A Most Mysterious Halloween

Dear listeners,

One might assume that, with all of its emphasis on logical deduction and empirical evidence, classic detective fiction would give all things spooky and supernatural a wide berth. And yet right from the very start with Edgar Allen Poe's short stories from the 1840s, writers have enjoyed flirting with the possibility of an otherworldly explanation before revealing their true solution. Making the reader entertain the possibility that the locked room murder could have been committed by a ghost makes the impact of the real-world explanation all the greater.

Today's new episode is all about the different ways that writers from the golden age of detective fiction made use of ghosts, witches, curses, monsters, spirits and more. I hope you enjoy listening, perhaps while carving your pumpkin putting the finishing touches to your costume.

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As I was making this episode, I went searching along my shelves for my spookiest murder mysteries. Here's a selection, in case you're in need of some seasonal reading inspiration.

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

An obvious choice, but still an excellent one. Christie's 1969 mystery not only opens at a children's Halloween party (at which the British attendees are marvelling over the newly imported American tradition of "carving pumpkins") but includes some spooky moments of intuition and ritual later on. This cover is quite Blair Witch Project, isn't it? I believe more recent ones make the Halloween connection a bit more overtly.

Footsteps in the Dark by Georgette Heyer

Heyer's first detective novel, published in 1932, is set in a creepy country house with no electricity and more than one ghost. At one point, a skull pops out of a hitherto-unknown priest hole, scaring the new inhabitants no end. But is the house really haunted, or is someone trying to push them out?

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

The fact that Poirot is called into this case posthumously is eerie enough, his "client" having written to him before she died but the letter not being posted until weeks afterwards. Add the fact that before her death, this woman participated in a seance where a mysteriously glowing aura appeared all around her, and you have the makings of a real spine-chiller.

Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham

Mine is a US edition of Allingham's 1931 novel, which is all about an ancient family curse that threatens to strike down the new generation — unless Albert Campion can uncover what is really going on in time. Bonus points if you also watch the 1989 episode of Campion (starring Peter Davison) based on this book.

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

The ultimate witchy detective novel, to my mind. Can the three peculiar women who live in the old Pale Horse pub really kill through the power of the mind, or is something even more sinister afoot? I especially enjoy Mrs Oliver's appearance in this book, the only one where she detects solo without Poirot.

The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr

If you want a story that really pushes the boundaries of what detection can do with the supernatural, then you must read a John Dickson Carr. As I discuss in the episode, lots of his work experiments with "impossible" crimes in this vein. I'm particularly partial to this one, also found under the title The Three Coffins, which includes Dr Gideon Fell's famous lecture about locked room mysteries.

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I hope you get to enjoy some spooky reading this week, and that the episode proves to be a nice accompaniment to your Halloween plans.

Until next time,

Caroline

You can listen to every episode of Shedunnit at shedunnitshow.com or on all major podcast apps. Selected episodes are available on BBC Sounds. There are also transcripts of all episodes on the website. The podcast is now newsletter-only — we're not updating social media — so if you'd like to spread the word about the show consider forwarding this email to a mystery-loving friend with the addition of a personal recommendation. Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you).