
All About Agatha Christie (All About Agatha (Christie))
Explore every episode of All About Agatha Christie
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01 Sep 2023 | Interview with Karen Pierce, Author of a New Cookbook Celebrating the Work of Agatha Christie | 00:57:47 | |
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.
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23 Aug 2024 | Summer Rerun: All About the Adaptations of And Then There Were None (with guest Mark Aldridge) | 00:58:31 | |
I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane, especially since it will help prepare you for my upcoming live episode at the Agatha Christie Festival, concerning which among the many (many!) screen adaptations of Christie's work is the best.... To find out more and purchase tickets for my appearance at the Bloody Scotland festival on Saturday, 14 September at 11:30am, please click here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
22 Apr 2023 | Things We Missed Along the Way: Lord Edgware Dies, A Murder is Announced, The Red Signal by Agatha Christie | 00:54:20 | |
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. | |||
13 Aug 2022 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Mystery of the Baghdad (or is that Spanish?) Chest by Agatha Christie | 01:09:47 | |
When I found myself adding an instrumental track of Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back" to an excerpt of this short story I'd been reading aloud, I realized I had passed a milestone of fandom and absurdity I never knew existed till I was on the other side of it. I am happy to be able to share this milestone with you, dear listeners. Enjoy. Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. This episode is brought to you by Britbox. Remember to use coupon code AGATHA at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription in the U.S. and Canada. | |||
29 Jun 2024 | Overbearing, Rich, and Idiomatic: The Americans of Agatha Christie | 01:15:07 | |
It's time to discuss those pesky Americans who appear in the Christie canon, and answer such burning questions as: Are all Americans millionaires? (Alas, no.) Do all Americans speak solely by way of idiom? (Happily, no.) I was also able to answer a ton of mailbag questions, which involved one hundred percent more Spice Girls than I expected it to. The following titles are spoiled to varying degrees in this episode: The Actress; After the Funeral; The Big Four; A Caribbean Mystery; Cat Among the Pigeons; Death on the Nile; Destination Unknown; Endless Night; Evil Under the Sun; Lord Edgware Dies; The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side; Motive v. Opportunity; The Mousetrap (though only in a minor way), Mrs. McGinty’s Dead; A Murder is Announced, Murder on the Orient Express; The Soul of the Croupier; Sparkling Cyanide; They Do It With Mirrors. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
22 Dec 2024 | A Special Christmas Episode: Promotion in the Highest by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson). . . and Some Holiday Poems, Too! | 02:01:51 | |
It's always a joy to have the Reverend Doctor Sarah Hinlicky Wilson on the show to explain to us what the heck Agatha Christie Mallowan is getting at in the extremely personal and extremely Christian short stories she wrote within her Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection. Happy holidays to all who celebrate; we certainly know that Agatha Christie did! Please note there are a few minor spoilers for Passenger to Frankfurt littered throughout our discussion, which I did not note at the top of the episode. But there is an argument to be made that this novel is un-spoilable, since it barely makes any sense.... (I get to be cheeky around the holidays.) You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. Come see me on tour for Loose Lips, starting in a few short weeks! Visit my website for more details. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page (a subscription is the perfect holiday gift!), click here. Check out all that Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is up to (it's a lot!). Her website is here, and you can visit her podcast, Queen of the Sciences, here. You can also check out her substack here. I also mentioned two previous articles Sarah has written, which I believe every Christie fanatic should read for the insights they provide: "Miss Marple's Low Anthropology" and "Agatha Christie, A Very Elusive Christian." Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. And you can of course still buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.
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01 Jun 2024 | Interview with Journalist Karen Robinson on the Discovery of a Rare, Early Agatha Christie Artifact | 00:45:45 | |
It isn't every day a new discovery is made regarding a physical record of Agatha Christie's writing, especially one from her earliest days as a writer.... Thank you to journalist Karen Robinson for sitting down with me to talk about What We Did in the Great War by Agatha Christie... and by others in the VAD in Torquay during the First World War! It was a fantastic discussion. For information about the exhibition in London where you can see this handmade magazine for yourself, click here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
22 Jul 2023 | All About the Dedications of Agatha Christie | 01:22:31 | |
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. | |||
26 Oct 2024 | A Special HALLOWE'EN SPOOKTACULAR Episode: The Fourth Man by Agatha Christie | 01:22:05 | |
We've got strange goings-on in this early, supernatural Christie short story. What happened to poor Felicie Bault? Could it be a multiple personality disorder? A body swap?! Or something even WEIRDER? You be the judge... but first, delight with me in heaps upon heaps of listener correspondence. Happy Hallowe'en, everyone! For U.S. listeners: pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, at your bookseller of choice here. Check out this Monsieur Poirot/Miss Marple spoof, The Teddy Bear Who Knew Too Much, courtesy of The Two Ronnies. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can still buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.
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03 Jun 2022 | Interview with Carla Valentine, Author of Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie | 01:12:31 | |
Carla Valentine is a forensic pathologist and a *massive* Agatha Christie fan. These two facts are very much not unrelated, as you will soon discover in our lively and far-ranging discussion. This episode is brought to you by Britbox, http://www.britbox.com. (U.S. and Canadian listeners: use the promo code "AGATHA" for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription.) You can find more content on the podcast's Patreon page, over at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. | |||
12 Jan 2025 | Special Announcement: I Am Okay, But Next Episode Delayed Due to L.A. Fires | 00:02:42 | |
Thank you to everyone for understanding. As I mentioned, here are a few organizations you can contribute to, if you are so inclined. Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation California Community Foundation's Wildlife Recovery Stay safe, everyone. | |||
24 Mar 2023 | Interview with Kitty Murphy, Author of Death in Heels | 00:45:28 | |
16 Dec 2023 | How to Survive an Agatha Christie Novel, with Author Kate Jackson | 01:06:45 | |
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. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. To pre-order a copy of my upcoming mystery novel The Busy Body in the U.S., click here. In the UK, click here. And in Australia and New Zealand, click here. | |||
18 Jan 2025 | Interview with Lucy Foley, Author of The Midnight Feast (and Other Mysteries) | 01:03:42 | |
Chances are you know exactly who Lucy Foley is, and have read one of her bestselling mystery thrillers, all of which have been compared to Agatha Christie. Lucy is also a massive Christie fan herself, and it was such a joy to speak with her about her work, and our shared love of Dame Agatha (and in particular Miss Marple!). Here are a few organizations to contribute to, in L.A.'s ongoing effort to combat and recover from these devastating fires. Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation California Community Foundation's Wildlife Recovery You can now buy Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States! And you can now buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. You can check out my upcoming tour dates here on my author website. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. | |||
20 Jan 2024 | Interview (#2!) with Alex Michaelides, Author of The Fury | 00:59:08 | |
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 my website here. You can visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. This episode is sponsored by Even the Royals, which you can find wherever you listen to podcasts, including here. | |||
12 Apr 2024 | Interview with Andrew Winans, Director of The Hollow by Agatha Christie | 01:06:59 | |
Andrew Winans is the director of a new off-Broadway production of Christie's theatrical adaptation of her superb novel, The Hollow. I loved getting to speak with someone who has been in the trenches with his cast of actors and crew of professionals over the past few months, bringing this Agatha Christie play to life.... To purchase tickets for this run of The Hollow (13-21 April) at The Players Theatre in downtown New York, click here. Come visit me on my ongoing book tour for my mystery novel, The Busy Body! Click here for details. The Busy Body is available to purchase in the United States, the United Kingdom (where it is available via Kindle for £0.99 for all of April!), and Australia and New Zealand. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. Click here to purchase tickets for my upcoming panel at the Agatha Christie Festival in September. | |||
05 Aug 2023 | Interview with Julius Green, Author of Curtain Up: Agatha Christie, A Life in the Theatre | 01:20:35 | |
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. | |||
15 Sep 2023 | Interview with Colleen Mulaney, Author of a New Book About Agatha Christie and Cocktails | 00:55:24 | |
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 here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit them here for 10% off your first month of therapy. | |||
14 Oct 2023 | Interview with Jamie Bernthal-Hooker, Author of Jessica Brick Investigates | 00:34:19 | |
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-order my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, here. | |||
17 Jun 2022 | And Then There Were 3: Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie | 02:25:04 | |
Well thank goodness I had Caroline Crampton, host of the fabulous Shedunnit podcast, to help me wade through the rather disorienting waters of this, the final novel Agatha Christie ever wrote. Get out your hankies--to wipe away not only your tears, but all the dust and spiders out in the garden shed, a.k.a. "KK." It's time to visit Tommy and Tuppence one last time.... This episode is brought to you by Britbox. Visit http://www.britbox.com and use coupon code "AGATHA" for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. You can access bonus material on the podcast's Patreon page, over at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. | |||
18 Apr 2025 | A Christie for Easter: In the Cool of the Evening by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson) | 01:54:27 | |
We've done so many Christies for Christmas, it's about time we did one for Easter. Alas, mutations from the radioactive byproduct of a 1960s-era nuclear power plant did not move me or my guest co-host the way Christie seems to have intended. But perhaps your mileage varies. The following titles are spoiled to varying degrees in this episode: The Man from the Sea, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, The Murder at the Vicarage, Nemesis, Ordeal by Innocence, Passenger to Frankfurt, They Do It with Mirrors. Come visit me in the South! (Of the United States, that is.) Check out my upcoming tour dates here on my author website. Please check out Sarah's website, podcast, and substack. Much joy awaits you! You can still buy tickets to my upcoming appearance at the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, England in September. Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, is currently available for purchase. You can also buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Author, or at my author website. | |||
29 Jul 2022 | And Then There Were 2: Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie | 03:02:26 | |
When Catherine and I started this crazy little venture, I never thought I'd say this, and certainly not with the excitement it inspires in me now, but at long last we've broken the three-hour barrier. That is how much my co-host Tony Medawar and I had to say about this final(/not-final) Miss Marple novel. Please enjoy, because we sure did. For bonus content, please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon site. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. | |||
08 Oct 2022 | Interview with David Brawn, Publisher of Agatha Christie | 01:37:44 | |
HarperCollins UK publisher David Brawn has been keeping Agatha Christie in print for over 25 years now. More recently, he’s helmed the Christie continuation projects, starting first with Charles Osborne’s novelizations, then Sophie Hannah’s Poirot books, and just last month, Marple: Twelve New Mysteries, a new collection of Miss Marple short stories by twelve different writers. We had a lot to talk about, so I was thrilled to sit down with him in Torquay at the International Agatha Christie Festival a few weeks ago. I hope (and trust) you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast’s Patreon page. This episode is brought to you by Britbox. Remember to use coupon code “AGATHA” for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription in the U.S. and Canada. | |||
13 Sep 2024 | *LIVE!* Episode: Agatha Christie's Greatest Screen Adaptation? (Recorded at the 2024 Agatha Christie Festival) | 01:45:37 | |
It's time for another live episode from the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, with a to-die-for panel of Agathologists! And guess what? The sound quality of this one is SUPERB, thanks to the presence of an on-site technician. Thank you to the Festival for making this happen! I hope you all enjoy; I know we did.... I'm appearing at Bloody Scotland tomorrow, Saturday 14 September, and hope to see some listeners there! You can currently pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
29 Sep 2023 | *LIVE!* Episode: Agatha Christie's Greatest Short Story? (Recorded at the 2023 Agatha Christie Festival) | 01:22:19 | |
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. | |||
08 Apr 2022 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: Wasps' Nest by Agatha Christie | 00:47:47 | |
Apostrophes, feminine writers, and water butts. Oh my. This episode is brought to you by http://www.smilebrilliant.com. Remember to use coupon code AGATHA. You can visit the podcast's Patreon site at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. | |||
14 Feb 2025 | A Special Valentine's Day Episode: All About Love in Agatha Christie | 01:23:27 | |
