

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

5 snips
Mar 30, 2024 • 52min
Klaxon Bell Bonanza: The Actress by Agatha Christie
Exploring the intriguing plot of a play with blackmail schemes and past secrets, alongside a detailed analysis of Agatha Christie's short story 'The Actress,' focusing on themes of identity and impersonation. Hear about upcoming mystery novel tours, YA mystery recommendations, and screen adaptations of Christie's works.

25 snips
Mar 16, 2024 • 2h 9min
Ranking Some (But Not All!) of the Various Screen Adaptations of Agatha Christie (with Teresa Peschel)
A discussion on ranking Agatha Christie adaptations with Teresa Peschel, critiques on inaccuracies in naval film adaptations, comparing 'Death on the Nile' and 'Evil Under the Sun,' dissecting flaws in 'Appointment with Death,' analyzing Miss Marple's reaction to a murder, and exploring non-English language adaptations.

Mar 2, 2024 • 1h 46min
The Island by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with Guest Co-Host Sarah Hinlicky Wilson)
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is back! And with this episode, she's officially earned her title as All About Agatha's resident expert on Christian theology. I leaned heavily on her expertise for this episode, which involves a lot of parsing of Biblical and even apocryphal references, as we discussed this curious, fascinatingly revealing short story from the Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection. To read Sarah's newly published article "Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Christian," click here. To visit Sarah's website, click here. To visit my website to check out upcoming dates and locations for my book tour, click here. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feb 17, 2024 • 1h 15min
Agatha Christie's Most Prolific Stage Actor? Interview with Lee Samuel Tanng
Actor Lee Samuel Tanng discusses his experience in regional theater, challenges of staging Agatha Christie plays, ranking his favorite roles, and the uniqueness of live Christie theater. They explore the nuances of adapting Christie's works for the stage and share humorous incidents during performances.

11 snips
Feb 3, 2024 • 4h 11min
All About The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie (Spoiler-Free!)
Delve into the timeless mystery of 'The Mousetrap' by Agatha Christie with guest interviews. Explore the intricate characters, secrets, and setting of the iconic play. Uncover hidden family tragedies, resilience, and personal reflections. Learn about the adaptation history and enduring legacy of 'The Mousetrap'. Discover the clever storytelling and character intricacies that make Christie's works a literary treasure.

Jan 20, 2024 • 59min
Interview (#2!) with Alex Michaelides, Author of The Fury
A fascinating chat with Alex Michaelides delves into his new mystery novel 'The Fury', drawing parallels to Agatha Christie's style. The discussion covers narrative voice, unreliable narrators, literary inspirations, and the use of the unreliable narrator trope in modern literature. Stay tuned for more literary discussions and upcoming analyses on Agatha Christie's 'The Mousetrap'.

Jan 5, 2024 • 1h 35min
Putting On an Agatha Christie Play (with Three Guest Co-Hosts)
I've talked a bunch--especially recently--about Agatha Christie and the theater. But what is it like to put on an Agatha Christie play? In particular, in one of those smaller regional/community venues that so frequently put on Christie's plays? Thanks to the three experts I gathered together for this episode, we can begin to answer that question. You can find out more about each of them directly below. 1) Do yourself a favor and check out Brad Friedman's mystery blog. It has provided me heaps and heaps of both entertainment and insight. 2) You can look up Christopher Diehl's community theater here. And here is a link to another theater where he works on numerous projects, including those by Christie. 3) Click here to check out Jamie West's debut mystery novel, Death on the Pier, inspired by his love of mystery and theater. If you'd like to come see me on my upcoming book tour, the details are on my website here. And you can still pre-order that book (for a few more weeks) in the United States here, the United Kingdom here, and Australia/New Zealand here. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. This episode is sponsored by Britbox. For listeners in the U.S. and Canada, click here and use the promo code "AGATHA" at checkout for 50% off the first month of your monthly subscription. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

8 snips
Dec 22, 2023 • 2h 30min
A Christmas Christie for Christmas: The Naughty Donkey by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with bonus rerun of Star Over Bethlehem)
This podcast episode covers a range of interesting topics, including a deep dive into Agatha Christie's religious tales, the portrayal of animals in Christian tradition, the exploration of Christie's religious beliefs, the analysis of her short story 'Star Over Bethlehem', and the enduring power of her work. It also focuses on the character Miss Marple and her realistic Christian portrayal, and discusses the different approaches to seeking help from Miss Marple and Poirot.

Dec 16, 2023 • 1h 7min
How to Survive an Agatha Christie Novel, with Author Kate Jackson
Author and expert in classic crime, Kate Jackson, discusses non-Christie authors of the Golden Age and engages in a choose-your-own-adventure exercise inspired by Christie novels. They talk about surviving a classic crime novel, kitchen safety tips in Agatha Christie's works, delving into Christie's novels, her mastery of dialogue, and the preferences of readers for Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

7 snips
Dec 8, 2023 • 1h 4min
Interview with Sophie Hannah re: The Mystery of Mr E
Murder mystery author, Sophie Hannah, discusses her new murder mystery musical movie, 'The Mystery of Mr E.' She explores the process of writing and developing the play into a musical, as well as the unique motive in the mystery. They also discuss perspectives on the death penalty and the identity of the murderer. The episode provides entertainment for fans of mysteries, puzzles, and musicals.


