Shedunnit

Jim Noy, Golden Age detective fiction critic and author of The Red Death Murders, brings expert enthusiasm and deep knowledge. They explore a castle-set treasure hunt vibe, comparisons to Famous Five adventures, shifting tones from mystery to thriller, the book’s loose detective structure, and a controversial animal death. Expect lively discussion and period context.

A tense tale of a long con, a staged murder, and an elaborate alibi built through impersonation and broadcasts. The plot tracks a cunning secretary's careful planning, a wrongful conviction, and the slow unravelling of confidence into paranoia. It ends with a dramatic on-air confession and the public scrambling to interpret what really happened.

The fascinating history of divorce in detective fiction. My guest was Dr Jen Aston, Associate Professor in Law at Northumbria University. In addition to her other academic work, she's currently leading a project looking at approaches to the history of divorce. Learn more about that at northumbria.ac.uk/divorce_history. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— "Murder!" by Arnold Bennett, collected in Resorting to Murder— Jumping Jenny by Anthony Berkeley— “The Case of the Discontented Husband” by Agatha Christie, collected in Parker Pyne Investigates— Death in High Heels by Christianna Brand— Busman's Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers— The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L Sayers and Robert Eustace— Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles— Holy Deadlock by A.P. Herbert— Love All by Dorothy L Sayers— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers— "The Incredible Elopement" by Dorothy L Sayers, collected in Hangman's Holiday Related Shedunnit episodes:— The Lady Detective To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. Some book links are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The best murder mysteries transport us to another era. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Conjure-Man Dies by Rudolph Fisher— Mystery in the Channel by Freeman Wills Croft— The Walls of Jericho by Rudolph Fisher To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Victoria Stewart joins Caroline to discuss Dorothy L. Sayers’ epistolary poisoning mystery. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 14:59. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next book discussed in this series will be The Sandfield Scandal by Richard Keverne. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers and Robert Eustace— Crime Writing in Interwar Britain by Victoria Stewart— Literature and Justice in Mid-Twentieth Century Literature by Victoria Stewart— The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins— Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers— Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers— A Pin to See the Peepshow by F. Tennyson Jesse To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dive into Agatha Christie's world through the lens of Ariadne Oliver! Explore Mrs. Oliver's debut and her clever plotting skills. Discover her evolution in Christie's works, reflecting the author's responses to criticism. Uncover how Oliver's investigative style blends intuition and blunders. Is she a mirror of Christie herself? The discussion reveals the intriguing interplay of familiarity and mystery, showcasing how Oliver's presence enhances our connection to Christie while keeping her true self elusive.

Moira Redmond, an actress and longtime reader, shares her nostalgia for childhood books and her adventures in the Puffin Club. She recalls favorite titles like 'A Little Princess' and 'Ballet Shoes.' Contributors, including Sergio Angelini, discuss their early encounters with Green Penguin editions, reminiscing about classic crime novels that shaped their literary journeys. Other guests highlight their treasure hunts in secondhand shops, while discussions about the significance of these iconic books flow freely. It's a delightful journey through the world of Penguin mysteries!

Make sure nobody has tampered with your turkey… Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Entrées by Agatha Christie— Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie— "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Arthur Conan Doyle, collected in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes— "Stuffing" by Edgar Wallace, collected in Silent Nights— Murder After Christmas by Rupert Latimer— “The Santa Claus Club” by Julian Symons, collected in Crimson Snow— The Corpse in the Snowman by Nicholas Blake— "Cambric Tea" by Marjorie Bowen, collected in Silent Nights— An English Murder by Cyril Hare— Who Killed the Curate? by Joan Coggin— Crime at Christmas by C.H.B. Kitchin More Christmas and wintry Shedunnit episodes:— Let It Snow (Replay)— Father Christmas— The Murderless Christmas Mystery To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Film historian Sergio Angelini joins Caroline to discuss a rather cinematic whodunnit. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are "entering the spoiler zone", at 20:40. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next book discussed in this series will be The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers and Robert Eustace. You can find Sergio's podcast, Tipping My Fedora, about all things crime fiction and film noir, in all good podcast apps. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Rasp by Philip MacDonald— Patrol by Philip MacDonald— The List of Adrian Messenger by Philip MacDonald— The Reader Is Warned by Carter Dickson— The Polferry Riddle by Philip MacDonald— The Bishop Murder Case by S.S. Van Dine— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie— Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bentley— The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne— Ambrotox and Limping Dick by Oliver Fleming— The Maze by Philip MacDonald— Pale Fire by Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov— The Rynox Murder by Philip MacDonald— Murder Gone Mad by Philip MacDonald— The Mystery of the Dead Police by Philip MacDonald NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why aren’t her dozen detective novels better known? Many thanks to my guest, Dr Jennifer Kloester. Find out more about her work on Georgette Heyer at her website, jenniferkloester.com. This episode has been published during the Shedunnit Pledge Drive. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get extra Shedunnit episodes every month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/pledgedrive. Books mentioned in this episode:— The Black Moth— The Great Roxhythe— Penhallow— Friday's Child— Footsteps in the Dark— Why Shoot a Butler?— The Unfinished Clue— Death in the Stocks— Behold, Here's Poison— They Found Him Dead— Duplicate Death— No Wind of Blame— Detection Unlimited NB: Links to Blackwell's are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell's is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge. To be the first to know about future developments with the podcast, sign up for the newsletter at shedunnitshow.com/newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices