker novel, 'The Ghosts of Paris'. Now in Paris, ready for the requisite showdown with the Nazis on her tail, Billie founds herself under the watchful eye over a resistance faction that has been tracking down war criminals on the run after the Second World War. Just her luck, it turns out, that one of them knows her perhaps a little too well. It's time to ponder over Dom's solution as we meet the Ghosts of Paris themselves.We're also joined by Lindy Cameron, Craig Sisterson and Vanda Symon to talk about 'Dark Deeds Down Under', a collection of some of the best of Australian and New Zealand mystery fiction, recently released by Clan Destine Press. With two more volumes in this anthology series already on the way, there's plenty to revel in as our local best get together.Thank you to Harper Collins for copies of the book.

We discuss chapters 13-24 of Tara Moss' new Billie Walker novel, 'The Ghosts of Paris'. Billie's journey through Europe in search of not one, but two, estranged husbands begins. Featuring uncomfortable run-ins with some men who think we're being too harsh on the Germans, to the altogether silly rules against women wearing pants in Paris, the post-war hustle and bustle is on full display. Billie finds out one of her friends has seen Jack, only to find a similar looking man on a morgue slab. Could it all be going awry?We're also joined by Nicolas Pleskof, director of French Murder Mystery Comedy 'Murder Party', to talk about playfulness and suffocation, the great game, and the Australian release of his film.Thank you to Harper Collins for copies of the book.

We discuss chapters 1-12 of Tara Moss' new Billie Walker novel, 'The Ghosts of Paris'. After her last showdown in 'The War Widow', Billie Walker has made quite the name for herself as a private inquiry agent in Sydney, with a unique clientele as the only woman in the country doing her line of work. One client leads to the next, until one Vera Montgomery comes with a blank cheque to find her missing husband. If Billie can prove he's dead, she is free to live her own life. Issues don't always disappear with their times, this intelligent, socially conscious novel sets an intriguing opening as we take to the skies on our way to explore the human stories often swept up in the theatre of war. Solving this one is 2SER's Sponsorship manager Dom Romeo, and if you want our help promoting your business, Dom tells us you should get in touch with him!We're also joined by Tara herself to talk about the all-seeing eye of a noir detective, the way we portray ourselves through fashion, and the heroics in the little things. Thank you to Harper Collins for copies of the book, and arranging our time with Tara.

Welcome to your Murder Mystery Detour! Once a whenever-we-can, Flex and Herds go live (or undead, as the case may be), to talk about their latest fixations in the crime fiction world, and we hear from you about yours! With Herds unfortunately unwell at the last hour, 2SER's own Sponsorship Manager Dom Romeo stepped in ahead of his trial-by-fire for Tara Moss' The Ghosts of Paris. This iteration, we spoke about:* Murder Party - Directed by Nicolas Pleskof * Dark Deeds Down Under - Edited by Craig Sisterson, Published by Clan Destine Press * Peril at the Exposition - Nev March * The Lost Man of Bombay (Out August 2022) - Vaseem Khan * Denizen - James McKenzie Watson * Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson * The Files of Young Kindaichi (2022) - Directed by Hisashi Kimura

We also listened to 'Watching the Detectives' by Elvis Costello, but that's been excised for the podcast! Check out the YouTube page for live chat and a bonus discussion about 'The Quarry'.

We've simply not had enough of Miss Jane Marple, and so it was that we decided to watch all manner of adaptations of 'The Body in the Library' before continuing on the world tour. Featuring the chaotic South Korean 'Ms. Ma: Nemesis', and the staple BBC 'Agatha Christie's Miss Marple', we also challenged you to bring your favourite to the table.Ms. Ma: Nemesis, also known as 'God of Revenge', stars Yunjin Kim of LOST fame, and brings Marple to the modern day. It features convoluted overarching drama, tenuous links to the original novels, and some thrillingly bizarre performances from the supporting cast. Perhaps not one to dive in to part way, it's a competent but questionable reinterpretation of a truly classic character.Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, on the other hand, provides a more faithful adaptation of the story, occasionally to the show's detriment as they juggle the contradictions of a protagonist who knows the answers but hasn't yet spoken, taking it in a curious direction, and showing up their South Korean counterparts on how to do ludicrously blunt sound design.Let us know about your favourite when we go LIVE, Thursday 21st of July at 7:30PM AEST for Death of the Reader: UNDEAD

Flex was joined recently by Margaret Hickey to talk about the second Mark Ariti novel, 'Stone Town', and the recent Ned Kelly nomination for the previous entry in the series, 'Cutters End'. Mark Ariti's journeys through small-town crime often bring him face to face with harrowing fear and the many unknowns lurking in the underbelly of rural Australia. We spoke with Marg about how fear divides and unites us, how the most important things are often the most understated, and the harrowing cry of Australia's endangered Barking Owls.Thanks to Penguin Australia for providing us with copies for this episode.

We discuss chapters 14-18 of Agatha Christie's 'The Body in the Library', the second novel to feature Miss Jane Marple. With Ms. Marple alleging an impending third murder, the police decide the only reasonable course of action is to prepare a dramatic 'just-on-time-arrest', to ensure Conway Jefferson can get one last bit of excitement out of this string of murders.We're also joined by Margaret Hickey to talk about her new novel 'Stone Town', and the recent Ned Kelly nomination for Mark Ariti's previous outing 'Cutters End'. Thanks to Penguin Australia for copies of these books.

We discuss chapters 9-13 of Agatha Christie's 'The Body in the Library', the second novel to feature Miss Jane Marple. As the police continue their investigation into the death of Ruby Keene, they are sidetracked by another (definitely unrelated) murder, of one Pamela Reeves. Found burning in the wreckage of a Minoan 14 motor vehicle at the local quarry, the young girl had gone missing just a day before Ruby's death. Unsurprisingly, Miss Marple notices something off about the girl's cause of death, and our lady detective steps into her own.We're also joined by Moira Redmond of 'Clothes in Books' to talk a bit about the background of her blog, the way Christie approaches fashion, and how Christie's narratives served as escapism for the Dame during the war.

We discuss chapters 1-8 of Agatha Christie's 'The Body in the Library', the second novel to feature Miss Jane Marple. After a frightful dream, Dolly Bantry awakes to find a body, in her library! A young dancer from a club on the coast nearby, strangled, just hours after she was last seen entertaining one Conway Jefferson. A clown-car of cops begin to follow the leads on this grizzly case, until Colonel Arthur Bantry decides that simply isn't enough investigators, and summons Sir Henry Clithering, who summons Miss Jane Marple. I'm sure one of these people will be able to figure it out!

We discuss chapters 25-34 of Sulari Gentill's 'The Woman in the Library', her second standalone metafictional mystery. We're also joined by Dani Vee from Words and Nerds, to join Herds in the battle for points. In Hannah's world, Leo's messages grow more and more erratic, until eventually international travel returns, and he makes his way to Sydney to finally meet his favourite federal agency. In Freddie's world, it's about time for our moustache-twirling villain to be unveiled, but it seems even they don't have all the answers.We're once again joined by Sulari to dive into why Leo's worst crime isn't murder.Thanks to Ultimo Press for copies of the book, and for arranging our time with Sulari!

We discuss chapters 12-24 of Sulari Gentill's 'The Woman in the Library', her second standalone metafictional mystery. We're also joined by Dani Vee from Words and Nerds, to join herds in the hotseat as we scale the mountain of realities facing us as writers write writers writing writers. In Freddie's reality, she struggles with her feelings for Cain as increasingly dark facets of his past emerge, making the aftermath of Whit's injury and Marigold's bizarre fascinations even more difficult to stomach. In Hannah's world, Letters From Leo have taken an even darker turn, a humble correspondence seemingly gone horribly wrong.And in Sulari's world, two schmucks sit down across a table to grill her about every which decision, and still can't seem to take a bloody hint.Thanks to Ultimo Press for copies of the book, and for arranging our time with Sulari!

We discuss chapters 1-11 of Sulari Gentill's 'The Woman in the Library', her second standalone metafictional crime extravaganza. Australian author Hannah Tigone is writing her next bestseller novel, about Winifred 'Freddie' Kincaid writing her debut novel, about another writer writing their debut novel. We follow Hannah's drafts, and the accompanying emails from an enthusiastic fan, Leo, who has volunteered himself to help Hannah make his home town of Boston more realistic. Freddie's world has four writers who meet after a blood-curdling shriek is let out in the Boston Public Library, and they become fast friends as they attempt to solve the ensuing mysteries as it seems the suspicions of the police close in on them.Herds is in the hotseat, and all professional neutrality is out the window, as two Sulari Gentill fanboys ignore all the warning signs that Leo's insufferability reflects poorly on them.Thanks to Ultimo Press for early copies of the book.

We discuss chapters 13-20 of Absolution by Murder, the first novel in the dark-ages mystery extravaganza that is the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne. Secrets are unveiled, sequels are baited, and we get answers to about half of the questions we had along the way. Does the novel fare best as a mystery, or as a piece of historical fiction? With a historians hand behind the ink, perhaps there is a more unique explanation to this book's approach to history.

We discuss chapters 8-12 of Absolution by Murder, the first novel in the dark-ages mystery extravaganza that is the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne. Now neck deep in the interrogation section, the bodies are mounting, and Sister Fidelma finds herself increasingly pitted against the norms of Northumbira. Will she and Eadulf find the truth before Oswy's kingdom comes undone?We also speak with Joanne Burn about her latest novel 'The Hemlock Cure', and its reimagining of the true story of Eyam, a village that locked itself away from the world to stem the tide of the Black Plague in the 1660s. Thank you to Pegasus Books for the review copy of the novel.

We discuss chapters 1-7 of Absolution by Murder, the first novel in the dark-ages mystery extravaganza that is the Sister Fidelma series by Peter Tremayne. Taking place at the historical Synod of Whitby, where the churches of the world met to discuss the terms of their ongoing belief, under the watchful eye of King Oswy of Northumbria. When Sister Etain is killed just hours after announcing her marriage, Sister Fidelma of Kildare is called forth to investigate crime, risking her neck to get justice for her old friend and mentor.We also speak with Harini Nagendra about her debut Crime Fiction release, The Bangalore Detectives Club. Telling the story of Kaveri, a young woman in Bengaluru, newly wed, attempting to solve crimes in her newfound social circle without being outcast from it.

We discuss Aoife Clifford's latest novel 'When We Fall', from its roots in the global mistreatment of mothers and children of minority groups the world over, Dutch art, the way we construct crime, and more that we dare not mention in the description. If you want to hear more, you can also hear Aoife in discussion with Gary Disher, Hayley Scrivenor, and Dr. Kate Evans at the upcoming Sydney Writers' Festival for the panel 'Small Town, Big Secrets'. You can also hear Flex discuss it over on ABC Radio National's 'The Bookshelf'.Thank you to ABC Radio National and Ultimo Press for getting us copies of the book.

We discuss chapters 14-21, in John Dickson Carr's 'The Crooked Hinge' with Brad Friedman of 'Ah Sweet Mystery'. Our charming little murder mystery takes a bizarre tour through the romantic proclivities of both our detective's assistant and a suspect. At last, an explanation of motive emerges for the crime, but it's even more bizarre than we had predicted. Dr. Gideon Fell announces his solution, only for a challenge to be raised and a cliff hung. Finally, an invitation to meet from the culprit concludes the true nature of the case.We're also joined by Aoife Clifford to talk about her latest release, 'When We Fall', ahead of her appearance for 'Small Town, Big Secrets' at the Sydney Writers' Festival. Flex also spoke about this book on ABC Radio National's 'The Bookshelf'.

We discuss chapters 7-13, 'The Life of an Automaton', in John Dickson Carr's 'The Crooked Hinge' with Brad Friedman of 'Ah Sweet Mystery'. Dr. Gideon Fell has arrived on the scene, but the we're confounded by his being there to solve an entirely different murder; Victoria Daly. Weapons are found, an apple goes rolling, and the mysterious mechanoid stored on the Farnleigh estate comes rolling down the stairs as the spook factor of the novel starts to rise. Will it be Herds' solution that makes it across the line, or is Flex's bizarre suggestion the truth?We're also joined by Benjamin Stevenson to talk about his latest novel 'Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone'. It's as though he did his best to write a novel specifically for us, as his protagonist Ern goes about making a mess of the Knox Decalogue. Thanks to Penguin Australia for providing a copy of the novel.

We discuss chapters 1-6, 'The Death of a Man', in John Dickson Carr's 'The Crooked Hinge' with Brad Friedman of 'Ah Sweet Mystery'. Part of Carr's iconic Dr. Gideon Fell mystery series, we follow the dispute between two John Farnleighs. Allegedly, the two of them met as children on the Titanic, and during the chaos, one stole the identity of other, trading circus life for the wealth of the British upper-class. Is the story true, and if so, which Farnleigh is the real one? Why does the defendant even entertain the idea? The requisite murder occurs, and it's Brad against the boys in this golden-age showdown.

We discuss chapters 27-36 of Sujata Massey's 'The Bombay Prince', the third novel in the Perveen Mistry series. Veering from disarmingly peaceful to chaotically confronting effortlessly and bewilderingly, Perveen Mistry is on the tail of Freny's killer, but someone else is on hers. Can justice be done before the danger proves too great? Will Herds finally get to witness the almighty kiss he's been so desperately waiting for?We also chat about the culmination of our Indian leg of the Murder Mystery World Tour. In a journey full of familiar tales, we talk our key takeaways and favourite insights from this surprisingly consistent journey of subcontinental diversity. We hear from Sulari Gentill at BAD: Sydney Crime Writers' Festival 2021, as well as Nev March, Abir Mukherjee, and RV Raman from previous episodes in this leg, all of which you can hear in full on the podcast.

