Shedunnit: Recent Episodes
Caroline Crampton
Murder does like to be beside the seaside. Thanks very much to my guests. Dr Allan Brodie is a visiting fellow at Bournemouth University and the author of books including England's Seaside Heritage from the Air. Dr Kathryn Ferry is a historian of the British seaside and the author of books including The British Seaside Holiday, more information available at kathrynferry.co.uk. Be aware: there is a brief, non-specific mention of suicide in this episode. There are no major spoilers and non-spoiler details given about the books listed below. Mentioned in this episode: — The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude — The Sea Mystery by Freeman Wills Crofts — Mist on the Saltings by Henry Wade — The Cape Cod Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor — And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie — Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie — The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie — N or M? by Agatha Christie — Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers — The Seat of the Scornful by John Dickson Carr — When Last I Died by Gladys Mitchell — “Razor Edge” by Anthony Berkeley, collected in Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards — The Case of the Haven Hotel by Christopher Bush — A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey — Mystery at Lynden Sands by JJ Connington — And Being Dead by Margaret Erskine — The Crime Coast by Elizabeth Gill — The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers — Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh Related Shedunnit episodes: — Episode 1 of "Mysteries of Summer": Cricket and Crime — Episode 2 of "Mysteries of Summer": Murder in a Heatwave — Murder on Holiday NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/murderonseatranscript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When the temperature rises, don't lose your cool. Thanks to my guest Cecily Gayford — you can find more information about Murder in a Heatwave and all the other anthologies she has edited via the website for Profile Books. Be aware: there are spoilers in this episode for the the story "The Vindictive Story of the Footsteps That Ran" by Dorothy L. Sayers. There are non-spoiler details given about the other books listed below. Mentioned in this episode: — Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie — A Death in Summer by Benjamin Black — The Nice and the Good by Iris Murdoch — Murder in a Heatwave, edited by Cecily Gayford Related Shedunnit episodes: — Episode 1 of "Mysteries of Summer": Cricket and Crime — Murder on Holiday — Death Under Par NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/murderinaheatwavetranscript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why are crime writers so bowled over by the game? Thank you to my guests, Dr. Andrew Green and cricket statistician Andy Zaltzman. You can find more cricket-related content and news from Andy by listening to Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5, or via his podcast, The Bugle Ashes Urncast. Mentioned in this episode: — "The Adventure of the Priory School" by Arthur Conan Doyle, featured in The Return of Sherlock Holmes — "The Adventure of the Three Students" Arthur Conan Doyle, featured in The Return of Sherlock Holmes — Sherlock Holmes and the Birth of the Ashes by Arunabha Sengupta — Sherlock Holmes at the 1902 Test by Stanley Shaw — Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers — Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers — The Clues of the Caribbees by TS Stribling — Blotto, Twinks and the Rodents of the Riviera by Simon Brett — Murder at School by James Hilton — "The Guilty Vicarage" by WH Auden — Alibi Innings by Barbara Worsley-Gough — Murder Isn't Cricket by E and MA Radford — The Amazing Test Match Crime by Adrian Arlington — The Test Match Murder by Alfred Tack — Death Before Wicket by Nancy Spain — Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood — W.G. Grace’s Last Case by Willie Rushton — Test Kill by Ted Baxter Related Shedunnit episodes: — Murder on Holiday — Death Under Par — The Advertising Adventures of Dorothy L. Sayers NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/cricketandcrimetranscript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do we approach offensive language in texts from previous times? Thank you to my guest, Subhadra Das. You can find more information about her work at her website subhadradas.com and her book (Un)Civilised: Ten Lies That Made the West is available for pre-order. Mentioned in this episode: — The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle, introduction by Shafquat Towheed — And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie — Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie — Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie Mentioned Shedunnit episodes: — A Mysterious Glossary NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/editingagathachristietranscript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What happens when a couple of socialists decide to write mysteries? Thanks to my guest, Curtis Evans. If you are interested in his book, The Spectrum of the English Murder, it is available through Blackwell's and other booksellers. Join Caroline and guest Teresa Peschel for a free live episode of Shedunnit on YouTube on 15th July at 7pm UK time. More details: shedunnitshow.com/liveepisode Mentioned in this episode: — The Spectrum of English Murder by by Curtis Evans — The World of Labour by GDH Cole — An Introduction to Trade Unionism by GDH Cole — The Intelligent Man's Guide Through World Chaos by GDH Cole — What Marx Really Meant by GDH Cole — Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie — The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts — The Brooklyn Murders by GDH Cole — The Death of a Millionaire by GDH and Margaret Cole — Snobbery With Violence by Colin Watson — Big Business Murder by GDH and Margaret Cole — The Brothers Sackville by GDH and Margaret Cole — Disgrace To The College by GDH and Margaret Cole — Double Blackmail by GDH and Margaret Cole — Murder at the Munition Works by GDH and Margaret Cole — Scandal at School by GDH and Margaret Cole — Burglars In Buck by GDH and Margaret Cole — Greek Tragedy by GDH and Margaret Cole — Knife in the Dark by GDH and Margaret Cole Related Shedunnit episodes: — The Mysterious Dorothy Bowers — Double Trouble — Policing the Detectives NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/meetthecolestranscript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A feminist take on the gossiping busybody of St Mary Mead. Thanks to my guest, Leandra Griffith. As well as being Shedunnit's production assistant, she posts about mysteries on her Instagram @leandra_thetbrzero and her YouTube channel. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership. Mentioned in the episode: — Nemesis by Agatha Christie — "The Tuesday Night Club" by Agatha Christie, featured in The Thirteen Problems — The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie — The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie — The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie — Agatha Christie's The Complete Secret Notebooks by John Curran Related Shedunnit episodes: — Surplus Women — The Christie Completists — Queering The Golden Age NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/missmarplespinstersleuthtranscript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Snow is a very powerful tool for a detective novelist. It can create a sinister atmosphere, keep suspects and murderer stormbound, and preserve the footprints of anyone who dares to escape. What could be more seasonal or festive than that?
This episode of Shedunnit first aired on 11th December 2019. Caroline is currently recovering from Covid; the next new episode will be in January 2023.
Mentioned in this episode: —Murder on the Orient Express (1934) by Agatha Christie —Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (1938) by Agatha Christie —Mystery in White (1937) by J. Jefferson Farjeon —Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries (2015) edited by Martin Edwards —The Sittaford Mystery (1931) by Agatha Christie —The Nine Tailors (1934) by Dorothy L. Sayers —“The Erymanthian Boar” in The Labours of Hercules (1947) by Agatha Christie —An English Murder (1951) by Cyril Hare —Death and the Dancing Footman (1942) by Ngaio Marsh —Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (1950) by Agatha Christie —Stairway to Murder (1959) by Osmington Mills —There Came Both Mist and Snow (1940) by Michael Innes —The Sad Variety (1964) by Nicholas Blake —Blood Upon the Snow (1944) by Hilda Lawrence —The Slype (1927) by by Russell Thorndike — Hangman’s Holiday (1933) by Dorothy L. Sayers —Groaning Spinney / Murder in the Snow (1950) by Gladys Mitchell —The Case of the Abominable Snowman (1941) by Nicholas Blake —1222 (2011) by Anne Holt —The Snowman (2007) by Jo Nesbo —Whiteout (2011) by Ragnar Jonasson
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/letitsnowtranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Invert everything you know about murder mysteries.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive now has a stretch goal, and we’ve almost hit it! If we get to 175 new members of the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2022, I’ll do a livestreamed episode of Shedunnit accessible to all listeners. If you feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Mentioned in this episode:
— "The Case of Oscar Brodski” by R. Austin Freeman
— The Mystery of 31, New Inn by R. Austin Freeman
— The Red Thumb Mark by R. Austin Freeman
— John Thorndyke's Cases by R. Austin Freeman
— "A Wastrel's Romance” by R. Austin Freeman
— “The Art of the Detective Story” by R. Austin Freeman
— The Adventures of Romney Pringle by Clifford Ashdown (aka R. Austin Freeman and John Pitcairn)
— Inspecting Psychology by David Cohen
— History of the Psychoanalytic Movement by Sigmund Freud
— The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
— Speedy Death by Gladys Mitchell
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— The “Florence Maybrick I” and “Florence Maybrick II” episodes of Shedunnit
— The Wychford Poisoning Case by Anthony Berkeley
— The Psychology of Anthony Berkeley episode of Shedunnit
— Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles
— The Case of the April Fools by Christopher Bush
— The 12.30 from Croydon by Freeman Wills Crofts
— Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/howdunnittranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Why do murder mysteries contain so many vicars?
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive now has a stretch goal! If we get to 175 new members of the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2022, I’ll do a livestreamed episode of Shedunnit accessible to all listeners. If you feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Mentioned in this episode:
— Measuring religious affiliation in Great Britain by Clive D. Field
— The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
— Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James
— The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
— Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
— Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie
— “The Blue Cross” by G.K. Chesterton from The Innocence of Father Brown
— Literary Distractions by Ronald Knox
— The Cadfael Chronicles by Ellis Peters
— Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser
— St Peter’s Finger by Gladys Mitchell
— Close Quarters by Michael Gilbert
— The Black Seraphim by Michael Gilbert
— Holy Disorders by Edmund Crispin
— “The Guilty Vicarage” by W.H. Auden
— Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
— Christianity and the Detective Story edited by Anya Morlan and Walter Raubicheck
— The Simple Art of Murder by Raymond Chandler
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/clericalcrimestranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
In which Caroline is the guest, not the host.
Caroline Crampton is the host of Shedunnit. You can find out what she does when she’s not hosting this podcast at carolinecrampton.com or on Instagram @cacrampton. Guy Cuthbertson is her husband. His website is guycuthbertson.com and he tweets @guywjc.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive continues! I’m aiming to add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2022, and as a thank you I’m sharing the Shedunnit Guide to Golden Age Detective Fiction. If you’d like a copy and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
— Howards’ Way (TV series)
— The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
— Miranda Sawyer’s review of the podcast in the Observer
— The Allusionist by Helen Zaltzman
— The ‘A Mysterious Glossary’ episode of Shedunnit, featuring Helen Zaltzman
— It Walks By Night by John Dickson Carr
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
— The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot
— Ulysses by James Joyce
— Cat Among The Pigeons by Agatha Christie
— The Four Just Men by Edgar Wallace
— Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie
— ‘The Challenge of Dorothy L. Sayers’ episode of Shedunnit
— Death at the President’s Lodging by Michael Innes
— “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allen Poe
— ‘The Long Shadow of Edgar Allen Poe’ episode of Shedunnit
— 'The First Whodunnit' episode of Shedunnit
— The Bath Mysteries by E. R. Punshon
— The 'Brides in the Bath’ episode of Shedunnit
— Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
— Death in a White Tie by Ngaio Marsh
— Death in White Pyjamas by John Bude
— Death in High Heels by Christianna Brand
— Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
— Death Under Gibraltar by Bernard Newman
— Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
— Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh
— Death on Paper by John Bude
— Death at the Opera by Gladys Mitchell
— Death of a Train by Freeman Wills Crofts
— Death of a Cad by John Bude
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— The Art of Crime, a brand-new history podcast about the unlikely collisions between true crime and the arts. Listen now in your podcast app or at artofcrimepodcast.com
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/theshedunnitcentenarytranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
In which Caroline is the guest, not the host.
Caroline Crampton is the host of Shedunnit. You can find out what she does when she’s not hosting this podcast at carolinecrampton.com or on Instagram @cacrampton. Guy Cuthbertson is her husband. His website is guycuthbertson.com and he tweets @guywjc.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive continues! I’m aiming to add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2022, and as a thank you I’m sharing the Shedunnit Guide to Golden Age Detective Fiction. If you’d like a copy and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
— Howards’ Way (TV series)
— The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
— Miranda Sawyer’s review of the podcast in the Observer
— The Allusionist by Helen Zaltzman
— The ‘A Mysterious Glossary’ episode of Shedunnit, featuring Helen Zaltzman
— It Walks By Night by John Dickson Carr
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
— The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot
— Ulysses by James Joyce
— Cat Among The Pigeons by Agatha Christie
— The Four Just Men by Edgar Wallace
— Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie
— ‘The Challenge of Dorothy L. Sayers’ episode of Shedunnit
— Death at the President’s Lodging by Michael Innes
— “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allen Poe
— ‘The Long Shadow of Edgar Allen Poe’ episode of Shedunnit
— 'The First Whodunnit' episode of Shedunnit
— The Bath Mysteries by E. R. Punshon
— The 'Brides in the Bath’ episode of Shedunnit
— Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
— Death in a White Tie by Ngaio Marsh
— Death in White Pyjamas by John Bude
— Death in High Heels by Christianna Brand
— Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
— Death Under Gibraltar by Bernard Newman
— Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
— Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh
— Death on Paper by John Bude
— Death at the Opera by Gladys Mitchell
— Death of a Train by Freeman Wills Crofts
— Death of a Cad by John Bude
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— The Art of Crime, a brand-new history podcast about the unlikely collisions between true crime and the arts. Listen now in your podcast app or at artofcrimepodcast.com
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/theshedunnitcentenarytranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
There’s a dark story connecting this 18th century abduction with a 20th century crime novel.
