Dear listeners, The month of July has flown by and it's time for another book recommendation newsletter, in which I and Shedunnit production assistant Leandra offer you a peek into our personal reading experience while we are working on the podcast. You can catch up with the last
Dear listener, For today's new episode, I am venturing into the world of epistolary crime novels. This is the kind of mystery where the story is told through a series of letters or documents rather than a continuous prose narrative. There is a strong tradition of this format
There’s a lot of fun to be had with an epistolary mystery. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join.
Caroline: Dear listener, I trust this letter finds you well. Perhaps you are curled up somewhere cosy, pressing play as a break from reading your favourite detective novel. Or maybe you are out and about, using the podcast to stay connected to the golden age of detective fiction even while
What we're doing and reading this month.
The reference works that make Shedunnit possible.
A closer look at John Ferguson's foggy 1928 "Ealing mystery".
Golden age expert Kate Jackson joins Caroline to read John Ferguson’s intriguing “Ealing mystery”. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 15:33. After that, expect full spoilers. A
Green Penguin Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime or green title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is The Man in
Dear listeners, It's time for another monthly book recommendation newsletter, in which I and Shedunnit production assistant Leandra offer you a peek of our personal reading experience. There was some excellent chat in the comments of last month's edition, so if you have suggestions for what
Dear friends, It was last autumn, when I was rereading Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles for the Green Penguin Book Club episode on that book, that I began to wonder what the point of the "poison book" really was. I'm sure you
Caroline: "Poison book" or "poison register" is a phrase that crops up quite a bit in golden age detective fiction. I'm sure lots of you have come across it in this fictional context, where a character is asked to sign such a volume so
How crime writers turned pharmaceutical regulations into plot points. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript My guest for this episode is Dr Kathryn Harkup. Her book V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death is available now. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book
A trip into the Shedunnit archive.
Lighthouses, chocolate, harps, China and more.
Our golden age detective fiction recommendation line is at your service. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned
Caroline: Over the almost seven years that I have been making Shedunnit, I have seen over and over again that a really considered and specific book recommendation can be a way of demonstrating care and affection. So many of the lists and suggestions that appear out there in the wider
Dear listeners, We're back with another monthly book recommendation newsletter, sharing what I and Shedunnit production assistant Leandra have been spending our reading time on recently. I really enjoyed chatting to some of you in the comments last time and got some good ideas there for future reads,
It's a detective showdown: amateur vs professional.
The stock detective of golden age detective fiction is definitely an amateur. It's someone at the country house party who has the role of sleuth thrust upon them by circumstance, or a person with known criminological interests who has built up a reputation for repeatedly solving crimes simply
Because sometimes, only a professional will do. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode: — The
Locked room mystery specialist Tom Mead joins Caroline to read Edgar Wallace’s sensational 1905 thriller. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 20:56. After that, expect full spoilers.
Green Penguin Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime or green title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is The Four Just
Dear listeners, At the very start of the year, when the weather was an awful lot colder than it is now, I got to pay a visit to the birthplace and longtime home of Josephine Tey: Inverness. My husband Guy and I, along with Morris the dog, were on the
Dear listeners, Shedunnit has joyfully shaken the dust of social media from its shoes — I truly do not miss it at all — but I still want to have a place for sharing and discussing reading recommendations with you all. And so from now on, on the first Monday of each
Dear listeners, One of the best things about making Shedunnit is getting to introduce people to lesser-known books and writers that I think are really good. And that's what today's new episode and newsletter are all about: bringing the life and work of Dorothy Erskine Muir
Caroline: Reading crime fiction is about curiosity and the desire for knowledge. We start each book with no idea what has happened in the story's pivotal scenario and, at least in the certainty-orientated golden age tradition from the interwar years, by the end we will know all about
Fact meets fiction in the work of this unjustly overlooked writer. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript Moonstone Press are very kindly running a special offer for the 30 days after this episode airs: if you buy the paperback set of Erskine Muir's three novels,
A little trip into the Shedunnit archive.
Dear listeners, Christianna Brand is an author that I had long admired from afar. I had loved the 1946 film adaptation of Green for Danger starring Alastair Sim for years before I even read the novel, and other than a couple of her other titles that had been chosen as
Caroline: One of the great pleasures of golden age detective fiction, I think, is that some of its best writers were very prolific. It makes it easy to fall down a bibliography shaped rabbit hole. You liked your first Agatha Christie? Don't worry, there are at least sixty
Caroline dives deep into Brand’s work to find her favourite novel. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript Back in July of last year, I did an episode titled Christianna Brand's Impossible Crimes. During the research and preparation for that episode, I read quite a
Let's see what's in the Green Penguin postbag.
Green Penguin Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime or green title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is Raffles by E.
Darryl Jones joins Caroline to discuss the first collection of Raffles stories. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 10:30. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of
Why do these two historic university cities appear in so many murder mysteries? Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript Books mentioned in this episode: — The Masters by C.P. Snow — Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis — Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh — Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm — Gaudy Night
Caroline: The precise appeal of golden age detective fiction is a tricky equation to solve, I find. These are books about violence and murder that we read for pleasure and relaxation. They tend to focus on a very narrow slice of society, the wealthy, and work with a small set
A consideration of crime fiction’s more compact incarnation. Apple Podcasts | Spotify | BBC Sounds | Other apps | RSS | Transcript Please be aware that there are spoilers in this episode for the two stories discussed here in detail: "Traitor's Hands" by Agatha Christie and "A Jury of
Leandra: In March of 1927, The Strand Magazine introduced a competition for its readers. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would select his twelve favourite Sherlock Holmes short stories, and the fan who guessed the author’s list “most nearly” would win £100 and an autographed copy of his book, Memories and
She is beloved worldwide for her crime writing. But what did she like to read?
She is beloved worldwide for her crime writing. But what did she like to read?