We discuss chapters 13-26 of Sujata Massey's 'The Bombay Prince', the third novel in the Perveen Mistry series. The courts begin inquiries to the death of Freny Cuttingmaster, and Perveen has already made enemies that threaten to get in the way of fair conduct. Drama about finances around the school also bring the staff into question, but can Perveen break through the institution's legal defence?We're also joined by Sena Desai Gopal to talk about her debut novel 'The 86th Village', out this week, telling the story of a small regional town rife with corruption after a decades-old dam construction threw caution to the wind.

We discuss chapters 1-12 of Sujata Massey's 'The Bombay Prince', the third novel in the Perveen Mistry series. A young Freny Cuttingmaster visits Perveen at her office, inquiring about her legal options for avoiding the procession of Prince Edward. When Perveen goes to see the procession days later, Freny's corpse is found with her head smashed in, and the local police begin carelessly preparing to assume suicide. The last stop in our Indian tour for 2022 brings all the familiar sights and sounds back to the table as Perveen sets about bringing justice for Freny and her family.Ahead of the 2022 Sydney Writers' Festival, we're joined by author Dinuka McKenzie to discuss her novel 'The Torrent', and the turbulent journey to motherhood for its protagonist. Catch Dinuka in conversation with Suzanne Leal, Jane Caro, and Laura Elizabeth Woollett for 'Mother of All Crimes' at the festival on the 20th of May.

We discuss chapters 17-21 in RV Raman's latest Harith Athreya mystery 'A Dire Isle'. After an ominous encounter on Naaz Tapu, the case is starting to come together. Discovery after discovery points Athreya in the direction of the Bronze Runners, and the ironies of their malpractice. The unveiling of military involvement in the area changes the tone of the investigation as new players emerge and old faces are given new meaning.We're also joined, once again, by RV Raman himself to talk about the blending of the mystical and technological, and the creative spark that helps Athreya's journey feel so lively.

We discuss chapters 9-16 in RV Raman's latest Harith Athreya mystery 'A Dire Isle'. In the aftermath of the murder of an archaeological dig, Harith and Inspector Bhupinder get to work interrogating the staff, to close in on the murderer. With various staff knowing more than they should, and some confessing to things distant in their past, how deep can the motive go? As the case goes on, the haunted shape of Naaz Tapu beckons Athreya closer, and it looks like it soon might bite.We also speak with RV Raman himself about his past corporate thrillers, in particular 'Fraudster'. How did fictionally exploring the human side of his previous career in finance help prepare him to sculpt the world of Harith Athreya?

We discuss chapters 1-8 in RV Raman's latest Harith Athreya mystery 'A Dire Isle'. Liam Dunne has requested Athreya's aid in investigating possible financial fraud at an archaeological dig-site in Bundelkhand. When the dig's director is slain on a mysterious, haunted island nearby, the supernatural comes knocking, and Athreya finds himself put to the test in the investigation.We're also joined by PHD Student Ankita Rathour from Louisiana State University to talk about her dissertation in Indian Anglophone fiction, Bollywood, the dead girl trope, and positive developments in the subcontinent's creative arts.

It's a full-spoilers affair as we dive into Abir Mukherjee's latest thriller, The Shadows of Men. As seems to be becoming tradition around here, we keep asking authors so many questions that it just doesn't fit in the damned show. From how loose cannons unleash your story, to his dissatisfaction with the previous novel 'Death in the East', to accusing us of poo-pooing an important character detail, our chat with Abir is the perfect accompaniment to your re-read of the fifth novel in the Sam Wyndham and Surendrenath Banerjee crime fiction universe.

We discuss chapters 44-65 of Abir Mukherjee's latest thriller, The Shadows of Men. Finally reunited, Sam and Suren split up again to investigate their latest lead in the death of Prashant Mukherjee. Sam finds his way into a party with Bombay's affluent big spenders, while Surendrenath adds breaking and entering to his list of charges. Their efforts yield clues to impending chaos at a public protest, and the proverbial time-bomb risks taking India with it.We're joined once again by Abir himself to talk about hydration, and our appearances in his future novels. If you want to hear the full-length chat with Abir, that's up on the podcast!

We discuss chapters 19-43 of Abir Mukherjee's latest thriller, The Shadows of Men. Sam and Suren reunite with the elusive Colonel Dawson, who is both laden with revelations, and cut out from the revelations they actually need. In search of the remaining clues, Dawson flies them out to a familiar hill in Bombay, where they can corner their lead suspect, Farid Gulmohamed, and hopefully wrap this all up cleanly. Naturally, this does not go entirely as planned, and one problem is merely replaced with another.We also speak with Abir himself about Sam and Suren, the motivations behind their characterisation, and what it was about 'Death in the East' that pushed Abir back towards the thriller after his previous Christie homage.

We discuss chapters 1-18 of Abir Mukherjee's latest thriller, The Shadows of Men. Taking a step away from our normal fair-play pastures, The Shadows of Men plants us in 1923 Calcutta, where Sergeant Surendrenath 'Surrender-Not' Banerjee has found himself arrested over the murder and attempted arson of Hindu thought leader Prashant Mukherjee. Captain Sam Wyndham bails him out of jail, but then the Sergeant's only alibi, Lord Commissioner Taggart, is felled by a makeshift explosive. Suren goes on the run, fearing Taggart's stay in hospital might conclude with his hanging if he can't find the true culprit. Riots claim the city, and common sense is a distant memory.We also discuss a few options for wider reading in India's flourishing field of crime fiction. Our recommendations include Abir's 'Smoke and Ashes', Ajay Chowdhury's upcoming 'The Cook', Salil Desai's '3 and a Half Murders', Soumon Chaterjee's 'The Calcutta Conundrum', Sujata Massey's 'The Widows of Malabar Hill/A Murder at Malabar Hill', Kishwar Desai's 'Witness the Night', and Ankush Saikia's 'More Bodies Will Fall'.

We discuss the upcoming animated series 'The Art of Murder' from Melbourne's Choc Chip Animation Studios with studio leads Nirali and Anokhi Somaia. Following the story of a young artist as her creations come to life, a murder occurs in the pages of her artbook, and the game, as they say, is afoot. Featuring music by Sonya Belousova and Gionna Ostinelli of ‘The Witcher’ fame (hear more about that when they spoke with our friend Ruby over at Kotaku Australia), and with an all-star cast of internet darlings, it’s an exciting proposition. We talk all about the inspirations for the show, putting it together remotely, and what inspired Pip's relatable journey of self-discovery.

We discuss Kenneth Branagh's new adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic Poirot novel 'Death on the Nile'. It's spoiler free for the first five minutes! Hercule Poirot just so happens to run into his friend Bouc near Cairo, and Bouc invites him to the wedding party that the young socialite is there to attend. Poirot begrudgingly accepts, and finds himself celebrating the marriage of the Doyles, who he had met in London six months ago. Aboard a boat on the Nile, scorned lovers drip from the decks, and wealth oozes from the cracks. When the inevitable murder happens, Poirot is thrust on the case, and his efforts do not go appreciated.Thanks to Disney Australia for helping us to see this film early to prepare the episode.We're also joined by Nirali and Anokhi from Choc Chip Animation Studios to talk about their upcoming murder mystery musical 'The Art of Murder' and the artistic journeys within. Also check out their discussion with our friend Ruby at Kotaku Australia talking about their incredible collaborators, including Sonya Belousova, the composer for Netflix's 'The Witcher'.Also if you're hunting it, the Red Hot Chilli Writers Podcast is here.

We discuss Vaseem Khan's 'Malabar House' series, and its latest installment 'The Dying Day' with the author himself. It seems we didn't manage to scare him off enough last time. From his thoughts on the classic 'will-they-won't-they' plot, to why certain characters did and didn't make the cut between the two novels, we sink our teeth into this historical adventure.Go take a listen to Vaseem's work on the Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast, too!

We discuss chapters 32-48 of Vaseem Khan's historical crime novel, 'The Dying Day'. After a near-death run in with a shadowy figure in her father's bookshop, Persis has finally realised who John Healy was on the run from; Nazis. Now in a life-or-death game to track down The Divine Comedy before they do, a final riddle will be the deciding game - but what if she leads them right there? The stakes are high, the allies are thin, and the clock is ticking.We're joined once again by Vaseem Khan to get in depth to a few interesting decisions from the tail end of this story, including why he chose to give the last laugh to a character we've barely seen.

We discuss chapters 16-31 of Vaseem Khan's historical crime novel, 'The Dying Day'. A new riddle found on the thigh of the freshly-deceased scholar John Healy only piles more questions onto Persis Wadia's lap. Healy's list of contacts have little to say of his potential motive, until the unrelated murder investigation Fernandes is leading starts to join some dots. As past wounds are dug open, can Persis keep ahead of it all?We're also joined by Vaseem Khan himself to talk about the novel, the construction of its riddles, and the upcoming collection 'The Perfect Crime', with its astonishing list of contributors.

We discuss chapters 1-15 of Vaseem Khan's riddle-laden historical romp, 'The Dying Day'. Just days after narrowly defusing one political bomb in 'Midnight at Malabar House', another lands in Inspector Persis Wadia's lap, as she is put on the hunt of a priceless copy of Dante's Divine Comedy. The scholar who was translating it has taken it, leaving behind a bizarre trail of clues and no straight answers. Why did he run off, and can Persis avoid working in tandem with the nefarious force he may have fled from? Herds is in the hot seat, as we return for our 2022 Murder Mystery World Tour.

It’s time for the crown. The Sulari Gentill Award for the most-recommended mystery novel of the year for Death of the Reader goes to, Sulari Gentill, and her 2018 book ‘Crossing the Lines’, also known as ‘After She Wrote Him’, or ‘A Line Once Crossed’ by me and like two other fans. Crossing the Lines makes a compelling case for why a sense of uncertainty can be a blessing in fiction, and it can really open up a door for your reading once it clicks.

Yukito Ayatsuji’s 'The Decagon House Murders' takes out second place for our recommendations, this Review Season. The novel achieves the rare feat of taking one of the most highly regarded mysteries of all time, spoofing it, and somehow, besting it. It’s incredibly clever, astonishingly memorable, and as the current wave of shin-honkaku translations hopefully continues, you will love seeing the work this did in inspiring a generation of writers. We do not have the time to name the dense list of people, who upon hearing we occasionally feature Japanese novels ask ‘have you read the Decagon House Murders?’.

For our final week of Review Season, Herds is set to deliver you into the third-last stop on our journey to rank our recommendations of all the murder mystery stories that we’ve enjoyed over the course of this year. Today, the unforgettable commercial-failure cult-classic train-mystery remembered as The Last Express by Jordan Mechner, a murder mystery video game that truly is one of a kind and that holds a special place in Hers' heart for being the story that got him interested in murder mysteries in the first place. Let’s step into the shoes of Robert Cath, American doctor, as he steps into the shoes of deceased friend Tyler Whitney, and boards The Orient Express for a journey across Europe.

Coming in fourth place on our recommendations for 2021 is 'The Tokyo Zodiac Murders' by Soji Shimada. Written in 1981 and considered to be the grandfather of Shin-Honkaku mystery (also known as modern deduction-based mysteries) it employs a combination of astrology and alchemy, straight up wizards, and hard clues to construct a devilish puzzle with an ending twist solution that would be quite the feat to determine before our detective does.

Richard Osman’s 'The Thursday Murder Club' comes in fifth place for our 2021 recommendations. One of the best-selling books in recent memory, this astonishingly accessible modern crime romp is a treasure, and I’m so grateful we got to feature it on the show. Television presenter Richard Osman debuted into crime fiction in 2020 with a mystery that took the classic mystery-club-out-of-their-depth format, aged it up a lot and made them all entertainingly talented swimmers.

Coming in at sixth place for our 2021 recommendations on Review Season is Emma Stonex's 'The Lamplighters'. One of the sad necessities of review season is that in order to numb the pain of making our list, criteria are king, and that often places our personal favourites outside the podium. The Lamplighters, is such a case. This haunting, lyrical and enveloping exploration into an impossible crime and the people left behind by it, made waves internationally this year, and Flex thinks it was well deserved.

If you peer just off the starboard bow you’ll be able to spot our 7th place entry into Review Season this year coming just over the horizon, but be warned, monsters spotted in the ocean may be larger than they appear… 'Return of the Obra Dinn' is a 2018 released video game by one Lucas Pope of 'Papers Please' fame, and once again tasks himself with making mundane bureaucracy fun for the whole family.

In 8th place for Review Season we will be recommending the lovely, the horrific, the whimsical 'Murder in Old Bombay' by Nev March. If you need any proof at all that every novel is beloved on this show then listen no further than the out pouring of love that Herds gives today. Are you looking to read an epic tale that is exactly one third murder mystery, one third romance, and one third war drama? If so, Murder in Old Bombay is the gift that keeps on giving.

In 9th place we have (and Knox help me on this ranking) 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie, circa 1939. One of, if not the, best codifiers for the closed circle/farmhouse/impossible crime trifecta in the murder mystery space. It is into this mindset we must submerge ourselves to truly understand how Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None came to be, and how it’s construction is held in such a high regard to this day.