Thanks to my guest, Tana French. The new Penguin edition of The Franchise Affair, which includes her introduction, is available now. And Tana's own latest novel is The Searcher, available in paperback.
This episode contains minor spoilers for The Franchise Affair.
This episode marks the start of the Shedunnit Pledge Drive! I’m aiming to add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2022, and as a thank you I’m sharing the Shedunnit Guide to Golden Age Detective Fiction. If you’d like a copy and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
— Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
— Amelia by Henry Fielding
— The Canning Wonder by Arthur Machen
— Elizabeth is Missing by Lillian de la Torre
— The Canning Enigma by John Treherne
— The Appearance of Truth: The Story of Elizabeth Canning and 18th Century Narrative by Judith Moore
— Josephine Tey: A Life by Jennifer Morag Henderson
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Backblaze, astonishingly easy cloud storage and backup tools. Shedunnit listeners can get a 15-day no credit card required trial at backblaze.com/shedunnit
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thekidnapofelizabethcanningtranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
What if everything we thought about murder mysteries was wrong?
Thanks to my guest, Benedict Morrison. Among his many publications, you can read him on Agatha Christie's theatrical work in the Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
— A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
— The “Queer Clues” episode of Shedunnit
— Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
— The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
— Suddenly At His Residence aka The Crooked Wreath by Christianna Brand
— The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
— Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie
— Queering Agatha Christie by J.C. Bernthal
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/queeringthegoldenagetranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Could you beat the detective to the solution?
This live episode of Shedunnit was recorded at the 2022 International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Wintringham Mystery by Anthony Berkeley
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— The Mystery of Norman's Court by John Chancellor
— The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
— The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
— Bleak House by Charles Dickens
— The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
— The Four Just Men by Edgar Wallace
— Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
— The Clocks by Agatha Christie
— The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
— Memories and Adventures by Arthur Conan Doyle
— Murder in Rockwater by Margot Neville
— Murder of Olympia by Margot Neville
— Forever England by Alison Light
— “The Decline and Fall of the Detection Story” by W. Somerset Maugham collected in The Vagrant Mood
— “Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?” by Edmund Wilson in The New Yorker (20 June 1945)
— “Manx Gold” by Agatha Christie collected in While The Light Lasts
— Not To Be Taken by Anthony Berkeley
— Death in the House by Anthony Berkeley
— "Mr Cork's Secret” by MacDonald Hastings collected in Crimson Snow
— The Crime of the Century by Kingsley Amis
— Cain's Jawbone by E. Powys Mathers, aka Torquemada
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Backblaze, astonishingly easy cloud storage and backup tools. Shedunnit listeners can get a 15-day no credit card required trial at backblaze.com/shedunnit
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/aprizemysterytranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
How well do we really know the queen of crime?
Thanks to my guest, Lucy Worsley. Her book Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman is out now.
Books and sources mentioned:
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet P. Morgan
— Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life by Laura Thompson
— Agatha Christie: The Woman And Her Mysteries by Gillian Gill
— Forever England: Literature, Femininity and Conservatism between the Wars by Alison Light
— “In The Shadow Of Hercule — The War Service Of Archibald Christie” by Peter Wright in Cross & Cockade International, vol 41/3 (2010)
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— “The Lady Vanishes” episode of Shedunnit
— “The Dispenser” episode of Shedunnit
— “Mary Westmacott” episode of Shedunnit
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookseller chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Audible: get a free audiobook (such as Lucy reading her Agatha Christie biography!) when you take out a one month free trial of Audible’s audiobook subscription service by using the podcast’s link at shedunnitshow.com/audible
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Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/theelusiveagathachristietranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Should detective fiction be easy reading?
Thanks to my guest, Eric Sandberg. He is an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong and the editor of Dorothy L. Sayers: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction.
Get tickets to see Shedunnit live on 11th September 2022 in Torquay at shedunnitshow.com/events.
Mentioned in this episode:
— Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
— The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
— “The Case of Miss Dorothy Sayers” by Q. D. Leavis in Scrutiny (December 1937)
— Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
— “Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?” by Edmund Wilson in The New Yorker (20 June 1945)
— The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The “Happily Ever After” episode of Shedunnit
— The “Dorothy’s Secret” episode of Shedunnit
— The “Dorothy L. Sayers Solves Her Mystery” episode of Shedunnit
— The “Detection Club” episode of Shedunnit
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Backblaze, astonishingly easy cloud storage and backup tools. Shedunnit listeners can get a 15-day no credit card required trial at backblaze.com/shedunnit
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thechallengeofdorothylsayerstranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
In 1922, Agatha Christie took a trip around the world.
Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/agathatheadventuress.
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.
Referenced for this episode:
— Agatha Christie: The Grand Tour introduced by Mathew Prichard
— The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— Agatha Christie’s Complete Secret Notebooks edited by John Curran
— The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
— The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
— Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookseller that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/agathatheadventuresstranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Clerks, shop assistants, secretaries, salespeople — we have lots to learn from the lower middle class characters of classic detective fiction.
Thanks to my guest, Dr Nicola Bishop. Her book, Lower-Middle-Class Nation: The White-Collar Worker in British Popular Culture is published by Bloomsbury Academic.
Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thenobodies.
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Diary of a Nobody by George and Weedon Grossmith
— The Suburbans by Thomas William Hodgson Crosland
— "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot
— The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
— After the Funeral by Agatha Christie
— The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
— The Big Four by Agatha Christie
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thenobodiestranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
A judge looks back over her time on the bench at a very famous court.
Thanks to my guest, Wendy Joseph. Her book about her time as an Old Bailey judge, Unlawful Killings, is out now.
Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/attheoldbailey
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
— Rumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer
— The Crippen episode of Shedunnit
— The Brides in the Bath episode of Shedunnit
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/attheoldbaileytranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
What if thinking and talking about real life murders was not actually good for us?
Thanks to my guest, Emma Berquist. Find all the details about her books and articles at emmaberquist.com.
Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thedarksideoftruecrime
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
Mentioned in this episode:
— The Brides in the Bath episode of Shedunnit
— The Murder at Road Hill House episode of Shedunnit
— The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
— “True Crime Is Rotting Our Brains” by Emma Berquist at Gawker
— “There’s Really No Easy Way to Say ‘I Was Stabbed’” by Emma Berquist at Human Parts
— Missing Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist
— The case of “the Servant Girl Annihilator”
— The rescue of Baby Jessica
— The Edith Thompson episode of Shedunnit
— The Gabby Petito case
— Paul Foot on the James Hanratty case
— Heavenly Creatures (1994) directed by Peter Jackson
— In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thedarksideoftruecrimetranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Expanding the horizons of golden age detective fiction.
Many thanks to my guest, Christopher Huang. You can find out more about his work at ricordius.com. His first mystery novel is A Gentleman's Murder. Read his article "How Do You Decolonise The Golden Age Mystery? Read More Historical Fiction!" at crimereads.com.
Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/lookingeast.
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
Books mentioned:
— The Cadfael series by Ellis Peters
— X Esquire by Leslie Charteris
— The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
— Meet the Tiger by Leslie Charteris
— Miss Moorthy Investigates by Ovidia Yu
— Ronald Knox's "Decalogue"
— "The Rules" episode of Shedunnit
— The Charlie Chan series by Earl Derr Biggers
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
— The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
— The Frangipani Tree Mystery by Ovidia Yu
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookseller that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/lookingeasttranscript
F. Tennyson Jesse created a way of telling crime stories that still influences us today.
Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thequeenoftruecrime.
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
Books mentioned and sources consulted:
Books mentioned:
— Murder and Its Motives by F. Tennyson Jesse
— "The Mask" by F. Tennyson Jesse
— The Sword of Deborah by F. Tennyson Jesse
— The Trial of Madeleine Smith by F. Tennyson Jesse
— The Trial of Rattenbury and Stoner by F. Tennyson Jesse
— A Pin To See The Peepshow by F. Tennyson Jesse
— Comments on Cain by F. Tennyson Jesse
— Crime Writing in Interwar Britain by Victoria Stewart
— A Portrait of Fryn by Joanna Colenbrander
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookseller that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thequeenoftruecrimetranscript.
The grandfather of detective fiction still has a lot to teach us.
Many thanks to my guest, Jim Noy. You can find out more about his work at his blog, theinvisibleevent.com. His book The Red Death Murders is available only from Amazon worldwide (link for UK; link for US).
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
Books mentioned:
— The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
— The Red Death Murders by Jim Noy
— The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
— "The Red-Headed League" by Arthur Conan Doyle collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
— Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookseller that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thelongshadowofedgarallenpoetranscript.
A box of chocolates can conceal a poisonous secret.
Find out more at shedunnitshow.com/deathbychocolate.
To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
Books mentioned:
— The Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer by Kaye Jones
— The Invention of Murder by Judith Flanders
— The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley
— "The Chocolate Box" in Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
— Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
— At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie
— Framed For Hanging by Guy Cullingford
— Sweet Poison by Rupert Penny
— Deed Without A Name by Dorothy Bowers
— The Black Spectacles by John Dickson Carr (aka The Problem of the Green Capsule)
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookseller that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/deathbychocolatetranscript.
Please join me for a long-awaited guided tour of the role that dogs play in detective fiction.
I am running an audience survey for the podcast at the moment to find out more about who my listeners are and what they like and don't like about the show. If you'd like to help me make the podcast better, please head to shedunnitshow.com/survey to fill it out — it only takes a couple of minutes, and while you're there there'll be a chance to enter a raffle to win a second hand detective novel too. It's open until the end of April.
Books mentioned:
— My Lady's Money by Wilkie Collins
— The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
— A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
— The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
— The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
— The Mystery of the Black Dog by Ellery Queen
— "The Oracle of the Dog" by G.K. Chesterton
— Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
— Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie
— Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
— Bats in the Belfry by E.C.R. Lorac
— The Dog It Was That Died by E.C.R. Lorac
— The Kennel Murder Case by SS Van Dine
— Murder Underground by Mavis Doriel Hay
— The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
— The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Gardner
— Love Lies Bleeding by Edmund Crispin
— Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thedetectivesbestfriendtranscript
Let's spend some time with G.K. Chesterton, the first president of the Detection Club.
I am running an audience survey for the podcast at the moment to find out more about who my listeners are and what they like and don't like about the show. If you'd like to help me make the podcast better, please head to shedunnitshow.com/survey to fill it out — it only takes a couple of minutes, and while you're there there'll be a chance to enter a raffle to win a second hand detective novel too.
Sources:
— "The Hammer of God" by G.K. Chesterton from The Innocence of Father Brown
— "Errors About Detective Stories" by G.K. Chesterton in the Illustrated London News
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Backblaze, astonishingly easy cloud storage and backup tools. Shedunnit listeners can get a 15-day no credit card required trial at backblaze.com/shedunnit.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/anencounterwithfatherbrowntranscript
Agatha Christie knew more than most about digging up corpses.
There are no major spoilers in this episode, but be aware that there are mentions of plot points from the books listed below.
Books and sources:
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— Mallowan’s Memoirs by Max Mallowan
— Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
— The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
— Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
— And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
— Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
— Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
— They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie
— Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
— Cat of Many Tails by Ellery Queen
— Murder by Burial by Stanley Casson
— Agatha Christie and Archaeology edited by Charlotte Trümpler
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Libsyn, the simple, reliable and professional podcast hosting service that I use for Shedunnit. Listeners can get up to 2 months free with promo code CAROLINE or via this link: shedunnitshow.com/libsyn
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/agathasarchaeologists
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
A good detective story has a recognisable rhythm and plot points. But how did these tropes come about? And what happens when you break the rules?
This episode of Shedunnit was first released in February 2019 and is repeated here in a rerecorded and remastered version.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/therules.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Books and articles mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne
—T. S. Eliot on detective fiction
—The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
—S. S. van Dine’s “Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories”
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Ronald Knox’s Decalogue
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr
—The Eye in the Museum by J. J. Connington
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—”Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?” by Edmund Wilson
—Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
—The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/therulestranscript
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Reading my way through the last hundred years, from the 1920s to the 2020s, one mystery at a time.
My previous attempt at this reading project can be found in the episode A Century of Whodunnits.
Books mentioned:
— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers
— Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles
— Laurels are Poison by Gladys Mitchell
— The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
— The Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons
— Tied Up in Tinsel by Ngaio Marsh
— A Fatal Inversion by Barbara Vine
— Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
— Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James
— Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
— The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Betabrand, purveyors of comfy yet smart clothes. Go to betabrand.com/shedunnit for 30 per cent off.