Green Penguin Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime or green title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is one I'
Moira Redmond joins Caroline to consider a surprising medical mystery from 1931. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 19:39. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at
Caroline goes deep on Dorothy L. Sayers’ 1935 masterpiece. At 18:58, there is a brief mention of attempted suicide. Books mentioned in this episode: — Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers — Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers — Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers — Have His Carcase by Dorothy L Sayers
Caroline: J.R.R. Tolkien couldn't stand it. George Orwell thought it was a bad detective story. One critic has described its protagonist as "a Yoko Ono figure" who lured her creator away from writing crime fiction. And yet, Gaudy Night is a brilliant and beloved
Reading the mysteries of the past 100 years. Books mentioned in this episode: — 1925: The Paddington Mystery by John Rhode — The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie — 1935: Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers — The Omnibus of Crime: Great Short Stories of Detection — The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha
Caroline: Every January, I think about the Christmas Eve shift in the bookshop where I worked as a teenager. The day itself would be hectic, with a constant flow of people crowding in to do last minute present shopping. Then, after we had closed, the staff stayed for an extra
There’s always more to say about detective fiction. Books mentioned in this episode: — The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie — The Secret Place by Tana French — The Crozier Pharaohs by Gladys Mitchell — Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie — The Examiner by Janice Hallett — The Appeal by Janice
Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit I'm Caroline Crampton. I've made a lot of episodes of Shedunnit — this is the 152nd, actually, but whose counting. And almost all of them feature me talking, sharing my research and opinions about the golden age of detective fiction. But I&
The magical spirit of Christmas is the perfect cover for a murder mystery. Mentioned in this episode: — "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Arthur Conan Doyle, collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes — "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" by Agatha Christie, collected in The
Caroline: Father Christmas, Santa Klaus, Jolly Old Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, Sinterklaas — many different cultures and traditions celebrate the story of a cheerful old man with a flowing white beard and a red outfit, who visits the children of the world in December to distribute gifts. In most
Caroline and Guy discuss The Box of Delights by John Masefield, a beloved children's book from 1935 that might actually be a golden age detective novel too. They also consider the beloved 1984 TV adaptation, which is returning to the BBC on 7th December 2024 for a special
Caroline: We begin in a pub. A pub in Oxford. The year is 1943. A young student, just 22 years old, is having a drink with a theatrical acquaintance, reminiscing over some performances they had collaborated on the previous year. As was often the case with their friendship, the talk
The creator of amateur sleuth Gervase Fen loved to make fun of detective fiction. The 2024 Shedunnit Pledge Drive is underway! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get at least two bonus episodes a month by becoming a Shedunnit member now at shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive. Mentioned in this
Kathryn Harkup is Caroline’s guest for a reconsideration of Agatha Christie’s very first detective novel. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 22:30. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin
Green Penguin Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime or green title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is big one: The
Caroline: If you are a character in a classic murder mystery novel, there are few things worse than stumbling across an unexpected corpse. There you were, going about your business, innocently opening a door to a house or a room or cupboard or making your way down a secluded country
Where did that dead body go? It was right here! The 2024 Shedunnit Pledge Drive is underway! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get at least two bonus episodes a month by becoming a Shedunnit member now at shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive. Mentioned in this episode: —The Vanishing Corpse
Caroline: A hallmark of a really good mystery, for me, is that while I'm reading it I can't see all of the tricks and devices that are making it function so well. Clues, red herrings, alibis, twists — they just flow easily past in the narrative stream,
How to weave the perfect murder mystery plot. Find out more about Kate Davies' work at katedaviesdesigns.com and browse all of her patterns at shopkdd.com. The Margery Allingham's Mysterious Knits book, which contains Caroline's essay about knitting and detective fiction, is available to
Martin Edwards joins Caroline to revisit this iconic example of golden age detective fiction. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 11:06. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be
Green Penguin Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime or green title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is The Poisoned Chocolates
What connects a notorious 1827 murder case with the Detection Club’s cosy Soho clubrooms? There are minor spoilers for the books listed below in this episode. Also, please be aware that there are passing references (without description) in this episode to infant death. Support the podcast by joining the
Caroline: In the 1930s, using the proceeds from several collaborative book projects, the Detection Club rented its own premises in central London. Their two rooms were upstairs at 31 Gerrard Street in the Soho area of London's West End, which at the time was a proper red light
Caroline: In the everyday course of modern life, we rarely feel more vulnerable than when we are horizontal, a stranger in a mask looming with a sharp and buzzing implement in hand ready to do violence to our teeth. Of course, we do this willingly, for the sake of good
Open wide! Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get two extra Shedunnit episodes a month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. There are spoilers in this episode for the titles listed below. Mentioned in this episode: — Death in the Dentist&
Caroline: Even if you have no interest in music at all, there's a strong chance that you could hum at least one famous piece of organ music. Pipe organs of all sizes and shapes have been the ceremonial instrument of choice for centuries, accompanying weddings, funerals, coronations, inaugurations,
Beware the pipe organ. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get two extra Shedunnit episodes a month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. There are no major spoilers in this episode but some minor plot details for the titles listed
Dolores Gordon-Smith joins Caroline to read this short story collection by H.C. Bailey. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 21:34. After that, expect full spoilers. Caroline's new book, A Body Made of Glass: A
Green Penguin Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime or green title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is Mr Fortune, Please
Caroline: In the appreciation of detective fiction, there is a tendency to view certain elements of the form as an either/or situation. A writer can either be good at plot or at characters, dialogue or description, clewing or twists. It isn't normal, or indeed permitted, to have
Which matters more in a murder mystery, plot or character? Join the Shedunnit Book Club for two extra Shedunnit episodes a month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join See Caroline in person at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on 13th August at 10.45am.
During Prohibition, the cocktails are downright criminal. This episode was hosted by Leandra Griffith with guest (and usual host) Caroline Crampton. If you are interested in seeing more content from Leandra, you can find her on YouTube and Instagram. Caroline's new book, A Body Made of Glass: A
Music Leandra: The date is Friday, 16th January, 1920. At the Metropolitan Club in Washington D.C., Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and future 32nd president of the US, Franklin D Roosevelt spends this winter evening drinking champagne with other members of the Harvard class of 1904. Further north, on
Green Penguin Music Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett,
CriminOlly joins Caroline to read this classic of American hardboiled crime fiction. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 26:30. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at
There’s something sinister in the stacks. Thanks to my guest Harriet Evans, aka Harriet F. Townson, who is the author of D is for Death. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To find out more and get your copy, visit
Caroline: There are certain places to which stories just seem to cling, whether they are invited to be there or not. We've all felt it: the shiver down the back of the spine when entering a room, and the sense that somebody, long dead or imaginary, exited out
Guy: Golden Age detective fiction is known for its accessibility, its readability, its language that is immediately understandable: it doesn’t require you to spend time studying what the language means – you focus instead on trying to solve the murder. But at the same time, during the 1920s, 30s and
The great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas had a passion for detective stories. This episode is hosted by Guy Cuthbertson. His guest is John Goodby, a Professor of Arts and Culture at Sheffield Hallam University, and an expert on Dylan Thomas. He edited The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas and has
Why didn’t the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh write more detective fiction? My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To find out more and get your copy, visit my website carolinecrampton.com/abodymadeofglass. Join the Shedunnit Book Club for two extra Shedunnit episodes
Caroline: There was a bit a formula to literary success during the golden age of detective fiction. You wrote one crime novel, it was a hit with readers, and so you wrote lots more. Some of the most popular writers I discuss on the show are also some of the
Music Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome back to Green Penguin Book Club, a series within Shedunnit that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie,
John Curran joins Caroline to read Christie’s third novel, her first (sort of?) to appear as a green penguin. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To find out more and get your copy, visit my website carolinecrampton.com/abodymadeofglass. Join
A portrait of a writer via her addresses. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To find out more and get your copy, visit my website carolinecrampton.com/abodymadeofglass. Join the Shedunnit Book Club for two extra Shedunnit episodes a month plus
Caroline: Agatha Christie is, without a doubt, best known as the author of dozens of brilliantly crafted whodunnits and the creator of enduring characters like Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple. She is unjustly slightly less famous for her many successful plays, but I still think that The Mousetrap, at least,
Meet the hypochondriacs of golden age detective fiction. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now in the UK and published on 24th April in North America. To find out more and get your copy, visit my website carolinecrampton.com/abodymadeofglass. Join the
Caroline: Detective novels are all about doubt and certainty, and moving from one state to the other. A murder is committed and the world is plunged into doubt: who did it, how did they do it, why did they do it, can anyone's story about it be trusted,