Love and marriage are said to go together like a horse and carriage, but what about love and murder? Like a sheep and herder, maybe? I'm just spitballing here, forgive me; I'm a little delirious after exploring so many iterations of love in so many different Christie works. I hope you enjoy the episode. It was a labor of--well, you know. BLANKET SPOILER WARNING: spoilers abound in this episode (I cover a lot of ground), so if you are worried about having any Christie novel or short story spoiled for you, please proceed with caution! Check out my new article on AgathaChristie.com, all about Christie's transportation and travel mysteries. And speaking of transportation and travel mysteries, consider purchasing my new mystery novel, Loose Lips, set entirely on a cruise ship! (The second book in the Ghostwriter Mysteries series.) You can listen to two interviews I did on two great podcasts: Mechanicsburg Mystery Presents and Books on the Go. And you can check out my author website for more details about my upcoming tour in a few weeks' time, in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, from Tuesday March 4th through Sunday March 9th. Also you can now buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Author or at my author website. | |||
15 Jul 2022 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Third Floor Flat by Agatha Christie | 00:46:14 | |
It's time to pick apart a Poirot short story in excruciating detail, though thankfully the process is anything but excruciating--especially with a miniature puzzle mystery as clever as this one, and set in the vicinity of Poirot's own digs, to boot! Let us never underestimate the power of propinquity.... This episode is sponsored by Britbox (use coupon code AGATHA) and BetterHelp. For bonus content, please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon account. | |||
30 Mar 2024 | Klaxon Bell Bonanza: The Actress by Agatha Christie | 00:51:59 | |
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 Bungalow” "Murder in the Mews” Cat Among the Pigeons Three Act Tragedy Death in the Clouds And Then There Were None The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Lord Edgware Dies Evil Under the Sun To purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival, click here. To visit the Festival website and check out all the other fantastic panels on offer, click here. For details on my upcoming book tour in the Northeast and Midwest of the U.S., click here. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. You can purchase my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.
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05 Nov 2022 | Communing with Mr. Quin: The Harlequin Tea Set by Agatha Christie | 00:46:58 | |
What a joy it was to spend some time again with Christie's most dynamic detective duo, Quin & Satterthwaite (sorry, Beresfords). This is the rare late-career Christie short story, and while the puzzle isn't one of her strongest, there's no denying the strange magic of the Satterthwerse.... Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon site. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. Use coupon code "AGATHA" at checkout in the U.S. and Canada for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
02 Mar 2025 | Meow: The Cats of Agatha Christie | 00:56:21 | |
First, dogs. Now, cats. Who knows where this podcast will lead me next? Come see me on tour! 4th-9th of March in the Northeastern U.S.! Visit my website for more details. You can now buy Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. Check out Kate Jackson's excellent article about cats and mysteries. And here is the article I referenced on the blog Literary Potpourri, which I found to be helpful. You can also buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Author, or at my author website.
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22 Apr 2022 | Interview with Gillian Gill, Author of Agatha Christie: The Woman and Her Mysteries | 01:22:40 | |
What a pleasure to chat with one of the early Christie biographers--and critical analysts--about Agatha Christie as both a writer and a person. We even talk about sex! (Consider yourselves titillated... even though Agatha definitely would not have been.) You can find bonus material at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. This episode is sponsored by http://www.smilebrilliant.com. Remember to use coupon code AGATHA. | |||
27 Sep 2024 | Interview with Marci Kay Monson, Author of the New Children's Book, Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles | 00:57:07 | |
Marci Kay Monson has created something very interesting in this children's picture-book version of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I can't think of a better way to start off what I hope is a long-running discussion of YA mystery, here on the podcast. You can check out Marci's book on her website here. You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
14 Jan 2023 | It's Raining Rankings! Hallelujah! | 00:46:33 | |
What a world we live in where Catherine and I are not the only two fanatics who have taken it upon ourselves to rank every single one of Agatha Christie's 66 mystery novels. In this episode, I delight in comparing and contrasting the All About Agatha grid with two other worthy offerings.... I hope you enjoy the nerdfest; it was a blast to record. Special thanks to our A+++ listener, and to Yasuo Sudoh. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. This episode is sponsored by The Art of Crime podcast. | |||
17 Jun 2023 | Ranking the Murderers of Agatha Christie | 01:12:59 | |
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 pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body, due out in January 2024! | |||
17 Aug 2024 | Special Announcement: I'm Coming to Scotland! | 00:03:17 | |
I'm thrilled to be participating in the Bloody Scotland festival this September! Click here for more information about my panel on Saturday, 14 September at 11:30am, at Trinity Church in Stirling. And for those of you in Southern California, here are the details for my upcoming appearance at a brand-new Barnes & Noble in Santa Monica on Saturday, 31 August at 10:00am, at the Third Street Promenade. | |||
26 Aug 2022 | Interview with Lucy Worsley, Author of Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman | 01:12:53 | |
Lucy Worsley is an author, a historian, a TV presenter, and she is also one of us, because she is a listener of this podcast (!!) and she is *obsessed* with Agatha Christie. As our conversation will attest. Bonus points for the Jane Austen content we manage to shoehorn in here, plus, this is easily the best conversation I've had with anyone (barring my beloved Catherine) about Agatha Christie's infamous disappearance. For bonus content, please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon site. This episode is brought to you by Britbox; use coupon code AGATHA in the U.S. and Canada at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. This episode is also brought to you by BetterHelp. Sign up now for 10% off your first month of therapy sessions. | |||
30 Dec 2022 | Interview with Maureen Johnson, Author of Nine Liars | 01:13:38 | |
What a joyous and festive way to close out 2022, by chatting with Maureen Johnson, the talented writer of YA mysteries very much inspired by Agatha Christie. Happy New Year, one and all! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. Remember that if you buy a gift subscription this holiday season, you have the chance to win all sorts of cool prizes (no purchase necessary). Click here for more details. | |||
07 Apr 2023 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Agatha Christie | 01:01:41 | |
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. | |||
22 Dec 2023 | A Christmas Christie for Christmas: The Naughty Donkey by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with bonus rerun of Star Over Bethlehem) | 02:29:59 | |
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 titular story of the same collection. So much Christie, so much Christianity, so much Christmas. Rejoice! You can check out Sarah's short story podcast here. You can see my upcoming book tour events (!!) here. Please come see me! You can pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States here, in the United Kingdom here, and in Australia and New Zealand here. You can visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. This episode is sponsored by BritBox. For listeners in the U.S. and Canada, click here and use the promo code "AGATHA" at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
07 May 2022 | And Then There Were 4: Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie | 02:40:36 | |
It's been a while since we’ve done a Stefon, so here goes. This episode has everything: twins, wigs, continuity errors, Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver (surely the model upon which Will & Grace were built) teaming up one last time, and of course, Dr. Mark Aldridge, co-host extraordinaire. It’s time to find out if elephants really can remember! (Spoiler: they mainly can’t.)
