Next week's episode will be a discussion with Andrew Winans, the director of an upcoming Off-Broadway production of The Hollow , a play written by Agatha Christie, based on her novel. If you are interested in attending this production, which runs from 13-21 April in New York, go ahead and click here . And my East Coast/Midwest tour of the United States for The Busy Body is about to begin! Click here for more details. I hope to see some of you very soon--in person!...
Apr 06, 2024•2 min
If you're a longtime listener of this podcast, you'll know never to trust an actor in a Christie story. So what happens when not one but two actors feature among the rather small cast of suspects? A lot, as it turns out, in this early short story that showcases Christie's unique ability to spin seemingly endless variations on a single puzzle.... In addition to the titular story, the following Christies are spoiled in the course of this episode: "Miss Marple Tells a Story” "The Affair at the Bung...
Mar 30, 2024•52 min
Quick: what is the best Joan Hickson adaptation of a Miss Marple novel? Or how about your least favorite Suchet episode? If you like pondering such questions, then this is the episode for you! Just beware of spoilers; I list all the novels Teresa and I spoil in the course of this wide-ranging conversation at the top of the episode. To buy tickets to the All About Agatha Live! Panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay in September, click here . To check out all the splendid events...
Mar 16, 2024•2 hr 9 min
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is back! And with this episode, she’s officially earned her title as All About Agatha’s resident expert on Christian theology. I leaned heavily on her expertise for this episode, which involves a lot of parsing of Biblical and even apocryphal references, as we discussed this curious, fascinatingly revealing short story from the Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection. To read Sarah’s newly published article “Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Christian,” click here . ...
Mar 02, 2024•1 hr 46 min
Actor Lee Samuel Tanng has appeared in TEN (!!) regional productions of plays based on Agatha Christie novels over the last eleven years. He sat down with me to discuss the joys of regional theater, the particular challenges (and advantages) of pulling off a murder mystery in real time, and of course, to rank his ten experiences from least to most favorite. This conversation was a blast. You can see a collage of all Sam's roles on the podcast's Twitter/X account here , and on Instagram here . Ch...
Feb 17, 2024•1 hr 15 min
Perhaps it was inevitable that an episode about the longest-running play in history would be the longest episode ever produced on this podcast.... And yet there's nary a spoiler in it; so tuck in, safe in the knowledge that the secret of The Mousetrap remains safely locked in my heart. Nibble nibble. Squeak squeak. Special thanks to my guests Phil O'Neill and Scott Ratner, and to Nick Cardillo and Christopher Diehl for their invaluable contributions. Click here to access the BBC Documentary The ...
Feb 03, 2024•4 hr 11 min
Alex Michaelides has a new mystery out, and I had such a great time geeking out with him about Agatha Christie and other literary inspirations of his, including the great Ruth Rendell. You can purchase Alex's new book, The Fury, in the United States here . And you can pre-order it in the UK (it's out February 1st) here . You can purchase my new book, The Busy Body, in the United States here , the United Kingdom here , and Australia/New Zealand here . For details on my upcoming book tour, visit m...
Jan 20, 2024•59 min
I've talked a bunch--especially recently--about Agatha Christie and the theater. But what is it like to put on an Agatha Christie play? In particular, in one of those smaller regional/community venues that so frequently put on Christie's plays? Thanks to the three experts I gathered together for this episode, we can begin to answer that question. You can find out more about each of them directly below. 1) Do yourself a favor and check out Brad Friedman's mystery blog . It has provided me heaps a...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 35 min
And you thought the days of bumper-sized episodes of All About Agatha were behind you.... This one might be a bit of a cheat, since it's a Frankenstein's monster (a Bella Baxter?!) of a few different things: 1) a nice long "mail bag"/"housekeeping" segment; 2) a fresh episode analyzing "The Naughty Donkey" in Christie's Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection; and 3) a rerun of the episode I aired in the summer this year with Sarah Hinlicky Wilson co-hosting, in which we discussed the t...
Dec 22, 2023•2 hr 30 min
Kate Jackson knows her stuff when it comes to classic crime, and then some. I had such a good time talking to her about non-Christie authors of the Golden Age, and then engaging in a choose-your-own-adventure-style exercise that took us through various plot points she meticulously pulled from scores of Christie novels, short stories, and plays. What fun! To buy Kate's book How to Survive a Classic Crime Novel in the U.S., click here . In the UK, click here . To check out Kate's blog, click here ...
Dec 16, 2023•1 hr 7 min
It's time to discuss friend of the podcast Sophie Hannah's murder mystery musical movie!! Mystery and musical fans, unite!! To rent/buy Sophie's movie in the U.S., click here . To rent/buy Sophie's movie in the UK, click here . To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here . You can pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body , in the United States ( here ), the United Kingdom ( here ), and Australia and New Zealand ( here ). This episode is sponsored by Britbox. For listeners i...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min
If you like The Murder of Roger Ackroyd , then this episode is for you! If you like theater, then this episode is *really* for you! Mark was a delight; his passion for Ackroyd , theater, and all things Agatha Christie shines through our entire conversation. Enjoy! Click here to download the Orson Welles radio adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd referenced in the episode. Click here to visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. You can pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy B...
Nov 23, 2023•1 hr 8 min
What an excellent opportunity this conversation was to use--and explain--such new-fangled terms as "Booktube," "Bookstagram," and "BookTok." If the online world of readerly appreciation befuddles you (as it often does me), then allow Mara Sinclair to explain all.... For more Mara in your life, check out her YouTube Channel, Bookslikewhoa . You can also find Mara on Goodreads , Instagram , and Discord . You can pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy Body , in the United States , Australia ...
