Mystery Books Podcast: Recent Episodes
Sara Rosett
A podcast devoted to helping readers discover new mystery books. Hosted by USA Today bestselling mystery author Sara Rosett.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🔎 What makes a crime seem truly impossible, and why can't mystery readers get enough of these types of stories? Join me as we unlock the irresistible appeal of locked room mysteries that have delighted readers for over 150 years.
🧐 I’ll break down the difference between a locked room mystery and a closed circle — and why readers get genuinely cranky when authors mix them up.
🗝️ Then I’ll give you some classic locked room stories starting with Edgar Allan Poe, running through the Golden Age, and finishing up with some modern takes on the genre in both books and television.
Links:
Trope Thesaurus: Mystery and Thriller by Sara Rosett and Jennifer Hilt: https://books2read.com/mysteryandthriller/
Related MBP Episodes:
Bonus: Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara Rosett
S6E1 Agatha Christie
S4E5 Crime TV Shows for Cozy Mystery Readers
S3 E5 Under Lock and Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian
🕵️♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.
➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🧶 What’s an amateur sleuth mystery? One of the most beloved subgenres in mystery fiction! They're stories of an ordinary person, not a professional detective, who solves a crime.
📚 If you love cozy mysteries, classic whodunits, or Golden Age detective fiction, this episode is your guide to the amateur sleuth.
🕵️ The amateur sleuth has a long, rich history that spans from Agatha Christie's Miss Marple to Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey to modern cozy mystery series.
⚡️ I also tackle what I call the "special problems" of writing amateur sleuth mysteries, and I break down how the Polish mystery film In for a Murder solves each of the challenges.
🔗 For a twice-a-month update on newly released historical mystery books, sign up HERE.
Podcasts Mentioned:
- S1E6 Her Royal Spyness
- Bonus: Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara Rosett
- S6E1 Agatha Christie
- S6E6 Dorothy L. Sayers
- S2 E5 - The Mimosa Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu
- S4E5 Crime TV Shows for Cozy Mystery Readers
- S2E4 Mystery in Translation
- S2 E1 - Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
- S2 E3 A Peculiar Combination
Books on Writing Fiction:
- Trope Thesaurus: Mystery and Thriller by Sara Rosett and Jennifer Hilt: https://books2read.com/mysteryandthriller/
- How to Outline a Cozy Mystery by Sara Roset: https://books2read.com/howtocozy
🕵️♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.
➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🔎 Ready for your next whodunit? Let’s talk about mysteries arriving in early 2026.
Join me as I dive into the most exciting upcoming classic-style whodunits releasing from January to March 2026—think locked rooms, closed circles, clever clues, and satisfying reveals that echo the Golden Age greats.
Get a curated preview of fresh releases and rediscovered gems, including debuts like The Murder at World’s End and A Field Guide to Murder, British Library Crime Classics reprints, a meta-Holmes homage in The Final Problem, and my own Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra, which is perfect historical if you want a Golden Age travel whodunit.
🕵️♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.
➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
❣️ Valentine’s Day is coming up, so what better time to talk about romantic couples who just happen to solve mysteries.
I explore the enduring appeal of romantic detective pairings, breaking down why mysteries with relationship arcs and witty banter keep fans turning the pages. You'll hear how opposites attract, expert/novice combos, and slice-of-life moments bring these stories to life.
Get a curated tour through time, from Victorian Egypt to 1920s drawing rooms to modern art heists, as I share my list of couples—from Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson to Nick and Nora Charles.
Add a few titles to your TBR stack and see how dynamic duos make whodunits twice as intriguing.
Get a printable PDF of the list here.
🕵️♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.
➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
📬 Do you love mysteries where the format is part of the puzzle? What about crime fiction told through letters, emails, and documents? If you answered yes to either question, join me as I explore epistolary mysteries—one of my favorite subsets of the mystery genre.
✉️ I share the inspiration behind my own Mysteries in the Mail letter subscription featuring Lady Eileen and Fitzhugh, two delightful characters whose adventures are told in installments mailed in physical letters.
📖 Then I delve into epistolary crime fiction, and I also discuss epistolary-adjacent mysteries like interactive puzzle books and crime fiction where letters play a key role in the plot.