You can find bonus content at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. | |||
01 Jul 2022 | Interview (#2!!) with Ruth Ware, Author of The It Girl | 00:59:26 | |
Ruth Ware has a new psychological crime thriller out this summer, and it may be her most Christie-ish yet. Listen to us discuss kebab vans in much greater detail than you were probably expecting! This episode is brought to you by Britbox. Use promo code "AGATHA" for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription in the U.S. or Canada. For bonus content, please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon site. | |||
12 May 2023 | *Special Announcement* re Live Event at the International Agatha Christie Festival, Sept 2023 | 00:03:17 | |
05 Apr 2025 | Interview with Literary Map Designer (Yes, That's a Thing) Ben Olins | 01:01:57 | |
It isn't every day I get to interview a map designer on All About Agatha. Nor is it every day I get to work on a map with a map designer, which is something I've been doing on the side in tribute to my late co-host, Catherine Brobeck, whom Ben and I talk about at some length in our conversation. We also talk some Christie, because of course we do; I know Catherine wouldn't have had it any other way. Visit my website for details on my upcoming U.S. tour in the South. Click here for tickets to my upcoming panel at the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, in September. And click here for information about all the fabulous offerings at the Festival this year. Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, is currently available for purchase. Time for some map links! Here is Catherine Brobeck's map of Joan Didion's Los Angeles, Caroline Crampton's map of Agatha Christie's England, and Martin Edwards's Golden Age of Mystery map of England. And here is a link to the general Herb Lester catalogue of gloriously weird maps. You can also buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Author, or at my author website. | |||
05 Jan 2024 | Putting On an Agatha Christie Play (with Three Guest Co-Hosts) | 01:34:44 | |
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 and heaps of both entertainment and insight. 2) You can look up Christopher Diehl's community theater here. And here is a link to another theater where he works on numerous projects, including those by Christie. 3) Click here to check out Jamie West's debut mystery novel, Death on the Pier, inspired by his love of mystery and theater. If you'd like to come see me on my upcoming book tour, the details are on my website here. And you can still pre-order that book (for a few more weeks) in the United States here, the United Kingdom here, and Australia/New Zealand here. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. For listeners in the U.S. and Canada, click here and use the promo code "AGATHA" at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
13 Jul 2024 | Interview with David Morris of Collecting Christie | 01:56:20 | |
It was a dream to be able to sit down with David Morris, and pore over all the priceless goodies he brought with him having to do with Agatha Christie books, art, and ephemera. The following titles are spoiled during the course of our conversation: The Mystery of the Blue Train, Death on the Nile. To watch me watch two gamers play Murder on the Orient Express the videogame while we discuss all things Agatha Christie, click here. This is the first episode of the PBS SoCal series Won't You Be My Gamer? It was a lot of fun. For more of David's scholarly work from a collector's point of view, you can visit his website here, find him on Twitter here, and on Facebook here. You can also check out his upcoming talk at the Agatha Christie Festival here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.
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03 Feb 2024 | All About The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (Spoiler-Free!) | 04:11:03 | |
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 Mousetrap and Me, which I reference in the show. You can find Phil O'Neill's wonderful book, Poems from the Unconscious, here, and Scott Ratner's extremely funny original play, Kill a Better Mousetrap, here. You can find my Crimereads article on why Agatha Christie has endured uniquely among mystery writers here. You can now purchase my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body (as a paper copy, ebook, or audio book), in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. Click here for more information on upcoming book tour events for The Busy Body. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page.
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11 Mar 2023 | Agatha Christie: In the Flesh | 00:41:33 | |
Did you ever wonder what it would be like to meet Agatha Christie in person? Well, here's your answer. Special thanks to Yasuo Sudoh, Dr. Ernestine Elster, and Norman Home for contributing to this episode.