— Mystery Match Village, which has a special Death on the Nile season pass available at the moment. The game is available by searching "Mystery Match Village" on the App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/asecondcenturyofwhodunnitstranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
India has a long and deep tradition of storytelling and mythology. What happens when this heritage is combined with the tropes of golden age detective fiction?
Thanks to my guest R.V. Raman. His first whodunnit is A Will To Kill and you can find more information about upcoming books in his Harith Athreya series at rvraman.com.
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Mystery Match Village, which has a special Death on the Nile season pass available at the moment. The game is available by searching "Mystery Match Village" on the App Store or Google Play.
— Libsyn, the simple, reliable and professional podcast hosting service that I use for Shedunnit. Listeners can get up to 2 months free with promo code CAROLINE or via this link: shedunnitshow.com/libsyn
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thewhodunnitinindiatranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
The golden age of detective fiction was obsessed with identity. The reason why? An extremely melodramatic Victorian legal case involving shipwreck, Shetland ponies and a tangled aristocratic inheritance.
For more details on the Shedunnit Production Assistant job, visit shedunnitshow.com/productionassistant. The deadline for applications is 30th January 2022.
Please be aware that there may be spoilers for the following books in this episode.
Books referenced:
— The Claimant by Michael Gilbert
— Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert
— Smallbone Deceased by Michael Gilbert
— The Murder at Road Hill House episode with Robin Stevens
— The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
— Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
— Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie
— The Nine Wrong Answers by John Dickson Carr
— The Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons
— Brat Farrarby Josephine Tey
— The Tichborne Romance by Franklin Lushington
— The Tichborne Claimant by Douglas Woodruff
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Betabrand, purveyors of comfy yet smart clothes. Go to betabrand.com/shedunnit for 30 per cent off.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thetichborneclaimanttranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Do you know your ack emma from your pip emma? Would you wear the cat's pyjamas? Are you, in fact, a goop? Helen Zaltzman joins me to delve into some baffling language from golden age detective fiction.
Thanks to my guest for this episode, Helen Zaltzman. She is the host of The Allusionist, a marvellous podcast about language, which I strongly recommend that you support on Patreon now.
A bonus episode with 20 minutes of extra material will be published later this month just for Shedunnit Book Club members. If you'd like to hear it, join now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
There are no major plot spoilers in this episode.
Books referenced:
— A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
— "The Tuesday Night Club" by Agatha Christie from The Tuesday Club Murders aka The Thirteen Problems
— The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
— Checkmate to Murder by ECR Lorac
— The Ha-Ha Case by JJ Connington
— The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Blackwell's, an independent bookseller here in the UK. If you buy any book from them via the podcast's link, the show gets a small commission for referring you while the price remains the same for you. Visit any of the links to books above or shedunnitshow.com/blackwells to shop now.
Shedunnit is hiring! Apply now to be the show's new production assistant at shedunnitshow.com/productionassistant.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/amysteriousglossarytranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
How much did Agatha Christie really know about dead bodies?
Thanks to my guest for this episode, Carla Valentine. She is a trained mortuary technician and the technical curator at Barts Pathology Museum in London. She's also the author of Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie.
I'm doing a festive livestream on December 15th at 6pm GMT just for members of the Shedunnit Book Club. If you'd like to join, visit shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
There are no major plot spoilers in this episode, although there is some discussion of the death in Hercule Poirot's Christmas.
Books referenced:
— The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
— The Tuesday Night Club aka The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
— Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
— Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
Thanks to today’s sponsor: — Girlfriend Collective. Get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
— Milk Bar. Get $10 off any order of $50 or more when you go to milkbarstore.com/shedunnit.
— Dear Holmes, a mail-based Victorian mystery game. To give this as a gift or to join for yourself, visit dearholmes.com and enter promo code Shedunnit to get $5 off your first order.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/murderisnteasytranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Why did she stop writing detective fiction as WW2 approached?
This is the sixth and final episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.
The Pledge Drive gift offer is now over, because we have smashed the 100 member goal already! But if you'd still like to join the Shedunnit Book Club members, and get access to the special Christmas livestream I'm doing with my husband on 15th December just for members, visit shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
There are very minor spoilers in this episode for the eventual outcome of the Harriet Vane-Peter Wimsey plot line.
Books referenced:
— Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers
— The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers
— The Floating Admiral by Members of the Detection Club
— The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L Sayers and Robert Eustace
— Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers
— Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers
— The Zeal of Thy House by Dorothy L Sayers
— Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul by Barbara Reynolds
— He That Should Come by Dorothy L Sayers
— Begin Here: A Wartime Essay by Dorothy L Sayers
— Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers
—Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh
— Striding Folly by Dorothy L Sayers
— "The Haunted Policeman" and "Talboys" in Lord Peter Wimsey Investigates by Dorothy L Sayers
— The Wimsey Papers by Dorothy L Sayers
— The Man Born to Be King by Dorothy L Sayers
— The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L Sayers
— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers
— Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers
— Have His Carcase by Dorothy L Sayers
— A Presumption of Death by Dorothy L Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh
— Women's Fiction of the Second World War: Gender, Power, Resistance by Gill Plain
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Dear Holmes, a mail-based Victorian mystery game. To give this as a gift or to join for yourself, visit dearholmes.com and enter promo code Shedunnit to get $5 off your first order.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/dorothylsayerssolveshermysterytranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
The original music for this series, "The Case Of The Black Stormcloud", was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Caught between two very different worlds, WW2 forced this queen of crime to become better acquainted with her homeland.
This is the fifth episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.
Thanks to my guest, Gail Pittaway. You can find out more about her work here.
The Pledge Drive gift offer is now over, because we have smashed the 100 member goal already! But if you'd still like to join the Shedunnit Book Club members, and get access to the special Christmas livestream I'm doing with my husband on 15th December just for members, visit shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
Books referenced:
— Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime by Joanne Drayton
— Ngaio Marsh by Margaret Lewis
— Ngaio Marsh: The Woman and Her Work by B. J. Rahn
— Black Beech and Honeydew by Ngaio Marsh
— Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh
— Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh
— Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh
— Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh
— Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
— Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh
— Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh
— Photo Finish by Ngaio Marsh
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Girlfriend Collective. Get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
— Gods & Lies, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/ngaiomarshgoeshometranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
The original music for this series, "The Case Of The Black Stormcloud", was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Something happened to the Scottish writer during WW2 that made her want to write mysteries again.
This is the fourth episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War. Visit shedunnitshow.com/josephineteysgoldenage for more details.
Thanks to my guest, Jennifer Morag Henderson. You can find out more about her work at jennifermoraghenderson.com and pre-order the new edition of Josephine Tey: A Life at all good booksellers.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive continues. I'm aiming to add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2021. You can get some great perks, like bonus episodes and extra audiobooks — if you’d like to be part of that and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
Books referenced:
— The Man in the Queue by Gordon Daviot aka Josephine Tey
— A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey
— The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
— The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey
— Richard of Bordeaux by Gordon Daviot aka Josephine Tey
— Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
— Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey
— To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey
— The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
Thanks to today’s sponsors: — Milk Bar. Get $10 off any order of $50 or more when you go to milkbarstore.com/shedunnit.
— Orphan Black, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/josephineteysgoldenagetranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
The original music for this series, "The Case Of The Black Stormcloud", was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
For Albert Campion's creator, the war was her salvation.
This is the third episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive continues. I'm aiming to add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2021. You can get some great perks, like bonus episodes and extra audiobooks — if you’d like to be part of that and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
Books referenced:
— Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham
— Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Fashion in Shrouds by Margery Allingham
— Traitor's Purse by Margery Allingham
— Coroner's Pidgin by Margery Allingham
— The Oaken Heart by Margery Allingham
— The Adventures of Margery Allingham by Julia Jones (aka Julia Thorogood)
— Ink in Her Blood: The Life and Crime Fiction of Margery Allingham by Richard Martin
— Mr Campion's Career by B. A. Pike
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Girlfriend Collective. Get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
— Gods & Lies, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/margeryallinghamwaitsfortheinvasiontranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
The original music for this series, "The Case Of The Black Stormcloud", was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Her WW2 mysteries are best of all.
This is the second episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive continues. I'm aiming to add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2021. You can get some great perks, like bonus episodes and extra audiobooks — if you’d like to be part of that and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Thanks to my guest, Martin Edwards. He is a crime writer and the author of, among many other books, The Golden Age of Murder. Find out more about all his work at martinedwardsbooks.com or via his Twitter as @medwardsbooks.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
Books referenced:
— The Murder on the Burrows by E.C.R. Lorac
— Crime Counter Crime by E.C.R. Lorac
— The Organ Speaks by E.C.R. Lorac
— These Names Make Clues by E.C.R. Lorac
— Bats in the Belfry by E.C.R. Lorac
— The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
— Checkmate to Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
— Murder by Matchlight by E.C.R. Lorac
— Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
— Murder in St John's Wood by E.C.R. Lorac
— Murder in Chelsea by E.C.R. Lorac
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Roanoke Falls, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/ecrloracrisesthroughtherankstranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
The original music for this series, "The Case Of The Black Stormcloud", was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Agatha Christie had a very productive WW2.
This is the start of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.
This episode also marks the start of the Shedunnit Pledge Drive! I'm aiming to add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2021, with the aim of producing more mini series like this one. If you’d like to be part of that and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Thanks to my guests:
— J.C. Bernthal is an Agatha Christie scholar and the author of Queering Agatha Christie. His website is jcbernthal.com and he is on Twitter as @jcbernthal
— Martin Edwards is a crime writer and the author of, among many other books, The Golden Age of Murder. Find out more about all his work at martinedwardsbooks.com or via his Twitter as @medwardsbooks
There are no spoilers in this episode.
Books referenced:
— The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
— Agatha Christie Goes To War edited by Rebecca Mills and J.C. Bernthal
— And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
— Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
— Murder Must Appetise by Harry Keating
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
— Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
— One, Two Buckle, My Shoe by Agatha Christie
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie
— Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
— N or M? by Agatha Christie
— The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
— The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
— Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie
— Bletchley Park: The Codebreakers of Station X by Michael Smith
— The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
— Curtain by Agatha Christie
— Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
— The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
— Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie
— A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
— The Hollow by Agatha Christie
— Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— Girlfriend Collective. Get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
— Milk Bar. Get $10 off any order of $50 or more when you go to milkbarstore.com/shedunnit.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/agathachristiewritesalonetranscript.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
The original music for this series, "The Case Of The Black Stormcloud", was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Who would be the Hastings to your Poirot? What kind of mystery would you like to write? What would you do if you came across a corpse? In this special episode to celebrate Shedunnit's third anniversary, Caroline's husband Guy takes the mic and asks her all these questions and more.
Guy is on Twitter as @guywjc and you can find out more about his work at guycuthbertson.com. Caroline is @cacrampton on Instagram.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
My new map and guide, Agatha Christie’s England, is available now in physical form at shedunnitshow.com/map or as an audiobook at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap.
Books mentioned:
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
—The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
—The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
—The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis (first in the Falco series)
—A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
—The Wool-Pack by Cynthia Harnett
—The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
—A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers
—Close Quarters by Michael Gilbert
Thanks to today’s sponsor:
— If I Go Missing The Witches Did It, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/athomewithshedunnittranscript
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
What happens when two people write a whodunnit together?
Thanks to my guests, Cordelia Biddle and Steve Zettler. They write separately under their own names and together under the pseudonym Nero Blanc. The whole Crossword Mysteries series can be found at crosswordmysteries.com, where there are links to buy each title.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
My new map and guide, Agatha Christie’s England, is available now in physical form at shedunnitshow.com/map or as an audiobook at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap.
Find links to all the books mentioned in this episode at shedunnitshow.com/doubletrouble.
Books mentioned:
— Tidy Death by Nap Lombard
— The Life of G.D.H. Cole by Margaret Cole
— The Floating Admiral by the Detection Club
— Murder's a Swine by Nap Lombard
— Enter Sir John by Clemence Dane and Helen de Guerry Simpson
— Regiment of Women by Clemence Dane
— The Documents in the Case by Dorothy Sayers
— Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers
— Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers
— The Nursing Home Murder by Dorothy Sayers
— The Crossword Murder by Nero Blanc
— Death on the Diagonal by Nero Blanc
Further listening:
— The "Round Robin" episode about multi-author whodunnits
— The "Detection Club" episode about the group of golden age authors who participated in these projects
— The "Mutual Admiration Society" episode about the collaboration between Dorothy L. Sayers and Muriel St Clare Byrne
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. Buying from them is a great way to support both the podcast and the book trade!
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Girlfriend Collective. Get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
— Beatrix Greene, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/doubletroubletranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Agatha Christie was the most successful female playwright of all time. She also wrote some detective novels you might have heard of.