📚 Read-alike recommendations include classic epistolary mysteries, puzzle books, and more letter-based crime fiction to add to your TBR pile, all of which make fantastic gifts for mystery readers.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Mysteries in the Mail by Sara Rosett: https://sararosettbooks.com/products/mysteries-in-the-mail
Epistolary Mystery Novels:
The Appeal by Janice Hallett: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621096-the-appeal
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13526165-where-d-you-go-bernadette
Currently Reading:
Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1499952.Daddy_Long_Legs
To Read:
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129117.The_Spellman_Files
The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/130633488-the-documents-in-the-case-by-dorothy-l-sayers-and-robert-eustace
Death on the Down Beat by Sebastian Farr: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61041891-death-on-the-down-beat
Epistolary-Adjacent : Interactive Puzzles:
Cain's Jawbone by E. Powys Mathers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50074593-cain-s-jawbone
The Creeping Hand Murders by Maureen Johnson: You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222683984-you-are-the-detective
The Museum Heist by Henry Lewis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173404229-the-museum-heist
Epistolary-Adjacent : Crime Fiction with Letters:
The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9672561-the-brothers-of-baker-street
The Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203020023-the-missing-maid
🕵️♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.
➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🚢 What secrets unravel when a murderer strikes aboard a Nile steamer?
In this special bonus episode, I take you behind the scenes of my new mystery novel, Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra, the second book in the 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series.
🔎 I share how Blix and Hildy's tranquil cruise turns into a classic closed-circle whodunit filled with secrets, intriguing characters, and plenty of 1920s flair.
🤫 I give you behind-the-scenes research tidbits, talk about the special edition features, and let you know how to get the book or audiobook.
If you love whodunits with rich settings, this episode is for you—happy sleuthing!
🏺Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra Special Edition: https://sararosettbooks.com/collections/murder-on-the-s-s-cleopatra
📚For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook:
High Society Lady Detective series
🕵️♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.
➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🔍 Ever wondered what happens when you combine medieval French scholarship, advertising expertise, and detective fiction? Meet Dorothy L. Sayers, whose Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries revolutionized the genre.
✍️ Join me as I explore the interesting career of one of the founding authors of the Detection Club who wrote mysteries where love bloomed between intellectual equals then went on to write something completely different!
Where to start with Dorothy L. Sayers books:
If you like to start at the beginning of a series, the first Lord Peter Wimsey book is Whose Body?
I recommend The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, which I have a podcast about:
S4EP: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
https://www.sararosett.com/mbps3ep9/
For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook:
High Society Lady Detective series
1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series
Sources:
https://www.sayers.org.uk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_L._Sayers
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-L-Sayers
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🎭 Did you know the Queen of Regency Romance was also a master of murder mysteries? Join me as we explore Georgette Heyer's lesser-known but equally interesting career as a crime writer.
🏰 Heyer’s mysteries usually revolved around country house murders with police sleuths, Superintendent Hannasyde and Inspector Hemingway.
⭐️ Whether you're a fan of her Regency romances or new to Heyer, you'll discover why her twelve mystery novels still intrigue fans today.
Where to start with Georgette Heyer’s books:
One of my favorites is Footsteps in the Dark, which has a fun, breezy tone and lots of gothic and thriller elements as well as a murder mystery.
For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook:
High Society Lady Detective series
1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series
Sources:
https://www.officialgeorgetteheyer.com/books/
https://cozy-mystery.com/georgette-heyer.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11343817-georgette-heyer-mystery-collection
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/55450-the-reclusive-author-who-only-gave-one-interview.html
https://interestingliterature.com/2016/05/five-fascinating-facts-about-georgette-heyer/
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🔍 Are you fascinated by detectives who aren't quite what they appear to be? Join me for a deep dive into Margery Allingham's world, where her famous sleuth Albert Campion hides his clever mind behind a decidedly foolish facade.
📖 Allingham was born into a family of storytellers and was a child prodigy who earned her first writing fee at age eight, then went on to become one of the "Queens of Crime."
💫 Join me and discover why Margery Allingham stands alongside Christie and Sayers in the mystery hall of fame.
Where to start reading Margery Allingham?
The Crime at Black Dudley is a lighthearted mix of mystery and thriller.
If you want something a little darker, The Tiger in the Smoke (1952) focuses more on the psychology of a serial killer.
For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook:
High Society Lady Detective series
1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series
Sources:
Margery Allingham Society: https://margeryallingham.org.uk
Wikipedia - Margery Allingham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Allingham
Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margery-Allingham
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🎭 What happens when two Australian nurses move to New York City and start writing "wacky cozies"? Join me for the interesting story of the Little Sisters, whose 21 mysteries combined clever plots with laugh-out-loud humor.
🏥 I explore the backstory of their unique collaboration style and how Constance and Gwenyth Little's experiences as working nurses influenced their resourceful heroines.
⭐️ Their recently “rediscovered” books blend romance and mystery and are still drawing in new fans.
Where to start with Constance and Gwenyth Little books?
I suggest the first book in the series, The Grey Mist Murders, but you can pick up any because they’re all stand-alone titles.
For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook:
High Society Lady Detective series
1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series
Sources:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55837.Constance_Little
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55836.Gwenyth_Little
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress.com
http://gadetection.pbworks.com
http://www.girl-detective.net/little.htm
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🔍 Ever wondered what happens when two mystery writers fall in love and collaborate? That’s exactly what happened with the two authors behind the pen name Kelley Roos. The result is a series of books where marriage and mystery meet.
