Podcast Episodes

Round Robin

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…

7 years, 7 months ago

The Other Detectives

Some sleuths need no introduction. But other characters, also created by famous authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, lurk in obscurity…

7 years, 7 months ago

Nurse Daniels

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…

7 years, 8 months ago

The Rules

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…

7 years, 8 months ago

Dining with Death

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. Y…

7 years, 9 months ago

Edith Thompson

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 c…

7 years, 9 months ago

Adaptations (with Sarah Phelps)

For many people, their main contact with detective fiction is via film and television adaptations. For a huge global audience, Agatha Christie's work…

7 years, 10 months ago

Crime at Christmas

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 f…

7 years, 10 months ago

The Lady Vanishes

When Agatha Christie disappeared in 1926, nobody could find her.

Books mentioned in order of appearance

—The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Chri…

7 years, 10 months ago

Queer Clues

The detective stories of the 1920s and 30s aren't exactly well known for being at the vanguard of the struggle for gay rights. But there are queer cl…

7 years, 11 months ago