Coming in at 10th for 2021 in our rankings is internet-darling production studio Rooster Teeth's 'Dead Little Roosters'. Directed by Josh Flanagan and Fiona Nova, the third edition of this multi-layered interactive video puzzle takes the colour-rich, room/weapon/culprit challenge of Cluedo, the layered rhyme of And Then There Were None, and lets an enormous audience run ravenous over it for weeks on end. How does it stack up, both for a curious mystery fan unfamiliar with the studio's antics, and a rusted-on adherent to the wacky comedy Rooster Teeth is known for. Let's hope we can answer that question.

Our 11th Recommendation for 2021 goes to Masako Togawa's 'The Master Key'. A novel that at once told a laidback mystery while also layering in as many narration perceptions as I could personally stomach. There are moments of mirth and comedy but it is much more a sad tragedy than anything else. Masako Togawa has written a story about the lived-in experiences of the ladies around her, old women with little time left but a heck of a skeleton in their closets.

Anthony Horowitz’ 'Magpie Murders' takes out our twelfth recommendation spot for 2021, a story that took us under its wing for not one but two murder mysteries with completely different detectives, Watsons, and culprits. We covered Magpie Murders as part of a stretch of stories involving metafiction, and heartily recommend it if you have a lot of time to pore over the text, ideally camping out in a public library so you can crosscheck it with the other great works of fiction that it makes reference to.

Our 13th recommendation for 2021 on your Murder Mystery World Tour is Seicho Matsumoto’s ‘Inspector Imanishi Investigates’, also known as Castle of Sand. The edition we read was translated into English by Beth Cary, and published by Soho Crime in 2003. If you’re looking for a slow-pace, thoughtful mystery that thrives on letting its intrigue hang in the open air, this is your stop.

Our 14th-highest recommendation for the year is Maria Angelica Bosco’s ‘Death Going Down’. This 1954 novel - translated to English by Lucy Greaves and released by Pushkin Vertigo in 2017 - strikes a bizarre point for me. I think, for the right reader, this novel is uniquely charming, and if anything we say about it intrigues you - please, go check it out, because if you are that reader, we need to get you reading this novel.

Coming in spooky as the 15th most recommended murder mystery for this year’s Review Season is Murder On The Way! by Theodore Roscoe. A story of zombies, magic, impossible locked room mysteries, and romance! Representing the enormous spiritual overlap between the Pulps and Murder Mystery with the appropriate lack of tact, it's a fun read but some clench-worthy moments make it hard to place higher.

Review Season 2021 kicks of with a review of three stories and a festival, as we reflect on the haunting connection between mystery fiction and All Hallow's Eve. Featuring discussion of Edgar Allan Poe's Dupin Mysteries (Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Purloined Letter, and The Mystery of Marie Rogêt), and Agatha Christie's Halloween Party, plus a few wild assertions with little to no legal basis, we hope this Halloween celebration bids you well this Christmas.

We discuss chapters 43 to the end of Nev March's historical mystery, 'Murder in Old Bombay'. Jim and the Framjis return to Bombay, and the investigation takes yet another turn. Lives are on the line, there's a traitor in the midst, and Jim may have met his match. Can he pin the culprit before the last pieces fall into place? Probably not, but we still believe in him.We're also joined by Nev again to hear more about the many twists and turns the story went through, consolation and corruption, and a tease of her new novel 'Peril at the Exposition'.

We discuss chapters 25-42 of Nev March's historical mystery, 'Murder in Old Bombay'. Our quaint 19th-century urban detective story takes an abrupt, aggressive detour into a mountainous war-story, following Jim Agnihotri's venture to pincer-attacked Lahore, and his flight with several young orphans to escape the battle lines. We also have a chat with author Vaseem Khan about his Baby Ganesh series, the Red Hot Chilli Writers Podcast, and our first novel for 2022.

We discuss chapters 1-24 of Nev March's historical mystery, 'Murder in Old Bombay'. Retired Captain Jim Agnihotri finds himself as a new-hire journalist in Bombay, only to have an immediate promotion to Private Detective under the eye of Adi Framji, a young widower whose wife died in mysterious circumstances some weeks earlier. Bonding over their mutual sense of loss, and with a growing attachment to the lively - but grieving - Framji family, Jim sets out to ensure justice is done for this bungled investigation.We're joined this week by Nev March herself to talk about challenging her own community through Jim's eyes, and how the familial bonds tie this story together.

We discuss chapters 7-8 of María Angélica Bosco's 'Death Going Down', translated by Lucy Greaves. The novel comes to a bewildering end, with dramatic re-enactments, disappearing dogs and apparating new characters with the ability to disappear. This charming Argentinian novel has us a little torn, but we still think it's a worthy read as we come to the pointy end of 2021.

We discuss chapters 4-6 of María Angélica Bosco's 'Death Going Down', translated by Lucy Greaves. As the interrogations go on, Inspector Blasi is taking his time getting to know the suspects, and soon some relationships between the inhabitants of the tower start to pique his interest. Why did the power go out? Why was Gabby at the Eidinger's house? Can Herds figure it all out in time? The clock is ticking and a new face impends.We're also joined by translator Brian Karetnyk to talk about the art of translation, and his upcoming version of 'The Village of Eight Graves' by Seishi Yokomizo, with Pushkin Vertigo.

We discuss chapters 1-3 of María Angélica Bosco's debut mystery 'Death Going Down', translated by Lucy Greaves. After Frida Eidinger, a German immigrant, is found dead in the elevator of an apartment block in Buenos Aires, the police go through the motions resolving her apparent suicide, but the lead investigators have doubts. Who in this small tower could be responsible for Frida's death? It's up to Inspectors Ericourt, Blasi, and new recruit Muck to crack the case.We're also joined by Dr. L.J.M. Owen, author of The Great Divide and head of the Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival to talk about its 2021 return, the lineup, and the important literacy goals it strives for.

In our Halloween Spooktacular, we're joined by Brad Friedman from Ah Sweet Mystery to discuss Agatha Christie's infamous 'Hallowe'en Party' and its 2011 British Television adaptation with a screenplay by Mark Gatiss. Taking very direct inspiration from elsewhere in her own franchises, Agatha Christie penned a derivative tale that Gatiss has reworked into a charming, if bizarre, romp for perfect Halloween viewing. From architectural antagonists to a nose-bludgeoning metaphor in the form of a bed-ridden author who can't come up with fresh ideas, the captivating performances of David Suchet and his co-stars turn this missable novel into something a bit more special.We also sit down to discuss our draft rankings for this year's 'Review Season', our annual year-end recommendations based on what we've covered through the year. If you have any opinions you want to squeeze onto our desks before the final rankings - send them to us via @FlexAndHerds on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!

Flex's quest to disgrace the origins of Murder Mystery continues as we not only put forward solutions for Poe's second mystery, but also the true crime that inspired it. Is it possible, nearly 200 years on, to discern a nature to these crimes other than their traditionally presented solution? After listening to True Crime podcasts for aeons, surely we have the tools prepared to debunk this long-cold case. We're also joined by Sam Twyford-Moore from Faber Writing Academy to talk about the work they do fostering new Australian writing talent, in celebration of their support for 2SER's annual Radiothon.It's currently RADIOTHON over on our home station, 2SER 107.3. Independent media is one of the great necessities of a free and open society. For over 40 years, 2SER has been a fearless and independent source for news, views and great music, and your support keeps us on air. If that's important to you, become a subscriber on the website!

Our Halloween spooktacular begins with the grandfathers of Murder Mystery, with a little twist. Despite being familiar with the solutions, Flex is challenged with putting together a unified solution for Poe's Murders in the Rue Morgue & The Purloined Letter. Is it possible to explain the exploits of Dupin with just one trick, linking the gothic horror master's puzzles together? We also sit down with Christian Henriksson from 'Mysteries, Short and Sweet' to talk more about Poe's influence on our beloved genre, from damsels in distress to the true crime stories of the present day.It's currently RADIOTHON over on our home station, 2SER 107.3. Independent media is one of the great necessities of a free and open society. For over 40 years, 2SER has been a fearless and independent source for news, views and great music, and your support keeps us on air. If that's important to you, become a subscriber on the website!

During our discussion of Theodore Roscoe's 'Murder on the Way!', you might have heard us mention Death Among the Undead, which was recently translated by Ho-Ling Wong published by Locked Room International, adding to their collection of both niche and incredibly significant translated works from Japan. We sat down with John Pugmire from Locked Room International to talk a bit about what goes into selecting a book for their imprint, the exciting premise of Death Among the Undead, as well as his own translation work.

We discuss chapters 1-14 of Theodore Roscoe's Murder on the Way! Edited by Jim Noy of The Invisible Event and In GAD We Trust. An unfortunate adventure into the Haitian wilderness results in Cart buried alive, it seems our tale is over. Fortunately for Cart, it turns out Pete Dale was the detective all along, and we end up in a tempestuous confrontation with our killer in the mansion after her daring rescue. How petty will Jim Noy be with the points he was offered? Find out in this thrilling conclusion to a bewildering pulp tale.

We discuss chapters 6-9 of Theodore Roscoe's Murder on the Way! Edited by Jim Noy of The Invisible Event and In GAD We Trust. Cart and Pete are caught in the middle of the tontine, with corpses dropping around them as the guests at the mansion vie for wealth. Meanwhile, in the storm outside, a zombie rallies the local population into an uprising that sweeps the safety net out from under the survivors. Can Flex and Herds settle on a solution, or will contest divide them?

In modern crime fiction, or perhaps just modern fiction, there are few authors as prolific and genre-diverse as Anthony Horowitz, so it was a delight to have him on the show to cap off our 2021 journey through Metafiction to discuss his latest, 'A Line To Kill', as well as the many ideas and themes we've been investigating on this leg of our Murder Mystery World Tour. From unlikely thematic pairings, the inversion of the writer in his portrayal of himself, to the homework he does to put together a compelling puzzle, we did our best to hit all the ideas of A Line To Kill (and Magpie Murders!) without spoilers, so enjoy at your leisure!

We discuss chapters 1-5 of Theodore Roscoe's Murder on the Way! Edited by Jim Noy of The Invisible Event and In GAD We Trust, this pulp nightmare of a murder mystery takes the whole island of Haiti and turns it into the country house of the Golden Age. Artist Edwin 'Cart' Cartershall and Patricia 'Pete' Dale are invited to the funeral of Pete's distant relative, Eli Proudfoot. A bizarre tontine encouraging the attendees to kill one another promises Eli's fortune to whoever remains on the island for 24 hours after the reading of the will, and of course, the body-count rises to meet it. In a head-to-head collaboration for points, can Flex and Herds actually work together before Jim escapes with the goods?We're also joined by Anthony Horowitz, author of Magpie Murders and many other books, to talk about the latest entry in his Daniel Hawthorne series, 'A Line To Kill', and what inspires the innovative metafictions with which he's been challenging the crime fiction world.

We discuss parts 9-12 of Emma Stonex's 'The Lamplighters', as the waves calm and the true detective of the story steps into the light. What really happened on the Maiden? We get our answer, but whose answer is it? Does it constitute truth, and does that matter? As each question is replaced by the next, the surface calms and this queasy story comes to a gentle end. We're joined this week by Emma Stonex, to pick further into the decisions behind the story, the impact it's had and the previously unseen influence it has on her new story.

We discuss parts 5-8 of Emma Stonex's 'The Lamplighters', its chaos and turbulence only growing as we approach the inevitable incident that spurred the whole story on. In 1972, the three keepers on the lighthouse grow distrustful. Their secrets are brought to bear, and an agent of chaos arrives amid distressing visions of bodies and ghosts. In 1992, the widows try to reconcile their differences, turning their cold distrust of Dan Sharp into a catalyst for growth. Through all this can Herds discern the identity of culprit and conspirator?We've got an excerpt this week from the wonderful 'In GAD We Trust' podcast, hosted by Jim Noy of The Invisible Event, in preparation for him joining us for our next book. He sat down a few weeks ago to speak with Tony Medawar about his fourth 'Bodies in the Library' collection and the processes that went into it. You can find the full episode here, be sure to give it a listen!

We discuss parts 1-4 of Emma Stonex's 'The Lamplighters', with its haunting lyricism here to spook Herds off the scent of truth. Three men disappear from 'The Maiden', leaving the perfect mystery in their wake. Twenty years later, writer Dan Sharp shows up to unravel the case, speaking with the women who were left behind. Raising many questions about the genre we inhabit, there's a lot to soak in here, and the book doesn't make it easy, even though the effort is worth it.We're also joined by Associate Professor of Narratology, Dr. Tom van Laer, from the University of Sydney, to talk about how the shifting perspectives and work the book asks of you engages and endears it to its audience.

We discuss Parts 6-7 of 'Magpie Murders' by Anthony Horowitz, with Andrew Pople from 2SER's 'Final Draft' in the hotseat. Susan's amateur-sleuth-editing career pays off as we reach the dramatic, burning conclusion of Magpie Murders. This dramatic send-off for both Pund and his author ends with a bizarre reveal that left us scratching our heads. Do both Horowitz' and Conway's stories meet the mark of fair play, and did they even try to?

We discuss Parts 5-6 (up to the Road to Framlingham) of 'Magpie Murders' by Anthony Horowitz, with Andrew Pople from 2SER's 'Final Draft' in the hotseat. The end of Alan Conway's 'Magpie Murders' is missing, and the author himself has turned up dead in dramatic circumstances. Can his discovering editor Susan Ryeland find out what happened before things collapse further, or did she do the crime herself? We've got a new layer of reality to contend with and Andrew Pople is ready to unravel every thread, or so he thinks.

