All About Agatha (christie)

What fun it was to put together this roving episode of All About Agatha! Thanks again to Christopher Diehl for inviting me to A Poirot Double Bill. I'm already looking forward to his next Christie theatrical production. Come see me this week, May 4th-9th, on my tour of the (U.S.) South! Click on my website for more details. Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. You can still buy tickets for my upcoming appearance at the Agatha Christie Festival. Check out the Redlands Footlighters Community Theatre, where this show will travel. Performances are on June 28th and 29th. Check out the Riverside Community Players, where this show already appeared, and where Christie is frequently on offer. Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, is currently available for purchase. You can also buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Austr

We've done so many Christies for Christmas, it's about time we did one for Easter. Alas, mutations from the radioactive byproduct of a 1960s-era nuclear power plant did not move me or my guest co-host the way Christie seems to have intended. But perhaps your mileage varies. The following titles are spoiled to varying degrees in this episode: The Man from the Sea, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, The Murder at the Vicarage, Nemesis, Ordeal by Innocence, Passenger to Frankfurt, They Do It with Mirrors. Come visit me in the South! (Of the United States, that is.) Check out my upcoming tour dates here on my author website. Please check out Sarah's website, podcast, and substack. Much joy awaits you! You can still buy tickets to my upcoming appearance at the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, England in September. Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, is currently available for purchase. You can also buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperbac

It isn't every day I get to interview a map designer on All About Agatha. Nor is it every day I get to work on a map with a map designer, which is something I've been doing on the side in tribute to my late co-host, Catherine Brobeck, whom Ben and I talk about at some length in our conversation. We also talk some Christie, because of course we do; I know Catherine wouldn't have had it any other way. Visit my website for details on my upcoming U.S. tour in the South. Click here for tickets to my upcoming panel at the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, in September. And click here for information about all the fabulous offerings at the Festival this year. Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, is currently available for purchase. Time for some map links! Here is Catherine Brobeck's map of Joan Didion's Los Angeles, Caroline Crampton's map of Agatha Christie's England, and Martin Edwards's Golden Age of Mystery map of England. And here is a link to the general Herb Lester catalogue

Letters! We get letters! We get stacks and stacks of letters! It's a mailbag-only episode of All About Agatha, and you know what that means: Sia's heartbreaking "Breathe Me" song underlying my chatter at various points in the episode! No, I couldn't have predicted this either, but the Sia is a testament to how deeply I cherish all these messages, and how important they are to the podcast. Thank you, one and all, for your contributions. And please: keep them coming! Here is a link to the YouTuber, Summation Gathering, who I mention in the episode, analyzing whether Miss Marple could solve Monsieur Poirot's cases. And here he is dream-casting various literary detectives. You can check out my upcoming tour dates here on my author website. You can now buy Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States! And you can now buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in t

First, dogs. Now, cats. Who knows where this podcast will lead me next? Come see me on tour! 4th-9th of March in the Northeastern U.S.! Visit my website for more details. You can now buy Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. Check out Kate Jackson's excellent article about cats and mysteries. And here is the article I referenced on the blog Literary Potpourri, which I found to be helpful. You can also buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Author, or at my author website.  

Love and marriage are said to go together like a horse and carriage, but what about love and murder? Like a sheep and herder, maybe? I'm just spitballing here, forgive me; I'm a little delirious after exploring so many iterations of love in so many different Christie works. I hope you enjoy the episode. It was a labor of--well, you know. BLANKET SPOILER WARNING: spoilers abound in this episode (I cover a lot of ground), so if you are worried about having any Christie novel or short story spoiled for you, please proceed with caution! Check out my new article on AgathaChristie.com, all about Christie's transportation and travel mysteries. And speaking of transportation and travel mysteries, consider purchasing my new mystery novel, Loose Lips, set entirely on a cruise ship! (The second book in the Ghostwriter Mysteries series.) You can listen to two interviews I did on two great podcasts: Mechanicsburg Mystery Presents and Books on the Go. And you can check out my author website for more details about my upco

Chances are you know exactly who Lucy Foley is, and have read one of her bestselling mystery thrillers, all of which have been compared to Agatha Christie. Lucy is also a massive Christie fan herself, and it was such a joy to speak with her about her work, and our shared love of Dame Agatha (and in particular Miss Marple!). Here are a few organizations to contribute to, in L.A.'s ongoing effort to combat and recover from these devastating fires. Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation California Community Foundation's Wildlife Recovery American Red Cross The Salvation Army You can now buy Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States! And you can now buy The Busy Body, the first book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in paperback at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. You can check out my upcoming tour dates here on my author website. To visit and subscribe to t

Thank you to everyone for understanding. As I mentioned, here are a few organizations you can contribute to, if you are so inclined. Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation California Community Foundation's Wildlife Recovery American Red Cross The Salvation Army Stay safe, everyone.