Julius Green is the author of Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre, available in paperback now at all good booksellers. You can catch him at the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay on 18th September giving a talk about "Poirot on Stage" and the staged reading of The Stranger that we talked about is on 17th September at the Palace Theatre in Paignton.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
My new map and guide, Agatha Christie’s England, is available now in physical form at shedunnitshow.com/map or as an audiobook at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap.
Find links to all the books mentioned in this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thetheatricalworldofagathachristie.
Sources and further information:
— Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre by Julius Green
— The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
— Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
— Spider's Web by Agatha Christie
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— Black Coffee by Agatha Christie
— And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
— The Stranger by Agatha Christie
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
— Look Back in Anger by John Osborne
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— Alibi by Michael Morton
— Verdict by Agatha Christie
— A Daughter's A Daughter by Agatha Christie
— The Mary Westmacott episode of Shedunnit
— Giant's Bread by Mary Westmacott
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. Buying from them is a great way to support both the podcast and the book trade!
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Girlfriend Collective, get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
— Dead Air, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thetheatricalworldofagathachristietranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
This summer, you can still travel to the murderous destinations visited by your favourite detectives.
While I take a holiday myself, please enjoy this classic episode of Shedunnit! First aired in July 2020, it's all about how and why golden age sleuths solve mysteries while away from home.
My new map and guide, Agatha Christie’s England, is available now in physical form at shedunnitshow.com/map or as an audiobook at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned in this episode at shedunnitshow.com/murderonholidayreplay.
Books and sources:
—Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
—At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie
—“Triangle at Rhodes” in Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie
—“The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan” in Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
—Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
—Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
—Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh
—Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
—Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
—Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
—Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh
—Forever England: Femininity, Literature and Conservatism Between the Wars by Alison Light
—The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
—Calamity in Kent by John Rowland
—The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude
—The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
—A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
—Death in Clairvoyance by Josephine Bell
—Tour de Force by Christianna Brand
—When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh
—Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac
—Dead Men Don’t Ski by Patricia Moyes
—“The Erymanthian Boar” from The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
—Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—“The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face” fromLord Peter Views The Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
—“The Blood Stained Pavement” and “The Companion” fromThe Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
—Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
—Murder in Midsummer: Classic Mysteries for the Holidays edited by Cecily Gayford
—Murder Takes a Holiday: Classic Crime Stories for Summer edited by Cecily Gayford
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Girlfriend Collective, get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
— Elixir, an audio series by Realm. Listen now on your podcast app of choice and find out more at realm.fm.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/murderonholidaytranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Her plots are second to none. But is the Queen of Crime a true literary great?
Thanks to my guest, Sophie Hannah. Her latest Poirot continuation novel is The Killings at Kingfisher Hill and is available from all good booksellers. Find out more about all of her books at sophiehannah.com and follow her on Twitter as @sophiehannahCB1.
There are no spoilers in this episode.
My new map and guide, Agatha Christie's England, is available for pre order now in physical form at shedunnitshow.com/map or as an audiobook at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap.
Books mentioned and further information:
— "The Case of Agatha Christie" by John Lanchester from the London Review of Books, December 2018
— Agatha Christie: First Lady of Crime edited by H.R.F. Keating with a new introduction by Sophie Hannah
— Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World by Mark Aldridge
— There are two episodes of Shedunnit featuring Mark Aldridge: The Many Afterlives of Hercule Poirot and Swan Song
— Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/isagathachristiegood
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
This sensational case from 1860 ignited a wave of detective fever that we still haven't recovered from.
Thanks to my guest Robin Stevens — you can hear her on two previous episodes of the show, Back to School and Death Sets Sail on the Nile, and her new collection of short stories about schoolgirl detectives Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells is called Once Upon A Crime and comes out in August 2021.
We do discuss the outcome of the Road Hill House case, so if you want to read The Suspicions of Mr Whicher or any other account without knowing what happens at the end, do that before you listen to this.
My new map and guide, Agatha Christie's England, is available for pre order now in physical form at shedunnitshow.com/map or as an audiobook at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap.
Books mentioned and sources used:
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
— "The Adventure of Silver Blaze" from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
— Bleak House by Charles Dickens
— The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers
— "Constance Kent" by John Rhode in The Anatomy of Murder
— "Miss Kent and Major Street: The Case of Constance Kent" by The Passing Tramp
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsors:
— Best Fiends, you can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
— Girlfriend Collective, get $25 off your $100+ purchase of sustainable, ethically made activewear at girlfriend.com/shedunnit.
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Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/themurderatroadhillhousetranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Where is St Mary Mead, anyway?
My guide to Agatha Christie's England is now available to pre-order from the publisher at shedunnitshow.com/map (ships 19th July 2021). It's also available to order from Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell's and other booksellers. An audio version is available for purchase at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap (if you are entitled to a free copy from your pre-order, you will have received an email from the publisher about this).
There are no major spoilers either in this episode or the guide.
Books mentioned:
— Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
— Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
— N or M? by Agatha Christie
— Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie — Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
— Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie
— The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
— Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie
— The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie
— They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie
— Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— Third Girl by Agatha Christie
— A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
— 4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie
— The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
— Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
— By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
— The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today's sponsor, The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson. It's available now wherever books are sold — get your copy today.
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The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/agathachristiesenglandtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Young detectives, and young readers, play an important part in the history of detective fiction.
Many thanks to my guest, Maureen Johnson. Her newest YA mystery, The Box in the Woods, is out now. Find out more at her website www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com and follow her on Twitter @maureenjohnson.
There are no major plot spoilers in this episode, but we do talk about the general set up of Maureen's four Stevie Bell novels: Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair, The Hand on the Wall and The Box in the Woods.
Books and sources mentioned:
— The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
— Harriet The Spy by Lousie Fitzhugh
— Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner
— The Secret Island by Enid Blyton
— Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton
— The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage by Enid Blyton
— The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton
— Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie
— Holiday River by Gladys Mitchell
— The Seven Stones Mystery by Gladys Mitchell
— The Malory Secret by Gladys Mitchell
— Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
— The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
— Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
— Mystery in Children's Literature: From the Rational to the Supernatural edited by Adrienne Gavin and Christopher Routledge
Thanks to today’s sponsors. You can get $5 off mail based Victorian mystery game Dear Holmes at dearholmes.com/shedunnit using code “shedunnit” at checkout.
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The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/youngsleuthstranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
How do you write a 1920s style detective novel that's set in the 2020s?
Thanks to Elly Griffiths, aka Domenica De Rosa, for joining me today to talk about her love of golden age crime fiction and how she put that into her award winning novel The Postscript Murders. She also writes the Ruth Galloway series and the Brighton Mysteries series — find out more at her website ellygriffiths.co.uk and follower her on Twitter @ellygriffiths.
The Shedunnit Book Club is reading The Postscript Murders in June 2021 — if you'd like to join us you can become a member at shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
There are no major spoilers in this episode, but there is some reference to the plot outline of The Postscript Murders.
Books referenced:
— The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
— Cinderella Goes To The Morgue by Nancy Spain
— A Girl Called Justice by Elly Griffiths
— Opening Night by Ngaio Marsh
— The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
— By The Pricking Of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
— The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
— Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Thanks to today’s sponsors. You can get $5 off mail based Victorian mystery game Dear Holmes at dearholmes.com/shedunnit using code "shedunnit" at checkout. The audiobook of Laura Ruby's Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All is available at your audiobook retailer of choice.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/goldenageinspirationtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Many thanks to my guest, Nicole Glover. More information about her work is available at nicole-glover.com, and her first book, The Conductors, is out now in the US and the UK.
The inspiration for this episode was Nicole's article "Who Are You Going To Call: Rethinking The Role Of Police In Mysteries".
There are no major spoilers in this episode, but there is some discussion of the works listed below.
Sources and further information:
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
— "On Duty With Inspector Field" by Charles Dickens in Household Words
— Bleak House by Charles Dickens
— "The Butler Did It" episode of Shedunnit
— A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
— The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh
— Death In Ecstasy by Ngaio Marsh
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham
— Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/policingthedetectives
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Reading through the twentieth century, one murder mystery at a time.
Find more information about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/century.
The ten books I talk about are:
— The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (1905)
— Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bentley (1913)
— The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts (1920)
— The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers (1934)
— Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (1943)
— Death in Captivity by Michael Gilbert (1952)
— From Doon With Death by Ruth Rendell (1964)
— Death of an Expert Witness by P.D. James (1977)
— Appleby and the Ospreys by Michael Innes (1986)
— Black and Blue by Ian Rankin (1997)
Other sources:
— The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books by Martin Edwards
— Bloody Murder: from the Detective Story to the Crime Novel by Julian Symons
There are no major spoilers in this episode, but the opening plot scenario of each book is discussed briefly. There is a major spoiler for the Sherlock Holmes story "The Final Problem" from 1893.
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/centurytranscript.
Thanks to today’s sponsors. You can get $5 off mail based Victorian mystery game Dear Holmes at dearholmes.com/shedunnit using code "shedunnit" at checkout. The audiobook of Laura Ruby's Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All is on a special deep discount through May, and you can find that through your audiobook retailer of choice.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
How do you say goodbye to a beloved detective? Agatha Christie, of course, made a mystery out of it.
Thanks to my guest, Mark Aldridge. You can find out more about his work at markaldridge.info and order a copy of his new book, Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World, from all good booksellers.
Spoiler warning: there are major spoilers for Curtain and Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie in this episode.
To see a full list of books mentioned in this episode and get links to other resources related to this topic, please visit shedunnitshow.com/swansong.
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Visit shedunnitshow.com/open to open the show now in your default podcast app.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/swansongtranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions.
There aren’t many characters who are recognisable just from a silhouette, but Hercule Poirot is one of them.
Thanks to my guest, Mark Aldridge. You can find out more about his work at markaldridge.info and order a copy of his new book, Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World, from all good booksellers.
There are no major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below.
Sources and further information:
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
— The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
— Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief by Maurice Leblanc
— "The Dispenser" episode of Shedunnit about Agatha Christie's wartime hospital work
— After the Funeral by Agatha Christie
— Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
— Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
— Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie
— Mrs McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— "The Lady Vanishes" episode of Shedunnit about Agatha Christie's 1926 "disappearance" and divorce
— The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
— The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
— Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/themanyafterlivesofherculepoirottranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
If you can solve a crossword, you can solve a murder.
Thanks to my guest, Hamish Symington. You can find out more about his work at hamishsymington.com and order a custom cryptic crossword from him at customcrypticcrosswords.com.
There are no major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below.
Sources and further information:
— Forever England: Femininity, Literature and Conservatism Between the Wars by Alison Light
— "Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" by Edmund Wilson, first published in the New Yorker on 20 January 1945
— The Crossword Mysteries by Nero Blanc
— "The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager's Will" in Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
— Crossword Mystery by E.R. Punshon
— Close Quarters by Michael Gilbert
— "The Clue" in Two Bottles of Relish: The Little Tales of Smethers and Other Stories by Lord Dunsany
— A Six Letter Word For Death by Patricia Moyes
— Last Puzzle and Testament by Parnell Hall
—Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures With Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can't Live Without Them by Adrienne Raphel
—"Clues: Crosswords and Detective Stories" by John Curran in Crime and Detective Stories 79, December 2018
—Cracking Cryptic Crosswords by Colin Dexter
— Two episodes of The Allusionist podcast about crosswords: #8 Crosswords and #62: In Crypt, Decrypt
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/crypticcrimestranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Exploring the thriving tradition of classic Japanese whodunnits.
Thanks to my guests, On Nomoto, grandson of honkaku writer Seishi Yokomizo, and Daniel Seton, commissioning editor at Pushkin Press.
No major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below.
Sources and further information:
— The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro by Edogawa Rampo
— "The Spider" by Koga Saburo, translated by Ho-Ling Wong and John Pugmire
— Foreign Bodies edited by Martin Edwards
— The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
— The Inugami Curse by Seishi Yokomizo
— The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shiimada
—“A Brief Introduction To Honkaku And Shin Honkaku Mysteries” by Tara Cheesman
—“The King Of The Golden Age Crime Novel In Japan: Seishi Yokomizo” by Paul French
— Detective Fiction and the Rise of the Japanese Novel, 1880–1930 by Satoru Saito
— “Inheriting the Nation: Seishi Yokomizo’s Kindaichi Novels” by Chiho Nakagawa in Clues: A Journal of Detection, Volume 32, Number 2, Fall 2014, pp. 90–99
— Interview with translater Louise Heal Kawai on the In GAD We Trust podcast
NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thehonkakumysteriestranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
First aired in November 2018, this classic Shedunnit episode is all about the coded gay characters and references in books from the golden age of detective fiction like Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced and Josephine Tey’s Miss Pym Disposes.Find more information about my guests and the books mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/queerclues.