🌆 Audrey and William Roos created sophisticated stories that balanced romance and suspense. Their Jeff and Haila Troy series, beginning with Made Up to Kill, brings to life the glamour and intrigue of mid-century New York City through the eyes of a crime-solving couple.
🎬 In this episode I’ll explore their versatility as writers—from novels to plays to television—and how the talented pair combined romance, wit, and suspense in their stories.
Where to start with Kelley Roos books?
If you enjoy theater mysteries: Made Up to Kill - first book in the series
Their best known book is probably The Frightened Stiff
For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook:
High Society Lady Detective series
1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series
Sources:
https://cozy-mystery.com/kelley-roos
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Roos
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/327239.Kelley_Roos
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Roos_(writer)
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🔍 Agatha Christie is often remembered for her mysterious 11-day disappearance, but there’s so much more to her story. From her early struggles as a writer to her rise as the best-selling fiction author of all time, Christie’s life was as interesting as her novels.
☠️ In this episode, I explore how her wartime experience* contributed to her mystery writing and how her travel influenced her settings.
✨ Join me as I uncover the full story of the Queen of Crime.
Where to start with Christie? I recommend:
- For a country house mystery: The Mysterious Affair at Styles
- For an English village mystery: The Moving Finger
- For a 1920s mystery/romance with a dash of thriller: The Secret Adversary
*I apologize in advance for mangling “Bletchley” with my Texas accent!
Other episodes you might be interested in:
S1E1: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e1/
For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook:
High Society Lady Detective series
1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series
Sources:
https://www.agathachristie.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/123715.Agatha_Christie
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
🔎 From lockdown to the land of pyramids: learn how I researched 1920s Egypt during 2020, and created a heroine who was one of the original travel influencers.
📸 Meet Blix, my intrepid lady photographer who captures foreign locations on film and then entertains lecture halls full of curious Brits with tales of her adventures.
🌴 In this bonus episode, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at the research and inspiration for Murder Among the Pyramids, including how true stories of 1920s tourists shooting golf balls off the Great Pyramid and hosting moonlit parties inspired scenes in the book.
Get your copy of Murder Among the Pyramids by Sara Rosett in audio, print, or ebook.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
From "giggle water" to "the bee's knees," I explore the unique expressions that defined a generation in this episode. Hear how I incorporated this snazzy lingo into my High Society Lady Detective series, including Murder at Archly Manor.
Discover the differences between American and British slang of the era and find out how these phrases helped the younger generation set themselves apart from the old fogies.
By the end of this episode, you'll be ready to charm your friends with your newfound knowledge of 1920s jargon – and maybe even solve a mystery or two! 🔐
Book Recommendation: Murder Among the Pyramids, a 1920s spin-off.
If you want to read the whole novel, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the Show.
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
High Society Hijinks: Discover the elaborate jokes that shocked and amused the London elite!
From fake art exhibits to outrageous social stunts, the Bright Young People of the era knew how to make a statement. 😎
We'll take a closer look at the infamous Bruno Hat hoax, where a group of pranksters fooled the art world with a fictional artist and his bizarre creations.
Book recommendation: Death Comes to Costa Del Sol by M.H. Eccleston - check out first in the series in MBP S4 E4 Death on the Isle by M.H. Eccleston
Links:
https://jamesmulraine.com/2022/11/30/brian-howard-and-the-bruno-hat-art-hoax-a-kind-of-genius/
https://www.leicestergalleries.com/browse-artwork-detail/MTM5ODU=
Next chapters in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the Show.
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!
Step into the world of luxurious London living and intriguing mystery 🏢
These upscale apartments offered a new level of comfort and convenience for the affluent, with amenities like maid service, meal delivery, and even squash courts! 🎾
Discover the real-life inspiration behind fictional service flats like Hercule Poirot's swanky Whitehaven Mansions, and learn how I created my own fictional service flat, South Regent Mansions, for my mystery novel Murder at Archly Manor. 📚🔍
From marble floors to in-house cocktail bars, these service flats were the epitome of sophistication – and the perfect setting for a mystery!🍸🍽️
Book Recommendation: Murder at the Mansions
Next chapters in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the Show.
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Ring! Ring! Join me this episode for a look at the history of the red telephone box, a quintessential symbol of British culture.
I’ll trace the evolution of this iconic kiosk and delve into the controversies surrounding the telephone box's appearance, the public's reaction to proposed changes, and the innovative ways these classic kiosks have been repurposed in modern times. 📚☎️
And did you know an authentic red telephone box could be the ultimate home decor statement? Yes, that’s right. You too can own a classic red telephone kiosk! I’m tempted. Very tempted.