Please visit and subscribe to the Podcast's Patreon page here. You can read the L.A. Times article referenced in this episode (all about All About Agatha) here. | |||
11 Oct 2024 | *Crossover Episode* with The Swinging Christies (!!): Ranking the 1960s Novels of Agatha Christie | 01:24:48 | |
Did you know that Superman's appearance on I Love Lucy is considered by some to be the first crossover episode of television? In that case, I was blessed with the appearance of *TWO* supermen on this crossover episode of All About Agatha and The Swinging Christies, in which I sat down (in Agatha Christie's birthplace and on Agatha Christie's birthday, no less!) with co-hosts Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Together, we discussed--and debated--the ranking of Christie's novels from the 1960s, which they've spent the past year considering in glorious detail. I couldn't think of a better way to spend 90 minutes, and only wish it could have been longer. Enjoy! The following titles are spoiled (to varying degrees) over the course of this episode: At Bertram’s Hotel, The Body in the Library, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, A Caribbean Mystery, Cat Among the Pigeons, The Clocks, Elephants Can Remember, Endless Night, Hallowe’en Party, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, Murder is Easy, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Nemesis, The Pale Horse, Passenger to Frankfurt, Postern of Fate, They Do It With Mirrors, Third Girl. You can find more information about and links to Dr. Mark Aldridge's newest book, Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert on Wickedness at his website. You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. You can find Mark and Gray on X and Instagram under @Christie_Time, and at their website.
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08 Jul 2022 | *Special Announcement* re In-Person Appearance at Int'l Agatha Christie Festival in September | 00:04:37 | |
I'm going to Torquay, listeners! Or as I like to think of it: Agatha-land. Please join me at the International Agatha Christie Festival for a special, live episode of All About Agatha, where I will debate which title deserves to be crowned Agatha Christie's greatest novel with the likes of John Curran, Jamie Bernthal-Hooker, Mark Aldridge, and Carla Valentine (!!!!). You'll even get to weigh in as an audience member... but only if you're there in person! Wednesday, 14 September at 7:00pm. All other details and ticket purchases to be accessed on the Festival's website here. I hope to see you! For bonus content, you can always subscribe to the podcast's Patreon account. | |||
19 Nov 2022 | In Conversation with Brad Friedman re Marple: Twelve New Mysteries | 01:37:32 | |
It's time to discuss the new collection of Miss Marple short stories that came out this fall in a detail some may find excruciating, but which my co-host Brad Friedman and I found to be juuuuuuust right. Come and get down-and-dirty in the weeds of these stories the way Aunt Jane herself would have done, gardener that she was. Because just like foxglove and belladonna, these weeds are beautiful, fascinating... and deadly.
Visit the podcast's Patreon site here for more content. Visit Brad's fabulous blog here. This episode is sponsored by the Art of Crime Podcast, which you can download wherever you download podcasts. Visit the podcast's website here. This episode is also sponsored by Britbox. Use coupon code "AGATHA" in the U.S. and Canada for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
26 Jul 2024 | Woof: The Dogs of Agatha Christie | 01:16:45 | |
Whether it's teeny-tiny dogs like the Pekingese, more medium-sized dogs like the VAST array of terriers who appear in this episode, or large dogs like the scary greyhound who makes quite a memorable appearance, there is something for everyone in my discussion of the canine species in Agatha Christie's works. Special thanks to Kate Jackson and Michelle Kazmer, whose expertise I leaned on in preparing this episode. Click here to visit and subscribe to Patreon for bonus episodes. And I encourage you to listen to my Patreon episode all about Next to a Dog, as referenced in this episode. If you don't want to become a paying member, simply sign up as a free member, and you can listen free of charge for up to two weeks following the release of this episode. Please watch the PBS SoCal YouTube series Won't You Be My Gamer?, in which I play a videogame adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express with two experts! Great fun. You can read Kate Jackson's excellent lecture on animals in classic mystery fiction here. Here is a link to that old, dog-and-cat-centric episode of the Crown Court series that I mentioned, Evil Liver, written by Ngaio Marsh and starring Joan Hickson (among others). Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
28 Oct 2023 | A Special HALLOWE'EN SPOOKTACULAR Episode: In a Glass Darkly by Agatha Christie | 01:02:12 | |
'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 visit Mara Sinclair's BookTube channel (the subject of my next episode) here. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. For listeners in the U.S. and Canada, click here and use the promo code "AGATHA" at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
03 Dec 2022 | Getting Happy with Parker Pyne (and Hercule Poirot?!): The Regatta Mystery by Agatha Christie, with guest co-host Michelle Kazmer | 01:43:07 | |
I didn't think I'd care this much about saying farewell to Parker Pyne, heart specialist.... Fortunately, there is a LOT to discuss in this jam-packed (really, pilchard-packed) episode: hot mackerel, plasticine, and corncrakes, for starters. Eternal thanks to Dr. Michelle Kazmer for lending her voice and expertise on this episode. If it isn't the sendoff Parker Pyne deserves, it's because Michelle was way too kind and smart for him. Just saying. | |||
23 Sep 2022 | *LIVE!* Episode: Agatha Christie's Greatest Novel? (Recorded at the International Agatha Christie Festival) | 01:23:32 | |
This episode was a joy to create: live and in person, in front of an audience and a group of co-panelists all bubbling with the same passion for Christie I'm used to sharing with all of you over the airwaves (podwaves?) alone.... I wish I could say that the recording does the event justice, but it's better than nothing. (Just.) Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon site. This episode is sponsored by Britbox; use coupon code "AGATHA" at checkout in the U.S. and Canada for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. This episode is also sponsored by BetterHelp. Click this link for 10% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
09 Nov 2024 | Interview with Maureen Johnson, Author of Death at Morning House | 01:06:51 | |
Take comfort, for Maureen Johnson is back on the podcast to talk about her newest (standalone) YA mystery novel, and to talk about the nature of YA mystery itself! You can find out more about Maureen and check out all her brilliant books at her website here. You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
16 Mar 2024 | Ranking Some (But Not All!) of the Various Screen Adaptations of Agatha Christie (with Teresa Peschel) | 02:08:50 | |
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 at this year's Agatha Christie Festival, click here. Go wild perusing all that Teresa and Bill at Peschel Press have to offer here. Come visit me in mid-April while I’m on tour in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States! Click here for details. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and New Zealand. You can visit and subscribe to the podcast’s Patreon page here. | |||
11 Feb 2023 | Live-Playing (!!) The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge by Agatha Christie... & Hunt a Killer | 00:40:47 | |
In this episode, I try my hand at a "live game" experience based on a Poirot short story, which was provided to me for free by the game's creators.... And, spoiler, but I fail. Utterly.
