Well... they can't all be winners, can they? This (barely-there) Poirot novel is not one of our favorites, we're sorry to say. But as usual, we relish the opportunity to explore and explain why. Because even a lesser Christie is a source of wonder and joy.

And Then There Were 13: The Clocks by Agatha 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. Since then, Kemper has completed the podcast's ranking project, and now contents himself with interviewing like-minded obsessives, dissecting new adaptations, and trying to solve the age-old mystery of why Christie--and Christie alone--endures as powerfully as she does. Call it a Christie-fest, as together we revisit Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, and, oh, so much more...!

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

TV & Film

Books

Film Reviews

It's another episode focused on the adaptations of Agatha Christie: specifically, those talented actors who have brought life to Monsieur Poirot and Miss Marple in films and television for nearly 100 years now. Who will win the title of Greatest Poirot and Greatest Marple of Them All? And how will the rankings leading up to my #1 picks shake out? I surprised myself with a few of my choices here, and I look forward to receiving outraged responses from at least a few of you. Special thanks to Scott Ratner for his spirited commentary on one of these actors, and the valuable insights his perspective provided. Please note that I spoil the plot of Curtain, and also the 2018 adaptation of The ABC Murders in this episode. Click here to purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page by clicking here. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice in the United States, the  United Kingdom, and  Australia and New Zealand. I mentioned a few different adaptations over the course of this episode. Click below to access them.  Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple (Japanese-language animated series) Murder by the Book (starring Ian Holm and Peggy Ashcroft) Various BBC radio plays Viki.com (where you can watch Ms. Ma, Nemesis)      

Ten Little Poirots & Marples: Ranking Agatha Christie's Detectives on the Screen

Saturday, April 27th is Independent Bookstore Day here in the United States, and what better way to celebrate than with this live interview from my book tour last week at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, Michigan?! Special thanks to Elizabeth Bosscher for conducting this interview. I had such a great time sitting down with her. If you'd like to visit or learn more about Schuler Books, which has four locations in Michigan, click here. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page by clicking here. Click  here to purchase tickets for my upcoming panel at the Agatha Christie Festival. You can buy my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, at your bookseller of choice (though please do opt for an indie if you possibly can!) in the United States, the  United Kingdom, and Australia and New Zealand.

*LIVE!* Episode: Interview with Kemper Donovan, Author of The Busy Body (and Busman's Holidayer)

Andrew Winans is the director of a new off-Broadway production of Christie's theatrical adaptation of her superb novel, The Hollow. I loved getting to speak with someone who has been in the trenches with his cast of actors and crew of professionals over the past few months, bringing this Agatha Christie play to life.... To purchase tickets for this run of The Hollow (13-21 April) at The Players Theatre in downtown New York, click here. Come visit me on my ongoing book tour for my mystery novel, The Busy Body! Click here for details. The Busy Body is available to purchase in the United States, the  United Kingdom (where it is available via Kindle for £0.99 for all of April!), and  Australia and New Zealand. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. Click here to purchase tickets for my upcoming panel at the Agatha Christie Festival in September.

Interview with Andrew Winans, Director of The Hollow by Agatha Christie

Next week's episode will be a discussion with Andrew Winans, the director of an upcoming Off-Broadway production of The Hollow, a play written by Agatha Christie, based on her novel. If you are interested in attending this production, which runs from 13-21 April in New York, go ahead and click here. And my East Coast/Midwest tour of the United States for The Busy Body is about to begin! Click here for more details. I hope to see some of you very soon--in person!

*Special Announcement* re Next Episode

If you're a longtime listener of this podcast, you'll know never to trust an actor in a Christie story. So what happens when not one but two actors feature among the rather small cast of suspects? A lot, as it turns out, in this early short story that showcases Christie's unique ability to spin seemingly endless variations on a single puzzle.... In addition to the titular story, the following Christies are spoiled in the course of this episode: "Miss Marple Tells a Story” "The Affair at the Bungalow” "Murder in the Mews” Cat Among the Pigeons Three Act Tragedy Death in the Clouds And Then There Were None The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Lord Edgware Dies Evil Under the Sun To purchase tickets for my panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival, click here. To visit the Festival website and check out all the other fantastic panels on offer, click here. For details on my upcoming book tour in the Northeast and Midwest of the U.S., click here. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. You can purchase my debut mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States, the  United Kingdom, and  Australia and New Zealand.  

And Then There Were 13: The Clocks by Agatha Christie

Download our free app to listen on your phone