We discuss Parts 1-4 of 'Magpie Murders' by Anthony Horowitz, with Andrew Pople from 2SER's 'Final Draft' in the hotseat. A murder occurs in Saxby-on-Avon, and detective Atticus Pund refuses the call. A second murder occurs in Saxby-on-Avon, and Atticus Pund answers the call, only to find a history of death and deceit in the small town. Above all this, an unnamed editor warns us that Alan Conway's 'Magpie Murders', featuring Atticus Pund, changed their life. Can Andrew Pople unravel reality in time?We're also joined by Dr. Lucy Andrew and Dr. Samuel Saunders to talk about their new 'Study in Sidekicks', an academic exploration of the real heroes of detective fiction and beyond. Who are the sidekicks, how have they evolved, and what do they do for us?

In case you missed it, we had a lovely long chat with Sulari Gentill as part of our recent episodes on her award-winning 'Crossing the Lines', also known as 'After She Wrote Him'. From the book's writing, to its publishing and reception, we do our best to cover it all! Listen in to hear our full discussion including more reality-bending, sausage-roll-logistics, and more!

We discuss chapters 20-24 of Sulari Gentill's 'Crossing the Lines'. Ned and Maddie's spiral into madness approaches its crescendo as their relationships with the people around them start to crumble. Maddie's relationship with her husband begins to collapse after Ned writes him potentially having an affair, and Ned's relationship with Willow dissolves as it becomes clear what the truth is behind the murder of Geoffrey Vogel is. Is there any way back from the abyss?We're joined one again by Sulari Gentill to talk about the maddening details that nearly sent us spiraling into that same abyss as we read the book, and we finally try figure out what 'pantsing' actually is.

We discuss chapters 9-19 of Sulari Gentill's 'Crossing the Lines'. As the two writers slowly pull each other closer, the lines between reality are blurred, and things go a little off the rails. Madeleine and Edward begin to crave one another, at the expense of the people around them. When they're in control of each other's lives, is there any way they can pull away before it's all too late?We're also joined by Tim Ayliffe, author of the John Bailey thriller series, to talk about the latest entry in the series, 'The Enemy Within', the true events and fears it draws from, as well as the importance of a strong counterpart to your protagonist.

We discuss chapters 1-8 of Sulari Gentill's 'Crossing the Lines'. Nobody saw the writer do it, but you're about to. Edward McGinnity has come up with this wonderful new character, crime fiction writer Madeleine d'Leon. She's a bit tired of writing her detective serials and wants to do something new, so she's come up with this wonderful new character, Edward McGinnity, a literary author. He's about to write a new tale of the human condition, starring crime fiction writer... I think you get the idea. As their complex tales entwine and bewilder, can you determine who is really writing who?We're joined by Sulari herself to talk about what motivated her to write this book, how she perceives her characters, and the reception this amazing book received upon its release.

We discuss chapters 64-115 of Richard Osman's 'The Thursday Murder Club'. This sprightly novel comes to a surprisingly sombre end. The balancing act of Richard Osman's bouncy characters and delivery against the heavy implications of each crime helps this novel sing. The club solves the case, Donna solves hers, and the most underestimated character of all manages to win our grizzled hearts in the end.

We discuss chapters 33-63 of Richard Osman's 'The Thursday Murder Club'. As the club continues to get ahead of the police investigation, Tony Curran continues his plans to excavate the graveyard, at least until he is rudely interrupted by becoming deceased. Two deaths are now on the cards, and the residents of Cooper's Chase are only drawn in closer as they themselves become suspects. We're also joined by Ajay Chowdhury to talk about his debut crime novel 'The Waiter'. Kamil, a disgraced detective-turned-waiter is embroiled in his old work after a socialite is found dead in a swimming pool hours after a dinner at Kamil's restaurant.

We discuss chapters 1-32 of Richard Osman's 'The Thursday Murder Club'. Joyce is the newest member of the titular club, a group of crime enthusiasts at Coopers' Chase. When one of the retirement home's purveyors winds up dead in his own home, the club springs into action to ensure things are solved, and also just because it's good fun. Whether it's getting the local police detective drunk or making a scene posing as nuns to steal case information, nothing is off the table for this gang of magical crime solving criminals.We're also joined by R.W.R. McDonald to talk about his latest novel, 'Nancy Business'. Another gang of unlikely sleuths, at the opposite end of the age and queer spectrums, set about trying to solve a horrific attack in small-town New Zealand, and we spoke to Rob about why we shouldn't underestimate the people around us.

We discuss episodes 7-8 of Rooster Teeth's 'Dead Little Roosters', directed by Josh Flanagan and Fiona Nova. Most of the cast is dead, the end of the Dead Little Roosters Addendum approaches, the truth becomes increasingly apparent, but the game is not yet done. The killer still has their justice fated, and someone supposedly survives. How many steps of the riddle did you get right? We're also joined by Josh Flanagan himself to talk about the way the pandemic spurred the creation of the series, the amazing production design and more.

We sat down with Inkle Studios' Narrative Designer, Jon Ingold, to talk about their new surprise-release mystery game Overboard! On a trip from London to New York, you get sick of your husband and throw him overboard, and now you've got to get away with it. Set in the 1930s, this youdunnit takes the ideas we explored in The Last Express, flips them on their head and dials up the urgency. From hiding goals from the player, to an impassioned rant about a contentious mechanic in the game, Jon tells us all about what went into this wonderful new addition to the mystery pantheon.

We discuss episodes 1-6 of Rooster Teeth's 'Dead Little Roosters', directed by Josh Flanagan and Fiona Nova. Ten of Rooster Teeth's staff arrive for a party at the estate of the wealthy Nicodemus, only for the old man to turn up dead. The ten are then locked in their rooms, and as the gang keep themselves entertained, the body count starts to rise in rhythm with a mysterious poem, the 'Dead Little Roosters Addendum'. Who will survive, and who is the killer? With real prizes on the line, it's up to the audience to figure it out in this interactive mystery competition (or at least it was when it was airing).We're also joined by Jon Ingold, Narrative Designer for Inkle Studios to talk about their awesome new youdunnit mystery game, Overboard! From keeping players engaged with a rotating set of goals, and investing your players in a murderous protagonist, it's a beautiful culmination of many of the ideas we've been discussing over the course of our interactive leg of the tour.

We discuss all the way to the true ending of Lucas Pope's 'Return of the Obra Dinn'. A year after finishing your work aboard the ghost ship, a package arrives that promises to answer your remaining questions, but it seems only more ambiguity is abound. We're super excited to be joined by Lucas Pope himself to talk about what went into making the game, the tough journey that nearly sank the game, and the lasting impact the game had on its players. Lucas' timelapse of creating the dioramas that make the bulk of the game.Be sure to check out the livestream we did playing this section of the game!

We discuss up to the incomplete end of Lucas Pope's modern classic mystery game 'Return of the Obra Dinn'. The highest body-count we've ever encountered is a vast challenge as Herds takes the wheel for our second step into interactive fiction. After the titular ship appears, unmanned, off the coast of Falmouth in the UK, you're sent on as an insurance assessor to find out why the good ship never made it around the tip of Africa, and how it got back with no souls onboard. With a magical pocketwatch, you're here to solve the death of every single one of the sixty people on board when the ship departed.We're also joined by B. Michael Radburn to talk about his latest novel 'The Reach', blending the supernatural with crime fiction, and the masks we put on our monsters in horror fiction. Thanks to regular co-conspirator Sean Britten for joining us with some great monster-related queries.Be sure to check out the livestream we did of Herds' first experience playing the game!

We discuss from Munich to the end of the game from Jordan Mechner's 'The Last Express'. After a bit more success in navigating the social charades aboard the Orient Express, Robert Cath finds himself with new friends, plenty more new foes, and the train now hijacked by the Serbians. As the end of the line approaches, your actions controlling Cath will decide the fate of the journey, culminating with the start of World War One, which has started without the passenger's knowledge since they boarded in Paris. We chat the ups and downs of this climactic finish to a beautiful adventure game.We're also thrilled to be joined by Karl-Heinz Teuber, the actor for Herr August Schmidt in The Last Express, to talk about his career and his memories of filming the game.Be sure to catch up on our livestream playing through this section of the game!

We discuss from the beginning to Vienna's bad ending in Jordan Mechner's 1997 game 'The Last Express'. After years of pestering, Herds finally gets his way as we begin our detour into interactive mystery fiction with his favourite classic adventure game. We board the Orient Express alongside Robert Cath, who finds his acquaintance Tyler Whitney dead on the floor of his carriage. With no ticket, no plan and the police after him, Cath sets about trying to survive the journey with a vibrant cast of characters that speak to a world on the verge of war.We're also joined by James Dalton, chief archivist for the Australian Railway Historical Society NSW to talk about our own rail history, and the important work that volunteer archivists do in maintaining the history of the world's railways.Check out our livestream playing through this game for the episode!

Listen to our full chat with Dr. Catherine Noske for her novel 'The Salt Madonna'! We discuss why stories with such tight confines take so long to put together, why twisting well-worn narratives can be so important, and why horses are wiser than we can ever know.Get yourself a copy of The Salt Madonna: Pan Macmillan AU || Booktopia || Goodreads

We discuss chapters 14 to the end of Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'. Sean Britten's valiant attempts to solve the novel have concluded, and it's time for the post-mortem. Soldier Island's unwitting residents grow increasingly distrusting, a bear manages to kill someone, and the final showdown creates only a temporary truth. Did you manage to solve it?We're also joined by Dr. Catherine Noske to talk about her novel 'The Salt Madonna', the experiences that inspired it and its' intelligent twists on classic tropes.

We discuss chapters 7-13 of Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None', with Sean Britten in the hotseat. As the deaths to the tune of the poem continue, the list of suspects shrinks, and so does the distrust of everyone on the island. With the only firearm missing, the death starting to abandon the poison-driven method that had everyone distrusting the doctor, and no help in sight, what happens next? It's all-out on Sean's solutions as Flex and Herds lay on every trick in the book.

We discuss chapters 1-6 of Agatha Christie's iconic 'And Then There Were None'. Ten people arrive on Soldier Island, invited at the behest of one U.N. Owen, only to find no host, no answers and only almost perfect strangers to keep them company. A record player recounts their sins, and then the death of Anthony Marston begins the recitation of a poem fixed to the walls, threatening that none shall be left alive. With Flex and Herds both familiar with this tale, it's our arch-nemesis Sean Britten, author of 'Kill Switch', in the hotseat. We also chat with Martin Edwards, current chair of The Detection Club. From 'Howdunit', the club's 90th anniversary book on all the secrets behind mystery fiction, to Christie's mastery of human nature, and his own latest mystery 'Mortmain Hall', Martin's mystery expertise has held us steady since the show began.

We discuss chapters 10-12, the sixth through eighth days of Yukito Ayatsuji's 'The Decagon House Murders'. When the Police see the island of Tsunojima light yet again, they set about trying to unravel the Decagon House Murders, recovering the six bodies of the K University Mystery Club, and the missing corpse from the earlier Blue Mansion Murders. Will they ever find out there's one too few bodies on the island, or will the maligned Seiji be pinned with both incidents? The unfathomable ending to this iconic mystery looms!We're also joined by David Arrowsmith, the author of 'Nevada Noir', a short story collection set in the Silver State, to talk about the driving themes of the novel and the challenges of releasing independent work online. US || UK

Nevada Noir: A Trilogy of Short Stories

We discuss chapters 7-9, the fourth and fifth days of Yukito Ayatsuji's 'The Decagon House Murders'. With the number of survivors on the island continuing to thin, so too does the list of culprits. A suspicious set of footprints found alongside a body on the island affirms Ellery's theory that Seiji is alive and out for vengeance, whilst on the mainland, Kojiro tells Conan quite the opposite. The true face of Ayatsuji's mansion murders bears its head as the debut sprints towards its climax. We also chat with Emma Stonex, author of 'The Lamplighters' about why islands are the perfect place for a locked room mystery and the incident that inspired it.

Today on the podcast, we have the extended cut of our discussion with Dr. Satomi Saito, including more about the social contexts that helped murder mystery fiction blossom in Japan, from its post-war spiritual contexts, to the inexplicable audience Soji Shimada found with a younger audience, and Dr. Saito's research into Online Novels and the way they continue the social discourse that spurred detective fiction on. We also got Dr. Saito to send us a list of some of the best Japanese works he'd love to see translated into English, which you can find here.

We discuss chapters 1-6, the first three days, of Yukito Ayatsuji's The Decagon House Murders. A team of students from the K University Mystery Club take a week away to Tsunojima to work on the next issue of their club magazine. Tsunojima, a few months before, was the site of a gruesome series of murders that the police have called a murder-suicide, and soon after arriving on the island, the group finds a series of plates that foretell their doom. Is the same murderer out for more blood, or is one of their own continuing the island's curse? We also speak to Dr. Satomi Saito, professor of Japanese from Clemson University about his dissertation on Japanese Detective Fiction, the history of the 'Shin Honkaku' school and his role in getting Ayatsuji's work published in the west.

