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. 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 M...
Jan 26, 2022•34 min
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 Clu...
Jan 12, 2022•40 min
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. 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 Nig...
Dec 08, 2021•35 min
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. 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 S...
Nov 24, 2021•29 min
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. There are no spoilers in this episode. Books referenced: — Ngaio Marsh: Her Life ...
Nov 17, 2021•31 min
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 an...
Nov 10, 2021•28 min
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. 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 Allin...
Nov 03, 2021•27 min
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. 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 spoiler...
Oct 27, 2021•26 min
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. 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 ot...
Oct 20, 2021•31 min
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. Books mentioned: —The Golden Age of Murder by M...
Oct 06, 2021•42 min
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. Find links to all the books mentioned in this episode at shedunnitshow.com/doubletrouble. Books mentioned: — Tidy Death by Nap Lombard — The ...
Sep 22, 2021•23 min
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. There are no spoilers in this episode. 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 Mousetr...
Aug 25, 2021•24 min
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 i...
Aug 11, 2021•27 min
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...
Jul 28, 2021•23 min
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 Whiche...
Jul 14, 2021•34 min
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 episod...
Jun 30, 2021•20 min
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 ...
Jun 15, 2021•26 min
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 Jun...
Jun 01, 2021•29 min
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 Fie...
May 19, 2021•25 min
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 (196...
May 04, 2021•30 min
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 o...
Apr 20, 2021•22 min
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: —...
Apr 06, 2021•23 min
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 — "Wh...
Mar 24, 2021•21 min
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 Bo...
Mar 10, 2021•22 min
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 24, 2021•21 min
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 B...
Feb 10, 2021•25 min
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 Chocolate...
Jan 27, 2021•28 min
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. Sa...
Jan 13, 2021•22 min
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 Decemb...
Dec 16, 2020•24 min
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 frien...
Dec 09, 2020•52 min