A scientific murder mystery. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is published in April. To find out more and register for the exclusive pre-order bonus material, visit my website carolinecrampton.com. Join the Shedunnit Book Club for two extra Shedunnit episodes a month plus
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. A reminder, before we begin, that my new book A Body Made of Glass comes out in April, just a few short weeks away, and that I'm doing an exclusive online launch on 10th April that you're
The crime fiction of Lucy Beatrice Malleson deserves to be better known. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is published in April. To find out more and register for the exclusive pre-order bonus material, visit my website carolinecrampton.com. Join the Shedunnit Book Club
Caroline: The writer I want to talk about today published her first mystery in the 1920s and kept up a blistering at-least-a-novel-a-year pace for five decades, with her final book coming out after her death in the 1970s. She penned multiple detective characters, one of whom was so popular that
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. And welcome to the very first Green Penguin Book Club, a new kind of Shedunnit episode that documents my journey of reading and discussing every crime title from the main Penguin series, in order. Our book today is The Unpleasantness at the
Helen Zaltzman is the guest for this dissection of the first green penguin. Until 26:43, the discussion is free of major spoilers. At that point, as you will hear us say, we enter the spoiler zone and you can expect spoilers until the end. Helen's podcast The
Caroline: It started, as things so often do in the world of Shedunnit, with Agatha Christie. In the early autumn of 1934, Christie hosted a weekend house party at her childhood home of Ashfield in Torquay, Devon. Afterwards, one of her guests was making his way back to London by
One visit to Agatha Christie changed everything. Thank you to my guest, Jules Burt, for sharing his book-collecting experiences and knowledge with us. You can learn more about his collection on his YouTube channel, Jules Burt Collections and Unboxings at youtube.com/@JulesBurt. My new book, A Body Made of
Caroline: Hello, and welcome to Shedunnit, the podcast that unravels the mysteries behind classic detective stories. I'm Caroline Crampton, and today I'm going to be taking you behind the scenes a little bit of the making of this show. Whenever I chat to Shedunnit listeners online
A conversation about how Shedunnit is made. Mentioned in this episode: — Death and the Sisters by Heather Redmond — Murder of a Lady by Anthony Wynne — The Birthday Murder by Lange Lewis — Enter Sir John by Clemence Dane and Helen Simpson Authors Mentioned: — Richard and Frances Lockridge — Rudolph Fisher Mentioned Shedunnit
Caroline: I talk a lot on this podcast about the golden age of detective fiction — that period between the first and second world wars when the fair play puzzle mystery was at the peak of its popularity and its biggest creators were writing their best work. But in the last
Time travelling, murder mystery style. Mentioned in this episode: — The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie — The Plague Court Murders by John Dickson Carr — Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie — The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers — A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh — Death of
Renée read her first detective novel in the 1930s. She hasn’t stopped since. Special thanks to my guest Renée. Her first crime novel is The Wild Card. This archive episode of Shedunnit (my personal favourite of all the ones I've ever made) was first published on 2nd
Not every mystery needs a murder. There are minor details shared for all the novels and stories listed below, but no major plot revelations in this episode. Mentioned in this episode: — “The Flying Stars” by G.K. Chesterton, collected in The Innocence of Father Brown — A Christmas Carol by Charles
Caroline: When planning a festive celebration, chaos and commotion is the opposite of what we’re wishing for. An awful lot of preparation and precaution goes into trying to create a peaceful and harmonious break from the usual business of the world. We travel, shop, cook, and prep, all so
Caroline: If you have been reading golden age detective fiction for a while, you will probably have noticed that not all novels from this period have a single author. Indeed, I’ve devoted whole episodes to this in the past — married couples sometimes wrote mysteries together, as did friends and
A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. The 2023 Shedunnit Pledge Drive is underway! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get your hands on some exclusive audio perks by becoming a Shedunnit member now at shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive. Spoilers: there will be minor details shared for
Caroline: How many busy places full of people are there, do you think, where the body of a murder victim could sit propped up in a chair for hours without being noticed? Where the penalty for disturbing the quiet atmosphere is so great that those nearby would rather a corpse
Private members’ clubs are surprisingly popular with corpses. The 2023 Shedunnit Pledge Drive is underway! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get your hands on some exclusive audio perks by becoming a Shedunnit member now at shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive. Mentioned in this episode: — The Unpleasantness at the Bellona
How Adelaide Bartlett got away with murder. The 2023 Shedunnit Pledge Drive and we're already three quarters of the way to our goal! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get your hands on some exclusive audio perks by becoming a Shedunnit member now at shedunnitshow.com/
Caroline: So often, when I'm talking about the real life cases that shaped detective fiction in the twentieth century, we're dealing with stories that end in tragedy for the woman in the dock. I'm thinking of Edith Thompson, who was hanged in 1923 for
Caroline: Detective fiction, especially the fair play style that relies on logical deduction above all else, should have no time at all for ghosts, spirits or magic. What place could supernatural happenings have in a genre defined by its interest in precision and verification? That demands to know exactly who
The supernatural and the rational come together in the murder mystery. Thank you to my returning guest, Carla Valentine, for joining me. This episode marks the beginning of the 2023 Shedunnit Pledge Drive! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get your hands on some exclusive audio perks by
Caroline: Two writers, both masters of their craft. Very different on the surface, their work has far more in common than many assume. Neither were taken very seriously as “literary” artists, but they nevertheless shaped the popular understanding of both the novel and the short story in the twentieth century.
Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse had a lot in common. Thank you to my guest, Eliza Easton, for joining me. Mentioned in this episode: — The Code of the Woosters by PG Wodehouse — Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie — The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie — Death on
Wouldn’t sleuthing be so much easier if the dead could speak to the living? This episode was first released on 18th September 2019. Be aware: there are no major (ending!) spoilers in this episode but there are plot descriptions given of the books listed below. Books mentioned: — Strong Poison
What's in the true detective fiction fan's library? Be aware: there are no major (ending!) spoilers in this episode but there are plot descriptions given of the books listed below. Books recommended: — Speedy Death by Gladys Mitchell — The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley — Murder in
Music Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. Over the years that I’ve been making this podcast, I get asked one question more than any other. It’s this: what should I read next? Now, I love answering it, especially because getting to introduce people who love
Murder does like to be beside the seaside. Thanks very much to my guests. Dr Allan Brodie is a visiting fellow at Bournemouth University and the author of books including England's Seaside Heritage from the Air. Dr Kathryn Ferry is a historian of the British seaside and the
Caroline: The seaside, especially an English coastal resort, is an iconic location for a classic murder mystery. We only have to browse quickly through some titles from the 1920s and 1930s to see this, with names like The Cornish Coast Murder, The Sea Mystery, Mist on the Saltings, The Cape
When the temperature rises, don't lose your cool. Thanks to my guest Cecily Gayford — you can find more information about Murder in a Heatwave and all the other anthologies she has edited via the website for Profile Books. Be aware: there are spoilers in this episode for the
Caroline: Tempers flaring. Simmering tension. Anger boiling over. A lot of the language that we use to describe the bursts of violent emotion that can result in the murder for a murder mystery has to do with hotness and heat. It’s an image so common that I don’t
Caroline: There are many things to love about the stories that emerged from the golden age of detective fiction. These mysteries from the interwar years have clever plots that engage with a complicated set of rules, an insistence on fair play, strong recurring characters and a powerful sense of narrative
Why are crime writers so bowled over by the game? Thank you to my guests, Dr. Andrew Green and cricket statistician Andy Zaltzman. You can find more cricket-related content and news from Andy by listening to Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5, or via his podcast, The Bugle Ashes
How do we approach offensive language in texts from previous times? Be aware that this episode includes discussion of prejudice, slurs and "of its time" attitudes and language. Thank you to my guest, Subhadra Das. You can find more information about her work at her website subhadradas.com
Caroline: Time passes and the world changes — we hope that it largely changes for the better, although the evidence for that might not yet satisfy the best detectives. Still, it is to be expected that the language and beliefs that were commonplace and unremarkable a hundred years ago are approached
What happens when a couple of socialists decide to write mysteries? Thanks to my guest, Curtis Evans. His blog is The Passing Tramp and his book, The Spectrum of the English Murder, it is available through all good booksellers. Join Caroline and guest Teresa Peschel for a free live episode
Caroline: Even as recently as ten years ago, being a fan of golden age detective fiction was a very different experience. Today, we're living in a thriving culture of reprints, with previously hard-to-find titles being brought back into mainstream accessibility in gorgeous new editions with informative introductions. But
A feminist take on the gossiping busybody of St Mary Mead. Thanks to my guest, Leandra Griffith. As well as being Shedunnit's production assistant, she posts about mysteries on her Instagram @leandra_thetbrzero and her YouTube channel. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. I want to take you back in time today, to November 2018, when the very first episode of Shedunnit was published. My subject for that one was the so-called "Surplus Women" — the women it was believed had been "
Content warning: this episode includes mention of suicide. Caroline: Two women appeared at the infamous Court No 1 at the Old Bailey in London, twelve years apart. Both were accused of conspiring with their lovers to murder their husbands. Both became the subject of intense scrutiny and fascination, with the
The tragic tale of Alma Rattenbury. Content warning: this episode includes mention of suicide. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership. Mentioned in the episode: — The Anatomy of Murder by The
Caroline: The lifespan of a sleuth from the golden age of detective fiction is difficult to estimate. These tend to be creatures of extremes. Either they exist for a concentrated period of time before the writer moves on to other characters or literary endeavours, as Dorothy L. Sayers did with