We discuss chapter 8 and the epilogue of Masako Togawa's 'The Master Key'. This back-loaded mystery closes out with spectacular fashion, the culprit revealed, the various sub-plots untangled and almost all your questions answered. How well does this approach suit the work, and does it fit in to our normal cat-and-mouse game? With such a heavy focus on motherhood and the expectations placed on women, it's undoubtedly a worthwhile read to shake up the normal fare of the Japanese mystery field. We're also delighted to be joined by Caroline Crampton from the Shedunnit podcast to talk about her recent episode on Honkaku mysteries, how the show came to be, and a retrospective on our arch nemesis, The Floating Admiral.

In need of a new murder mystery podcast? We were too when we found Caroline Crampton's incredible Shedunnit, a series of essay-like journeys through the mystique and history of the mystery genre. Coincidentally, Caroline's own journey took her to Japan and the Honkaku, or 'traditional' school of murder mystery at the same time we were, and we are super excited to present to you this engaging episode about it here on Death of the Reader. You'll come away a wiser reader with every episode of Shedunnit; this one features a discussion with On Nomoto, the grandson of Seishi Yokomizo, and Daniel Seton, the powerhouse behind Pushkin Press' Pushkin Vertigo imprint, both of whom were instrumental in bringing stories like The Honjin Murdersto English speakers. Our enormous thanks to Caroline for talking with us, and letting us feature this fantastic episode here on your Murder Mystery World Tour.

We discuss parts 3-7 of The Master Key by Masako Togawa. Our journey hops between the various women living at the K Apartment for Ladies, following the Master Key as it goes from person to person, enabling crimes, justice and chaos. Is someone behind the scenes pulling the strings? The construction date looms as the threat of truth approaches. We're also joined by Rebecca Starford, Publishing Director and CEO of Kill Your Darlings Magazine to talk about the magazine, her work as an editor, and her latest book The Imitator.

We discuss parts 1-2 of The Master Key by Masako Togawa. With three potential murders, no detective, no crime scene and seven years of subject matter, the standards of murder mystery are out the window and Herds is completely at sea. A home for single women founded after World War 2 is about to be hauled to a new site to make way for infrastructure decades after its initial opening. All the inhabitants are preparing for the big event, wherein the workmen have promised them that even a full glass of water won't spill as the building moves. In the months leading up to the move, the Master Key has gone missing, and all manner of tumultuous events foreshadow something sinister. Can grim fates be prevented? We also speak with Karen Sullivan from Orenda Books about the challenges in finding translated works, running a small publisher, and the initial stages of our chaotic manuscript, which you can now read over on the 2SER website.

We discuss Acts 4 to 5 of Soji Shimada's The Tokyo Zodiac Murders. At the end of last arc, Soji Shimada stepped in and warned us that the solution was long-since possible, but there were still two arts to go. Having gone their separate ways to find Azoth, Kiyoshi and Kazumi reunite at Kyoto's Philosopher's Walk to discuss their ideas. A screaming realisation would make it seem Kiyoshi has solved the case, but how could that be possible? We also speak with Associate Professor Rebecca Suter about her upcoming talk in the Japan Foundation's 'Read Japan' series, focusing on 1980s and 1990s Japanese Literature. Where does Shimada lie in that field?

We discuss Acts 2 to 3 of Soji Shimada's The Tokyo Zodiac Murders. After exploring the decades-old case thoroughly, Kiyoshi and Kazumi take a train to Kyoto and try a more boots-on-the-ground approach to solving this famous armchair detective's case. After going their separate ways to cover more ground, Kazumi finds a lead that suggests the late Heikichi Umezawa may be more prompt than he seems. We also have Craig Sisterton back to talk about his #100Days100Books project, and some of his recommendations for upcoming crime fiction.

We discuss Act 1 and the Policeman's Confession in Soji Shimada's The Tokyo Zodiac Murders. A series of gruesome murders all but destroys the Umezawa family in 1936, but the alleged culprit died before the crime took place. All that's left is Heikichi Umezawa's bizarre recipe for creating the perfect woman from the pieces of his daughters, and some indiscernible forensic evidence. 43 years in the future, Kazumi Ishioka and Kiyoshi Mitarai sit down to try unravel the case from the comfort of their own home, with new evidence that may help finally solve this cold case. Can the duo do it, or will they fail like the dozens before them? We also talk with Ann Chapman about her debut crime novel, A Kind of Catharsis, and the personal stories that helped shape it.You can also check out Craig Sisterton's interview with Soji Shimada here.

We discuss chapters 14-17 of Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto. With an absurd conclusion to a series of impossible crimes, our struggle between the young and the old leaves a trail of contradictions that seem insurmountable but still manages to satisfy. How did Seicho Matsumoto manage to pull off something this singularly bizarre and compelling, and how has it influenced those who came after him? We also talk with our arch-nemesis Sean Britten about our latest project, the book we're writing this year! Make sure you find us on social media @FlexandHerds so you don't miss your chance to screw with our plans.

We discuss chapters 9-13 of Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto. With the body count mounting, and the killer seemingly responding to Imanishi's movements, the risks are high and to celebrate, we go watch movies. Can Herds transform his ludicrous solution about sci-fi weapons into something that will earn him points, or is our first book of the new year going to end in tears? We're also joined by Ben Sanders to talk about his new novel The Devils You Know, and the ways he uses the tools of the thriller genre to send his new protagonist to hell and back.

Catch our full chat with Dr. L.J.M. Owen about her book The Great Divide and the Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival. We talk about how the innovative Booklove Tuesdays came to be, how the festival brings literacy to a community in need, and the implications of The Great Divide's grim crimes. We've also got a challenge for you to find the fictional town of Dunton, Tasmania.

We discuss chapters 1-8 of Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto. After a retired policeman is found with his face smashed in between the wheels of a train in the dark of a Tokyo morning, Inspector Imanishi Eitaro is put on the grim case, and finds absolutely nothing. The name of a small town in north-eastern Japan gets them nothing but stories of a weird vagabond and a run-in with some new-age celebrities. As the months pass, can Imanishi uncover the truth of the case and how it ties in to a pair of suspicious deaths in the local arts community? We also talk with Dr. L.J.M. Owen, author of The Great Divide, the Dr. Pimms Intermillenial Sleuth series, and Festival Director of Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival.

Rarely does a murder mystery instill us with a sense of awe quite like The Devotion of Suspect X, which truly deserves its place among the greatest detective stories of all time. Coming in first place for our 2020 recommendations, The Devotion of Suspect X is a peculiar beast that subverts the traditional mystery structure to its core, and uses the character’s own innate understanding of the genre that they’re a part of to guide their actions towards a tragic but inevitable outcome. After Yasuko Hanaoka murders her ex-husband in full view of the reader, Yasuko, her daughter Misato and their neighbour Ishigami set about trying to evade the police in the ensuing investigation. With the police circling their shark-cage, a battle of genius between Ishigami and Detective Galileo takes centre-stage in this astonishing mystery.

Sulari Gentill’s Rowland Sinclair series is one of the strongest franchise detectives of the modern day, for our money. The 1930s playboy son of a wool-shearing fortune has travelled the world and made many enemies in Gentill’s many allegories to the looming return of fascism and authoritarianism to our modern day. Coming in second for Review Season 2020 is the ninth entry in the series, All The Tears in China. After his older brother Wilfred sends Rowland to delay a doomed deal with Japanese buyers in Shanghai, Rowland grabs a couple of his closest confidants for what promises to be a relaxing holiday. When Rowland is nearly kidnapped moments after arriving, he realises he’s once again wrapped up in something larger and sets about trying to figure it out.

Jock Serong’s The Rules of Backyard Cricket was a bit of an unusual inclusion in our roster for 2020, arriving on our radar after Robert Gott described it as one of the greatest crime fiction novels of the past decade. Turns out, we agree! The Rules of Backyard Cricket comes in third on our rankings after tearing our hearts to pieces as much as we tore it to pieces. A story about brothers, cricket and crime, this book opens with our protagonist and perspective, Darren Keefe, tied up and gagged in the back of a car, with a bullet wound to keep him company. Our story follows Darren’s reminisces as he reflects on his career, from his childhood playing cricket all the way through his life playing club and national representative cricket. As his loose-cannon inability to make sensible choices continues to get him into trouble, we start to unravel how Darren ended up in that car, and why it might have been inevitable.

If you followed the show you’ll know that this was a very contentious book for me this year, but despite the hard time we initially gave Robert Gott for his creative reimagining of an infamous death in his hometown of Maryborough, the chaotic William Power finds himself just shy of a podium finish.Good Murder follows the self-centred William Power as his troupe of actors, the Power Players, arrive in Maryboruough for a performance of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus to a town who are so disinterested that most of them presume that it’s the circus in town and pay it no more mind. All of a sudden William finds himself the town’s main act after local girl Polly Drummond is found dead in the town’s watertower the night after a flirtatious encounter between the two.

This Review Season on Death of The Reader has been a nasty one, with stories new and old vying for the top spot, and with two entries Ngaio Marsh is almost cheating, but there's one big difference with this novel. Money in the Morgue was conceived by the late Ngaio Marsh but continued and completed by Stella Duffy, who we had the absolute pleasure of interrogating about the process recently on Death of the Reader. The story takes place in the New Zealand wilderness, as a storm approaches and threatens to seal off a military hospital camp from the outside world, we are challenged by the combined wits of Ngaio Marsh and Stella Duffy to penetrate this closed circle of suspects when a murder most foul is committed within the camp walls.

Some entries into the detective fiction genre are so highly regarded, so genre-defining that it would be a crime to even attempt to rank them in any kind of list, lest their impact on our criminal world be diminished even in the slightest. Written by one of the four queens of crime Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express redfined the murder mystery genre on its release in 1934. Set on the culturally diverse train of the Orient Express as it makes its way through a continent-spanning trip, the ever classy and lovable Hercule Poirot takes a compartment next to a vulgar American man known only as Ratchett, who recognises Poirot and implores him as protection, as he fears someone is out for his life.

Sat atop the pantheon of Japanese Murder Mystery sits one name. Edogawa Rampo. One of the most acclaimed murder mystery awards in the genre bears his name, both in honour of his contributions as an author, and his role in pioneering the Mystery Writers of Japan, the largest club in Japan’s extremely active community. Rampo is best known as an author for his character Akechi Kogoro, who has gone on to have a life of his own in Japanese pop-culture outside of Rampo’s works. Seventh place on our list for 2020 is the Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro, a collection of four of the first Akechi Kogoro tales, The Murder on D Hill, The Black Hand Gang, The Ghost and The Dwarf.

We’re well into the better half of review season here and you might be saying it’s time for a rest, for a break, but wait, look behind you! There’s a body in the room, where did it come from? There’s blood everywhere, a seemingly innocuous visit to the star actor’s room has made you the number one suspect in a murder case! A Decent Interval, written by long time friend of the show, British author Simon Brett, takes the number eight position in Review Season for 2020.

Robert Galbraith, as an alias, is said to be an attempt for J.K. Rowling, creator of Harry Potter, to write a series without the same scrutiny she experiences given the high profile her wizarding fantasy novels have afforded her. Her first outing as Galbraith, The Cuckoo’s Calling, comes in at 9th place on our list for 2020.

When you think of murder mystery protagonists, you probably picture history’s greats, like the sharp and observant Sherlock Holmes, or the unrelenting Hercule Poirot, but Naomi Hirahara’s Mas Arai is a special case. This elderly Hiroshima survivor is an unlikely hero, but all the stronger for it, and Sayonara Slam, coming in 10th on our list for 2020, is all the stronger for his quirks.

It’s not often that an adaptation holds up to the standards of the original text, indeed some say it’s impossible. But there are some reinterpretations of events that give that assertion a run for its money. Both Elementary and the Guy Ritchie films are sharing the 11 and 12th positions on our Death of the Reader list for this year. This is not a decision made lightly, and to tell you the truth, more blood has been spilled on our show over the placement of the films and whether Sherlock Holmes the movie should be ranked separately to its duller sequel, Game of Shadows, than any other entry in this list.

The Mystery Writers of Japan has produced some of the finest works in the genre. After Edogawa Rampo pioneered the genre in Japan, and founded this now iconic establishment, the generations of writers since have created some of the most challenging and technically competent stories out there. Seishi Yokomizo was the very first prizewinner for the Mystery Writers of Japan with “The Honjin Murder Case”, which comes in thirteenth this Review Season.

Sherlock in Shanghai novel marked our entry into Eastern Detective Fiction proper and represents a milestone both for ourselves and for the murder mystery scene in China. Xiaoqing wrote this series after years of translating foreign crime fiction stories and his passion for the genre drove him to attempt to localise these stories using his own characters and scenarios, with the Sherlockian Huo Sang and the Watsonian Bao Lang leading the charge. The stories themselves follow the tenants of a Sherlock murder mystery almost to a T with the Watson narrating, disguises galore and even the thrilling chase scenes we would expect from the greatest detective of all time. The collection takes 14th place on our list for 2020.

Coming in 15th place for our review list, Opening Night at the Vulcan is most renowned among Dame Ngaio Marsh's works for revitalising the theatre scene in New Zealand, and this ultimately leading to Marsh being appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1966. Why has the novel placed so low on our list then? Within, we lower the curtain on the answer to this question.

Oh, BBC Sherlock. Once the standout darling of Sherlock Adaptations, time has not treated you well. Coming in at 16th place is Season 1 of the show. Decades of various Sherlock Holmes adaptations have tried to reinvent Doyle’s wheel in so many ways, and in 2012, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss managed to coax the BBC into one enormous stab at bringing the famous crime-solving icon into the modern day. Whilst the initial response was favourable, going back to watch the series these days really leaves you questioning what the hype was about.