What was the first murder mystery, really?
No major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below.
Sources and further information:
— The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
— Partners In Crime by Agatha Christie
— A Study In Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
— The Mystery Of A Hansom Cab by Fergus Hume
— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
— L’Affaire Lerouge by Emile Gaboriau
— Lady Audley’s Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
— The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
— Bleak House by Charles Dickens
— "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allen Poe
— The Omnibus of Crime (1929) edited by Dorothy L. Sayers
— "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe
— "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allen Poe
— "The Imp of the Perverse" by Edgar Allen Poe
— Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Late Scholar by Jill Paton Walsh
— Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu
— "A Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess" by Sheridan Le Fanu
— The Aeneid by Virgil
— Uncle Silas by Sheridan Le Fanu
— The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
— Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
—“Who Wrote the First Whodunit?” by Steven Saylor
— “Oedipus on the Nile: translations and adaptations of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannos in Egypt, 1900-1970” by Raphael Christian Cormack —“Oedipus the Detective” by Sean Fitzpatrick
— “Oedipus as Detective: Sophocles, Simenon, Robbe-Grillet” by Page Dubois in Yale French Studies, 2005
— “Oedipus versus Sherlock Holmes” by Marios Ploritis and Richard Schechner in The Tulane Drama Review, Winter 1965
—“From Sophocles to Sherlock: economics, literature and the detective story” by Frank Edmund Smith
—“Fergus Hume’s startling story” by Simon Caterson
—"‘The Most Popular Book of Modern Times’: Fergus Hume’s The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (1886)" by Clare Clarke in Late Victorian Crime Fiction in the Shadows of Sherlock
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thefirstwhodunnittranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Before there was CSI, there was Bernard Spilsbury.
No major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below. Please be aware there is a brief mention of suicide at the end.
Sources and further information:
— The Florence Maybrick episodes of this podcast: part one and part two
— Taylor’s Principles and Practice of Medical Jurisprudence by Alfred Swaine Taylor
— Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
— The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley
— The Red Thumb Mark by R. Austin Freeman
— The Crippen episode of this podcast
— The Father of Forensics: How Sir Bernard Spilsbury Invented Modern CSI by Colin Evans
— “Trial Of Thomas Smethurst”, British Medical Journal, August 27, 1859
— “The Case of Thomas Smethurst, Convicted of the Crime of Murder”, The Lancet, September 1859
— The Magnificent Spilsbury and the Case of the Brides in the Bath by Jane Robbins
— The "Brides in the Bath" episode of this podcast
— Bernard Spilsbury’s index cards at the Wellcome Collection
— Some Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury and Others : Death Under The Microscope by Harold Dearden
— Bernard Spilsbury: His Life and Cases by Douglas G. Browne and E.V. Tullett
— “The rise and fall of celebrity pathology” by Ian Burney and Neil Pemberton in the British Medical Journal, December 2010
— “Bruised Witness: Bernard Spilsbury and the Performance of Early Twentieth-Century English Forensic Pathology” in Medical History, January 2011
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter<.
The podcast is on Twitter>, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thepeoplespathologisttranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Nothing could bad could possibly happen here, the inhabitants of the peaceful English village say to each other. Until the first poison pen letter arrives.
No major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below. Also, be aware there is a very brief mention of suicide.
Books and sources:
—The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
—“The Lernean Hydra” in The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Policemen in the Precinct by E.C.R. Lorac
—The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters by Enid Blyton
—Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Poison in the Pen by Patricia Wentworth
—Details of the James Forster poison pen case in Manfield, Yorkshire
—"The Poison Pen Letter: the Early 20th Century's Strangest Crime Wave" by Curtis Evans
—Fear Stalks the Village by Ethel Lina White
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Backblaze. You can get a 15 day free trial at backblaze.com/shedunnit.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/poisonpentranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
The original golden age of detective fiction in the 1920s followed on from a devastating global pandemic. Is it any wonder, then, that we’ve read so much crime fiction in 2020? And why do we find murder mysteries a comforting choice for Christmas?
This festive season if you’d like to support the podcast and buy a gift for a murder mystery loving friend at the same time, you can purchase a discounted gift subscription for the Shedunnit Book Club at shedunnitshow.com/giftoffer or until 17th December shop the restocked merchandise collection at shedunnitshow.com/shop.
No major spoilers in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below.
Books and sources:
—The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (UK version / US version)
—”The Golden Age” by Stephen Knight in The Cambridge Companion to Crime Fiction
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Trent’s Last Case by E.C. Bentley (UK version / US version)
—Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Forever England by Alison Light (UK version / US version)
—”The Decline and Fall of the Detection Story” by W Somerset Maugham in The Vagrant Mood
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/achristieforchristmastranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here.
I’ve read a lot of Agatha Christie, but I’ve never read all of her books in order. What insights are there to be had by doing so? Christie completists Catherine Brobeck and Kemper Donovan of the All About Agatha podcast join me to talk about the Queen of Crime’s clever way with characters, the “stuck in its time” elements of some of her plots, and how they rank her novels from best to worst.
This festive season if you’d like to support the podcast and buy a gift for a murder mystery loving friend at the same time, you can purchase a discounted gift subscription for the Shedunnit Book Club at shedunnitshow.com/giftoffer or (if you’re fast!) shop the restocked merchandise collection at shedunnitshow.com/shop.
No major spoilers in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below.
Books and sources:
—Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Halloween Party by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—The Hollow by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Endless Night by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
—The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (UK version / US version)
Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links — if you buy from an independent bookshop via bookshop.org or secondhand through AbeBooks the sale price remains the same but the podcast receives a small commission.
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Dear Holmes, a mail-based Victorian mystery game in which you can pit your wits against Sherlock Holmes. Get $5 off your first order by visiting dearholmes.com and use code Shedunnit at checkout.
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Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/christiecompletiststranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Is it still worth reading a whodunnit if you know… who done it?
Thanks to my guests Jim Noy of The Invisible Event and Kate Jackson of Cross Examining Crime. Jim is on Twitter @invisible_event and Kate is @ArmchairSleuth.
Thank you to everyone who supported the Shedunnit Pledge Drive, we did it! You can still join the Shedunnit Book Club if you’d like of course — and I’ll keep the discounted gift offer valid through until the end of the year — but the threshold is already met and there will be more regular episodes coming in 2021.
NB: Despite the title, there are no major spoilers in this episode. However, there is some structural discussion of the books listed below.
Books and sources:
—Antidote to Venom by Freeman Wills Crofts
—The Julius Caesar Murder Case by Wallace Irwin
—Post Mortem by Guy Cullingford
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links — if you buy from an independent bookshop via bookshop.org the sale price remains the same but the podcast receives a small commission.
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Dear Holmes, a mail-based Victorian mystery game in which you can pit your wits against Sherlock Holmes. Get $5 off your first order by visiting dearholmes.com and use code Shedunnit at checkout.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/spoilerwarningtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here
To get to the bottom of why the Nile is a murder mystery location that has bewitched readers for decades, I decided to talk to an author who has just published an Egypt based whodunnit: Robin Stevens. We talk about how she finalised the plot of Death Sets Sail while on a Nile cruise, what it was about 1930s Egypt that held such a fascination for white British writers, and why the boat in Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile is a character in its own right.
NB: There is some discussion of the plot of both Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie and Death Sets Sail by Robin Stevens in this episode, but no major plot points are revealed.
You can follow Robin on Twitter and Instagram @redbreastedbird. Her latest novel is Death Sets Sail and there are eight others in the Murder Most Unladylike series, plus a book of short stories coming in 2021. To keep up to date with her forthcoming work, see her website robin-stevens.co.uk.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive is still underway, and we’re now over ninety per cent of the way to hitting the target already. If I can add a total of 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2020, I can start releasing episodes (like this one!) more regularly and expanding what the podcast covers. If you’d like to be part of that and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitbookclub/pledgedrive.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. You can contact me with ideas for future episodes on caroline @ shedunnitshow.com
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/niletranscript.
Music by Audioblocks. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here
The day the First World War ended, 11 November 1918, marked the beginning of a new era in which detective fiction would flourish. How did Britain go from “peace at last” to “whodunnit”?
Thanks to my guest (and husband) Guy Cuthbertson. His book about Armistice Day is Peace At Last and he’s on Twitter as @guywjc.
The Shedunnit Pledge Drive is still underway, and we’re over two thirds of the way to hitting the target already. If I can add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2020, I can start releasing episodes more regularly and expanding what the podcast covers. If you’d like to be part of that and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
Books and sources:
—Peace At Last by Guy Cuthbertson
—Forever England: Femininity, Literature and Conservatism Between the Wars by Alison Light
—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
—The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie
—“The Affair at the Victory Ball” by Agatha Christie, collected in Poirot’s Early Cases
—The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Dear Holmes, a mail-based Victorian mystery game in which you can pit your wits against Sherlock Holmes. Get $5 off your first order by visiting dearholmes.com and use code Shedunnit at checkout.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/peaceatlasttranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here
Snobbery and murder, all served up perfectly for you on a silver tray.
This episode marks the start of the Shedunnit Pledge Drive! If I can add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2020, I can start releasing episodes more regularly and expanding what the podcast covers. If you’d like to be part of that and feel able to offer some support, please visit shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive.
NB: There are spoilers in this episode! Please check the list of books mentioned below and come back later if there are any titles there for which you don’t want to hear any major plot details. Consider yourself warned!
Books and sources:
—The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rineheart
—The Door by Mary Roberts Rineheart
—20 Rules for Writing Detective Stories by S.S. Van Dine
—“The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual” by Arthur Conan Doyle
—“The Strange Case of Mr Challoner” by Herbert Jenkins
—Something Fishy or The Butler Did It by P.G. Wodehouse
—“Why do we think the butler did it?” by Nate Pederson in the Guardian
—“Should we be concerned by the limitless popularity of period dramas?” by Caroline Crampton in the New Humanist
—“Historians, Social Scientists, Servants, and Domestic Workers: Fifty Years of Research on Domestic and Care Work”, International Review of Social History, Volume 59, Issue 2, August 2014 , pp. 279-314
—Snobbery with Violence by Colin Watson
—Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh
—The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie
—Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie
—Black Coffee by Agatha Christie
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
Thanks to today’s sponsor, The Listener, the daily podcast newsletter that I write, which will help you discover better podcasts. Get 20% off your first year when you sign up for an annual subscription. Visit thelistener.co/shedunnit and use code Shedunnit20 at checkout.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thebutlerdidittranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here
He was one of the most influential crime novelists of the 1920s and 1930s, but has languished somewhat in obscurity since. A troubled, dark, incredibly innovative writer: to really get to know Anthony Berkeley, you need to dive deeply into his fiction.
Thanks to my guest Martin Edwards. His latest novel is Mortmain Hall and he’s on Twitter as @medwardsbooks.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Elusion Aforethought: The Life and Writing of Anthony Berkeley Cox by Malcolm Turnbull
—As For The Woman by Francis Iles —The Layton Court Mystery by Anthony Berkeley —The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie —Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers —Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers —The Wychford Poisoning Case by Anthony Berkeley—The Florence Maybrick episodes of this podcast *—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards—The Edith Thompson episode of this podcast —Roger Sheringham and the Vane Mystery by Anthony Berkeley —Messalina of the Suburbs by E.M. Delafield —The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield —The Silk Stocking Murders by Anthony Berkeley —The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley —Murder in the Basement by Anthony Berkeley —The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley—The Detection Club episode of this podcast, featuring Martin Edwards —Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles —Before the Fact* by Francis Iles
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/anthonyberkeleytranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here
Why has the murder of Julia Wallace on the night of 20 January 1931 haunted detective novelists for decades? Well, it all comes back to the telephone call.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Nurse Daniels episode of this podcast
—The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers and Robert Eustace
—*The Edith Thompson episode of this podcast
—The Scoop by Members of the Detection Club
—The Anatomy of Murder by Members of the Detection Club
—“The Compassionate Machine” by Margery Allingham, collected in Truly Criminal: A Crime Writers’ Association Anthology of True Crime edited by Martin Edwards
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Skin for Skin by Winnifred Duke
—Vegetable Duck by John Rhode
—The Telephone Call by John Rhode
—“Absolutely Elsewhere” by Dorothy L. Sayers, collected in In the Teeth of the Evidence
—Personal Call by Agatha Christie
—P.D. James on the Wallace case in 2013
—The Skull Beneath The Skin by P.D. James
—The Murder Room by P.D. James
—The Trial of William Herbert Wallace by W.F. Wyndham Brown
—Wallace: The Final Verdict by Roger Wilkes
—The Killing of Julia Wallace by Jonathan Goodman*
Thanks to my sponsor for this episode, BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/shedunnit for 10% off your first month of professional online counselling.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thetelephonecalltranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here
A body is found in a sealed chamber, definitely murdered, but there is no way the culprit can have got in or out. How was it done?