The parallel lives of a writer and her detective. Thanks to my guest, Julia Jones. Her biography of Margery Allingham is available now through all good bookshops. Mentioned in the episode: — Margery Allingham: A Biography by Julia Jones — The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham — Blackkerchief Dick by Margery
Caroline: When I tell people what this podcast is about one of the first questions that I usually get asked is if I am worried about "running out of things to talk about". And I suppose that is not an unreasonable concern, if you are only aware of
If you need a golden age detective fiction recommendation, we are at your service. To take part in future interactive episodes, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Mentioned in the episode: — A Grave Mistake by Ngaio Marsh — Common or Garden Crime by Sheila
Caroline: One hundred years ago this year, in 1923, Agatha Christie's novel The Murder on the Links was published. On the surface, this is not an especially momentous anniversary — especially when compared with the others that we will enjoy in future years as the centenaries of her most
Golf and murder have been close companions for a whole century. To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Mentioned in the episode: — The Murder on the
Caroline: Golden age detective fiction has a tendency to skip over the corpse. Important as it is to the story, one of the defining features of crime fiction from that period between the first and second world wars is its lack of description of the consequences of murder. Characters react
Step inside the mortuary. Thanks to my guest, Carla Valentine, for joining me. Her book, Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie, has lots more on this subject, as does her previous appearance on Shedunnit, Murder Isn't Easy. Mentioned in the episode: — Murder Isn'
Clive: Hi there. National Trust Manager: So you're in very, very good hands. This is Caroline, have you ever listened to the Shedunnit podcast? Music fades up, dialogue continues in background (No, you got to do it. It's gripping. It's all about female, or
Come with me on a tour of Greenway. Special thanks to Clive and everyone at the National Trust for making me and my microphone welcome at Greenway, and to Sarah Thrift for arranging it. I'm also grateful to my friend Elizabeth Minkel, who spent the afternoon doing this
What if you are found neither innocent nor guilty? Books mentioned in this episode — The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins — The House in Queen Anne Square by William Darling Lyell — Madeleine Smith: A Tragi-Comedy in Two Acts by Winifred Duke — Trial of Madeleine Smith (Notable British Trials), appraisal
Caroline: Whether the reader actually gets to read about it on the page or not, detective fiction is usually aimed in one very specific direction: the moment when an accused gets to their feet in a courtroom and waits to hear whether they have been found guilty or not guilty
Guy: Burnt to death, blown up, stripped and beaten up, knocked to the ground, dismembered or just abandoned and left to a slow undignified demise. This was Golden Age murder in a world of wealth and privilege. But the murder victims were not people; they were country houses — those historic
A most golden age murder. Books mentioned in this episode — Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence — The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame — Peril at End House by Agatha Christie — The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham — There Came Both Mist and Snow by Michael Innes
Caroline: The recurring detective is a mainstay of the classic mystery novel. A character who readers can get to know book after book, who has certain traits or habits that become familiar. Part of the joy of following a series over the decades is seeing this well-known sleuth put into
How do you say goodbye to a long-running character? Many thanks to my guest, Elly Griffiths. Her latest book is The Last Remains. Books mentioned in this episode — Cat Among The Pigeons by Agatha Christie — The Clocks by Agatha Christie — Curtain by Agatha Christie — The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths
She wrote five successful murder mysteries and then vanished without a trace. Mentioned in this episode: — Postscript to Poison by Dorothy Bowers — Shadows Before by Dorothy Bowers — A Deed Without A Name by Dorothy Bowers — Fear For Miss Betony by Dorothy Bowers — The Bells at Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers
Caroline: Most of us leave echoes as we move through the world. A trail of clues, if you will, that some interested historian or detective would be able to follow in the long distant future. Of course, the more prominent and privileged an individual is, the easier it will be
She created Lord Peter Wimsey — and also some excellent slogans about mustard. Mentioned in this episode: — The Mutual Admiration Society by Mo Moulton — Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life And Soul by Barbara Reynolds — Dorothy L. Sayers: A Careless Rage for Life by David Coomes — Dorothy L. Sayers: A Companion to
Caroline: Being a writer is a peculiar occupation in lots of ways. It falls somewhere between job, pastime, hobby and vocation, and might be one, several or none of those things at the same time. Even within the subset of those who write to earn their living, there are plenty
Snow is a very powerful tool for a detective novelist. It can create a sinister atmosphere, keep suspects and murderer stormbound, and preserve the footprints of anyone who dares to escape. What could be more seasonal or festive than that? This episode of Shedunnit first aired on 11th December 2019.
Invert everything you know about murder mysteries. Mentioned in this episode: — "The Case of Oscar Brodski” by R. Austin Freeman — The Mystery of 31, New Inn by R. Austin Freeman — The Red Thumb Mark by R. Austin Freeman — John Thorndyke's Cases by R. Austin Freeman — "A
Caroline: When we want to describe a work of detective fiction, there are a few different terms that get thrown around. We might say "murder mystery", or "crime fiction", or "detective story", or "thriller", or perhaps "whodunnit". These aren'
Why do murder mysteries contain so many vicars? Mentioned in this episode: — Measuring religious affiliation in Great Britain by Clive D. Field — The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers — Death in Holy Orders by P.D. James — The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie — Unnatural Death by Dorothy L.
Caroline: A golden age murder mystery should work on two levels. There's the day to day world that the characters inhabit, in which they eat meals, share gossip and, occasionally, kill each other. Lying behind that is a more elemental realm, in which abstract concepts like justice, order,
Music Guy: Welcome to Shedunnit. My name is Guy Cuthbertson. I am Caroline Crampton's husband. And this is a special episode because it is episode number 100. So out of the walk-in wardrobe in our bedroom, which is also Caroline's recording studio, there have come 100
In which Caroline is the guest, not the host. Caroline Crampton is the host of Shedunnit. You can find out what she does when she’s not hosting this podcast at carolinecrampton.com or on Instagram @cacrampton. Guy Cuthbertson is her husband. His website is guycuthbertson.com and he tweets
There’s a dark story connecting this 18th century abduction with a 20th century crime novel. Thanks to my guest, Tana French. The new Penguin edition of The Franchise Affair, which includes her introduction, is available now. And Tana's own latest novel is The Searcher, now available in
Caroline: Late on the evening of the 29th January 1753, a young maidservant walked back into her family home in east London. She had no shoes or luggage with her, and her hands and feet were filthy, as was the underdress and petticoat she was wearing. A dirty, blood-soaked rag
What if everything we thought about murder mysteries was wrong? Thanks to my guest, Benedict Morrison. Among his many publications, you can read him on Agatha Christie's theatrical work in the Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie. Mentioned in this episode: — The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie — A Murder Is
Caroline: Murder mysteries are all about certainty. It's all there in that nickname we use for the form — the whodunnit. That word poses a question — who? — which the detective ultimately answers, usually in a satisfying final chapter that tidies everything away into neat boxes labelled "guilty"
Could you beat the detective to the solution? This live episode of Shedunnit was recorded at the 2022 International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay. Mentioned in this episode: — The Wintringham Mystery by Anthony Berkeley — The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie — The Mystery of Norman's Court by
Caroline: What you're about to hear is a live episode of Shedunnit recorded at the 2022 International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay. Enjoy. Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. Our story today starts on Monday 1st March, 1926. A woman opens a newspaper, and finds herself
How well do we really know the queen of crime? Thanks to my guest, Lucy Worsley. Her book Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman is out now. Books and sources mentioned: — An Autobiography by Agatha Christie — Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet P. Morgan — Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life by
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. We all think we know Agatha Christie. How could we not? She’s one of the bestselling authors of all time, an icon of British popular culture, and as you’re listening to this podcast, probably one of your favourite writers. During
Should detective fiction be easy reading? Thanks to my guest, Eric Sandberg. He is an assistant professor at City University of Hong Kong and the editor of Dorothy L. Sayers: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction. Mentioned in this episode: — Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers — The Moonstone by Wilkie
Caroline: Should detective fiction be easy reading? Despite their murderous plots, we often talk of these stories as comforting, even cosy — a pleasant way to relax, switch off the brain, and escape from the real world for a while. And they certainly can fulfil that role, with their familiar structures
In 1922, Agatha Christie took a trip around the world. Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/agathatheadventuress. To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub. Referenced
When we think of Agatha Christie, there’s a tendency to recall her as she was later on in her life. A vastly successful author and playwright, comfortably ensconsed in her tweeds and pearls, she glances up at the camera from between two towering piles of books. Her greying hair
Clerks, shop assistants, secretaries, salespeople — we have lots to learn from the lower middle class characters of classic detective fiction. Thanks to my guest, Dr Nicola Bishop. Her book, Lower-Middle-Class Nation: The White-Collar Worker in British Popular Culture is published by Bloomsbury Academic. Find out more about this episode at
Caroline: One of the delightful and reassuring things about classic detective fiction is that it tends to abide by certain tropes. When picking up a whodunnit from the 1920s or 1930s, the reader can be fairly sure of what they might encounter within its pages. Settings like country houses or
A judge looks back over her time on the bench at a very famous court. Thanks to my guest, Wendy Joseph. Her book about her time as an Old Bailey judge, Unlawful Killings, is out now. Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/attheoldbailey To support the podcast,
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. There are few locations in Britain more steeped in the history of crimes real and imaginary than the Old Bailey. This historic courthouse in central London has been the setting for some of the most dramatic moments in legal memory — such as
What if thinking and talking about real life murders was not actually good for us? Thanks to my guest, Emma Berquist. Find all the details about her books and articles at emmaberquist.com. Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thedarksideoftruecrime To support the podcast, be part of