This episode is sponsored by the Art of Crime podcast. Check out their website here. | |||
25 Mar 2022 | Interview with Nita Prose, Author of The Maid | 00:51:58 | |
What a pleasure it was to speak with the debut (though by no means inexperienced) author of the genre-busting mystery The Maid. It's such a charming read, and we got to talk a lot--a lot!--about Christie.
Visit the podcast's Patreon site at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. | |||
08 Dec 2023 | Interview with Sophie Hannah re: The Mystery of Mr E | 01:04:18 | |
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 in the U.S. and Canada, click here and use the promo code "AGATHA" at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
06 Apr 2024 | *Special Announcement* re Next Episode | 00:02:24 | |
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! | |||
21 Oct 2022 | *Surprise* Hallowe'en SPOOKTACULAR: S O S by Agatha Christie | 00:50:10 | |
Boo! It's a surprise episode popping up like The Crypt Keeper in the opening credits to Tales from the Crypt (anyone with me here?), featuring one of Agatha Christie's weird tales of the supernatural! If you think this story can't *also* include some of the most grounded elements of a classic Christie puzzle mystery, then consider this the trick to balance out all those treats you've got coming your way at the end of the month.... Happy Hallowe'en, everyone! Click here for a lovely L.A. Times piece all about the podcast, written by Deborah Netburn. Click here for the podcast's Patreon page. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. Use coupon code "AGATHA" at checkout in the U.S. and Canada for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
19 May 2023 | All About Ableism in Agatha Christie (with Three Guest Co-Hosts) | 01:22:04 | |
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! | |||
23 Nov 2023 | Interview with Mark Shanahan, Playwright and Director of a New Adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | 01:08:21 | |
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 Body, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. For listeners in the U.S. and Canada, click here and use the promo code "AGATHA" at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
19 Aug 2023 | All About the (Stage) Plays of Agatha Christie | 01:12:11 | |
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 version, I imagine) of Towards Zero at the International Agatha Christie Festival 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. | |||
24 Feb 2023 | How Many Wonders Can One Island Hold? Manx Gold by Agatha Christie | 00:53:45 | |
Is this the weirdest thing Christie ever wrote? Maybe! But let's embrace it, and journey together to the Isle of Man, where buried treasure awaits.... Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon account here. | |||
27 Jan 2023 | A Revisitation of (a.k.a. *JUSTICE FOR*) The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie | 02:00:18 | |
Double, double toil and trouble.... It's time for a second--and much closer--look at the grand estate of Chimneys and its many, many (no really: many) secrets! (Don't worry, that Macbeth quote will make more sense once you listen.) I had more fun than I've had in a long time creating this episode. I also missed my dear partner Catherine Brobeck so very acutely.... I wish she could have done this with me.
Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. | |||
16 Dec 2022 | And Now There Is None: The Final State of the Rankings... with John Curran!! | 02:31:36 | |
My guest co-host John Curran certainly kept me on my toes (and I never expected to be forced to defend poor Nemesis as much as I was!), but I can truthfully say that having him on was the perfect event for this festive, end-of-year period. Happy holidays to all who celebrate, and please enjoy this very, very special episode. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page for bonus content. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. Remember that if you buy a gift subscription this holiday season, you have the chance to win all sorts of cool prizes (no purchase necessary). Click here for more details. | |||
02 Mar 2024 | The Island by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with Guest Co-Host Sarah Hinlicky Wilson) | 01:45:53 | |
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. To visit Sarah’s website, click here. To visit my website to check out upcoming dates and locations for my book tour, click here. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast’s Patreon page here. | |||
10 Aug 2024 | Interview with Kate Gingold, Author of Agatha Annotated | 00:50:48 | |
It was such a pleasure to speak with Kate Gingold about her glossary of annotations of Christie novels and short stories from the 1920s. You can find Kate, her book, and many other offerings at her website: Agatha Annotated. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and you can find out more about her non-Agatha offerings on this website. You can find out more about Kate's talk at the Agatha Christie Festival (and purchase a ticket) here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.
