Reading Recommendations: Chesterton, Christie and More

Dear listeners,

Do you like to read seasonally, matching your crime fiction to your own calendar? Or does it not matter to you whether there's snow on the ground outside when snow is falling in your book? Autumn is in full swing where both Leandra and I live, and this to me feels like a very "winter is almost here" selection of books that we have for you today.

If you enjoy these book recommendation newsletters, in which we offer you a peek into our personal reading experience while we are working behind the scenes on the show, you might like to catch up with the last edition here or share your own reading plans in the comments here. The entire Shedunnit newsletter archive can be found here.

Caroline Has Read: The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton

I picked up this book a few weeks ago in preparation for the recent "Crime Clubs" episode all about crime writers' organisations and secret societies. Because part of my focus with the podcast is introduce new writers and titles to the audience, I don't often get time to revisit the classics (although the Shedunnit Book Club's reading programme does help a bit with this). It was great, therefore, to have an excuse to look again at this 1908 novel. It's still chaotic and confusing, but also very funny. When I have a long break from Chesterton, I forget how sharp and amusing he can be.

Caroline Will Read: The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers

I can't believe it's already here, but this is the last book the Club has chosen to read in 2025 — we're looking at it in December for our "Festive Setting" theme. I need to read it soon in order to make the members-only episodes about it. This is a book I really love, and so I feel extra pressure to do it justice!

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Leandra Has Read: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

I recently finished The Stolen Queen, a historical narrative featuring a theft at the Met Gala, an Egyptian curse, and a 1936 archeological dig at Egypt's Valley of the Kings that haunts Charlotte Cross over forty years later. This was my first experience with Fiona Davis's work. She is well-loved by historical fiction readers, and I believe this was the first time she has infused her narrative with mystery elements. We juggle two timelines, one taking place in 1930s Egypt while the other is set in 1978 New York. Events in 1936 change the course of Charlotte's life, who at the time was an anthropology student, and she still carries that long-buried trauma with her as associate curator at the Met in New York City. She is forced to grapple with the past when a valuable artefact is stolen during the Met Gala, and there are signs that Hathorkare's legendary curse has been reawakened.

The concluding reveals and explanations felt clunky and robotic, but that isn't surprising as Davis is less familiar with how one might neatly and organically wrap up a mystery. I can see many readers appreciating this character-driven narrative, especially if they enjoy reading about interpersonal family dynamics, Egyptian history, and archeology. I imagine some will get a kick out of seeing a fictionalised version of former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland on the page as well.

Leandra Will Read: Autumn Chills by Agatha Christie

If I don't read it now, this story collection will sit on my shelves collecting dust for another year. Even though these stories can be found in other collections that I would read any time of the year (and a few of them will likely be familiar to me because of that), my brain refuses to read Autumn Chills unless it is autumn due to the title alone! Similarly, I recommended The September House by Carissa Orlando to a friend last winter, and she said she would read it...but not until September. I assume many can relate to this when considering narratives centered around a major holiday like Christmas. How many of you would read The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay in April? By stating here that I will read Autumn Chills this season, I hope it will keep me accountable! If next October arrives, and I'm once again listing it as a book I need to read, you will know I have failed.

That's what we've got coming up reading-wise. What are you planning to read this month? Let us know by replying directly or by leaving a comment to join the conversation with other readers. If you'd like to follow our reading adventures in between these posts, I (try to) publish monthly reading updates on my blog/newsletter and Leandra documents what she's reading on her YouTube channel.

Until next time,

Caroline

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