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. The boundary between real life crimes and fictional ones has been blurry for a long time. Writers have been using elements of actual murders in their plots as long as crime fiction has existed. I’ve explored some of the most famous
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. One of the reasons that we still read golden age detective fiction today is because of the insights and details it provides into the time in which it was written. That period between the two world wars comes alive to us because
Expanding the horizons of golden age detective fiction. Many thanks to my guest, Christopher Huang. You can find out more about his work at ricordius.com. His first mystery novel is A Gentleman's Murder. Read his article "How Do You Decolonise The Golden Age Mystery? Read More
F. Tennyson Jesse created a way of telling crime stories that still influences us today. Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thequeenoftruecrime. To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book
Caroline: In the introduction to her 1924 criminological study Murder and Its Motives, the writer F. Tennyson Jesse declared, ‘It has been observed, with some truth, that everyone loves a good murder.’ This was a personal as well as a general observation. Although she had no formal training in law
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I’m Caroline Crampton. When Edgar Allan Poe published his short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" in 1841, he set in motion a chain of events that ultimately lead to me, sitting here, talking to you about detective fiction. Best known in
The grandfather of detective fiction still has a lot to teach us. Many thanks to my guest, Jim Noy. You can find out more about his work at his blog, theinvisibleevent.com. His book The Red Death Murders is available only from Amazon worldwide (link for UK; link for US)
A box of chocolates can conceal a poisonous secret. To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned: — The Case of the Chocolate Cream Killer by
Caroline: There's something about the combination of sweetness and poison that was irresistible to the writers of golden age detective fiction. Perhaps it's merely the symbolism that appealed: the sugary flavour of a treat that conceals the bitter taste of death is the ultimate in contrasts.
Caroline: Every detective needs a companion. A solo sleuth is at a disadvantage in lots of ways: they have no backup in awkward situations, they have only their own skills to rely on, and — crucially — they have no one with whom to share their thoughts in such a way that
Please join me for a long-awaited guided tour of the role that dogs play in detective fiction. Books mentioned: — My Lady's Money by Wilkie Collins — The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle — A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle — The Curious Incident of the Dog
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. Music One of my favourite things about this podcast is when it acts as an open door for listeners new to reading golden age detective fiction. Everyone arrives here with different levels of knowledge and experience in the genre, and if
Let's spend some time with G.K. Chesterton, the first president of the Detection Club. Sources: — "The Hammer of God" by G.K. Chesterton from The Innocence of Father Brown — "Errors About Detective Stories" by G.K. Chesterton in the Illustrated London News NB:
In 1928, Agatha Christie took a momentous decision that was to shape the rest of her life. Her divorce from her first husband had recently been finalised, and after a holiday abroad with her best friend and her daughter, she had plans to travel by herself for a while. Partly,
Agatha Christie knew more than most about digging up corpses. There are no major spoilers in this episode, but be aware that there are mentions of plot points from the books listed below. Books and sources: — The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie — Murder in the Mews by Agatha
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? This episode of Shedunnit was first released in February 2019 and is repeated here in a rerecorded and remastered version. Find more information about
Reading my way through the last hundred years, from the 1920s to the 2020s, one mystery at a time. My previous attempt at this reading project can be found in the episode A Century of Whodunnits. Books mentioned: — Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers — Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles
About a year ago, many months into being stuck inside because of the pandemic, I embarked on a reading project. I read a crime novel from every decade of the twentieth century — ten whodunnits that spanned the years between 1900 and 2000. It both helped me to get out of
India has a long and deep tradition of storytelling and mythology. What happens when this heritage is combined with the tropes of golden age detective fiction? Thanks to my guest R.V. Raman. His first whodunnit is A Will To Kill and you can find more information about upcoming books
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. An endlessly fascinating aspect of the golden age of detective fiction is its identification with a certain kind of Britishness. Many of the authors who are widely read from the genre's heyday in the 1920s and 1930s either were
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
Caroline: The golden age of detective fiction was obsessed with identity. As soon as you start looking, you see impersonators everywhere in the crime fiction of the 1920s and 1930s — sometimes there’s more than one in a single novel. Without the readily available means of independently verifying that someone
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. One of the things I love about reading detective fiction from the 1920s and 1930s - what we call "the golden age" - is what I learn about that time period just from its whodunnits. There's so
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
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
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. Like a lot of murder mystery fans. I consider myself a bit of an expert in the fictional art of murder. I've read enough whodunnits now to think that I know how to use phrases like time of death
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
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. This is the sixth and final episode of Queens of Crime at War, a 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
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. This is another episode of Queens of Crime at War, a 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.
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
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
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. This is another episode of Queens of Crime at War, a 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.
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
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. This is another episode of Queens of Crime at War, a 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.
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
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. This is another episode of Queens of Crime at War, a 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.
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.
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. This is the start of Queens of Crime at War, a 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
Guy: Hello. Welcome to Shedunnit. My name is Guy Cuthbertson. I am husband of Caroline Crampton and I am going to be interviewing Caroline today because this is a special episode, celebrating the fact that Shedunnit is reaching its third birthday. So we’re going to be talking about three
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
Caroline: A good mystery is a contest between writer and reader. If observing the conventions of fair play that were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, the writer must be transparent with the reader about clues and suspects. No springing an unlikely murderer on the reader at the eleventh hour
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
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
Caroline: Agatha Christie is a very well known writer, to put it mildly. Her novels and short stories have been translated into dozens of languages, she's a household name all over the world, and her books are still selling in their millions nearly half a century after her
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.
Caroline: Since you're listening to this podcast, I feel fairly confident in saying that you think Agatha Christie wrote some good books. There's a high probability that you decided to listen to me talking about detective fiction because you have, at some point, enjoyed a novel
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.
Caroline: Do you feel an uncomfortable heat at the pit of your stomach? Is there a nasty thumping at the top of your head? If there is, then you might have come down with a case of detective fever. According to Wilkie Collins's 1868 novel The Moonstone, these
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
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
Caroline: When you close your eyes and imagine the setting of an Agatha Christie story, what do you see? A grand country house, perhaps, or an idyllic English village complete with its own spinster sleuth. For all that the Queen of Crime is lauded for her plots, she deserves praise
Caroline: I can't remember how old I was when I read my first detective novel, but I definitely wasn't a teenager yet. I devoured my first Agatha Christie — the Miss Marple short story collection The Thirteen Problems — under the covers on a family holiday when I
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
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
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. Golden age detective fiction is having a bit of a moment. Over the last few years, there's been a resurgence of interest in crime fiction from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, with hard to obtain titles receiving new editions
Caroline: Is detective fiction an escapist genre? The marketing for today's thrillers and cosy mysteries that encourages us to "get away from the real world" for a while by reading about fictional crimes would suggest that it is. Expecting to be soothed by plots that centre
Is it possible to write a whodunnit and leave out the police? 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
Something I love about making this podcast is the space it provides for me to zoom right in. I can dedicate a whole episode to a single trope from classic detective fiction, whether that's tropes like "the butler did it" or settings like "on a
Reading through the twentieth century, one murder mystery at a time. There are no major spoilers in this episode, but the opening plot scenario of each book is discussed briefly. There is a major spoiler for the Sherlock Holmes story "The Final Problem" from 1893. The ten books
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
Caroline: Detectives have to be fundamentally infallible. On their journey to a mystery’s solution they can be fragile, or flawed, or unreliable, or uncertain, but the reader has to be able to rely on the sleuth to find a satisfactory answer in the end. It’s a fundamental part
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
Caroline: There aren’t many characters who are recognisable just from a silhouette, but Hercule Poirot is one of them. The beloved Belgian detective made his first appearance in The Mysterious Affair At Styles a hundred years ago, and today it seems impossible to remember a time when he wasn’
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
Caroline: Classic detective fiction has rules. Codified as the genre grew in popularity in the 1920s and early 30s, these conventions mostly feed into the idea of "fair play" between author and reader. The art of writing a good murder mystery, then, is sticking to this framework while
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.