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08 Sep 2022 | And Then There Was 1: Curtain by Agatha Christie | 03:49:43 | |
Somehow, the day is upon us: the last Agatha Christie novel to review on this podcast.... There is no question this was the hardest episode I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. And not just for the George Eliot and Virginia Woolf references my co-host and I managed to squeeze into the nearly four-hour (!!) proceedings. Much love to you all. À bientôt! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon site for bonus content. This episode is brought to you by Britbox. Use coupon code "AGATHA" at checkout in the U.S. and Canada for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
11 Nov 2023 | Interview with Booktuber (and Agatha Christie Enthusiast) Mara Sinclair | 01:26:47 | |
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 and New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. For listeners in the U.S. and Canada, click here and use the promo code "AGATHA" at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. | |||
06 May 2023 | A Miss Marple Nightcap: Sanctuary by Agatha Christie | 01:00:09 | |
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 bookstores while ordering online. | |||
27 Nov 2024 | Beware Poppy and Mandragora: Within a Wall by Agatha Christie (with Guest Co-Host Michelle Kazmer) | 01:53:33 | |
It was a joy to welcome Dr. Michelle Kazmer back on the podcast to discuss an early and unusual Christie short story that contains echoes of so much of what we love about Christie overall. For those in the United States who may be feeling a bit fatigued from all the tryptophan consumed this holiday weekend, just be thankful it's nothing compared to the "sleepytime" embrace of one Isobel Loring.... You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
26 Apr 2024 | *LIVE!* Episode: Interview with Kemper Donovan, Author of The Busy Body (and Busman's Holidayer) | 01:02:02 | |
Saturday, April 27th is Independent Bookstore Day here in the United States, and what better way to celebrate than with this live interview from my book tour last week at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, Michigan?! Special thanks to Elizabeth Bosscher for conducting this interview. I had such a great time sitting down with her. If you'd like to visit or learn more about Schuler Books, which has four locations in Michigan, click here. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page by clicking here. Click here to purchase tickets for my upcoming panel at the Agatha Christie Festival. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (though please do opt for an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
23 Mar 2025 | A *Very Special* Episode: Listener Mail! | 01:38:25 | |
Letters! We get letters! We get stacks and stacks of letters! It's a mailbag-only episode of All About Agatha, and you know what that means: Sia's heartbreaking "Breathe Me" song underlying my chatter at various points in the episode! No, I couldn't have predicted this either, but the Sia is a testament to how deeply I cherish all these messages, and how important they are to the podcast. Thank you, one and all, for your contributions. And please: keep them coming! Here is a link to the YouTuber, Summation Gathering, who I mention in the episode, analyzing whether Miss Marple could solve Monsieur Poirot's cases. And here he is dream-casting various literary detectives. You can check out my upcoming tour dates here on my author website. You can now buy Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States! And you can now buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Author, or at my author website.
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15 Jun 2024 | Collecting the Collectors: The Gays of Agatha Christie (Special *PRIDE* Edition... with Bonus Jamie Bernthal!) | 01:53:48 | |
It's raining long-haired, antique-loving, architecturally-inclined men! And a few women, too! June is Pride month for the LGBTQIA+ community here in the United States, which I took as an opportunity to explore the topic of "gay" characters in Christie... along with revisiting an interview Catherine Brobeck and I did with long-time friend of the podcast, Jamie Bernthal. Enjoy, my dears! The following titles are spoiled to varying degrees in this episode: The Mousetrap, The Rats, “Death by Drowning,” “Greenshaw’s Folly,” After the Funeral, Cards on the Table, Endless Night, Five Little Pigs, Hallowe’en Party, Lord Edgware Dies, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, The Moving Finger, Mrs. McGinty’s Dead, A Murder is Announced, Murder is Easy, Nemesis. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
17 May 2024 | Ten Little Poirots & Marples: Ranking Agatha Christie's Detectives on the Screen | 00:55:33 | |
It's another episode focused on the adaptations of Agatha Christie: specifically, those talented actors who have brought life to Monsieur Poirot and Miss Marple in films and television for nearly 100 years now. Who will win the title of Greatest Poirot and Greatest Marple of Them All? And how will the rankings leading up to my #1 picks shake out? I surprised myself with a few of my choices here, and I look forward to receiving outraged responses from at least a few of you. Special thanks to Scott Ratner for his spirited commentary on one of these actors, and the valuable insights his perspective provided. Please note that I spoil the plot of Curtain, and also the 2018 adaptation of The ABC Murders in this episode. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page by clicking here. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. I mentioned a few different adaptations over the course of this episode. Click below to access them. Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple (Japanese-language animated series) Murder by the Book (starring Ian Holm and Peggy Ashcroft) Viki.com (where you can watch Ms. Ma, Nemesis)
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02 Jun 2023 | It's Christmas in June! Star Over Bethlehem by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with a Guest Co-Host) | 01:27:44 | |
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 mystery novel. | |||
30 Jun 2023 | Summer Rerun: Accident by Agatha Christie | 00:31:43 | |
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. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. To pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body, click here. | |||
17 Feb 2024 | Agatha Christie's Most Prolific Stage Actor? Interview with Lee Samuel Tanng | 01:15:22 | |
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. Check out the Long Beach Playhouse here, which is where Sam has appeared in all these wonderful productions over the years. Long live regional theater! Please visit and suscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. Click here for more information on upcoming book tour events for my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body. And you can now purchase The Busy Body in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. | |||
20 May 2022 | Interview with Alison Light, a Scholar of Agatha Christie (Among Many Other Subjects) | 01:00:53 | |
I took the opportunity to have a somewhat different conversation about Christie than I usually do, with the literary theorist Alison Light, who wrote about Christie as far back as 1991. We talked a whole lot about the middle classes, the notion of “small c” conservatism, and what it means to be English. Not your usual Christie fare, but I left the conversation with a fresh appreciation of our favorite author, and I hope you do too.