Links:
Map of locations of Red Telephone Boxes Around the World:
https://www.x2connect.com/RedPhoneBox/K6PhotoGallery
Other links:
https://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/story/
Next chapters in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the Show.
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Step back in time and explore the fascinating world of forensic investigation during the Golden Age of detective fiction.
I’ll dive into the real-life CSI methods used by detectives in the 1920s and how they compare to the techniques employed by fictional sleuths like Sherlock Holmes.
I’ll also take a closer look at a true crime case from 1923 that led to the creation of the iconic "murder bag” 💼 - a precursor to the modern crime scene investigation kit.
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumbles_murders#cite_note-101
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_bag
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203219480
Next chapters in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the Show.
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Servant Life: it wasn’t all elegance and extravagance in the 1920s
Join me for a deep dive into life "downstairs” in a country house. From the servant hierarchy to the grueling work to the lack of personal freedom, the staff had a completely different experience from those “upstairs.”
We also take a little detour into the history of household appliances, including a socialite who invented the modern dishwasher! 🫧
Current Read: Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson
https://books2read.com/u/mVnPyJ (Affiliate link)
Servant life blog post:
https://merrynallingham.com/crime-novels2/
The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham
https://books2read.com/u/bQGnDw (Affiliate link)
Next chapters in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the Show.
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Creative genius and chaotic influence: how a society photographer inspired a character
This episode delves into the character of Sebastian Blakely, a vibrant and unconventional photographer who brings his own unique form of turmoil to the High Society Lady series. Inspired by real-life society photographer Cecil Beaton, Blakely's cheeky wit and penchant for stirring the pot keeps things interesting.
Recent read: A Traitor in Whitehall (Affiliate link)
Read-alikes: WWII mysteries
MBP S1 E3 Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen
S2 E6 – Olive Bright, Pigeoneer
Next chapters in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
🪩 They knew how to throw a killer party in the 1920s!
Join me as I explore the opulence and extravagance of the themed parties of the Bright Young People and their over-the-top gatherings.
From the circus party with wolves and horses to the bath and bottle parties that drew the attention of the police, the era's lavish soirées inspired the Silver and Gold Party in Murder at Archly Manor, which was an excellent backdrop for murder and mystery.
Recent read: Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack (Affiliate link and thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early review copy. All opinions are my own.)
Read-alikes: Travel mysteries
- Elusive by Sara Rosett
- A Cruise to Die For by Charlotte Elkins
- Hazards in Hampshire by Emma Dakin
- Death on the Danube by Jennifer S. Alderson
- (Links above are affiliate links)
Next chapters in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Links mentioned:
- https://londonist.com/london/features/6-crazy-bright-young-things-parties-we-wish-we-d-been-invited-to
- High Society Lady Detective Book 5: An Old Money Murder in Mayfair (Affiliate link)
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Why set a book in the 1920s? Because a time of great change makes for an interesting setting. The phrase "may you live in interesting times," certainly applies to the tumultuous post-World War I period.
Find out how motorcars, bobbed hair, short hemlines, and makeup compacts play into the changing social mores in this “Story Behind the Story” of Chapters 5 and 6 of Murder at Archly Manor, a 1920s historical mystery.
Recent read: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller (Affiliate link)
Read-alikes: the Kate Hamilton mystery series. A Dream of Death by Connie Berry (Affiliate link).
Chapters 5 and 6 of Murder at Archly Manor narrated by Elizabeth Klett.
Next chapter in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
⛲️ Love an English stately home? Then come with me on a tour of Chatsworth House and find out how the English country home inspired not one, but two book series in this “Story Behind the Story” of Chapter 4 of Murder at Archly Manor, a 1920s historical mystery. Plus reading recommendations for Sherlock Holmes fans! 🕵️♀️
Recent read: The Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn (Affiliate link) and thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Read-alikes: The Baker Street Letters series (Affiliate link).
Murder mystery game: Death by Croquet Mallet.
Next chapter in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Family tensions and inspiration from Agatha Christie are the “Story Behind the Story” of Chapter 3 of Murder at Archly Manor, a 1920s historical mystery.
Recent read: A Report of Murder by F.L. Everett (Affiliate link)
Mentioned: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie (Affiliate link)
Next chapter in the next episode!
If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
We’re traveling back to the 1920s in this season of Mystery Books Podcast with a chapter by chapter deep dive into Murder at Archly Manor, the first book in the High Society Lady Detective series.
What inspired the location of Murder at Archly Manor? Was I intimidated to write historical fiction? (You bet I was!) How did I take the first step to write about the 1920s, despite my worries about accurately capturing the time between the wars? Find out in the “Story Behind the Story” section of this episode.