Caroline: It’s over a hundred years now since the golden age of detective fiction began in Britain. Some writers who were key to the popularity of the whodunnit between the two world wars are still household names in the UK and the US today — Agatha Christie, of course, but
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
Caroline: The world of detective fiction has recently passed an important milestone. It’s a hundred years since the appearance of Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. First serialised in the London Times in 1920, it appeared in book form first in the US at the
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
The murder mystery is a form that brings forth certainty from uncertainty. The job of the detective is to sort through the chaotic mass of clues and testimony to create an ordered, coherent narrative of how a crime was committed. Medical evidence forms a vital part of this process, often
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
The peaceful English village is the heart of so many classic crime stories that it’s really a character in itself. Especially pre 1945, a village can be the world in miniature, with its own class hierarchy and rumour mill. And most importantly, a sleepy country village comes with an
Caroline: Like a lot of people, I’ve really struggled with reading this year. Whereas once the words just seemed to flow off the page and straight into my brain, now a connection has broken somewhere. I’ve been distracted and anxious, picking up books that I think will suit
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&
Caroline: Welcome to Shedunnit. I'm Caroline Crampton. I talk a lot on this show about the work of Agatha Christie. I mean, how could I not? She's the best known writer of whodunnits and published her first book in 1920, right around the beginning of the
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
Is it still worth reading a whodunnit if you know... who done it? Thanks to my guests Jim Noy of The Invisible Event and Kate Jackson of Cross Examining Crime. Jim is on Twitter @invisible_event and Kate is @ArmchairSleuth. NB: Despite the title, there are no major spoilers in
Caroline: It can come at any time, the revelation that ruins everything. Maybe you’re scrolling through social media. Perhaps you’re idly chatting with a friend who has a similar taste in books. You might even be reading a different novel or story when you chance across a reference
NB: There is some discussion of the plot of both Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie and Death Sets Sail by Robin Stevens in this episode, but no major plot points are revealed. Caroline: So we're here today to talk about Death on the Nile, which was
To get to the bottom of why the Nile is a murder mystery location that has bewitched readers for decades, I decided to talk to an author who has just published an Egypt based whodunnit: Robin Stevens. We talk about how she finalised the plot of Death Sets Sail while
The day the First World War ended, 11 November 1918, marked the beginning of a new era in which detective fiction would flourish. How did Britain go from "peace at last" to "whodunnit"? Thanks to my guest (and husband) Guy Cuthbertson. His book about Armistice Day
Caroline: It was the bells that let lots of people in Britain know that the First World War was over. They had been silent for months on end, but on 11 November 1918 makeshift crews of ringers returned to their belfries, producing peals that made people stop in the streets
Here’s a riddle that you might find in a detective story: which character is ubiquitous yet invisible? Vital yet overlooked? At the country house party, he’s never out of sight, yet nobody ever really sees him. The answer, of course, is the butler. Always in the background, anticipating
Snobbery and murder, all served up perfectly for you on a silver tray. This episode marks the start of the Shedunnit Pledge Drive! If I can add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2020, I can start releasing episodes more regularly and expanding what
He was one of the most influential crime novelists of the 1920s and 1930s, but has languished somewhat in obscurity since. A troubled, dark, incredibly innovative writer: to really get to know Anthony Berkeley, you need to dive deeply into his fiction. Thanks to my guest Martin Edwards. His latest
Caroline: The writers of detective stories can be as much of a mystery as the plots they create. During the 1920s and 30s, this attitude was especially prevalent. Some authors, grudgingly or not, accepted the publicity duties that often go with literary success — Dorothy L. Sayers, with her day job
Why has the murder of Julia Wallace on the night of 20 January 1931 haunted detective novelists for decades? Well, it all comes back to the telephone call. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community
The most sinister and disturbing crimes bloom from moments so mundane that they’re barely noticeable. A spontaneous break in a long held routine, a friendly smile to a stranger, a spur of the moment decision on a warm evening to take the long way home: those are the points
A body is found in a sealed chamber, definitely murdered, but there is no way the culprit can have got in or out. How was it done? Special thanks to my guest Jim Noy. He writes about detective fiction at theinvisibleevent.com, makes a podcast called In GAD We Trust,
Caroline: The line between crime fiction and the supernatural can get a little blurry at times. Although the “rules” of fair play in detective fiction popular in the 1920s and 30s prohibited the inclusion of ghosts, demons, and other paranormal phenomena, writers still enjoyed teasing their readers with murder scenarios
Renée read her first detective novel in the 1930s. She hasn’t stopped since. Special thanks to my guest Renée. Her first crime novel is The Wild Card. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community
Music Caroline: With detective novels from the 1920s or 1930s, I’m always conscious of the distance between when it was written and when I’m reading it. Not that I think you need to be immersed in the historical context to enjoy a murder mystery, that’s not it
It started with dinner and ended with a group of crime writers swearing an oath on a skull. Special thanks to my guest Martin Edwards. His latest novel is Mortmain Hall and he’s on Twitter as @medwardsbooks. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio,
Caroline: Writing can be a lonely profession. Once a book or story exists, it can be a highly sociable thing — the author is interviewed about it, appears at events, and these days can always be available to talk to their readers online. But the period of creation is one of
Caroline: In October 1928, the novelist Virginia Woolf gave two lectures to literary societies at women’s colleges at Cambridge University. Her subject was women and fiction, and she ranged throughout history to build up her case for how for centuries structural inequality had systematically excluded half the population from
If a woman needs a room of her own and £500 a year to write fiction, what does she need in order to write crime fiction? Special thanks to my guest Francesca Wade. Her book is Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars. She’s on Twitter
This summer, you can still travel to the murderous destinations visited by your favourite detectives. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and sources: —Have His Carcase by Dorothy L.