Coming in seventeenth place for 2020 is The Sign of the Four. There are two names that will forever ring in the pantheon of Murder Mystery fiction; Dame Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. How did Sir Doyle land 17th place on our list? Returning to classics like Holmes isn't always as perfect as it seems.

Coming in last, 18th place, for 2020 is Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears. The Crypt of Tears is a movie adaptation of the Australian television staple, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, which aired from 2012 through to 2015 and was generally well received, however the stretching of a regular TV episode to the silver screen leaves a lot to be desired.

We discuss chapters 14-18 of Seishi Yokomizo's The Honjin Murders, also known as The Honjin Murder Case. As the end of our tale arrives, Kosuke Kindaichi has the case all tied together, his culprit selected, and a three-chapter-long monologue to give. How will the Ichiyanagi learn from the lessons of this crime, if at all? We may never find out as Seishi Yokomizo struggles to stick the landing with his iconic mystery. We also discuss our rankings for 2020's Review Season, who topped the list, and why. Thanks for joining us through 2020, stay tuned as we prepare for a big project to kick off next year!

We discuss chapters 8-13 of Seishi Yokomizo's The Honjin Murders, also known as The Honjin Murder Case. Seishi continues to share his love of other murder mysteries, ripping his influences wholesales in an enthusiastic romp through Kosuke Kindaichi's investigation into the deaths of Kenzo and Katsuko. Once our detective arrives, his had seemingly permanently affixed to his head, the second act begins with a big tonal change as our diverse array of perspectives are collapsed into the mind of Kindaichi. The young Saburo is found attacked in the dark of the morning, escaping with a gash across his shoulder blades from another attack by the three-fingered man. With the culprit's identity in question, can Kindaichi find the true criminal before they strike again?

We discuss chapters 1-7 of Seishi Yokomizo's The Honjin Murders, also known as The Honjin Murder Case. Our narrator recalls the definitely totally true and not made up for this book story of the fall of the Ichiyanagi family after the murder of their son Kenzo and his new wife Katsuko. A mysterious man arrives in town on the day of the wedding asking after the couple, and then in the dark morning the following day, the two are found dead when the family comes running to the chaotic sound of a Koto piercing the night. Katsuko's guardian Ginzo suspects things are not quite right and starts trying to piece together what happened. Our final book for the year begins, with the last points on the line, who walks away with the crown?

We discuss chapters 15 to 19 of The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. After confronting Ishigami with information that has suddenly changed his course of action, Detective Galileo and Kusanagi confront their other suspect, before the entire crime starts unraveling. Did Ishigami really pull off the perfect crime, or is Yasuko's fate sealed? We also discuss the controversy that this novel caused in the Japanese mystery writing scene, and the true nature of the fair play of a novel with this level of expertise in construction.

We discuss chapters 8-14 of The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. Detective Galileo's hunt is concluded but he won't let Kusanagi in on the final conclusion, and the tension continues to build even while the events of the novel themselves have been fairly understated. Yasuko's new partner Kudo has also entered the scene, building towards what promises to be an emotionally charged climax to a novel that continues to push the boundaries of what seems possible for a showdown between to mathematics nerds.

We discuss chapters 1-7 of The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. First of the few in the Detective Galileo series to be translated to English, our story begins following a mathematics teacher by the name of Ishigami who swoops in to help his neighbour cover up a murder she has committed. With our murder, culprit and method shown in the opening chapters of the story, the cat-and-mouse game between Ishigami and his former classmate Yukawa Manabu - Detective Galileo himself - is on. You do not want to miss this book. We also have a short clip of our extended interview with Stella Duffy, the author of Money in the Morgue, our second book for 2020.

We discuss chapters 12-16 of Naomi Hirahara's Sayonara Slam. After warming our hearts with this personal, cozy tale, how does the mystery of Yuki's death hold up towards the end. Loose evidence, and a police-procedural approach to the narrative have Flex and Herds skeptical of the game, but the narrative keeps it strong. As each of our suspects is resolved and their true motivations revealed, will the lessons push Mas to reach back out to Genessee? We also speak to Eastlake Dojo's Tony Arashiro about his experience bringing Okinawan culture to San Diego through their Ryuei Ryu style.

We discuss chapters 7-11 of Naomi Hirahara's Sayonara Slam. As the stakes continue raising and Mas Arai finds himself deeper and deeper in trouble, Mas' personality shines through confrontation after confrontation. The killer continues to evade Yuki but the veil is beginning to drop as the grim history of the community's experience with World War 2 creeps towards centre stage. Blending the personal and political beautifully, the police-procedural style approach lets the heart of the novel really shine as we approach the unveiling of the truth.

Hear our full chat with Naomi Hirahara about her book Sayonara Slam as well as her upcoming work, Clark and Division. From the importance of journalism to the Japanese American community to the evolution of Mas Arai as a character, we pry into the heart behind Sayonara Slam and the broader Mas Arai series. We're only talking chapters 1-6 of Sayonara Slam so no worries about spoilers, get subscribed to hear the rest of our coverage of Sayonara Slam!

We discuss chapters 1-6 of Naomi Hirahara's Sayonara Slam. As retiree Mas Arai finds himself embroiled in the murder of a young Japanese journalist alongside a show-game between Korea and Japan at Dodger Stadium in his home city of Los Angeles. Another young Japanese journalist approaches Mas to help him investigate the death. This may be Mas' 6th time around the murder mystery block, but will he be able to help Yuki unravel this one? We also speak with Naomi Hirahara herself about the book, her history with Mas and the importance of stories like this to the Japanese American community.

We have a long chat with Craig Sisterton about his new book Southern Cross Crime, as well as the Southern Cross scene itself! Craig is the expert when it comes to Australian and New Zealand Crime, having spent more than a decade reviewing the field, as well as founding the Ngaio Marsh Awards and Rotorua Noir. We talk about the evolution of the community in Australia and New Zealand, the importance of awards, as well as how much more open the world at large is becoming to our antipodean style of crime. We also speak about how Jock Serong's The Rules of Backyard Cricket has managed to be so impactful, and how wonderful the writing is.

We discuss chapters 15-19 in Jock Serong's The Rules of Backyard Cricket. As Darren Keefe's drive comes to an end, Jock Serong holds nothing back, dealing out the full moral punishment of the story in visceral detail. The ending stings, but that's the idea, as Jock joins us to give a small glimpse into why things had to end the way they did. We also look into how this story fits in with our normal murder mystery affair, and whether or not another book like this could make an appearance on the show. Our guest of honour is Craig Sisterton, seasoned crime fiction reviewer, founder of the Ngaio Marsh Awards and author of Southern Cross Crime, a guide to Australian and New Zealand Crime fiction.

We discuss chapters 9-14 in Jock Serong's The Rules of Backyard Cricket. While Darren is still stuck and injured in the back of a car, slowly trying to free himself. As his reminisces on a roller-coaster career continue, adulthood has finally arrived. Now competing for the Australian national side, Darren finds himself amidst scandal after scandal. Caught unawares in the middle of unscrupulous gambling, the 60-Grand-Man finds his family torn apart after his niece is kidnapped, and in court over the death of a teenager who died after a night out clubbing with him. Is there any escape from the boot or his past? We also chat with Jock Serong about the inspirations behind this tale, its reception and his new book, The Burning Island.

We discuss chapters 1-8 of Jock Serong's The Rules of Backyard Cricket. Beginning with our protagonist, Darren Keefe, with a gunshot wound, tied up in the back of the car, it's immediately apparent that this is going to be a slightly different cricket story to the ones normally lining the average cricket fanatic's bookshelf. Exploring Darren and his brother Wally's youth as they go from being the rapscallion children of a single mother to competent professional cricketers, it's not your standard mystery affair but the questions come gnawing all the stronger for it. With Herds tied up in the boot to solve this one, can he evade the traps of this unconventional puzzle?

We discuss The Dwarf by Edogawa Rampo. Closing out the collection, this grim tale takes us through murder, love, and the grotesque in what would become known as Rampo's signature tone. Surrounded by villains and with an unwitting housemaid as his assistant, can Akechi Kogoro get to the bottom of this case in time? With final points on the line the tension is high and Flex may finally be out of his depth. We're also joined by Paul Daley, Walkley-Award-winning journalist, to talk about the historical barriers that remain in place between Australian and Japanese cultures decades after World War 2, as well as how to find holes in your own understanding of other cultures.

We talk about Enola Holmes, the new film based on Nancy Springer's mystery series of the same name. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Sam Clafin, Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter. Following alongside Enola (Brown), the wily sister of Sherlock (Cavill) and Mycroft (Clafin), this energetic adventure eschews many of the traditions of mystery (and to be honest, any mystery whatsoever), for a high-stakes romp through a London divided on a vote that could change the future. It's full spoilers and grumpy Herds, strap in and enjoy!

We discuss The Black Hand Gang, and The Ghost by Edogawa Rampo, as part of the collection The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro, translated by William Varteresian. As Rampo continues to walk the line between Conan Doyle and Van Dine, our two new cases show an interesting point in his career, as we look at his least favourite story "The Ghost", and why he saw it as a failure. Flex is also tasked to solve "The Black Hand Gang", with a metagame puzzle from Herds to boot. We're joined by Matt Sainsbury from Digitally Downloaded to talk about Rampo's influence and why he's underappreciated in the west.

We discuss The Case of the Murder on D. Hill by Edogawa Rampo, as part of the collection The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro, translated by William Varteresian. Bringing the traditions of Western Murder Mystery to Japan, Rampo sets a tone that many describe as being akin to his namesake, Edgar Allan Poe, or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but we reckon he's actually a secret Van Dine subscriber. As Akechi Kogoro makes his way through his first case with his faceless narrator, will Rampo break one of the most important rules in all detective fiction? We can only dream.

We discuss stories 7 & 8 from Cheng Xiaoqing's Sherlock in Shanghai, translated by Timothy C. Wong. Abandoning our heroes Huo Sang and Bao Lang, our last two adventures take us through a ghost story, and an exploit of the South China Swallow. How does Cheng Xiaoqing fare, delving more into atmospheric mysteries, more akin to the later novels of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction? How can the dashing South China Swallow outplay a cast of less competent detectives? All that and more as we conclude this stunning collection.

We discuss stories 4-6 of Sherlock in Shanghai by Cheng Xiaoqing, translated by Timothy C Wong. Beginning with the lighthearted and thoroughly charming "The Examination Paper", this stretch of the collection seeks to explore the relationship between Huo Sang and Bao Lang. From the quaint, simple story of a missing sheet of paper to the grim ransom of a young child, Cheng Xiaoqing shows incredible range with his characters while maintaining the swashbuckling feel of his inspirations in Sherlock and Watson. We're also joined by Benjamin Stevenson to talk the world of the modern thriller, as well as his new book Either Side of Midnight.

Flex sat down with Paul F Verhoeven to talk the release of his new book Electric Blue. This follow up to Loose Units explores his parent's careers in law enforcement, as well as how Paul ended up on such a different path. We chat about his heartwarming exploration of Star Trek: The Next Generation's Dixon Hill, the importance of owning what you love, and the writing adventures of working with source material that is stranger than fiction. Also he gets Flex kicked out of his movie watching group, catharsis all around on this one.

We discuss stories 1-3 of Sherlock in Shanghai by Cheng Xiaoqing, translated by Timothy C Wong. Beginning from a passion sparked by translating the works of classic western crime fiction, Cheng Xiaoqing's tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes a stunning debut as Huo Sang and Bao Lang meet for their first case together, The Shoe. Wearing inspiration on its sleeve, this collection starts out with three charming stories that clearly seek to inspire and teach as much as they seek to be clever. With a different sense of justice and two young enthusiasts as our Sherlock and Watson, our latest short story collection is off to a strong start. We're joined by Paul F Verhoeven to talk the release of his new book Electric Blue, the importance of owning your inspirations and how to learn to love a story.

We discuss chapter 10-13 of Good Murder by Robert Gott. After a contentious two episodes, Robert Gott thoroughly redeems himself as the comedy finally lands for Flex. William Power finds the town falling apart around him, literally, and as he faces the storm, Will continues to bungle the investigation as he descends into madness. Turning the traditional mystery ending on its' head, our criminal is brought to justice through the actions of our protagonist, but far from the way you'd normally expect. We're also joined once again by Robert Gott himself, talking about the role of William Power as a protagonist, the absurdity of mystery, and the importance of distinguishing malice from foolishness.

We discuss chapters 5-9 of Good Murder by Robert Gott. As William Power continues to get himself further and further into trouble, the situation is complicated by his relationship with Charlotte, whose husband is rumoured to be the father of the child Polly Drummond was pregnant with upon her death. With William now receiving pressure from both the police and Charlotte, will he be able to weasel his way around his circumstance, or charge headlong into them?

We discuss chapters 1-4 of Good Murder by Robert Gott. After Polly Drummond is found dissolving in the water tower of Maryborough, Queensland, the town is in upheaval. Chief suspect is our... hero? William Power leads the Power Players, his acting troupe, as they prepare to perform for the uninterested town. With the police on his tail and a poor attitude getting him in more and more trouble, Will Power's situation only gets worse as more deaths start to get hung on him. We're also joined by Robert Gott to talk about the origins of the character, the real incident that inspired the novel, and the importance of Collective Memory.

