All About Agatha Christie
Christie
All About Agatha is a podcast all about, well, Agatha. Agatha Christie, of course: the Queen of Crime, a real-life Dame of the British Empire, and author of sixty-six mystery novels that spanned the Twentieth Century, defining a genre. For five years, Catherine Brobeck and Kemper Donovan revisited these novels in publication order, ranking them according to pre-set criteria (plot, character, etc.). Tragically, Catherine Brobeck passed away at the end of 2021. She will be forever missed. Since then, Kemper has completed the podcast's ranking project, and continues to celebrate the greatness of Christie by attempting to solve the ultimate mystery where she is concerned. Why Christie--and Christie alone--endures as powerfully as she does.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 11, 2019 • 37min
Communing with Mr. Quin: The Man from the Sea by Agatha Christie
Yes, we are back once more with our spooky friends Messieurs Quin and Satterthwaite, and this time things get extra, extra weird, in ways both problematic and not! Let's puzzle our way through this non-puzzle mystery together, shall we? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dec 28, 2018 • 21min
A Run-By Fruiting, Twenties-Style: A Fruitful Sunday by Agatha Christie
We've got another light, flirty Christie adventure on our hands here, and while normally we'd say that hijinks ensue, there is so little going on in this short story that perhaps we have only a single hijink? Maybe two? In any case, this is a pleasant enough tale of automotive and fructiferous tomfoolery. Please enjoy, as the year winds down in these final few days of 2018! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dec 21, 2018 • 23min
A Very Special Holiday Episode with Parker Pyne: The Case of the City Clerk by Agatha Christie
Well if the Grinch's heart can grow three sizes bigger, why not Mr. Parker Pyne's?? 'Tis the season for such character arcs, after all. Join us as we learn a bit more about Christie's heart specialist of a detective. You just may find a new appreciation for him. (Or, if you are cynical like Catherine… you may not.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dec 15, 2018 • 58min
And Then There Were 37: N or M? by Agatha Christie
Rejoice or beware, per your preference, because Tommy & Tuppence, those alliterative lovebirds, are back! And in wartime no less: the spring of 1940, to be exact (and Christie is very exact). Join us as we discuss this mid-career thriller of Christie's, which is in many ways quite typical (poor Tommy and his poor head!), but in others quite unusual.... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dec 9, 2018 • 36min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: Triangle at Rhodes by Agatha Christie
This week we revisit a familiar-seeming love triangle, and while it's true that this Poirot short story and the Poirot novel we just covered--Evil Under the Sun--share many similarities, they also share some key differences…. Join us for our 100th episode (!!) as we use this little exercise in compare and contrast to marvel yet again at the fecundity of Dame Agatha's nimble brain. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 23, 2018 • 58min
A Very Special Episode: Interview with Sophie Hannah, Author of New Hercule Poirot Novels
We were thrilled to have bestselling—and Poirot-continuing!—author Sophie Hannah on the podcast for a wide-ranging chat about all things Agatha. Please revel in the Christie fandom, as we did. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 18, 2018 • 36min
Communing with Mr. Quin: The Soul of the Croupier by Agatha Christie
Are you ready for an oh-so-European tale of despair, betrayal, and misplaced pride? Would it help if you listened to some Edith Piaf while we told it to you? Okay, then. Time to sit for another soulful spell with Mr. Harley Quin and his dessicated sidekick, Mr. Satterthwaite, this time on the shores of Monte Carlo. Bon voyage! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 8, 2018 • 58min
And Then There Were 38: Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie
While this one is something of a fan favorite, we were surprised by the simplicity of the central mystery upon a reread, given all the Christie puzzles we've solved thus far.... Add to that a number of characters who are never really suspects, plus a few absurd side-plots that don't quite hang onto the main action as they should, and we come out a bit more critically on this one than we expected, despite retaining a healthy affection for some of this Poirot novel's better elements. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Nov 2, 2018 • 39min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Affair at the Victory Ball by Agatha Christie
How have we not covered Christie's first published Poirot short story yet?! Consider this a master class in some of the fundamental tropes she would go on to use many, many times. Actors, costumes, a temporal deception, even the harlequinade! Add to that a real-world, "ripped-from-the-headlines" analogue, and what more could two Christie podcasters want? (Well, we could always use more Miss Lemon in the Suchet adaptation, but we can't have everything.) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Oct 26, 2018 • 25min
She Works Hard for the Money: Jane in Search of a Job by Agatha Christie
While we can't pretend this is a special Hallowe'en-themed episode, there is perhaps nothing scarier than being in want of a job…. We were also rather frightened by the flimsiness of this early Christie thriller when it came to its establishing concept, its plot, and its romantic intrigue. So take a listen... if you dare. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
