At long last, Annie and Kathryn return from hiatus with their ongoing Phyllis Thaxter Appreciation series. And this sobering tale concerning the dangers of paranoia, double martinis, and brandy glasses leads to their biggest rating disparity yet.

Burn-o-Meter: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.5 broken strands of pearls

Dog may be man's best friend, but can sick-as-a-dog Carl's pup Cassandra save him from his wife's poisonous cooking? And is it possible that there's more than meets the eye when it comes to this story of malice domestic?

Burn-o-meter: N/A
Overall rating: 8 cups of “coffee”

How many detectives does it take to solve a murder? In this nod to film noir, quantity is not always quality.

Burn-o-meter: N/A
Overall rating: 6.5 detectives

A compulsive antique collector struggles to finance his addiction. When his wives wind up dead, an aptly named book may hold the key: was it accident or murder?

Burn-o-meter: 8

Overall rating: 7.25 slippery rugs 

Annie and Kathryn travel to Europe for this listener-suggested episode, and Oskar Homolka shines in a tale of sumptuous treasures, plain rice pilaf, and just desserts.

Burn-o-Meter: N/A
Overall rating: 7.5 ikons of Elijah

Annie and Kathryn return from hiatus with a special tax season episode. Contained herein are conversations about empathy, southern accents, and the definition of success.

Burn-o-Meter: 3

Overall rating: 4.5 yearbook superlatives

Phyllis Thaxter is mesmerizing in this engrossing if illogical episode.

Burn-o-Meter: 8.5
Overall rating: 7.75 murderous trances

TOP FIVE EPISODES SO FAR

Annie
Conversation Over a Corpse
The Motive
The Deadly
The Right Kind of House
Lamb to the Slaughter

Kathryn
The Motive
You Got to Have Luck
The Deadly
Mail Order Prophet
The Creeper

When a vibrant dancer is assaulted, her husband vows to find and kill her assailant. But, in an ironic twist, justice seems to evade everyone involved.

Burn-o-meter: 2.5
Overall rating: 4 men in gray suits

Five years ago, Mark Halliday’s alluring wife Jocelyn mysteriously disappeared. Now happily remarried, he’s completely over his former wife . . . or is he? A shocking portrait leads the Hallidays out to the coast for an even more shocking reveal.

Burn-o-meter: 5.5
Overall Rating: 8 portraits of Jocelyn

An old man tries to communicate a horrible truth to a policeman, a journalist, and a priest—all to no avail. Will his failure help a killer go free?

Burn-o-meter: 10
Overall Rating: 7 brand new nylon stockings