Visit the podcast's Patreon site at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. | |||
11 Mar 2022 | Interview with Alex Michaelides, Author of The Silent Patient & The Maidens | 01:26:42 | |
Alex is the real deal when it comes to his passion for Christie, and for the craft of writing mysteries. This interview was simply a joy. I hope (and trust) you'll feel the same. Visit the podcast's Patreon site at: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. | |||
12 Mar 2021 | A Very Special Episode: Interview with Sarah Pearse, Author of The Sanatorium | 01:07:44 | |
We were fortunate enough to sit down with Sarah Pearse, the author of one of this season's hottest (or is that iciest?) thrillers, The Sanatorium. There are lots of connections to be made between her book and Christie, and naturally, we made them all. Enjoy! This episode is brought to you by Best Fiends. | |||
26 Mar 2021 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The King of Clubs by Agatha Christie | 00:36:30 | |
We've got Poirot. We've got Hastings. We've got a prince. A lady of mysterious origins. A frozen-in-time bridge tableau! If you need more, you're probably not listening to the right podcast.... | |||
09 Apr 2021 | And Then There Were 13: The Clocks by Agatha Christie | 01:35:28 | |
Well... they can't all be winners, can they? This (barely-there) Poirot novel is not one of our favorites, we're sorry to say. But as usual, we relish the opportunity to explore and explain why. Because even a lesser Christie is a source of wonder and joy. | |||
24 Apr 2021 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Plymouth Express by Agatha Christie | 00:43:39 | |
This short story is a precursor to The Mystery of the Blue Train, but don't let that put you off! We found much to enjoy--both in the source material and the Suchet adaptation. | |||
09 May 2021 | A Very Special Episode: Interview with Alexandra Andrews, Author of Who Is Maud Dixon? | 00:46:40 | |
What a great time we had gabbing with this debut author about her recently published (and much buzzed-about) novel... almost as great a time as we had reading it! | |||
22 May 2021 | And Then There Were 12: A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie | 01:36:15 | |
Though the biggest mystery may be how to spell and pronounce "Caribbean," there is plenty of intrigue to go around in this Miss-Marple-on-holiday story, which at least one Christie scholar deems to be the last proper whodunit that she wrote. | |||
11 Jun 2021 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly by Agatha Christie | 00:48:47 | |
We had as much fun as we usually do unraveling this early Poirot short story--perhaps especially when it came to the adaptation, which is quite a foundational one for the beloved Suchet series. | |||
25 Jun 2021 | And Then There Were 11: At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie | 01:44:46 | |
We may as well admit up front that this was not our favorite Christie. But it *is* a Miss Marple novel, and it *does* have a fantastic setting. So all is not lost. Come travel with us to see what dastardly—and potentially confusing?—deeds are afoot... at Bertram’s Hotel. | |||
10 Jul 2021 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Cornish Mystery by Agatha Christie | 00:49:08 | |
While our favorite Cornish mystery might involve guessing what's in the latest pasty we’re devouring, this one was pretty satisfying too! Let’s dig in. This episode is sponsored by Smile Brilliant (http://www.smilebrilliant.com, promo code AGATHA) and Best Fiends. | |||
24 Jul 2021 | And Then There Were 10: Third Girl by Agatha Christie | 01:47:59 | |
Unlike so many late Poirots we've read recently, this one actually features a ton of Poirot (and Ariadne Oliver!), from beginning to end. And while seriously flawed, it gave us a lot to discuss in what turned out to be a rather meandering/digressive episode... even for us. Please visit our Patreon site for bonus content, or just to support us: http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. This episode is sponsored by Smile Brilliant (http://www.smilebrilliant.com, promo code AGATHA) and Best Fiends. | |||
13 Aug 2021 | A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Under Dog by Agatha Christie | 01:11:05 | |
As this is one of Christie's longer short stories--legitimately novella-length--we found a great deal to analyze and discuss. Just think of it as one of the "large miniatures" Suchet fusses over in the adaptation.... No question this is a curious addition to the Poirot canon all around! | |||
28 Aug 2021 | And Then There Were 9: Endless Night by Agatha Christie | 01:53:21 | |
You might want to put on some rain gear before listening to this episode, because it is a bit of a gush fest. Hooray for this late-career Christie gem! Come delight with us in the wonderfully unsettling world of Mr. (Mike) Rogers's neighborhood.... | |||
04 Sep 2021 | *Special Announcement* re Our Upcoming (Virtual) Appearance at the Int'l Agatha Christie Festival | 00:07:14 | |
We're disappointed that our appearance at the Festival has to be virtual (insert pithy Shakespearean insult of choice here, directed COVID's way), but we're thrilled to be appearing at all. For more information about the Festival (including all the other wonderful presenters on tap), please visit: http://www.iacf-uk.org. We look forward to seeing some of you, if only on a screen! | |||
11 Sep 2021 | A Miss Marple Nightcap: The Case of the Caretaker by Agatha Christie | 00:49:53 | |
If you thought two hours was enough for us to talk about Endless Night, you were wrong! Sort of. This short story formed the basis (plot-wise) for that crown jewel of a novel, so in a way we are revisiting it in this episode. But we also get to geek out over a secret unpublished version, too. Hooray! This episode is brought to you by Smile Brilliant (http://www.smilebrilliant.com, coupon code "AGATHA") and Best Fiends. | |||
17 Sep 2021 | *LIVE!* Episode: Revisiting The Mysterious Affair at Styles at the Int'l Agatha Christie Festival | 01:02:18 | |
We were honored to host our own event this week at the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, revisiting Christie's first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. (Fair warning: certain plot elements of this book are spoiled in the course of our conversation!) Unfortunately we had to settle for Zooming in from Los Angeles, but as you can hear for yourself, that didn't stop us from having a wonderful time. Special thanks to Tony Medawar, the Festival organizer and moderator of our panel whose voice peppers this episode. We hope to do this again in one year's time... in person! | |||
25 Sep 2021 | And Then There Were 8: By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie | 01:55:33 | |
Tommy and Tuppence are back! But are they better than ever? While the reintroduction of T&T into our lives--along with head injuries, hidden jewels, and (gasp of joy) Albert--is cause for unbridled celebration, this book is by no means a paragon of perfection. Get ready, because we had A LOT to discuss. Oh, and fingers crossed you too are a big Golden Girls fan.... (Sunny Ridge will always be Shady Pines in our book.) This episode is brought to you by: https://www.smilebrilliant.com (coupon code AGATHA) and Best Fiends. | |||
09 Oct 2021 | A Very Special Episode: Interview (#2!!) with Anthony Horowitz | 01:05:09 | |
Let's not bury the lede here: we just may have gotten ourselves written into a future Anthony Horowitz mystery. We encourage you to check out Anthony's latest offering, A Line to Kill, preferably in an indie bookstore near you. This episode is brought to you by Smile Brilliant (http://www.smilebrilliant.com, coupon code "AGATHA") and Best Fiends. |