Music Through the long winter months and the interminable drizzle of a British spring, we look forward to our summer holidays. Whether they involve a flight to a far off destination or a quick drive to a homegrown seaside resort, those few days in July or August mark a pleasurable
Caroline: There are a few names that come up a lot in relation to the so called golden age of detective fiction. Agatha Christie, of course, but Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, Gladys Mitchell, Josephine Tey and Ngaio Marsh are also all writers who are more or less associated with
She wrote over 70 detective novels and won the praise of that most stern of critics, Dorothy L. Sayers. Yet golden age author E.C.R. Lorac is now a mystery to most modern crime fiction fans. What happened? Special thanks to my guest Sarah Ward. She is the author
Sometimes, Agatha Christie didn’t want to be Agatha Christie. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and sources: —The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie —The Big Four
Music In 1930, any serious fan of detective fiction would have been able to tell you that Agatha Christie published just the one novel that year — The Murder at the Vicarage. This was a significant one for her, a step up in her already successful writing career. It was both
Caroline: Dorothy L. Sayers is well known for many things: as a writer, a translator, a playwright, a theologian, and a feminist. She was among the first women to receive a degree from Oxford University. Her work in setting up the Detection Club and her reviews of other authors’ work
There was one thing that Dorothy L. Sayers never told anyone. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/dorothyssecret. Resources, donation links and diverse crime fiction suggestions are at shedunnitshow.com/blacklivesmatter. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen
Here are a few places you can show your support for the Black Lives Matter movement, by reading, donating, and choosing diverse crime fiction. This is a comprehensive and very useful document listing books, podcast episodes, films and other media that can help you learn more about the anti racist
Picture the scene. A wealthy elderly person lies dead, obviously murdered. Their sumptuous mansion is filled to the rafters with expensive assets. Around every corner is a family member or neighbour with some financial tie to the deceased and seemingly no alibi for the time of the crime. What’s
It's not who, or how, but why. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and sources: —Unnatural Death by Dorothy L. Sayers —Heir Presumptive by Henry Wade —The
Caroline: For some readers , whodunnits are transient, disposable things. Once you've read a murder mystery once, there's no point keeping it or reading it again, according to this school of thought. You already know who did it, and there’s little use in cluttering up your
The perfect collection is never complete. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thecollectors. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and sources: —Dance of
Is that smiling nurse in the pristine white cap here to save your life, or to bring it to an untimely end? Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and
Caroline: Detective fiction works best when there are rigid structures that can be obeyed, subverted or undermined. The closed circle of suspects, the unbreakable alibi, the pact to play fair by the reader — all of these restrictions help to stimulate writers' creativity. The presence of certain archetypal characters is
Caroline: On 26 October 1921, a solicitor named Oswald Martin went to have tea with a fellow lawyer named Herbert Armstrong. The two worked for rival law firms in the town of Hay on Wye, which lies on the border between England and Wales. They were currently representing opposite sides
All the best murder mysteries start with a scone laced with arsenic. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and sources: —The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards —A
There's a reason why Agatha Christie knew so much about poisons. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and sources: —The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Caroline: Agatha Christie received a lot of accolades during her long writing career. She had fans all over the world, her books sold thousands upon thousands of copies and (mostly) received good reviews, and in 1971 she was made a Dame by the Queen for her services for literature. But
What would Peter Wimsey be without Harriet Vane? Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/bookclub. Books and sources: —"Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories" by SS Van Dine —Ronald
Caroline: When you boil it down to the essentials, a detective barely needs to be a human being. The plot of a really great whodunnit demands only that the sleuthing entity observe, analyse, deduce and denounce. A thinking machine with a clear input and output that governs the story. Indeed,
Caroline: When constructing a plot for a detective novel, nothing matters more than boundaries. It's vital to know where the edges of the world will be, and who will be allowed to come in and out once the mystery is in progress. After all, it's no
What could be a better place for a murder than a boat, out at sea? Get a copy of my book, The Way to the Sea, from Blackwell's here or request it at your local bookshop or library. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get
A friendly warning: there are major spoilers for The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie in this episode. Music. Caroline: I think we're all quite comfortable with the idea of real life events inspiring fiction — it's not for nothing that some of the most critically acclaimed films
How Agatha Christie's spooky story inspired real life murderers and detectives. A friendly warning: there are major spoilers for The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie in this episode. Special thanks today to my guests Kathryn Harkup and Sarah Phelps. Kathryn's book is A is for Arsenic:
Caroline: There's a tendency sometimes to think of detective fiction from the early twentieth century as "cosy". In fact, in some countries the phrase "cozy mystery" even serves as a semi-official subgenre of crime writing — especially in America where it is defined against the
On Philip Larkin, a reptilian sleuth with a mellifluous voice, and a small amount of witchcraft. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thegreatgladys. Special thanks today to my guest Lee Randall. You can follow her on Twitter @randallwrites and read her writing about Gladys
Detective fiction has always been regarded as a lesser kind of literature. So how do you teach it in a university? Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/teachingsleuthing. Special thanks today to my guest Dr Victoria Stewart. You can follow her on Twitter @verbivorial
Caroline: In 1945, the American critic Edmund Wilson published a series of three essays deploring detective fiction as written by Agatha Christie, Rex Stout and Dorothy L. Sayers as of little value. In the second essay, which was titled “Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" as a direct dig
Decades before Miss Marple, there were Victorian lady sleuths taking on the world with their bloomers and their bicycles. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/victorianpioneers. Special thanks today to my guest Olivia Rutigliano. You can follow her on Twitter @oldrutigliano and reader her
Caroline: Before there was Miss Marple, Mrs Bradley or Harriet Vane, there was Amelia Butterworth, Dorcas Dene and Loveday Brooke. Although Victorian detective fiction is most associated with a male character that tends to overshadow all else — Sherlock Holmes — there was a thriving tradition of women detectives among nineteenth century
Caroline: The days are drawing in. Darkness falls mid afternoon. The light and warmth inside only emphasises quite how icily cold it is out. At first, the snow is a cheery accompaniment to a festive gathering somewhere remote and rural, a thick white blanket to be admired out of the
Snow is a very powerful tool for a detective novelist. It can create a sinister atmosphere, keep suspects and murderer stormbound, and preserve the footprints of anyone who dares to escape. What could be more seasonal or festive than that? Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get
Caroline: Detective novelists have always been loyal to their sleuths. Some, like Gladys Mitchell, created a character and devotedly returned to them again and again. Other authors, like Dorothy L. Sayers, had a main detective character — in her case, Lord Peter Wimsey — but also worked with at least one other
Anne Bedingfield, Emily Trefusis, Lucy Eyelesbarrow: why is it that Agatha Christie's adventurous, highly competent young women never get to become recurring sleuths? Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/
How did a legal history series become so well known that even Lord Peter Wimsey owned a set? Special thanks today to my guest Dr Victoria Stewart. You can follow her on Twitter @verbivorial and order her book Crime Writing in Interwar Britain: Fact and Fiction in the Golden Age
Caroline: Towards the end of Dorothy L. Sayers's 1930 novel Strong Poison, her sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey is feeling stumped. He's tackled a tricky poisoning case with all the verve and enthusiasm that readers of the previous four Wimsey books had come to expect. He'
Caroline: One chilly night in November 1912, a group of young women gathered together to share their writing with each other. They were all newly arrived first year students at Somerville College in Oxford, part of a cohort of women undergraduates who were still pushing for full equality at the
One chilly night in November 1912, a group of young women gathered together to share their writing with each other. From that meeting, we got Peter Wimsey, Harriet Vane, and so much more besides. Special thanks today to my guest Mo Moulton, you can follow them on Twitter @hammock_tussock
Caroline: There's a moment in Agatha Christie's 1964 novel A Caribbean Mystery that I think about a lot. Miss Marple, generously sent on a luxury winter holiday to the island of St Honoré by her wealthy novelist nephew, has encountered what she believes to be a
The detective's sidekick is a fundamental building block of the classic whodunnit. But they don't often get full credit for the vital role they play in solving mysteries. Until now, that is. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/sidekicks. Become
There's something so linear and definite about a train journey — it can only take you from A to B, with no possible deviations. Except when murder intervenes, and throws everything off the rails. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad
[Train sound effect] Caroline: It's an iconic mystery setting, almost to the point of cliche, reproduced in lovingly nostalgic detail in films and TV adaptations. The panelled walls of polished wood, deep carpets, comfortable seats covered in plush velvet, and attendants in sharp uniforms, ready to cater to
Caroline: Even the best detectives get stuck during their cases. The alibis are overlapping, the witnesses are contradicting themselves, and the medical evidence isn't making anything clearer. As readers of whodunnits, as confused as our sleuths, it's hard not to think about how much easier everything
Wouldn't sleuthing be so much easier if the dead could speak to the living? Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership. Books and sources in order of appearance: —Strong
Caroline: If a terrible accident takes place and a woman dies, it's just a tragedy. If the same thing happens again, in almost identical circumstances, it might arouse pity and raise a few eyebrows, but it'll mostly be written off as an appalling coincidence. But the
Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. But three times? Three women dead in identical circumstances is highly suspicious. This is the story of the brides in the bath. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a
Today, we have the final episode in my summer break guest series: 'Golden Age Detective Fiction' from Words To That Effect by Conor Reid. It first appeared on his feed in May 2019, and if you listen very closely you might recognise his interviewee. Find Words To That
Today on my summer break guest series, we have Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist again (along with my husband Guy Cuthbertson) talking about the books we read to feel better when we're ill — plenty of detective fiction, of course. This episode first appeared on Helen's podcast
I'm taking a summer break from making the podcast, but I've roped in some friends to keep you entertained while I'm gone. Today, we have Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist, with three pieces about alter egos in an episode that first appeared on her
Meet Maud West, a real life lady detective from the golden age of detective fiction who lived a very colourful life — as well as sleuthing, she liked to dress up as Charlie Chaplin and once threatened to shoot a ghost. But who was she, really? Find links to all the
Caroline: If you're listening to this podcast, I feel like I can reasonably make the assumption that at some point in your life, you have read a detective novel. I'll go further: you have probably read at least one whodunnit where the sleuth you followed so
School is an enclosed world that breeds tension and suspicion and stress. No wonder it's such a perfect setting for a murder mystery. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/
Caroline: School is enclosed world. Perhaps you finished your education just a handful of years ago, or perhaps it's been decades. But either way, I bet you can still remember the claustrophobic atmosphere of the place: its cliques, its gossip, its competitiveness, its feuds. Memories of our schooldays
Caroline: A few weeks ago, on a rainy Monday afternoon, I took a train towards Liverpool from the village where I live. Train announcer: This train is for Liverpool Central Caroline: Then, from the city centre, I took another train out to the suburbs that stretch along the river Mersey
Her trial gripped the nation and tested Britain's legal system to the limit. But what happened to Florence Maybrick? This is the second of a two part story — listen to episode 16 first at shedunnitshow.com/florencemaybrick. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus
Caroline: The Thames is probably the most storied river in the world. Its 215 mile expanse, from its source at Kemble in Gloucestershire to the far reaches of the estuary where it joins the North Sea on the east coast, feature in countless poems, novels, songs, paintings and folk tales.