Then Elizabeth Klett narrates the first two chapters of Murder at Archly Manor.
Book recommendation: Your Turn, Mr. Moto by John P. Marquand. (Affiliate link)
Next chapter in the next episode!
If you want 1920s mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com.
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📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
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🤨 Are you fond of impossible crime mysteries? What about swanky settings for 1920s mysteries? If you answered yes to either question, join me for a look at the inspiration and research behind Murder in the Alps, a 1920s mystery set in the glamorous winter playground of St. Moritz.
🔎 Olive Belgrave, discreet sleuth for the posh set, and her dashing companion Jasper, travel to the snowy resort for a little holiday, but find themselves mixed up in a mystery.
⚜️In this episode I delve into luxury travel to a winter destination, women’s sports, couple dynamics, and some other wintery mysteries.
If you enjoy this you might also like:
- Murder on the Matterhorn by Glyn Carr
- Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac (pen name of a pen name of E.C.R. Lorac)
- Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart
- One by One by Ruth Ware
- Bright and Deadly Things by Lexie Elliott
Buy your copy of Murder in the Alps at SaraRosettBooks.com.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
Tis the season for . . . holiday mysteries!
Get your holiday reading sorted with this list of mysteries that feature holly, mistletoe, and plenty of murder.
Snowed-in country estates abound with tense family gatherings in these books. Cranky family members, too much food, and a patriarch threatening to change his will are the ingredients of a festive Christmas mystery.
Mystery book to read at Christmas:
- Murder on a Midnight Clear by Sara Rosett (Published: 2020; Setting: 1923) Season 1 Bonus episode: Murder on a Midnight Clear: https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1bonus/
- Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman (Published 2023; Setting: 1816)
- A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer (1941)
- Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie (1938)
- The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Hay (1936)
- An English Murder by Cyril Hare (1951)
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
🕵️♀️ 🕵️ Get double the detection with this episode about odd couple crime-solving duos on TV.
🔎 The mismatched partners span the globe, from small town librarians to big city detectives, grumpy inspectors and sunny caterers. Even though they get off to a rocky start, these teams find their differences make them unstoppable. From ancient Roman Baths to the sun-soaked Australian outback, these crime shows traverse the world.
⭐️ For each show, I'll recommend "book pairings" - crime and mystery books that match up to the settings and themes of the shows. Read a mystery book alongside your show for a double dose of mystery and mayhem.
Crime television shows covered:
MacDonald and Dodds
Bbook pairings: mystery books set in Bath
Mrs Sidhu Investigates
Book pairings: mystery books about caterers
My Life is Murder
Darby and Joan
Book pairings: Mystery books set in Australia and New Zealand
Links to podcasts with more crime tv shows:
S2 E4 – Mystery in Translation: Foreign Language Mystery TV
https://www.sararosett.com/mbps2ep4/
MBP S1 E7 The Mallorca Files
https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e7/
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📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
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⚓️ All aboard for a look at Death on the Isle, an amateur sleuth mystery from M. H. Eccleston with a nautical theme.
🚤 This isle-set mystery takes you to the Isle of Wight during yachting season. When freelance art restorer Astrid takes on a freelance job of appraising the art in an estate on the island, she ends up investigating a suspicious death with help from an artsy crew. A dash of family drama and a peek into luxury lifestyles of the uber rich set this drama apart.
🏝️ Read-alike suggestions cover other island mysteries.
Thanks to the publisher for sending a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
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🍿 If you're in the mood for a mystery with Golden Age overtones combined with a behind-the-scenes look at the film industry, grab your popcorn and settle in for a discussion of The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson.
🏛️ The modern day mystery is set at Aldermere House, home to the legendary author Lettice Davenport and her fictional 1930s sleuth, Dahlia Lively.
⭐️ Three rival actresses, connected to Dahlia's adaptations, must collaborate to solve a murder rooted in the stories themselves.
🔎 Themes discussed include fandom, author legacy, and female friendship, with a modern twist on the classic country house mystery.
🎥 Read-alike recommendations include mysteries set around filming and Hollywood.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
📺 If you ever wished your favorite Doris Day/Rock Hudson movie was a whodunit, then the 1950s mystery, “The Socialite’s Guide to Murder,” by S. K. Golden is for you.
🏢 Wealthy Evelyn lives a life of privilege in the New York hotel her father owns. The swanky Park Avenue address has everything she could want–a luxurious suite, excellent cuisine, a dress boutique, and attentive staff. In fact, she hasn’t left the hotel premises in fourteen months, so when a theft disrupts life at the hotel, she sets out to find the culprit.
🔎 But a murder follows on the heels of the theft and Evelyn’s boyfriend becomes a suspect. She recruits hotel bellboy Mac to help her snoop for clues to find the murderer.