We discuss chapters 28-39 of All The Tears In China by Sulari Gentill. As Rowland is put to hell and back again by the bloodhound Inspector Randolph over the death of Bertie Middleton, hope of catching the true criminal seems to dwindle. Taking a gruesome look inside a British prison in 1930s Shanghai, will Herd's solution be enough to save Rowland from his grizzly death in the confronting conclusion. We're joined one last time by Sulari herself, talking about how to make an engaging mystery when the answer is implied in the context, and the future of the franchise and some insights on the latest Rowland Sinclair book, A Testament of Character.

We discuss chapters 15-27 of All The Tears In China by Sulari Gentill. As the scale of crime escalates drastically and Rowland finds himself on the receiving end of explosions and high-speed violins. Pressure mounts to cave to business demands from the traders he was sent to delay, Rowland begins to doubt that he'll be capable of carrying out the mission his brother sent him for. With the Police only getting more aggressive, can Rowland solve the crime before the police take him in, and will they even believe his solution? Herds is on the case with the broadest solution we've seen yet on the show. We're also joined by author Sulari Gentill herself to talk about the real criminal underworld of 1930s Shanghai, and the beautiful contradictions that led to the portrayal of the Butler Wing Zau.

We discuss chapters 1-14 of All The Tears in China by Sulari Gentill. Finding himself in political hot water with the Attorney General over his involvement with Egon Kisch on his last adventure, Rowland Sinclair is shipped off to Shanghai by his brother Wilfred to buffer a trade deal while the thread of trade embargoes to their buyers in Japan loom overhead. Seeing the opportunity for a break, Rowland's band of merry communists find themselves in the luxurious Cathay Hotel as they prepare to enjoy the sights and sounds of China. Before Rowland and his cavalcade of Watsons are able to enjoy Shanghai, Sinclair is nearly kidnapped, and a corpse is found unexplained in their hotel room. With an overzealous police inspector on their tail, and a guide with gangsters after him, can Rowland unravel the crime and escape unscathed? We're also joined by Sulari Gentill herself to talk about the importance of historical allegory, her experience in uncovering the culture of 1930s Shanghai, and how it shaped the cultures and characters in this book.

We discuss Parts 4 and 5 of The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith AKA J.K. Rowling. As the wild ride comes to an end we see inside a truly twisted psychopathic mind of the killer, and learn just what the definition of insanity really is. Herds is ready to just about lose his mind as he deep dives into the mindset of the Greco-Roman heroes of old, and Flex explains exactly how his mind has been changed from one part to the next. In writing about the cost of fame and fortune, has J.K Rowling finally managed to touch the heart of cold-blooded Flex? Listen in to find out.

We discuss Part 3 of The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith AKA J.K. Rowling. Flex is worried with this one, the adventure around London has been to so many unique places, from a designer clothes store to Cormoran’s nephew’s birthday party, to a fast food joint in downtown. It seems like these scenes are disconnected to each other but could there be a method to this madness? We get to know Cormoran’s employer, John Bristow, and his extended family. Could any of them be involved in this crime? Flex seems to think so.

We discuss Parts 1-2 of The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith AKA J.K. Rowling. Our hero, a crippled yet undeniable lady-killer Cormoran Strike is tasked by a local businessman John Bristow with solving the death of his adoptive sister, Lula Landry. Fallen from her own apartment block at the height of her celebrity fame, public opinion has ruled the death as a suicide. With Cormoran’s paycheck and Bristow’s mental wellbeing on the line, we set off on a tour of modern day London with impromptu ‘Watson archetype’ Robin Ellacott bringing her acting skills to the team. Rowling’s attempt at a standalone narrative as removed from her own fame as can be was flawed, but we read on to see its unique merit in the library of great detective fiction.

We discuss both of the Guy Ritchie Sherlock movies starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as Sherlock and Watson. With his signature stylings comfortably at home with the swashbuckling hijinks of Conan Doyle’s famous duo, Guy Ritchie dishes out one great film and a film. Whilst the first film proves a thoroughly enjoyable romp, the few problems it had seem only to exacerbate themselves in the sequel. We talk whether or not it’s worth watching both, the strengths of the movies, and rank our favourite Sherlock Holmes adaptations after viewing the entire ‘Holy Trinity’ of modern Conan Doyle adaptations.

We discuss the first season of Elementary produced by CBS starring Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Sherlock and Watson. Taking Sherlock Holmes out of 221B Baker St and placing him in a New York Brownstone more reminiscent of Van Dine and Rex Stout’s work seems a peculiar move. After concluding its’ 7-season run in 2019, we take back a look at where it all began, talking about how being open about its use of Conan Doyle’s characters led to a more honest show that leans more on the tropes of police procedurals than the standards of Murder Mystery. With clever constructions and visual clues, the show makes a strong case for a modern Sherlock series, and we break down some of our favourite episodes to see how it stacks up.

We discuss the first season of Sherlock produced by the BBC starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock and Watson. Leading the charge in modern enthusiasm in Detective Fiction, this beloved, over-dramatised retelling of Sherlock Holmes in the modern day spawned countless debates over whether the absurdity of its plot devices and visuals actually led to a passable show. Revisiting it now, 10 years later, how does it hold up against the stories it pays homage to? With no points on the table it’s all-out criticism as we begin our foray into modern Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

We discuss chapters 10-12 of The Sign of The Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It seems as though this book will be wrapped up neatly, until we take a sharp left turn and end up in 18th Century India. Flex and Herds once again must tackle blatant racism in an old murder mystery, can we finally put the topic to bed? Definitely not! Yet there is still merit to this ancient tale written far before our time. All is revealed and we discuss the popularity of murder mystery subgenre, outlining what Herds likes to call ‘the cycle of murder mystery’.

We discuss chapters 6-9 of The Sign of The Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As Sherlock Holmes drives himself closer to the villain of this tale, and the recovery of a stolen treasure, he brings all the charm he can muster by dressing up like an old fisherman and being captured by his own friend Watson, as well as employing a small army of street urchins in pursuit of the murderer! Sherlock is convinced the elusive peg-legged Jonathan Small is the murderer, is there even a mystery here? Or is there room for doubt? Meanwhile Watson struggles with his love for Mary Morstan, knowing that, should she recover her treasure, she will be lost to him at last. Will love conquer all? Tune in to hear Flex and Herds discuss the potential of a murder mystery with no mystery to truly solve, as the swashbuckling adventure continues.

We discuss chapters 1-5 of The Sign of The Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As we unfurl the curtain on the second of the infamous Sherlock Holmes series, John B. Watson is as obsessed with the beauty and charm of Sherlock Holmes’ client as she is with figuring out what guardian angel has been watching over her since her father passed away. As we are introduced to a cast of exotic characters (many of whom Sherlock seems to know personally) we uncover a mysterious sign, some magic numbers, and the death of one Bartholomew Sholto, an evil twin and victim of a heinous murder! It’s up to Flex to decide whether Sherlock really is as intelligent as he claims to be.

We discuss chapters 20-26 of A Decent Interval by Simon Brett. With the case solved, how can Charles Paris safely separate himself from the crime? We’ve discovered Charles’ moral compass might not be quite centred, but is his resolution satisfying, and how does Simon Brett’s mystery construction hold up to Knox and Van Dine, as well as Flex’s signature method. We’re joined again by Simon Brett to talk about the evolving field of crime fiction, as well as how he uses ‘superstructures’ to help guide his writing and how inspiration doesn’t necessarily lead to unoriginality.

We discuss chapters 12-19 of A Decent Interval by Simon Brett. As Charles Paris finds himself stuck in power plays between the production team and the PR Agency representing the victim, but has he stuck himself in too deep? As Herds seeks to unravel the mystery, can he decipher between the evidence and distractions Simon Brett has so excellently laid? We’re also joined by Simon himself to talk about returning to Charles Paris after so many years off and how he manages to craft the brilliant power dynamics that underscore this story.

We discuss chapters 1-11 of A Decent Interval by Simon Brett. Continuing on our voyage of theatre-adjacent crime fiction, we delve into one of the first stories Flex ever solved as he developed his signature method. Finally visiting Simon Brett's works, after speaking with him last year about his role as the chairman of the Detection Club, how do our expectations hold up? As Charles Paris is reintroduced to the world of modern acting after many years absence, how do his ideas keep up with the ways of the world? After the murder of a fellow player in a production of Hamlet, Charles is also thrust back into the role of amateur detective, trying to unravel this conspiracy before the production is drawn to a close.

We discuss the Australian Murder Mystery film 'Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears'. Taking fan-favourite detective Phryne Fisher on a wild adventure across the world, throwing back to the tales of Sherlock Holmes that inspired her, a complex mystery unfurls. Our standard affair goes to a wild new level that most definitely sits outside the world of Knox and Van Dine.

We discuss chapters 8-11 of Opening Night, or Night at the Vulcan by Ngaio Marsh. As our interrogations lead towards a crawling solution, Flex unveils the real reason for the breakup of the book in this case, as an interesting setup starts to peel back, revealing a hollow interior. How did this book lead to Ngaio Marsh being Damed? Has it held up? We also speak with author Peter Swanson about his latest book, Eight Perfect Murders, or Rules for Perfect Murders, and the resurgence of crime fiction seemingly centered from his home turf.

We discuss chapters 6-7 of Opening Night, or Night at the Vulcan by Ngaio Marsh. As our murder finally takes place, Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn finally shows up to solve the murder of Bennington, a crime seemingly copycatting the murder that previously closed the Vulcan Theatre years ago. With only a couple of chapters of clues, can Herds pull through using symbolism as a weapon and take his points? We also speak with Chris Hamilton, President of the Hunters Hill Theatre, about crime fiction's ties to the theatre, as well as Hunters Hill Theatre's production of Agatha Christie's legendary play The Mousetrap.

We discuss chapters 1-5 of Opening Night, or Night at the Vulcan by Ngaio Marsh. As the Vulcan Theatre prepares to open for its' first production in a long time, The Revisit, Martyn Tarne is faced with a theatre that seems to have a sinister life of its' own. As the backstage politics of the cast starts to cause turmoil, can the production go ahead, and can Herds even find a mystery to solve? We also speak with friend of the show and independent playwright and producer Andrew Fallon to talk more about how the living theatre affects the works performed inside.

Full spoilers in this one! We finally got the chance to sit down with Stella Duffy to chat about her amazing work with Money in the Morgue. After the team at Harper Collins approached her with just four chapters and notes from an incomplete Ngaio Marsh novel, she managed to work it into a brilliantly authentic love-letter to Marsh while bringing her work comfortably in the modern day. We talk about how the project came about, how much free reign there was, and how important the original work of Marsh was to the project.

We discuss chapters 24-37 of Money in the Morgue by Stella Duffy and Ngaio Marsh. As the conspiracy behind the crime unravels, two separate mysteries bubble to the surface, taking Alleyn and his allies beneath the hospital into tunnels that would have Father Knox scratching his head. We also talk with Dr. Jamie Bernthall-Hooker about his studies of the golden age, the reworking Stella Duffy did of Alleyn, and the stage implications of Money in the Morgue.

We discuss chapters 12-23 of Money in the Morgue by Stella Duffy and Ngaio Marsh. As Alleyn takes each and every suspect in for questioning, the puzzle only gets more and more unclear. As the personal struggles of the cast start to take Alleyn's mind away from the case, can Flex piece together a solution sane enough to work?

We discuss the first 11 chapters of Money in the Morgue by Stella Duffy and Ngaio Marsh. Taking the first 3 chapters left behind by Dame Ngaio Marsh, and turning it into a full novel, Stella Duffy bridges Roderick Alleyn into the world of modern crime fiction, as he finds himself investigating a curious conspiracy in a country hospital in WW2 New Zealand. Transforming Marsh's draft into a well-written novel with tribute aplenty to the golden ages of theatre and crime fiction, Stella Duffy seemingly achieves the impossible. We also discuss the upcoming news in Crime Fiction and Mystery, so you can find some new reads!

We discuss Part 3, the 24th through 32nd chapters of Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. Taking until the dying seconds for the truth to come out, Murder on the Orient Express' conclusion draws a masterclass on an intense but subtle end to a story. How close was Herds able to come to the intricate solution Christie laid out in her most famous novel? With double points on the line it's a contentious debate to see if this game was played fair. We're joined by 2SER's own Sean E. Britten to talk about his experience reading and solving Murder on the Orient Express, as well as his latest entry in his Kill Switch series; Final Season.

We discuss Part 2, the 9th through 23rd chapters of Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. As Poirot takes suspect after suspect in for interrogation, the complexities of the situation on the train grows seemingly insurmountable. With iron-clad alibis and no apparent motive other than a memory of the kidnapping of Daisy Armstrong, could this truly be a perfect crime? Herds takes a dive straight in the deep end to try solve it before time runs out. We also sit down and speak with From The Lighthouse producer Jimmy Van about Agatha Christie's construction of classic crime fiction compared to her contemporaries, as well as the significance of "the game" in novels of the golden age.

We discuss Part 1, the first 8 chapters of the iconic Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. To launch our 2020 Murder Mystery World Tour, we visit one of, if not the most famous pieces of Detective Fiction of all time, joining the illustrious Hercule Poirot as his journey back to London on the Orient Express is interrupted by an extraordinarily suspicious murder. Trapped in a snowdrift with a potential killer close at hand, can Poirot unravel impossible circumstances in time? We are also joined by Hercule Poirot himself, David Suchet, who portrayed Poirot for 25 years in the most thorough adaptation of Christie's work ever completed.

