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. 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 Cullingf...
Nov 25, 2020•22 min
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...
Nov 18, 2020•28 min
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 20...
Nov 11, 2020•23 min
Snobbery and murder, all served up perfectly for you on a silver tray. 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 Art...
Oct 28, 2020•27 min
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 shedunnitsho...
Oct 14, 2020•27 min
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 M...
Sep 30, 2020•35 min
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. B...
Sep 16, 2020•33 min
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 first t...
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 and t...
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 London Be...
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” in Mu...
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 —Giant’s B...
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. Sayers ...
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 Lock by Ronald Knox —The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr —B...
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 Agatha Chri...
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 by Do...
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 Buried by...
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 collectio...
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 Advers...
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 Deep ...
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 B...
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 b...
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 book...
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 member...
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 Chris...
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 sh...
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, W...
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 Complete...
Oct 16, 2019•26 min