The River Thames has always had a dark side. Its fast-flowing, tidal waters have long attracted those with something to hide. Find links to further reading and sources at shedunnitshow.com/onthethames. You can order my book about the Thames, The Way to the Sea, from Waterstones, Amazon or an
A shipboard romance that somehow became one of the most notorious domestic poisoning cases in British history. This is the story of Florence Maybrick. Check back for part two of this story on 12 June. Find links to further information and sources at shedunnitshow.com/florencemaybrick. Become a member of
Caroline: It was the spring of 1880 when a young woman named Florence Chandler and her mother, the Baroness von Roques, boarded a steamer in New York bound for Liverpool. Florence was just 17, beautiful, eager and ready for adventure. On board the SS Baltic she met James Maybrick, a
Murder mysteries: if you believe the clichés, they all happened in the 1920s and 1930s, surrounded by flappers and butlers. But let's take a second to wonder — why is it that detective fiction is so closely associated with this period style? Find more information about my guest Jacqueline
Music The most recognisable thing about Golden Age Detective fiction — more than the murder weapons, the puzzles and all the other trappings of the classic whodunnit — is the time in which it is set. That two-decade period between the First and Second World Wars has become synonymous with the idea
Caroline: Authors' names and personalities loom large when we think about detective stories. It's enough to say "I'm reading an Agatha Christie". You don't need to give the title or summarise the plot for someone to know what you kind of
Authors' names loom large when we think about detective stories. Yet many of them are pseudonyms, created just to appear on book covers. But why go to all this trouble? And what makes a good pen name, anyway? Find more information about my guest Helen Fields / H.S. Chandler
Caroline: By any definition, Ngaio Marsh lived an extraordinary life. She was the longest-lived of the four Queens of Crime from the golden age of detective fiction in the 1920s and 30s and was made a Dame by the Queen of England for her services to theatre in her native
By any definition, the New Zealand crime writer Ngaio Marsh lived an extraordinary life. But who was she really, this globetrotting blockbuster author who divided her life between opposite sides of the world? Find more information about my guest Joanne Drayton and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/
Caroline: Writing is a solitary pastime. To invent the characters and stories that readers love, most authors have to lock themselves away from the world, avoiding company and interruptions until the blank page is filled. Not everyone wants to spend all their time hunched over their work, though, and the
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. Is it possible to construct a compelling whodunnit this way, or do too many cooks spoil the broth? Fill out the audience survey and have
Some sleuths need no introduction. But other characters, also created by famous authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, lurk in obscurity. In this episode, we're on the hunt for the other detectives. Find more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.
Caroline: Some sleuths need no introduction. They are constantly re-incarnated on television, on stage, in films, in new novels. Fans pore over the books and stories in which they appear, passionately discussing and dissecting new interpretations. Characters like Hercule Poirot, Peter Wimsey, Roger Sheringham, Jane Marple, Father Brown and others
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 the world, and even detective novelist Dorothy L. Sayers tried to solve the case. This is the story of Nurse Daniels. Find more information
Caroline: On 6 October 1926, a young woman went into the cloakroom on the quay at Boulogne in France. Her friend was waiting for her outside, expecting her to come out again quickly because they were due to catch the boat back to England in ten minutes' time. The
Caroline: A good detective story has a recognisable rhythm. The plot might have unexpected twists and the characters can surprise you, but there are certain structures and tropes that recur through much of the crime fiction from the first half of the twentieth century. Some of them have been parodied
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 more information about this episode and links to the books discussed at shedunnitshow.com/therules. The podcast is on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and
Caroline: It's a perfect image of family harmony and domestic bliss. Everyone gathered around a table groaning with food, brought together for the daily ritual of breaking bread. Maybe it's a huge dining room full of damask and silver; perhaps it's a small, homely
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. Yet in detective fiction, food can also be a method for murder. Everything is lovely at the family dinner, until somebody clutches their throat, turns
Caroline: 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 cried, but no last minute reprieve arrived. Just before nine am her gaolers injected her with a sedative, and then offered her brandy as
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 cried, but no last minute reprieve arrived. Long after she was dead, her story would inspire authors like James Joyce, E.M. Delafield, Dorothy L.
Caroline: We think about murder mysteries as "page turners". For lots of fans, the physical act of reading these books, of racing through the story and seeing the number of unread pages dwindling towards the solution is part of the joy. But for a great many people, their
For many people, their main contact with detective fiction is via film and television adaptations. For a huge global audience, Agatha Christie's work is as often watched as it is read. Any new production is greeted with intense scrutiny, so what is it really like to adapt these
Caroline: The classic Christmas traditions are all about comfort. Blazing fires, mulled drinks, vast quantities of food — it's all intended make the darkest time of year that little bit brighter. Much of the entertainment we enjoy over the festive period tries to do the same thing. The books,
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 fire, but if we stop and think about it, reading about complicated ways for people to die is not exactly the most
When Agatha Christie disappeared in 1926, nobody could find her. Books mentioned in order of appearance —The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie —The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie —The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie —An Autobiography by Agatha Christie —The Man in the Brown Suit by
Caroline: On 3 December 1926, Agatha Christie left her home in the southern English county of Berkshire just after 9.30 in the evening. She drove away in her Morris Cowley car, taking a small suitcase and a fur coat with her. Her secretary Carlo Fisher, who also helped to
[Music] Caroline: On the surface, everything about classic detective stories seems straightforward. It's all very black and white: people are either good or bad, guilty or innocent. There's not a lot of grey in between. These easy distinctions are what some readers find appealing about murder
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 clues everywhere in these books, if you only know where to look for them. Contributors: —JC Bernthal, academic and author of
Here’s a full transcript of the second episode of Shedunnit. Click here to listen to it now in your app of choice. Caroline: A classic murder mystery is a closed circle. It's why settings like trains, islands and country houses are so popular in the detective stories
The detective writers of the 1920s and 1930s weren't working a vacuum. They took a keen interest in the crimes of their time, often weaving elements from actual murder cases into their plots or referencing them directly. And there was one case, a murder both infamous and domestic,
Why are spinsters always solving mysteries? Contributors: —Rosemary Cresswell, senior lecturer in global history at the University of Hull. Follow her on Twitter @RosieCresswell. —Camilla Nelson, associate professor of writing at the University of Notre Dame Australia. —Helen Parkinson Further reading: —A field guide to spinsters in English fiction —'
Caroline: Every age has had a different way of describing a woman who exists alone, rather than as part of a couple. Today, she might just call herself "single", but at different times in the past people might have referred to her, often with contempt, as an "
Caroline: For a couple of decades between the first and second world wars, something mysterious happened. Many things, actually — there were murders in country houses, on golf courses, in Oxford colleges, on trains, in vicarages, in far flung parts of the globe and quaint English villages. Pistols, daggers, blunt instruments
For a couple of decades between the first and second world wars, something mysterious happened. A golden age of detective fiction dawned, and people around the world are still devouring books from this time by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham, Anthony Berkeley, Gladys Mitchell, Ngaio Marsh, Josephine Tey