Nov 11, 2023•1 hr 27 min
'Tis the season for a spooky Christie story, and this one does not disappoint. On the contrary, I would argue it raises the bar by marrying elements of the supernatural and the rational, all in one text. Apparently you can have a trick and a treat; you don't have to choose! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . You can pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy Body , in the U.S. here . And you can pre-order The Busy Body in Australia and New Zealand here . You can v...
Oct 28, 2023•1 hr 2 min
If you are a longtime listener of this podcast, Jamie Bernthal-Hooker is no stranger to you. But until now, our conversations have focused on his scholarly endeavors vis-a-vis Christie. Last month, I was fortunate enough to snag him for a half-hour at the Agatha Christie Festival to discuss his creative project satirizing murder mysteries in general, and Miss Jane Marple in particular. Get ready to meet Jessica Brick! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . Please pre-ord...
Oct 14, 2023•34 min
Get ready for some hot mics: it's time for a live episode of All About Agatha at the 2023 Agatha Christie Festival! I hope you'll be able to share in some of the fun we had down in Torquay this year, because we certainly had a lot of it. Enjoy! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . Please pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy Body , here ....
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Yes, yes: Agatha Christie famously abstained from cocktails and all other alcoholic drinks. So how was it possible to write an entire book--and speak for an entire hour--about Christie and cocktails?! Take a listen and find out! Colleen's book, Agatha Whiskey: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Bestselling Novelist of All Time is available at all major booksellers. Click here to purchase Colleen's book in the UK, and here for purchase in the U.S. To pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body , click h...
Sep 15, 2023•55 min
I loved geeking out with Karen over the top ten "food-related" books within the Christie canon, and I think you will too! Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . You can purchase Karen's book here . You can pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body , here . This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit them here for 10% off your first month of therapy....
Sep 01, 2023•58 min
On this episode I talk generally about the stage plays of Agatha Christie (that we know of thus far), but first I do a massive housekeeping segment with messages from all of you. (Letters! We've got letters! We've got stacks and stacks of letters!) It's such a joy to hear from as many of you as I do; please keep in touch. Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . You can purchase tickets to the rehearsed (and costumed!) reading of Agatha Christie's version (much like Taylor's vers...
Aug 19, 2023•1 hr 12 min
I had such a great time focusing on Agatha Christie's theatrical endeavors, with the person who knows more about them than anyone else in the world. Come delight with me and Julius Green in all the drama! You can visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . You can buy the newer, paperback edition of Julius's book (with a slightly altered title) here . You can pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body , here ....
Aug 05, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Get ready for another panoramic episode, in which I take full stock of the Christie canon from the unusual perspective of the dedications she (usually) inserted at the front of her books. I even managed to unearth some unsolved (by me, anyway) mysteries.... Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . Pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body , at the bookseller of your choice here ....
Jul 22, 2023•1 hr 23 min
My former co-host Catherine Brobeck loved this short story, and this episode about this short story. And so do I! It's also one of the short stories under discussion at this year's upcoming International Agatha Christie Festival in September, during which my co-panelists and I will crown Agatha Christie's Greatest Short Story. Take a listen to the first part of the episode for a sneak peek at the other stories we'll be debating. Happy Summer, everyone! To buy tickets to the Festival, click here ...
Jun 30, 2023•32 min
I loved everything about this nerdiest of episodes... other than the fact that Catherine Brobeck wasn't here to delight in this exercise alongside me. I know she would have dug it. I hope you do, too. Click here for the YouTube link to the recently uploaded (and free!) video of They Came to Baghdad, a 1950s television adaptation previously very hard to find. Click here to access the charts referenced in this episode. Click here to visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. Click here to ...
Jun 17, 2023•1 hr 13 min
You might want to pour yourself some egg nog and download one of those roaring digital fireplaces for today's offering, which is a rare Christmas-themed, and overtly religious, Christie short story. Many thanks to Sarah Hinlicky Wilson for co-hosting this episode with me. Click here to visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. Click here to visit Sarah's website. Click here to read Sarah's article referenced in the episode: "Miss Marple's Low Anthropology." Click here to pre-order my my...
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 28 min
This episode is one of those happy occasions on which you all get to hear a voice--and a perspective--other than my own. Three voices, in fact. Many thanks to my co-hosts Jenni Bishop, Tina Hodgkinson, and Emma for a fabulous talk on such an important topic. Click here to visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. Click here to pre-order my mystery novel!...
May 19, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Please join me if you can in Torquay on Thursday, 14 September 2023 at 7:00pm in the Spanish Barn! Visit the Festival's website here to check out my event, and all the other marvelous offerings. Click the link here to purchase tickets for my event.
May 12, 2023•3 min
What better way to celebrate Coronation Day than with a story Agatha Christie wrote to contribute to the restoration of Westminster Abbey? (No, really!) More such fun facts await you in this, our final Miss Marple story for the podcast.... Miss Marple is done! Long live Miss Marple! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here . Please pre-order my mystery novel! There are an array of links to various booksellers here , including Bookshop , which allows you to buy from indie boo...
May 06, 2023•1 hr
In this hodgepodge of an episode, I revisit Christie stories already covered, and discuss a number of adaptations--and one text!--that Catherine and I failed to mention the first time around. (Please know that spoilers will abound for these stories.) Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here .
Apr 22, 2023•54 min
If the teeth don't match, you must give your head a scratch. Au revoir, cher Poirot. Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here .
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 2 min
I had a great time chatting with debut author Kitty Murphy about the first book in her "Dublin Drag Mysteries" series. U.S. listeners can find Death in Heels at an indie bookstore by clicking this link . Click here to visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page.
Mar 24, 2023•45 min