🍸 “The Socialite’s Guide to Murder” is a mid-century murder mystery with a dose of the madcap flare of a 1950s romantic comedy movie, but Evelyn’s struggles with agoraphobia ground the book and make for an interesting read in a fun setting.
📚 Read-alike recommendations include mysteries set at hotels and 1950s mysteries.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a review copy. All opinions are my own.
Support the show
📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com
🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.
🔎 Are you looking for a mystery for a book club pick with a Golden Age flavor similar to Agatha Christie with the bonus of deep themes and interesting characters?Then you’ll want to read “Unnatural Ends” by Christopher Huang.
🧩 “Unnatural Ends” has a classic set-up. A patriarch dies and when the family gathers to read the will, it’s revealed the death was murder. Where “Unnatural Ends” departs from many classic mysteries is the depth of characterization of the three adult children as well as explorations of the themes of control, independence, expection, and competition. Add in a layer of Gothic overtones and you have a novel tailor-made for deep and interesting book club discussions.
📚Read-alikes include mysteries with sibling sleuths, Yorkshire settings, and Huang’s first book, “A Gentleman’s Murder.”
❓What other mysteries feature siblings as sleuths?
Link to Youtube video about influence of Agatha Christie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkxV9gNOiPU
Find out more about the Murder in the Alps Kickstarter.
Support the show
Mystery Books Podcast is back with Season 4.
Join me for spoiler-free discussions of mystery fiction along with “read-alike” book recommendations to keep your TBR (to be read) pile stocked. 🔎📚✨
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🔎 If you like mysteries with dapper gentlemen sleuths, vintage CSI, and Golden Age fiction with themes that still resonate today, you’ll enjoy The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers.
🎩 Lord Peter Wimsey is the epitome of the dapper gentleman sleuth. He hides his sharp intellect under a foppish and sometimes silly manner. In many ways, he’s a 1920s update to The Scarlet Pimpernel, a mystery-solving Sir Percy Blakeney.
☠️ When a veteran of the Great War dies, Wimsey is asked to look into the time of death, a simple matter that turns complex as a murder is revealed.
⚡️ From shell shock (what we’d call PTSD) to the shifting cultural mores, impacts of the Great War reverberate throughout the book. There is also a look at crime scene forensics, 1920s style.
🕵️♂️ Read-alike recommendations include more books with gentlemen sleuths as well as my own book with that explores shell shock, Murder in Black Tie.
❓Have you read any Dorothy L. Sayers?
🏛Take “Downton Abbey,” add a lady interested in science who becomes involved in a murder mystery, and you’d have “Poison at Pemberton Hall” by Fran Smith.
🧪As Vita Carew pursues the murderer, the book considers some serious questions about education (and obstacles women encountered in 1903), the perceptions of beauty, and beauty versus brains. Thanks to Vita’s dry wit, the story has a light, fun tone. I was rooting for Vita to catch the culprit and pursue her dreams.
📖Read-alike recommendations include mysteries with female scientists/sleuths and more Edwardian mysteries.
❓What are your favorite Edwardian mysteries?
Head over to Kickstarter to see the Special Edition Hardcover of Murder at Archly Manor. It's the bees's knees! 🐝
🧐If you every wished for a mashup of Jane Austen’s Catherine Moreland from Northanger Abbey and a Christie-type shipboard murder, you’ll want to check out “Death in a Deck Chair” by K.K. Beck.
🕯While “Death in a Deck Chair” doesn’t have gothic overtones or take place at an abbey, it does feature Iris Cooper, a plain-Jane kind of heroine similar to Catherine Moreland.
🚢It’s the 1920s and Catherine is on an Atlantic crossing when one of the passengers is murdered. Class, generational, and cultural conflicts abound among the diverse passengers on the ship, which is a perfect closed circle mystery setting.
📖Read-alike recommendations include more ship-board mysteries (historical and contemporary settings) as well as another “plain Jane” mystery protagonist.
❓What is your favorite “average Jane” mystery?
Head over to Kickstarter to see the Special Edition Hardcover of Murder at Archly Manor. It's the bees's knees! 🐝
Who wouldn’t want to visit a library made up of first editions from Golden Age authors? That’s the premise of The First Edition Library series by Marty Wingate. Haley is a curator at the unique private library in Bath. The third book in the series, “The Librarian Always Rings Twice” delves into the fun Books About Books trope. It’s a story rich in layers with mysteries in the main storyline as well as in the story within the story.Read-alike recommendations include contemporary cozies by Martie Wingate, books set in Bath UK, and books about books.What’s your favorite book or series about books?
🗝 Locked rooms, secret staircases, and a family curse–-three things a mystery reader can’t resist!