It's always a joy to have the Reverend Doctor Sarah Hinlicky Wilson on the show to explain to us what the heck Agatha Christie Mallowan is getting at in the extremely personal and extremely Christian short stories she wrote within her Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection. Happy holidays to all who celebrate; we certainly know that Agatha Christie did! Please note there are a few minor spoilers for Passenger to Frankfurt littered throughout our discussion, which I did not note at the top of the episode. But there is an argument to be made that this novel is un-spoilable, since it barely makes any sense.... (I get to be cheeky around the holidays.) You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. Come see me on tour for Loose Lips, starting in a few short weeks! Visit my website for more details. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page (a subscription is the perfect holiday gift!), click here. Check out all that Sarah Hinlicky

It was a joy to welcome Dr. Michelle Kazmer back on the podcast to discuss an early and unusual Christie short story that contains echoes of so much of what we love about Christie overall. For those in the United States who may be feeling a bit fatigued from all the tryptophan consumed this holiday weekend, just be thankful it's nothing compared to the "sleepytime" embrace of one Isobel Loring.... You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.

Take comfort, for Maureen Johnson is back on the podcast to talk about her newest (standalone) YA mystery novel, and to talk about the nature of YA mystery itself! You can find out more about Maureen and check out all her brilliant books at her website here. You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.

We've got strange goings-on in this early, supernatural Christie short story. What happened to poor Felicie Bault? Could it be a multiple personality disorder? A body swap?! Or something even WEIRDER? You be the judge... but first, delight with me in heaps upon heaps of listener correspondence. Happy Hallowe'en, everyone! For U.S. listeners: pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, at your bookseller of choice here. Check out this Monsieur Poirot/Miss Marple spoof, The Teddy Bear Who Knew Too Much, courtesy of The Two Ronnies. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can still buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.  

Did you know that Superman's appearance on I Love Lucy is considered by some to be the first crossover episode of television? In that case, I was blessed with the appearance of *TWO* supermen on this crossover episode of All About Agatha and The Swinging Christies, in which I sat down (in Agatha Christie's birthplace and on Agatha Christie's birthday, no less!) with co-hosts Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Together, we discussed--and debated--the ranking of Christie's novels from the 1960s, which they've spent the past year considering in glorious detail. I couldn't think of a better way to spend 90 minutes, and only wish it could have been longer. Enjoy! The following titles are spoiled (to varying degrees) over the course of this episode: At Bertram's Hotel, The Body in the Library, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, A Caribbean Mystery, Cat Among the Pigeons, The Clocks, Elephants Can Remember, Endless Night, Hallowe'en Party, Hercule Poirot's Christmas, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, Murder is Easy

Marci Kay Monson has created something very interesting in this children's picture-book version of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I can't think of a better way to start off what I hope is a long-running discussion of YA mystery, here on the podcast. You can check out Marci's book on her website here. You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.

It's time for another live episode from the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, with a to-die-for panel of Agathologists! And guess what? The sound quality of this one is SUPERB, thanks to the presence of an on-site technician. Thank you to the Festival for making this happen! I hope you all enjoy; I know we did.... I'm appearing at Bloody Scotland tomorrow, Saturday 14 September, and hope to see some listeners there! You can currently pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, in the United States. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my author website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.

I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane, especially since it will help prepare you for my upcoming live episode at the Agatha Christie Festival, concerning which among the many (many!) screen adaptations of Christie's work is the best.... To find out more and purchase tickets for my appearance at the Bloody Scotland festival on Saturday, 14 September at 11:30am, please click here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.

I'm thrilled to be participating in the Bloody Scotland festival this September! Click here for more information about my panel on Saturday, 14 September at 11:30am, at Trinity Church in Stirling. And for those of you in Southern California, here are the details for my upcoming appearance at a brand-new Barnes & Noble in Santa Monica on Saturday, 31 August at 10:00am, at the Third Street Promenade.

It was such a pleasure to speak with Kate Gingold about her glossary of annotations of Christie novels and short stories from the 1920s. You can find Kate, her book, and many other offerings at her website: Agatha Annotated. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and you can find out more about her non-Agatha offerings on this website. You can find out more about Kate's talk at the Agatha Christie Festival (and purchase a ticket) here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (make it an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.  

Whether it's teeny-tiny dogs like the Pekingese, more medium-sized dogs like the VAST array of terriers who appear in this episode, or large dogs like the scary greyhound who makes quite a memorable appearance, there is something for everyone in my discussion of the canine species in Agatha Christie's works. Special thanks to Kate Jackson and Michelle Kazmer, whose expertise I leaned on in preparing this episode. Click here to visit and subscribe to Patreon for bonus episodes. And I encourage you to listen to my Patreon episode all about Next to a Dog, as referenced in this episode. If you don't want to become a paying member, simply sign up as a free member, and you can listen free of charge for up to two weeks following the release of this episode. Please watch the PBS SoCal YouTube series Won't You Be My Gamer?, in which I play a videogame adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express with two experts! Great fun. You can read Kate Jackson's excellent lecture on animals in classic mystery fiction here. Here i

It was a dream to be able to sit down with David Morris, and pore over all the priceless goodies he brought with him having to do with Agatha Christie books, art, and ephemera. The following titles are spoiled during the course of our conversation: The Mystery of the Blue Train, Death on the Nile. To watch me watch two gamers play Murder on the Orient Express the videogame while we discuss all things Agatha Christie, click here. This is the first episode of the PBS SoCal series Won't You Be My Gamer? It was a lot of fun. For more of David's scholarly work from a collector's point of view, you can visit his website here, find him on Twitter here, and on Facebook here. You can also check out his upcoming talk at the Agatha Christie Festival here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Twitter and Instagram. Visit me personally on Facebook at Kemper Donovan Books, or at my personal website. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christi