Special thanks to my guest Jim Noy. He writes about detective fiction at theinvisibleevent.com, makes a podcast called In GAD We Trust, and once compiled a useful list of his 15 favourite impossible crime novels.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allen Poe (actually published in 1841, not 1843 as I wrongly say in the episode)
—A Master of Mysteries by L.T. Meade and Robert Eustace
—The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers and Robert Eustace
—“The Adventure of the Speckled Band” in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
—The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill
—The Great Thinking Machine: “The Problem of Cell 13” and Other Stories by Jacques Futrelle
—The Four Just Men by Edgar Wallace
—“The Invisible Man” by G.K. Chesterton
—“The Round Room Horror” by A. Demain Grange, available in Ye Olde Book of Locked Room Conundrums edited by Jim Noy
—Hag’s Nook by John Dickson Carr
—The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson
—The Problem of the Green Capsule by John Dickson Carr
—The Problem of the Wire Cage by John Dickson Carr
—Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
—Tour de Force by Christianna Brand
—Death of Jezebel by Christianna Brand
—The French Powder Mystery by Ellery Queen
—The Crooked Wreath / Suddenly at His Residence by Christianna Brand
—Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
—Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
—The House That Kills by Noel Vindry
—La Treizieme balle by Marcel Lanteaume
—Six crimes sans assassin by Pierre Boileau
—The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
—The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
—Invisible Green by John Sladek
—Black Aura by John Sladek
—The Case of the Little Green Men by Mack Reynolds
—Puzzles Of The Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov
—Asimov’s Mysteries by Isaac Asimov
—The Real Town Murders by Adam Roberts
—Goodnight Irene by James Scott Byrnside
—The Opening Night Murders by James Scott Byrnside
Thanks to my sponsor for this episode, BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/shedunnit for 10% off your first month of professional online counselling.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/lockedroomtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Download the mp3 of this episode here.
Renée read her first detective novel in the 1930s. She hasn’t stopped since.
Special thanks to my guest Renée. Her first crime novel is The Wild Card.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—These Two Hands by Renée
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Wednesday to come by Renée
—Setting the table by Renée
—An interview with Renée from 2017 on RNZ
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Sun Basket. Visit sunbasket.com/shedunnit and enter promo code shedunnit at checkout for $35 off your order.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/lifelongfantranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
It started with dinner and ended with a group of crime writers swearing an oath on a skull.
Special thanks to my guest Martin Edwards. His latest novel is Mortmain Hall and he’s on Twitter as @medwardsbooks.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—The Complete Father Brown Mysteries by G.K. Chesterton
—Conan Doyle and the Crimes Club by Stephen Wade
—The Scoop and Behind the Screen by Members of the Detection Club
—The Floating Admiral by Members of the Detection Club
—Ask a Policeman by Members of the Detection Club
—Martin Edwards’s website
—Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards
—Gallows Court by Martin Edwards
—The Sinking Admiral by Members of the Detection Club
—The Anatomy of Murder by Members of the Detection Club
—Howdunit by Members of the Detection Club
Thanks to my sponsors for this episode, BetterHelp and Care/Of.
—Visit betterhelp.com/shedunnit for 10% off your first month of professional online counselling
—For 50% off your first personalised Care/of vitamins order, go to TakeCareOf.com and enter code shedunnit50
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/detectionclubtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
If a woman needs a room of her own and £500 a year to write fiction, what does she need in order to write crime fiction?
Special thanks to my guest Francesca Wade. Her book is Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars. She’s on Twitter @francescawade.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars by Francesca Wade —A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
—Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf
—Mutual Admiration Society by Mo Moulton —Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul by Barbara Reynolds —Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers —Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner? by Katrine Marcal —Are Women Human?: Astute and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society by Dorothy L. Sayers —In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens by Alice Walker —Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral by Phyllis Wheatley
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Sun Basket. Visit sunbasket.com/shedunnit and enter promo code shedunnit at checkout for $35 off your order.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/aroomtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
This summer, you can still travel to the murderous destinations visited by your favourite detectives.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/murderonholiday.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
—At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie
—“Triangle at Rhodes” in Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie
—“The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan” in Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
—Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
—Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
—Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Spinsters in Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh
—Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie
—Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
—Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
—Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh
—Forever England: Femininity, Literature and Conservatism Between the Wars by Alison Light
—The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey
—Calamity in Kent by John Rowland
—The Cornish Coast Murder by John Bude
—The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
—A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
—Death in Clairvoyance by Josephine Bell
—Tour de Force by Christianna Brand
—When in Rome by Ngaio Marsh
—Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac
—Dead Men Don’t Ski by Patricia Moyes
—“The Erymanthian Boar” from The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
—Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—“The Unsolved Puzzle of the Man with No Face” fromLord Peter Views The Body by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
—“The Blood Stained Pavement” and “The Companion” fromThe Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
—Resorting to Murder: Holiday Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards
—Murder in Midsummer: Classic Mysteries for the Holidays edited by Cecily Gayford
—Murder Takes a Holiday: Classic Crime Stories for Summer edited by Cecily Gayford
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice. Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/murderonholidaytranscript. Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
She wrote over 70 detective novels and won the praise of that most stern of critics, Dorothy L. Sayers. Yet golden age author E.C.R. Lorac is now a mystery to most modern crime fiction fans. What happened?
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/ecrlorac.
Special thanks to my guest Sarah Ward. She is the author of several crime novels under her own name, and her Gothic thriller The Quickening comes out in August under the name Rhiannon Ward. You can pre-order that here or find out more on her website crimepieces.com. She’s on Twitter @SarahRWard1.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Organ Speaks by E.C.R. Lorac
—The Murder on the Burrows by E.C.R. Lorac
—Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R. Lorac
—Murder by Matchlight by E.C.R. Lorac
—Picture of Death by E.C.R. Lorac
—Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac
—Bats in the Belfry by E.C.R. Lorac
—Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
—Fire in the Thatch by E.C.R. Lorac
—Shroud of Darkness by E.C.R. Lorac
—Masters of the Humdrum Mystery by Curtis Evans
—Curtis Evans’ blog The Passing Tramp
—Martin Edwards’ blog Do You Write Under Your Own Name?
Thanks to the sponsor for this episode, Shaker and Spoon. Get $20 off your first craft cocktail box at shakerandspoon.com/shedunnit.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/ecrloractranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Sometimes, Agatha Christie didn’t want to be Agatha Christie.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/marywestmacott.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
—The Big Four by Agatha Christie
—The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
—The Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie
—Giant’s Bread by Mary Westmacott
—“The Lady Vanishes” — episode 4 of Shedunnit about Christie’s disappearance
—Rosalind Hicks’ article about Mary Westmacott
—Unfinished Portrait by Mary Westmacott
—The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
—And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
—The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
—The Rose and the Yew Tree by Mary Westmacott
—Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
—Absent in the Spring by Mary Westmacott
—Agatha Christie: The Woman and her Mysteries by Gillian Gill
—“A Hidden Body in the Library: Mary Westmacott: Agatha Christie, and Emotional Violence” by Sarah E. Whitney from Clues: A Journal of Detection, Vol 29 Number 1, Spring 2011
—Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet Morgan
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/marywestmacotttranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
There was one thing that Dorothy L. Sayers never told anyone.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/dorothyssecret.
Resources, donation links and diverse crime fiction suggestions are at shedunnitshow.com/blacklivesmatter.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Mutual Admiration Society by Mo Moulton
—The Devil is an English Gentleman by John Cournos
—Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul by Barbara Reynolds
—Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers, 1899-1936: The Making of a Detective Novelist edited by Barbara Reynolds
—Gospel in Dorothy L. Sayers: Selections from Her Novels, Plays, Letters, and Essays edited by Carole Vanderhoof
—Dorothy L. Sayers: A Careless Rage For Life by David Coomes
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/dorothyssecrettranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
It’s not who, or how, but why.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/cuibono.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Heir Presumptive by Henry Wade
—The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Footsteps at the Lock by Ronald Knox
—The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr
—Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey
—The Belting Inheritance by Julian Symons
—Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie
—The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
—After the Funeral by Agatha Christie
—The Wrong Box by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne
—Too Many Cousins by Douglas G Browne
—Dead March for Penelope Blow by George Bellairs
—4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie
—Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham
—The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
—“The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleaguer’s Will” and “The Piscatorial Farce of the Stolen Stomach” by Dorothy L. Sayers, both collected in Lord Peter Views the Body
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/cuibonotranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
The perfect collection is never complete.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thecollectors.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Support the podcast and get a free audiobook by signing up for a free 30 day trial at Audible via shedunnitshow.com/audible.
Books and sources:
—Dance of the Years by Margery Allingham
—Mrs McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie
—Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie
—Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
—Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
—Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie
—Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
—Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
—The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thecollectorstranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Is that smiling nurse in the pristine white cap here to save your life, or to bring it to an untimely end?
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/bedsidemanner.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
—Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James
—Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie
—“The Blue Geranium” in The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
—The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
—Hilda Wade by Grant Allen
—Miss Pinkerton by Mary Roberts Rinehart
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Don’t Open the Door by Anthony Gilbert
—Scales of Justice by Ngaio Marsh
—The Nursing Home Murder by Ngaio Marsh
—Cherry Ames, Student Nurse by Helen Wells
—Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/bedsidemannertranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
All the best murder mysteries start with a scone laced with arsenic.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thehaypoisoner.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup
—Exhumation of a Murder by Robin Odell
—Dead Not Buried by Martin Beales
—Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles
—The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley
—Detection Unlimited by Georgette Heyer
—Murder Is Easy by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Bernard Spilsbury: His Life and Cases by Douglas E Browne and EV Tullett
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thehaypoisonertranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
There’s a reason why Agatha Christie knew so much about poisons.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thedispenser.
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
—A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup
—”In a Dispensary” by Agatha Christie from the collection The Road of Dreams
—Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet Morgan
—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
—Guardian Obituary: Rosalind Hicks by Janet Morgan
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
—”Dame Agatha’s Dispensary” by Eunice Bonow Bardell in Pharmacy in History, Vol. 26, No. 1 (1984)
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thedispensertranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
What would Peter Wimsey be without Harriet Vane? Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/happilyeverafter. Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free …
What could be a better place for a murder than a boat, out at sea?
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/allatsea.
Get a copy of my book, The Way to the Sea, from Blackwell’s here or request it at your local bookshop or library.
Thanks to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Several of the short stories I mentioned are collected in Deep Waters: Mysteries on the Waves from the British Library
—And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
—Singing in the Shrouds by Ngaio Marsh
—Nine – And Death Makes Ten by Carter Dickson
—The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
—“Four Friends and Death” by Christopher St John Sprigg
—“Man Overboard” by Edmund Crispin
—“The Blood Stained Pavement” by Agatha Christie
—Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
—The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson
—“Bullion!” by William Hope Hodgson
—“The Thimble River Mystery” by Josephine Bell
—The Floating Admiral by the Detection Club
—Fatal Venture by Freeman Wills Crofts
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/allatseatranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
How Agatha Christie’s spooky story inspired real life murderers and detectives.
A friendly warning: there are major spoilers for The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie in this episode.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thepalehorse.
Special thanks today to my guests Kathryn Harkup and Sarah Phelps. Kathryn’s book is A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie and she’s on Twitter @RotwangsRobot. Sarah’s adaptation of The Pale Horse is available in the UK on BBC iPlayer and in the US on Amazon Prime from 13 March. She’s on Twitter @PhelpsieSarah. Also, I’m indebted to Nick Hilton of Podot Pods for his recording assistance.
Thanks also to today’s sponsor, Best Fiends. You can download Best Fiends free on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
—Final Curtain by Ngaio Marsh
—“How Agatha Christie mystery The Pale Horse may have inspired a murderer” by Kathryn Harkup for the Guardian
—A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thepalehorsetranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
On Philip Larkin, a reptilian sleuth with a mellifluous voice, and a small amount of witchcraft.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thegreatgladys.
Special thanks today to my guest Lee Randall. You can follow her on Twitter @randallwrites and read her writing about Gladys Mitchell here.
Thanks also to today’s sponsor, Blinkist. Get a free 7 day trial and 25% off a Blinkist Premium membership at blinkist.com/shedunnit.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—“Rediscovering Gladys Mitchell” by Lee Randall on Bookslut
—“Open that window, Miss Menzies” by Patricia Craig in the London Review of Books
—Philip Larkin on Gladys Mitchell in the Observer
—On the Philip Larkin Collection in the British Library
—Interview with Gladys Mitchell by B.A. Pike in the Armchair Detective, October 1976
—Speedy Death by Gladys Mitchell
—Brought to Book: Philip Larkin and His Bibliographer by B.C. Bloomfield
—Here Lies Gloria Mundy by Gladys Mitchell
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Devil at Saxon Wall by Gladys Mitchell
—When Last I Died by Gladys Mitchell
—Printer’s Error by Gladys Mitchell
—Brazen Tongue by Gladys Mitchell
—Sleuth’s Alchemy by Gladys Mitchell
—Nest of Vipers by Gladys Mitchell
—Here Comes a Chopper by Gladys Mitchell
—Hangman’s Curfew by Gladys Mitchell
—Spotted Hemlock by Gladys Mitchell
—Watson’s Choice by Gladys Mitchell
—The Mystery of a Butcher’s Shop by Gladys Mitchell
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thegreatgladystranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Detective fiction has always been regarded as a lesser kind of literature. So how do you teach it in a university?
