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
Jun 29, 2017 • 33min
A Special SUMMER HOLIDAY Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: Problem at Sea by Agatha Christie
The real mystery of this very special episode is why Hercule "mal de mer" Poirot would choose to spend his summer holiday in a boat on the Mediterranean, but luckily for us he does, along with a cast of characters running the full spectrum of companionability from delightful to despicable.... So come soak in the sun with us as we explore Poirot's most extreme--and perhaps, ironically, darkest--solution of extralegal justice among his many, many cases. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jun 22, 2017 • 27min
A Miss Marple Nightcap: The Idol House of Astarte by Agatha Christie
Have you watched the new Murder on the Orient Express trailer? We have, and we have thoughts. Many of them. We also have a new Miss Marple short story, one that may be a little short on clues, but not on atmosphere. Not that our dear Aunt Jane's razor-edged bear trap of a ratiocination machine (a.k.a. her mind) would ever be affected by such a silly thing as atmosphere.... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jun 10, 2017 • 40min
A Miss Marple Nightcap: The Tuesday Night Club by Agatha Christie
So much to discuss in our first Miss Marple short story, including: 1) the "Peter Panning" of yet another beloved Christie detective; 2) the perils of dismissing your dear Aunt Jane if you happen to be a pretentious blowhard of a novelist; 3) the further adventures of dubiously tinned seafood. Throw a log on that fire, spill some lace down your chest, and settle in for some good old-fashioned cynicism, Marple-style. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Jun 2, 2017 • 59min
And Then There Were 55: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie
There is so much to cover in this devilishly clever and somewhat underrated Poirot mystery. (Plus cocaine. A lot of cocaine.) Join us as we discuss just how bad a job M. Poirot does in this one (it's surprising!), the finer points of Art Deco design, and the delightfulness of Cornwall as a setting (though sadly, sans Poldark). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
May 26, 2017 • 37min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Chocolate Box by Agatha Christie
All right, it's time to talk about the one case our M. Poirot failed to solve. A better title might be: The One That Got Away, or in the case of the Suchet adaptation, The One Who Got Away.... Join us as we discuss television's penchant for spelling out sorrowful/traumatic backstories, and ponder just how big a chocolate can possibly be. We promise you'll never hear the line, "My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates" quite the same way again. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
May 19, 2017 • 26min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Lost Mine by Agatha Christie
There are so many things lost in this story: a mine; the papers pinpointing the location of said mine; the narrative facade whereby Hastings is supposedly the one telling us this story (more on this last point in our next episode).... But one thing we were sure not to lose was context, because boy is it necessary while wading through the colonialist Orientalism on display here.... So pull on your gaiters and wade with us. Along the way we get to hear Poirot call Hastings a "grumpus," so all is not lost. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
May 12, 2017 • 9min
*Special Announcement* in re Agatha Christie: A Reappraisal (a.k.a. We're Going to Cambridge!)
We are heading to the University of Cambridge in June to present a paper on Agatha Christie! We wanted to share this news with you because 1) we are so excited; and 2) we encourage you to join us there if you can! (Check out http://www.agathachristieconference.com for more details.) Our regularly scheduled programming will resume next week.... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
May 5, 2017 • 55min
And Then There Were 56: The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
Well, this turned out to be rather a delightful read, despite a surprising number of unpleasant characters of the male persuasion. Perhaps that is the ultimate revenge of our plucky heroine, Emily Trefusis (not to mention Dame Agatha herself), in this, our very first standalone novel. So make yourself a hot cocoa (sans strychnine, please) and come enjoy with us the wintry wonders of Devon.... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Apr 29, 2017 • 28min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Veiled Lady by Agatha Christie
Irish brides, Chinese boxes, Dutch murders... this mini-thriller masquerading as a Poirot short story has it all! Except for clues. But what it is lacking in clues it makes up for in FUN, particularly in the Suchet adaptation.... Woe to those who find themselves in a cell block next to "Mad Dog" Poirot. It's only a matter of time before he figures out how to make a shiv out of that mustache comb. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Apr 22, 2017 • 29min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Case of the Missing Will by Agatha Christie
It isn't often we're more critical than adoring of both a Christie story and its adaptation, but that seems to be the case here. I guess you could say where there's a missing will, there's a missing way. (Oof; just because you could say that doesn't mean you should....)We actually had a lot of fun exploring our different issues with each medium here. So put on your best suffragette-white outfit and come spend a spell with "new woman" Violet Marsh. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
