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 To be the ...
Sep 02, 2020•24 min
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 ...
Aug 19, 2020•26 min
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 Londo...
Aug 05, 2020•28 min
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” ...
Jul 22, 2020•25 min
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...
Jul 08, 2020•20 min
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 — Gi...
Jun 24, 2020•19 min
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. Sa...
Jun 10, 2020•19 min
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 Loc k by Ronald Knox — The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson...
May 27, 2020•20 min
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 . 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 Agat...
May 13, 2020•25 min
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...
Apr 29, 2020•26 min
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 Bur...
Apr 15, 2020•24 min
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 . 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 colle...
Apr 01, 2020•20 min
What would Peter Wimsey be without Harriet Vane? Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/happilyeverafter . 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: — "Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories" by SS Van Dine — Ronald Knox’s Decalogue — Till Death Do Us Part by John Dickson Carr — The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle — The Secret...
Mar 18, 2020•26 min
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. 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 De...
Mar 04, 2020•21 min
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...
Feb 19, 2020•20 min
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 . 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:...
Feb 06, 2020•21 min
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 . Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a...
Jan 22, 2020•21 min
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 . Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a bo...
Jan 08, 2020•24 min
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 . 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 memb...
Dec 11, 2019•22 min
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 . 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 C...
Nov 27, 2019•20 min
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 . Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at ...
Nov 13, 2019•22 min
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 ,...
Oct 30, 2019•26 min
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 . 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 Comp...
Oct 16, 2019•26 min
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 . 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 —...
Oct 02, 2019•27 min
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 Joh...
Sep 18, 2019•27 min
Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. But three times? Three women dead in identical circumstances is highly suspicious. 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:...
Sep 04, 2019•33 min
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 podcast apps. For the full shownotes and credits of this episode, see wttepodcast.com/golden . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Aug 21, 2019•37 min
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 and in all good podcast apps. Find the full shownotes, credits and transcript of this episode at theallusionist.org/convalescence I've got one more guest episode c...
Aug 07, 2019•22 min
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 act, because you might just recognise her interviewee. Find The Allusionist at theallusionist.org and in all good podcast apps. Find the full shownotes, credits and transcript of this episode at ...
Jul 24, 2019•32 min
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/...
Jul 10, 2019•21 min