🔎Join me as I delve into Gigi Pandian’s modern day locked room mystery, "Under Lock and Skeleton Key." With plenty of nods to Golden Age mysteries, this book will appeal to fans of classic crime as well as contemporary traditional mysteries.
📚Read-alike suggestions include more locked room mysteries as well as multi-cultural protagonists.
❓Have you read any other books featuring magicians?
Do you have a fondness for lady scientists of the early 20th century who encounter mysteries? Then you'll want to read “A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons” by Kate Khavari. 🔬
Research assistant Saffron Everleigh wants to follow in her father's footsteps and teach botany at University College London, but a poisoning threatens to upset her plans. Besides the gorgeous cover, the exploration of the impacts of The Great War along with the academic setting made this book irresistible. And did I mention the characters are planning for a research trip to the Amazon? 🦜
Read-alike suggestions include other academic mysteries as well as gardening mysteries. 🔎
Do you enjoy enjoy the “Upstairs, Downstairs” contrasts of Downton Abbey, but wish it had the added element of a murder mystery? Then you’ll want to check out "Murder at Mallowan Hall" by Colleen Cambridge, which features a mashup of fiction and real life as it considers the the question, "What if Agatha Christie’s housekeeper had to solve a murder?" My read-a-like book recommendations include lists of country home mysteries, “Upstairs, Downstairs” mysteries, and historical figures as sleuths.
If you’d like a fresh take on 1920s historical mysteries, check out “The Bangalore Detectives Club” by Harini Nagendra, which takes readers to India. Newly married to a doctor, Kaveri is juggling her own ambitions to get a degree in mathematics with society’s pressure to be a good wife. When a murder occurs, Kaveri is compelled to investiagate. Besides catching the culprit, she also creates a unique position for herself in her new world.
Mystery Books Podcast is back with a new season of spoiler-free discussions of mystery fiction along with “read-alike” book recommendations to keep your TBR (to be read) pile stocked. 🔎📚✨
If you enjoy eccentric sleuths of a certain age, crosswords, and ensemble cast mysteries, you'll want to check out The Marlow Murder Club. Seventy-seven year old Judith Potts is just fine on her own, thank you very much. That is, until she overhears a murder. Her questions bring her into contact with two women who are quite different from her. The three ladies set out to discover the truth and find friendship along the way. If you're a fan of The Thursday Murder Club, The Marlow Murder Club is a read-alike.
We return to Singapore for “Revenge in Rubies” by A. M. Stuart, but this time we're seeing things through the British Colonial perspective. The 1910s are a bit of an underserved time period for historical readers, so if you're fond of books set during the Edwardian era you'll want to check this novel with a sleuthing couple. However, this time the pairing is more platonic than romantic (at least for now).
Travel to romantic Hawaii in the 1920s for Charlie Chan's first case in The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers. Chan’s "Watson" is a stuffy Bostonian who thaws out in the tropics. We have another exotic locale for a murder plus a black sheep victim trope along with something a bit different from the usual love triangle subplot— a love rectangle.
If you want a look at a little-known aspect of World War II, check out the historical mystery "Olive Bright, Pigeoneer" by Stephanie Graves. It's got an English village full of quirky characters, a romantic subplot with a pretend relationship, and the classic trope of a name spoken as the victim dies. Poirot references also abound!
If you like to experience other cultures through reading, you'll enjoy The Mimosa Tree Mystery. Ovidia Yu gives us a look at Singapore in the 1930s during the Japanese occupation. Her brainy young female protagonist must figure out not only codes and ciphers but also her place in society.
Murder, Mystery, and . . . Subtitles! I've discovered two foregin language TV shows, Crimes of Passion and The Art of Crime. Find out how the shows work in hints of Agatha Christie, Jurassic Park Syndrome, tension triangles, lost Old Masters, and the always popular tropes of crime in beautiful locations. One is a mid-century modern mystery (think Mad Men, but with murder). The other is art history and mystery.
Mix together a World War II setting and a heist story, and you’ve got the very entertaining novel, A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver. This book has so many twists on tropes--cat burglars, Cinderella, and opposites attract, to name just a few. Plus, a safecracker protagonist torn between loyalty and revenge. So much to unlock! See what I did there? :)
If you have a soft spot for rather dense sidekicks and you miss detectives from the 1920s, you'll enjoy The Sloane Square Mystery, a novel from one of Golden Age fiction's prolific writers, Herbert Adams. Published in 1925, The Sloane Square Mystery gives us a look at how the Bright Young People lived in High Society and how they handled the stress of the Great War. Plus we get a look at a well-rounded female secondary character who embodies the Plucky Young Woman trope.