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/teachingsleuthing.
Special thanks today to my guest Dr Victoria Stewart. You can follow her on Twitter @verbivorial and order her book Crime Writing in Interwar Britain: Fact and Fiction in the Golden Age here.
Buy tickets to the Shedunnit live show in Birmingham on 1 February at shedunnitshow.com/events.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—“Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?” by Edmund Wilson
—“The Purloined Letter” by Edgar Allen Poe
—The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
—The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
—Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman by E.W.Hornung
—Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
—The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—“The Case of Agatha Christie” by John Lanchester in the London Review of Books
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/teachingsleuthingstranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Decades before Miss Marple, there were Victorian lady sleuths taking on the world with their bloomers and their bicycles.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/victorianpioneers.
Special thanks today to my guest Olivia Rutigliano. You can follow her on Twitter @oldrutigliano and reader her recent article for Lapham’s Quarterly “The Lady Is A Detective” here.
Thanks also to today’s sponsor, Blinkist. Get a free 7 day trial and 25% off a Blinkist Premium membership at blinkist.com/shedunnit.
Buy tickets to the Shedunnit live show in Birmingham on 1 February at shedunnitshow.com/events.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime edited by Michael Sims
—The Dead Witness: A Connoisseur’s Collection of Victorian Detective Stories edited by Michael Sims
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/victorianpioneersstranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Snow is a very powerful tool for a detective novelist. It can create a sinister atmosphere, keep suspects and murderer stormbound, and preserve the footprints of anyone who dares to escape. What could be more seasonal or festive than that?
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/letitsnow.
Order your Shedunnit pin badge at shedunnitshow.com/shop.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Give the gift of membership at shedunnitbookclub.com/gift.
Books and sources:
—Murder on the Orient Express (1934) by Agatha Christie
—Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (1938) by Agatha Christie
—Mystery in White (1937) by J. Jefferson Farjeon
—Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries (2015) edited by Martin Edwards
—The Sittaford Mystery (1931) by Agatha Christie
—The Nine Tailors (1934) by Dorothy L. Sayers
—“The Erymanthian Boar” in The Labours of Hercules (1947) by Agatha Christie
—An English Murder (1951) by Cyril Hare
—Death and the Dancing Footman (1942) by Ngaio Marsh
—Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (1950) by Agatha Christie
—Stairway to Murder (1959) by Osmington Mills
—There Came Both Mist and Snow (1940) by Michael Innes
—The Sad Variety (1964) by Nicholas Blake
—Blood Upon the Snow (1944) by Hilda Lawrence
—The Slype (1927) by by Russell Thorndike
— Hangman’s Holiday (1933) by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Groaning Spinney / Murder in the Snow (1950) by Gladys Mitchell
—The Case of the Abominable Snowman (1941) by Nicholas Blake
—1222 (2011) by Anne Holt
—The Snowman (2007) by Jo Nesbo
—Whiteout (2011) by Ragnar Jonasson
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/letitsnowtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Anne Bedingfield, Emily Trefusis, Lucy Eyelesbarrow: why is it that Agatha Christie’s adventurous, highly competent young women never get to become recurring sleuths?
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/competentwomen.
Order your Shedunnit pin badge and Christmas gift bundle at shedunnitshow.com/shop.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Give the gift of membership at shedunnitbookclub.com/gift.
Books and sources:
—Agatha Christie’s Complete Secret Notebooks by John Curran
—The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie by Charles Osborne
—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
—The Secret Adversary (1922) by Agatha Christie
—The Man in the Brown Suit (1924) by Agatha Christie
—The Sittaford Mystery (1931) by Agatha Christie
—The Secret of Chimneys (1925) by Agatha Christie
—The Seven Dials Mystery (1929) by Agatha Christie
—The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
—Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (1934) by Agatha Christie
—They Came to Baghdad (1951) by Agatha Christie
—4.50 From Paddington (1957) by Agatha Christie
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/competentwomentranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
How did a legal history series become so well known that even Lord Peter Wimsey owned a set?
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/notabletrials.
Special thanks today to my guest Dr Victoria Stewart. You can follow her on Twitter @verbivorial and order her book Crime Writing in Interwar Britain: Fact and Fiction in the Golden Age here.
Buy tickets to the first-ever Shedunnit live shows at shedunnitshow.com/events — I’ll be in Dublin on 15 November 2019 and Birmingham on 1 February 2020.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Strong Poison (1930) by Dorothy L. Sayers
—A Pin To See The Peep Show (1934) by F Tennyson Jesse
—Portrait of Fryn: Biography of F.Tennyson Jesse (1984) by Joanna Colenbrander
—The Anatomy of Murder (1936) by The Detection Club
—The Poisoned Chocolates Case (1929) by Anthony Berkeley
—Malice Aforethought (1931) by Francis Iles
—“Decline of the English Murder” (1946) by George Orwell
—Death at the Opera (1934) by Gladys Mitchell
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/notabletrialstranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
One chilly night in November 1912, a group of young women gathered together to share their writing with each other. From that meeting, we got Peter Wimsey, Harriet Vane, and so much more besides.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/mas.
Special thanks today to my guest Mo Moulton, you can follow them on Twitter @hammock_tussock and order their book The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers And Her Oxford Circle Remade The World For Women at Amazon, Waterstones, Hive or your local independent bookshop.
Buy tickets to the first-ever Shedunnit live shows at shedunnitshow.com/events — I’ll be in Dublin on 15 November 2019 and Birmingham on 1 February 2020.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—Mutual Admiration Society by Mo Moulton
—Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Live and Soul by Barbara Reynolds
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/mastranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
The detective’s sidekick is a fundamental building block of the classic whodunnit. But they don’t often get full credit for the vital role they play in solving mysteries. Until now, that is.
Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/sidekicks.
Buy tickets to the first-ever Shedunnit live shows at shedunnitshow.com/events — I’ll be in Dublin on 15 November 2019 and Birmingham on 1 February 2020.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub.
Books and sources:
—A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
—The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
—The Murders in the Rue Morgue and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
—The Detective As Reader: Narrativity And Reading Concepts In Detective Fiction by Peter Hühn
—Closure in Detective Fiction by Eyal Segal
—The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
—Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
—Mrs McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie
—Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie
—Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/sidekickstranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
There’s something so linear and definite about a train journey — it can only take you from A to B, with no possible deviations. Except when murder intervenes, and throws everything off the rails.
Find links to all the books mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/offtherails.
Buy tickets to the first-ever Shedunnit live shows at shedunnitshow.com/events — I’ll be in Dublin on 15 November 2019 and Birmingham on 1 February 2020.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Books and sources:
—The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
—”The Fallow Fields of Fiction” by Arnold Bennett in The Author’s Craft: And Other Critical Writings of Arnold Bennett
—The Edwardian Detective: 1901-15 by Joseph A Kestner
—Thrilling Stories of the Railway by V.L. Whitechurch
—The Cask by Freeman Wills Crofts
—Bloody Murder by Julian Symons
—Masters of the “Humdrum” Mystery: Cecil John Charles Street, Freeman Wills Crofts, Alfred Walter Stewart and the British Detective Novel, 1920-19 by Curtis Evans
—“A Mystery of the Underground” by John Oxenham, collected in Capital Crimes: London Mysteries
—4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie
—The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
—The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
—Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
—The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan
—Stamboul Train by Graham Greene
—Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
—The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White
—The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
—The Railway Detective by Edward Marston
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/offtherailstranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Even the best detectives get stuck during their cases. Wouldn’t sleuthing be so much easier if the dead could speak to the living?
Find links to all the books mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/knockknock.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Books and sources in order of appearance:
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
—Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
—The Plague Court Murders by John Dickson Carr
—When Last I Died by Gladys Mitchell
—The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
—Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
—“The Last Seance” in The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/knockknocktranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. But three times? Three women dead in identical circumstances is highly suspicious. This is the story of the brides in the bath.
Find links to all the books mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/bridesinthebath.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Books and sources in order of appearance:
—The Magnificent Spilsbury and the Brides in the Bath by Jane Robins
—Notable British Trials: George Joseph Smith
—British Newspaper Archive
—Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
—The Bath Mysteries by E.R. Punshon
—“Three Is A Lucky Number” in The Allingham Casebook by Margery Allingham
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The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/bridesinthebathtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Today, we have the final episode in my summer break guest series: ‘Golden Age Detective Fiction’ from Words To That Effect by Conor Reid. It first appeared on his feed in May 2019, and if you listen very closely you might recognise his interviewee. Find Words To That Effect at wttepodcast.com and in all good …
Today on my summer break guest series, we have Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist again (along with my husband Guy Cuthbertson) talking about the books we read to feel better when we’re ill — plenty of detective fiction, of course. This episode first appeared on Helen’s podcast in August 2018. Find The Allusionist at theallusionist.org …
I’m taking a summer break from making the podcast, but I’ve roped in some friends to keep you entertained while I’m gone. Today, we have Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist, with three pieces about alter egos in an episode that first appeared on her show in April 2019. Keep your ears peeled until the last …
Meet Maud West, a real life lady detective from the golden age of detective fiction who lived a very colourful life — as well as sleuthing, she liked to dress up as Charlie Chaplin and once threatened to shoot a ghost. But who was she, really?
Find links to all the books mentioned and more details about my guests at shedunnitshow.com/theladydetective.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Get a free audiobook via Audible at shedunnitshow.com/audible
Guest:
—Susannah Stapleton, author of The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective
Books mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective by Susannah Stapleton
—British Women in the Twentieth Century by Elsie M. Lang
—Lady Molly of Scotland Yard by Baroness Orczy
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/theladydetectivetranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
School is an enclosed world that breeds tension and suspicion and stress. No wonder it’s such a perfect setting for a murder mystery. Find links to all the books mentioned and more details about my guests at shedunnitshow.com/backtoschool. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes …
Her trial gripped the nation and tested Britain’s legal system to the limit. But what happened to Florence Maybrick?
This is the second of a two part story — listen to episode 16 first at shedunnitshow.com/florencemaybrick.
Find links to further information and sources at shedunnitshow.com/florencemaybricktwo.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Books consulted for research:
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup
—Did She Kill Him? by Kate Colquhoun —The Anatomy of Murder by Members of the Detection Club
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/florencemaybricktwotranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
The River Thames has always had a dark side. Its fast-flowing, tidal waters have long attracted those with something to hide.
Find links to further reading and sources at shedunnitshow.com/onthethames.
You can order my book about the Thames, The Way to the Sea, from Waterstones, Amazon or an independent bookshop. For international purchases, Amazon is (sadly) the best option.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Books mentioned in order:
—Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Footsteps at the Lock by Ronald Knox
—”Dark Waters” by Freeman Wills Crofts is collected in Bodies from the Library —Sunset Over Soho by Gladys Mitchell
—A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey
Further Thames reading:
—Original Sin by P.D. James
—Strange Tide by Christopher Fowler
—Trouble on the Thames by Victor Bridges
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/onthethamestranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
A shipboard romance that somehow became one of the most notorious domestic poisoning cases in British history. This is the story of Florence Maybrick.
Check back for part two of this story on 12 June.
Find links to further information and sources at shedunnitshow.com/florencemaybrick.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Books consulted for research:
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup
—Did She Kill Him? by Kate Colquhoun —The Anatomy of Murder by Members of the Detection Club
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Sponsor:
—Audible: get a free audiobook of your choice and help the show out at the same time at shedunnitshow.com/audible.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/florencemaybricktranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Murder mysteries: if you believe the clichés, they all happened in the 1920s and 1930s, surrounded by flappers and butlers. But let’s take a second to wonder — why is it that detective fiction is so closely associated with this period style?
Find more information about my guest Jacqueline Winspear and the Maisie Dobbs books at her website jacquelinewinspear.com and get links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/periodstyle.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Books mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
—The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
—Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham
—A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
—Ariel by André Maurois
—The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Third Girl by Agatha Christie
—Halloween Party by Agatha Christie
—Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
—The American Agent by Jacqueline Winspear
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Sponsor:
—The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah, published by HarperCollins. Enter the competition to win a copy by sending an email to competition@audioboom.com.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/periodstyletranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Authors’ names loom large when we think about detective stories. Yet many of them are pseudonyms, created just to appear on book covers. But why go to all this trouble? And what makes a good pen name, anyway?
Find more information about my guest Helen Fields / H.S. Chandler at her website helenfields.co.uk and get links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/pseudonyms.
Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership.
Read about why I’ve started the book club here.
Subscribe to The Allusionist podcast by Helen Zaltzman to catch Caroline on her pseudonyms episode next week. Find it at theallusionist.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Books mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Man in the Queue by Gordon Daviot / Josephine Tey
—A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
—Josephine Tey: A Life by Jennifer Morag Henderson
—Kif: An Unvarnished History by Elizabeth Mackintosh
—Richard of Bordeaux, a play in two acts by Gordon Daviot
—A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey
—Degrees of Guilt by H.S. Chandler
Sponsor:
—The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah, published by HarperCollins. Enter the competition to win a copy by sending an email to competition@audioboom.com.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/pseudonymstranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
By any definition, the New Zealand crime writer Ngaio Marsh lived an extraordinary life. But who was she really, this globetrotting blockbuster author who divided her life between opposite sides of the world?
Find more information about my guest Joanne Drayton and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/ngaiomarsh.
To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
You can donate to the show at shedunnitshow.com/donate and buy books for Caroline to use in the research for future episodes at shedunnitshow.com/wishlist.
Things mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Lonely Palette podcast
—Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime by Joanne Drayton
—A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh
—Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham
—Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
—The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh
—Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh
Further reading and sources:
—Ngaio Marsh: A Life by Margaret Lewis (the authorised biography from 1991)
—Black Beech and Honeydew by Ngaio Marsh (her autobiography)
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
Sponsor:
—The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah, published by HarperCollins. Enter the competition to win a copy by sending an email to competition@audioboom.com.
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/ngaiomarshtranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Writing is usually a solitary pastime, yet a group of detective fiction authors in the early 1930s decided to work together on murder mystery stories. Is it possible to construct a compelling whodunnit this way, or do too many cooks spoil the broth?
Fill out the audience survey and have your say in the future of the podcast at shedunnitshow.com/survey.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/roundrobin.
The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
You can donate to the show at shedunnitshow.com/donate and buy books for Caroline to use in the research for future episodes at shedunnitshow.com/wishlist.
Books and articles mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Scoop & Behind the Screen by members of the Detection Club —The Floating Admiral by certain members of the Detection Club
—The Fate of Fenella by Arthur Conan Doyle and others
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—Ask A Policeman by members of the Detection Club
—The Anatomy of Murder by members of the Detection Club
—Six Against the Yard by members of the Detection Club
—The Sinking Admiral by members of the Detection Club
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/roundrobintranscript.
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
Some sleuths need no introduction. But other characters, also created by famous authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, lurk in obscurity. In this episode, we're on the hunt for the other detectives.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/theotherdetectives. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
You can donate to the show at shedunnitshow.com/donate and buy books for Caroline to use in the research for future episodes at shedunnitshow.com/wishlist.
Books and articles mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
—Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie
—The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Orczy
—N or M? by Agatha Christie
—By The Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
—Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie
—In the Teeth of the Evidence by Dorothy L. Sayers (first collection with Montague Egg stories)
—Hangman's Holiday by Dorothy L. Sayers (second collection with Montague Egg stories)
—Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers
—"The Divine Detective in the Guilty Vicarage" by Dr Robert Zaslavsky
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/theotherdetectivestranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
On 6 October 1926, a woman went into a cloakroom in Boulogne, France and never came out. She was never seen alive again. Her disappearance captivated the world, and even detective novelist Dorothy L. Sayers tried to solve the case.
This is the story of Nurse Daniels.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/nursedaniels. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
You can donate to the show at shedunnitshow.com/donate and buy books for Caroline to use in the research for future episodes at shedunnitshow.com/wishlist.
Books mentioned in order of appearance:
—Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
Other sources and further reading:
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul by Barbara Reynolds
—The British Newspaper Archive
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/nursedanielstranscript
Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
A good detective story has a recognisable rhythm and plot points. But how did these tropes come about? And what happens when you break the rules?
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/therules. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
You can donate to the show at shedunnitshow.com/donate and buy books for Caroline to use in the research for future episodes at shedunnitshow.com/wishlist.
Books and articles mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne
—T. S. Eliot on detective fiction
—The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
—S. S. van Dine's "Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories" —Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Ronald Knox's Decalogue
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers
—The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr
—The Eye in the Museum by J. J. Connington
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—"Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" by Edmund Wilson —Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
—The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/therulestranscript
Food matters in books. It helps to set the scene, build up characters and evoke a period, and it also symbolises comfort, security and domesticity. Yet in detective fiction, food can also be a method for murder. Everything is lovely at the family dinner, until somebody clutches their throat, turns blue in the face, and falls face forward into the soup.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/diningwithdeath. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Contributors: —Kate Young, author of The Little Library Cookbook. Follow her on Instagram @bakingfiction and find out more about her work at thelittlelibrarycafe.com.
Books mentioned in order of appearance (please be aware that there are minor spoilers for some stories in this episode):
—At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie
—A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
—The Little Library Cookbook by Kate Young
—The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
—Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers
—A is for Arsenic by Kathryn Harkup
—Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham
—Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
—They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
—"The Thumb Mark of St Peter" and "The Tuesday Night Club" in The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
—Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers
—Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie
—A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
—Crèmes & châtiments : Recettes délicieuses et criminelles d'Agatha Christie by Anne Martinetti - French Language Only
—The Lord Peter Wimsey Cookbook by Elizabeth Bond Ryan and William J Eakins
—Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
—The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/diningwithdeathtranscript
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
On the morning of 9 January 1923, a brutal and horrifying execution took place at Holloway Prison in London. The condemned young woman screamed and cried, but no last minute reprieve arrived. Long after she was dead, her story would inspire authors like James Joyce, E.M. Delafield, Dorothy L. Sayers and Sarah Waters, and you can find traces of it in many detective novels published in the decades since.
This is the story of Edith Thompson.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/ediththompson. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Books mentioned in order of appearance:
—Bella Donna by Robert Hichens
—Criminal Justice: The True Story of Edith Thompson by Rene Weis
—Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—Messalina of the Suburbs by E.M. Delafield
—The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E. M. Delafield
—As for the Woman by Francis Iles (aka Anthony Berkeley)
—The Anatomy of Murder by the Detection Club
—The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers and Robert Eustace
—Crooked House by Agatha Christie
—Before the Fact by Francis Iles (aka Anthony Berkeley)
—A Pin to See the Peepshow by Fryn Tennyson Jesse
—The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/ediththompsontranscript
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
For many people, their main contact with detective fiction is via film and television adaptations. For a huge global audience, Agatha Christie's work is as often watched as it is read. Any new production is greeted with intense scrutiny, so what is it really like to adapt these stories? Screenwriter Sarah Phelps, the woman behind the recent BBC versions of And Then There Were None, Witness for the Prosecution, Ordeal by Innocence and now The ABC Murders, explains.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/adaptations. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Contributors: —Sarah Phelps, who is on Twitter as @PhelpsieSarah.
Books and stories mentioned in order of appearance:
—The 1928 film "The Passing of Mr Quin" is based on the short story "The Coming of Mr. Quin", which part of the Agatha Christie collection The Mysterious Mr. Quin
—And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
—"Witness for the Prosecution" by Agatha Christie
—Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie
—The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
—Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
—Agatha Christie on Screen by Mark Aldridge
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/adaptationstranscript
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
Reading crime fiction from the early twentieth century is a really popular activity at Christmas. It's nice to curl up with a good whodunnit by the fire, but if we stop and think about it, reading about complicated ways for people to die is not exactly the most festive thing to do. So why is it that we love crime at Christmas?
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/crimeatchristmas. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Contributors:
—Cecily Gayford, senior commissioning editor at Profile
—Anna Leszkiewicz, deputy culture editor at the New Statesman. Read her article about cosy murder mysteries here.
Books and stories mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
—Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
—Murder in the Snow: a Cotswold Christmas Mystery by Gladys Mitchell
—The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay
—Portrait of a Murderer: A Christmas Crime Story by Anne Meredith
—A Very Murderous Christmas edited by Cecily Gayford
—The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Entrées by Agatha Christie
—Hangman's Holiday by Dorothy L. Sayers (includes 'The Necklace of Pearls')
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/crimeatchristmastranscript
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
On 3 December 1926, Agatha Christie left her home in the southern English county of Berkshire just after 9.30 in the evening. She drove away, taking a small suitcase and a fur coat with her. The following morning, the car was found 15 miles away on the edge of a lake called Silent Pool. The headlights were still on and her luggage was inside, but the driver was nowhere to be seen. The lady had vanished.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/theladyvanishes. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Books mentioned in order of appearance:
—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
—The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
—The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie
—The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L Sayers
—Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet Morgan
—Agatha by Kathleen Tynan
—Agatha Christie and the Missing Eleven Days by Jared Code
—Agatha Christie: The Finished Portrait by Andrew Norman
—A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson
—The Big Four by Agatha Christie
—The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
—The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
—The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
—Giant's Bread by Mary Westmacott
Sources:
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—The Complete Christie: An Agatha Christie Encyclopaedia by Matthew Bunson
—The British Newspaper Archive
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/theladyvanishestranscript.
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
The detective stories of the 1920s and 30s aren't exactly well known for being edgy, or at the vanguard of the struggle for gay rights. But there are queer clues everywhere in these books, if you only know where to look for them.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/queerclues. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
Contributors: —JC Bernthal, academic and author of Queering Agatha Christie —Moira Redmond, journalist and blogger at clothesinbooks.blogspot.com
Books referenced in order of appearance:
—Queering Agatha Christie by JC Bernthal
—The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
—A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L Sayers
—Murder in the Closet edited by Curtis Evans and with essays by multiple authors, including Moira Redmond
—Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
—Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie
—Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/queercluestranscript.
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
The detective writers of the 1920s and 1930s weren't working a vacuum. They took a keen interest in the crimes of their time, often weaving elements from actual murder cases into their plots or referencing them directly. And there was one case, a murder both infamous and domestic, that interested the likes of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Anthony Berkeley more than any other.
This real life murder mystery has everything: a body hidden in the cellar, adultery, a transatlantic steamship pursuit, cross dressing, and a pleasingly ambiguous ending. It was referenced in novels more than any other by the detective writers of the golden age, and did a great deal to shape the genre as we know it today.
This is the story of Dr Crippen.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/crippen. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss the next episode. Click here to do that in your app of choice.
Books referenced in order of appearance:
—Walter Dew: The Man Who Caught Crippen by Nicholas Connell
—Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie
—The Wychford Poisoning Case by Anthony Berkeley
—Mrs McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
—Malice Aforethought by Frances Iles (aka Anthony Berkeley)
—The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards
—"The Lernean Hydra" in The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
—The Case with Nine Solutions by J. J. Connington
—The House That Berry Built by Dornford Yates
—Henbane by Catherine Meadows
—Dancing for the Hangman by Martin Edwards
You can find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/crippentranscript.
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
After the First World War, there was a great flowering of female independence as more women chose to live single lives. This change, and the backlash to it, is all there to be found in the murder mysteries of the period, if you just dig a little below the surface. From self-contained, professional women like Mary Whittaker in Dorothy L Sayers' Unnatural Death to dear, fluffy Miss Marple, there are a multitude of single women's lives to discover. But let's go back to the beginning. This particular story starts with the surplus women.
Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/surpluswomen. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and you can find it in all major podcast apps. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss the next episode. Click here to do that in your app of choice.
Contributors:
—Rosemary Cresswell, senior lecturer in global history at the University of Hull. Follow her on Twitter @RosieCresswell
—Camilla Nelson, associate professor of writing at the University of Notre Dame Australia
—Helen Parkinson
Further reading:
—A field guide to spinsters in English fiction
—'Surplus women': a legacy of World War One?
—Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War by Virginia Nicholson
—The Shadow of Marriage by Katherine Holden
—Unnatural Death by Dorothy L Sayers
You can find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/surpluswomentranscript.
NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.
For a couple of decades between the first and second world wars, something mysterious happened. A golden age of detective fiction dawned, and people around the world are still devouring books from this time by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham, Anthony Berkeley, Gladys Mitchell, Ngaio Marsh, Josephine Tey and more.
In this podcast, Caroline Crampton will be unravelling the mysteries behind such classic detective stories, looking at the social, literary and political context in which these writers worked. If you've ever stayed up late reading under the covers to find out whodunnit, then this podcast is for you.
Find the show at shedunnitshow.com, on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram as @ShedunnitShow, and in all major podcast apps. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss the first episode. Click here to do that now in your app of choice.
You can find a full transcript of this mini episode at shedunnitshow.com/whodunnittranscript.