Coming in at 12th Place for 2019 is The Floating Admiral by The Detection Club. Our least recommended novel for the year is The Floating Admiral. A short affair written by some of history’s most illustrious detective fiction authors, The Floating Admiral is a good experiment long, long before it is a good story. The question is - is it still worth reading?

We discuss the brand new murder mystery film Knives Out by writer-director Rian Johnson for our final episode of 2019. With a colourful cast, a clever puzzle and a tasteful balance between following and breaking genre conventions, Knives Out pains a modern murder mystery like no other. As acclaimed mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) dies on the night of his 85th birthday, excessively Tennessean detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is summoned to solve a case as the truth takes him for a joyride around present-day Massachusetts. We also speak with the film's production designer David Crank on how the incredible sets of the film came together.

We discuss chapters 10-14 from No Crime in the Mountains by Raymond Chandler. Turns out Herds was wrong and right all along as the nonsense propositions from Chapter 9 were entirely true. Does this war-era story hold up despite some aggressive stereotyping of its villains? We also sit down and discuss our rankings for the stories we've covered this year as we prepare for our Review Season!

We discuss chapters 5-9 from No Crime in the Mountains by Raymond Chandler. As the plot gets slowly more ludicrous, Flex derails the conversation to complain about Chandler's non-fiction writing about the Crime Fiction genre, including his very own set of rules. Herds is put to the task to determine if his own claim that 'if they give you the answer early, it must be a lie' is true. We're also joined by former 2SER Breakfast host Tess Connery, who after promising us a discussion on True Crime in April, decided to depart the station.

We discuss chapters 1-4 from No Crime in the Mountains by Raymond Chandler. One of the pillars of early noir, Chandler set his pen to this short mountaintop crime story, later to turn into the full-length Lady in the Lake. Can our detective John Evans who is definitely not Philip Marlowe figure out how the man who summoned him far from his comfort zone ended up dead? Can Evans truly understand how it feels to be hit by an entire galaxy? We also speak with Dr. John Dale, professor of writing at the University of Technology Sydney about Chandler's mastery of the craft, as well as his own writings 'Huckstepp' and the case of Revelle Balmain.

We discuss the Eighth through Tenth stories in Sins for Father Knox by Josef Škvorecký; An Atlantic Romance, Just Between Us Girls, and The Third Tip of the Triangle. As Eve's journey goes full circle and she reunites with her once-captor, Lieutenant Boruvka, can Flex nail down the last few sins, including what may be the greatest murder mystery solution of all time? We also sit down with friend of the show Matthew James to see if the average reader could solve the terrifying 'Mathematicians of Grizzly Drive'.

We discuss the Fourth through Seventh stories in Sins for Father Knox by Josef Škvorecký; A Question of Alibis, Why So Many Shamuses, Miscarriage of Justice, and The Mathematicians of Grizzly Drive. Following Eve Adam's travels from Sweden to San Francisco and beyond, the crimes continue to tail her, with the sins against Father Ronald Knox hot on their tails. As the crimes get more convoluted, can Flex keep up or will he finally be left in the dust by the story? We also chat with Adam Graham from The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, a monumental podcast collection of the world's best detective fiction radio dramas.

We discuss the first three stories in Sins for Father Knox by Josef Škvorecký; An Intimate Business, Mistake in Hitzungsee and The Man Eve Didn’t Know from Adam. Decades after Father Ronald Knox defined the rules of fair play for Murder Mystery Fiction, a brave Czech came along to break them all and tell wild tales along the way. Our stories follow Lieutenant Boruvka and Eve Adam as they traipse their way around the world solving crime. We're also joined by Professor John Scott from Queensland University of Technology, co-editor for the International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy.

We discuss The Cactus Thief and An Ordinary Murder from Karel Čapek's short story collection, Tales From Two Pockets. Following on from the success of Tales From One Pocket, The 'Other Pocket' shifts the tone of the collection, featuring related tales that deal more with the human side of the murder mystery game. We are also joined by Australian Noir Writer and former police officer, Andrew B. Patterson, to talk about the influence of his time as law enforcement, his detective Harry Kenmare, and his thoughts on An Ordinary Murder.

We discuss The Fall of House Voticky and Disappearance of an Actor from Karel Čapek's short story collection, Tales From Two Pockets. An extraordinarily well-read mystery fan, Science Fiction Writer Karel Čapek took a break one summer in Prague to write a mystery story a day, which formed the titular tales of this week's episode. An extensive collection, detailing clever puzzles, insightful deconstructions and whimsical takes, we chose to look at the two most "conventional" mysteries the book had to offer. We also spoke with Dr. Alex Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, at Macquarie University about our perceptions of criminology and his fascinating work on Ethnographic studies of crime.

We discuss chapters 13-18 of The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov. Has Herds finally scored points? Was this puzzle fair? Our normal post-novel breakdown takes a turn as Flex realises his allegedly infallible methods may have let him down. We also chat with Transhumanism Australia co-founder Peter Xing about how our society reflects what Asimov predicted, and what we should expect as our technologies expand in scope, plus Transhumanism Australia's campaign to get ageing classified as a disease.

We discuss chapters 7-12 of The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov. Our favourite detective buddy-cop finally took a turn towards some action as Lije Bailey and Daneel Olivaw are left to outrun cultists on the strips of New York City, 3000 years in our future. Can the pair stay safe and solve the crime as it seems the very city itself is against them? We also sat down with Australian crime writer Sarah Bailey, winner of the 2018 Ned Kelly Award for best First Crime Novel with her book The Dark Lake.

We discuss chapters 1-6 of The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov. This pioneering Sci-Fi Murder Mystery was Asimov's response to the idea that Sci-Fi and Mystery were contradictory fields, but does his response prove him wrong or right? We follow the dysfunctional pairing of Elijah Bailey and R. Daneel Olivaw as they attempt to solve a murder they haven't even seen. We also chat with Australian crime writer Sulari Gentill, author of the Rowland Sinclair mystery series about her work and Sydney's BAD Crime Writer's Festival.

We discuss chapters 14-17 of Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout. The train draws ever closer and the sleep deprivation is getting to Nero and Archie. How can Wolfe take Van-Dine-esque psychology to a new level and pin the culprit? Was all this fair? We also chat with Nine Food and Wine writer Callan Boys about how you can avoid ending up like Philip Laszio when you discuss food with your friends.

We discuss chapters 7-13 of Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout. Despite trying his best to avoid solving the crime and just enjoy the food at this meeting of the world's greatest chefs, Nero Wolfe has been abruptly shot into the spotlight, with only hours remaining before his train home with Archie arrives. We're also joined by the creator of the Inspired By Wolfe food blog, Kirsten Wright, to talk about the fine art of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Cookbook and other pop-culture foods.

We discuss chapters 1-6 of Too Many Cooks by Rex Stout. Our detective Nero Wolfe and his trusty aide, Archie Goodwin, are invited to Kanawha Spa by some of the world's greatest chefs, but their food extravaganza is abruptly interrupted, when the one chef that everyone was planning to kill is murdered. Will a reluctant Wolfe even try to solve the crime? We also spoke with cozy-crime author Lucy Burdette on the fine art of food-related crime and her Key West series.

Hear our full chat with Dr. Mike Grost on S.S. Van Dine, and a spoiler discussion on both the Benson and Kennel Murder Cases. Our talk with Dr. Grost didn't all make it to air, and on this bonus feature you'll get the chance to hear more about Van Dine's prior career as an art critic, including his partnership with his brother, Stanton McDonald-Wright. After Dr. Grost, you can catch our spoilers-on-the-table discussion of both Philo Vance stories that we covered on the show.

We discuss the 1933 film adaptation of S.S. Van Dine's Kennel Murder Case. Said by some to be one of the best detective fiction adaptations for the silver screen of all time, we talk about all the charms that help this film hold ground over 85 years after it was released. We also speak with Dr. Mike Grost, a murder mystery enthusiast who maintains one of the best online databases of detective fiction on his personal website.

We discuss chapters 19-25 of The Benson Murder Case, by S.S. Van Dine. Our culprit is found, our detective is some kind of super-ninja socialite god, and we prepare for a special twist on the next episode. We also speak with Dr. Chris Coady from the University of Sydney about the Jazz age and the similarities between the styles of music and literature in the early 20th century.

We discuss chapters 9-18 of The Benson Murder Case, by S. S. Van Dine. With a signed confession from a suspect, is there any more room for reasoning, or is it time to turn in for the night? We also speak with Daniel McMahon, writer and voice actor for L.A. Noire, about adapting murder mystery for interactive mediums, and the experiences he had in turning true crimes into mystery crime fiction.

What are these “Twenty Rules” Flex and Herds keep referring to on Death of the Reader? S.S. Van Dine was known originally as a zealous literary critic by the name of Willard Huntington Wright. After adopting the Van Dine pseudonym, he made sure that the game of detective fiction was played his way, and by his rules, with none of those damned tropes he saw other authors using. Listen in to hear us break down the full set of rules he wrote that defined his detective stories.

We discuss chapters 1-8 of The Benson Murder Case, by S. S. Van Dine. An overzealous art critic turns his detest of detective fiction into a series of its own, but does it hold up on its own? Flex is up against the infallible (and insufferable) Philo Vance to solve this crime before the culprit escapes. We also speak with 2SER News Director Geoff Field about the salacious life and history of S. S. Van Dine, AKA Willard Huntington Wright.

We discuss The Hermit of Street, and Chapters 3 and 4 of The House in the Mist, by Anna Katharine Green. How do these two stories, which have neither a detective, nor a murder to solve, fit within the genre of detective fiction? Were their mysteries "fair"? We also speak with Dr. Stephanie Russo about the origins of detective fiction through the gothic, and the way the genres critique the worlds we live in.

We discuss The Ruby and the Caldron, and Chapter 2 of The House in the Mist, by Anna Katharine Green. Both stories provide drastically different atmospheres; while House in the Mist continues to be creepy and not like your typical detective story, Ruby and the Caldron feels much more like a classic detective story, with a very silly attitude. We also sat down with acclaimed children's author and recent OAM inductee Anna Fienberg to talk about her writing approach and the fairy tales that inspired them.

We discuss chapter 1 of House in the Mist by Anna Katharine Green, a short mystery horror story where a lost traveller finds himself embroiled in the family affairs of some unsavoury figures. We also chat with Dr. Jack Abacassis about why you should read books and the origins of the name "Death of the Reader".

We discuss chapters 15-20 of The Lerouge Case by Émile Gaboriau, and this week is all about romance. Hear about our perspective on the wild, cruel romances of 19th century France, and then hear from an actual expert on romantics, Associate Professor Hsu Ming Teo. Was the Lerouge Case a fair puzzle? Was it even a puzzle at all?

We discuss chapters 8-14 of The Lerouge Case by Émile Gaboriau, continuing our escapade into the strange romances of 19th century France. As the Viscount Albert de Commarin seems to have all the evidence on display, do we condemn him to the gallows, or is there something more at hand? We also have independent playwright Andrew Fallon in to talk about adapting Murder Mysteries for the stage, as well as his production The Last Temptations of Templeton.

We discuss chapters 1-7 of The Lerouge Case by Émile Gaboriau, as we take our first steps outside of England in to the wide world of detective fiction. An obvious crime with no obvious culprit and no impossible alibi sees the gendarme call on our detective, Tabaret, to solve the murder of the Widow Lerouge. Can Flex cut through the seemingly endless coincidences that drive the story? Can Herds pronounce a single French word correctly? Probably not. We also have Dr. Keith Rathbone on the show to talk with us about the tumultuous context Gaboriau wrote in.

We discuss chapters 9-12 of "The Floating Admiral" by The Detection Club. Special guest Sean E. Britten is in as we discuss if the story had a plan, Agatha Christie's solution and unveil the next book. We also speak to Sean about his own books and how he approaches fitting character in to a story that doesn't lend itself to anything more than spectacle.

We discuss chapters 5-8 of "The Floating Admiral" by The Detection Club. How successful were the many authors at creating a tenable game? We also spoke with Dr. Malcolm Ryan from Macquarie University about Game Design and its relation to detective fiction.

We discuss chapters 1-4 of "The Floating Admiral" by The Detection Club. In this challenging puzzle with 14 authors, each bringing their own solution to the table, can Herds work his way to a truth in time? We also speak with the former president of the Detection Club, Simon Brett, about his own detective, Charles Parish, and his time as the chairman.

We discuss chapters 18-25 of The Three Taps by Ronald A. Knox. With the culprit revealed it's time to reflect back on how we got here and if the path we took was a fair way to uncover the puzzle. We also chat with Krissy Kneen about creating villains in the shadows and her book "The Wintering".

You might have heard Flex and Herds discussing Ronald Knox's "Decalogue" on Death of the Reader - but what the heck is that anyway? In this bonus episode, we take you through the rules and what you need to know about them to prepare you for your new career as an amateur literature detective.

We discuss chapters 8-17 of The Three Taps by Ronald A. Knox. Can Flex solve the mystery in time? How does morality affect our perception of crime fiction? ft. Catharine Lumby, Professor of Media at Macquarie University.

Flex and Herds discuss chapters 1-7 of The Three Taps by Ronald A. Knox. Can Flex solve the mystery in time? How do structures affect our storytelling? ft. Andrew Pople of 2SER's Final Draft.