The Thursday Murder Club was the feel-good hit of 2020—and we certainly needed that in 2020! I think the novel is also an example of a new type of subgenre, upscale mystery book club fiction. Join me for a look at this new subgenre, plus an exploration of the Gang of Misfits trope and what it all has to do with yet another possible new trope, retirement club fiction. #SoManyTropes
Are you fond of a jolly little Christmas mystery? I certainly am. Join me for a look at the inspiration and research behind Murder on a Midnight Clear, a 1920s Christmas mystery.
I can’t pass up a mystery set at a snowbound country estate, so that’s exactly the situation I put my characters in for the sixth book in the High Society Lady Detective series.
In this episode I delve into the wonderful world of vintage luggage, American slang from the 1920s, and my research trip to London and what it has to do with a world-wide lockdown.
S1 E10 / This American-set 1920s mystery with an odd-couple pairing is a madcap American twist on Downton Abbey, with a murder mystery added, of course.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e10
S1 E9 / A small town cozy with plenty of humor and lots of Southern tropes? Yes, please! In this episode, we take a look at the clever set-up of this amateur sleuth mystery that features an obit writer who suspects the death of her old school friend wasn't suicide, but murder.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e9
S1 E8 / If you like Agatha Christie's mystery The Secret Adversary, you'll want to check out Patricia Wentworth's The Astonishing Adventure of Jane Smtih. It features a plucky young woman set on adventure, a dashing Scotland Yard man, and a mansion on a cliff by the sea. Gothic tropes abound! Plus find out the connection between Jane Smith and Ethan Hunt of the Mission Impossible franchise. #BonusTrivia
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e8
S1 E7 / Sara pivots to look at mystery television in this episode. By-the-book British detective Miranda Blake goes to sunny Mallorca to escort a prisoner back to the UK, but things go very wrong. She must work with a relaxed German detective to solve the case, which results in some funny scenes and an enteratining odd couple pairing.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e7
If you love Downton Abbey, Miss Fisher, and The Crown, this episode is for you. Her Royal Spyness is a historical mystery set in the 1930s London with fun tidbits of royal trivial and intrigue. Why are country house mysteries such an enduring trope and what is a discreet sleuth? Find out in this episode of Mystery Books Podcast.
MBP S1 E5 / Does the world need another Sherlock Holmes spinoff? If the answer involves Enola Holmes, the answer is yes. Join USA Today mystery author Sara Rosett for an in-depth look at the much younger sister of Sherlock Holmes. Discover the secret language of Victorian women and how Enola co-ops fashion for her own ends. Plus, find out what Enola Holmes has in common with A Series of Unfortuante Events and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e5
S1 E4 / Escape to Crete and delve into one of Sara's favorite tropes, the travel mystery. Adventure, intrigue, and romance abound in Mary Stewart's classic romantic suspense novel, The Moonspinners.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e4
S1 E3 / What do you get when you set a World War II novel in a sleepy English village, add a plucky Air Raid Warden, then mix in an influx of American fly boys stationed at the nearby air base? A perfect set up for a historical mystery, Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e3
S1 E2 / Join Sara for a look at the cozy mystery about a quirky and abrasive (yet loveable) former PR excutive who moves to an English village and just can't quite fit in. It's a cozy mystery with a serving of a fish-out-of-water trope added to the mix.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e2/
S1 E1 / Welcome to Mystery Books Podcast, a podcast covering mysteries in all of their forms from classic Golden Age novels to contemporary cozies. I’m mystery author Sara Rosett and this is Season One, Episode One, and it's all about Murder on the Orient Express.
Full show notes at https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e1/
This is probably the most famous traditional mystery out there. It was written by Agatha Christie and published in 1934 with many, many, many adaptations. Until recently, the most well-known one was the 1974 movie with a ton of big name stars like Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, John Gielgud and Vanessa Redgrave. Then in 2017, a new feature film adaptation was made with Kenneth Branagh and his controversial mustaches, which I think is just pitch perfect for cozy and traditional mystery lovers. It's the interpretation of Poirot’s facial hair that got everyone talking when the trailer first came out. This movie also had tons of star power with Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench and Penelope Cruz, to name just a few. That's the great thing about this book. It has a huge cast. You can get lots of big stars in it when you make it into a movie. This movie adaptation made quite a few changes to the original story. So we will talk about that later. Right now, we're going to focus on the book and some facts about it, some interesting things related to the writing of it. And we'll look at themes and tropes and then we'll look at the adaptations.
Hello and welcome to Mystery Books Podcast. I'm mystery author Sara Rosett, and this is a short introduction to Mystery Books Podcast. This podcast will cover mysteries in all of their forms from classic golden age novels to contemporary cozies. In each podcast, I'll focus on one mystery. I'll give you a quick overview of the book, but there will be no spoilers, I promise. No spoilers! My hope for the podcast is that it will either help you find a new author to try or let you revisit an old favorite.
Full notes at https://www.sararosett.com/introduction-to-mystery-books-podcast/