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📬 Do you love mysteries where the format is part of the puzzle? What about crime fiction told through letters, emails, and documents? If you answered yes to either question, join me as I explore epistolary mysteries—one of my favorite subsets of the mystery genre.

✉️ I share the inspiration behind my own Mysteries in the Mail letter subscription featuring Lady Eileen and Fitzhugh, two delightful characters whose adventures are told in installments mailed in physical letters.

📖 Then I delve into epistolary crime fiction, and I also discuss epistolary-adjacent mysteries like interactive puzzle books and crime fiction where letters play a key role in the plot.

📚 Read-alike recommendations include classic epistolary mysteries, puzzle books, and more letter-based crime fiction to add to your TBR pile, all of which make fantastic gifts for mystery readers. 

Links mentioned in this episode:

Mysteries in the Mail by Sara Rosett: https://sararosettbooks.com/products/mysteries-in-the-mail

Epistolary Mystery Novels:

The Appeal by Janice Hallett: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621096-the-appeal

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13526165-where-d-you-go-bernadette

Currently Reading:

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1499952.Daddy_Long_Legs

To Read:

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129117.The_Spellman_Files

The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/130633488-the-documents-in-the-case-by-dorothy-l-sayers-and-robert-eustace

Death on the Down Beat by Sebastian Farr: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61041891-death-on-the-down-beat

Epistolary-Adjacent : Interactive Puzzles:

Cain's Jawbone by E. Powys Mathers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50074593-cain-s-jawbone

The Creeping Hand Murders by Maureen Johnson: You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222683984-you-are-the-detective

The Museum Heist by Henry Lewis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173404229-the-museum-heist

Epistolary-Adjacent : Crime Fiction with Letters:

The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson: https://www.goodreads.com/

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🚢 What secrets unravel when a murderer strikes aboard a Nile steamer? 

In this special bonus episode, I take you behind the scenes of my new mystery novel, Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra, the second book in the 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series.

🔎 I share how Blix and Hildy's tranquil cruise turns into a classic closed-circle whodunit filled with secrets, intriguing characters, and plenty of 1920s flair. 

🤫 I give you behind-the-scenes research tidbits, talk about the special edition features, and let you know how to get the book or audiobook.

If you love whodunits with rich settings, this episode is for you—happy sleuthing!

🏺Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra Special Edition: https://sararosettbooks.com/collections/murder-on-the-s-s-cleopatra

📚For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: 

High Society Lady Detective series 

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🔍 Ever wondered what happens when you combine medieval French scholarship, advertising expertise, and detective fiction? Meet Dorothy L. Sayers, whose Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries revolutionized the genre.

✍️ Join me as I explore the interesting career of one of the founding authors of the Detection Club who wrote mysteries where love bloomed between intellectual equals then went on to write something completely different! 

Where to start with Dorothy L. Sayers books: 

If you like to start at the beginning of a series, the first Lord Peter Wimsey book is Whose Body?

I recommend The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, which I have a podcast about: 

S4EP: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers
 https://www.sararosett.com/mbps3ep9/

For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: 

High Society Lady Detective series 

1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series
 
 

Sources: 

https://www.sayers.org.uk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_L._Sayers

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-L-Sayers

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🎭 Did you know the Queen of Regency Romance was also a master of murder mysteries? Join me as we explore Georgette Heyer's lesser-known but equally interesting career as a crime writer.

🏰 Heyer’s mysteries usually revolved around country house murders with police sleuths, Superintendent Hannasyde and Inspector Hemingway. 

⭐️ Whether you're a fan of her Regency romances or new to Heyer, you'll discover why her twelve mystery novels still intrigue fans today.

Where to start with Georgette Heyer’s books:

One of my favorites is Footsteps in the Dark, which has a fun, breezy tone and lots of gothic and thriller elements as well as a murder mystery. 

For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: 

High Society Lady Detective series 

1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series

Sources: 

https://www.officialgeorgetteheyer.com/books/

https://cozy-mystery.com/georgette-heyer.html

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11343817-georgette-heyer-mystery-collection

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/55450-the-reclusive-author-who-only-gave-one-interview.html

https://interestingliterature.com/2016/05/five-fascinating-facts-about-georgette-heyer/

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🔍 Are you fascinated by detectives who aren't quite what they appear to be? Join me for a deep dive into Margery Allingham's world, where her famous sleuth Albert Campion hides his clever mind behind a decidedly foolish facade.

📖 Allingham was born into a family of storytellers and was a child prodigy who earned her first writing fee at age eight, then went on to become one of the "Queens of Crime."

💫  Join me and discover why Margery Allingham stands alongside Christie and Sayers in the mystery hall of fame. 

Where to start reading Margery Allingham? 

The Crime at Black Dudley is a lighthearted mix of mystery and thriller.

If you want something a little darker, The Tiger in the Smoke (1952) focuses more on the psychology of a serial killer.

For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: 

High Society Lady Detective series 

1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series

Sources: 

Margery Allingham Society: https://margeryallingham.org.uk

Wikipedia - Margery Allingham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Allingham

Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margery-Allingham

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🎭 What happens when two Australian nurses move to New York City and start writing "wacky cozies"? Join me for the interesting story of the Little Sisters, whose 21 mysteries combined clever plots with laugh-out-loud humor.

🏥 I explore the backstory of their unique collaboration style and how Constance and Gwenyth Little's experiences as working nurses influenced their resourceful heroines.

⭐️ Their recently “rediscovered” books blend romance and mystery and are still drawing in new fans.

Where to start with Constance and Gwenyth Little books?

I suggest the first book in the series, The Grey Mist Murders, but you can pick up any because they’re all stand-alone titles. 

For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: 

High Society Lady Detective series 

1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series

Sources:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55837.Constance_Little

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55836.Gwenyth_Little

https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress.com

http://gadetection.pbworks.com

http://www.girl-detective.net/little.htm

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🔍 Ever wondered what happens when two mystery writers fall in love and collaborate? That’s exactly what happened with the two authors behind the pen name Kelley Roos. The result is a series of books where marriage and mystery meet.

🌆 Audrey and William Roos created sophisticated stories that balanced romance and suspense. Their Jeff and Haila Troy series, beginning with Made Up to Kill, brings to life the glamour and intrigue of mid-century New York City through the eyes of a crime-solving couple.

🎬 In this episode I’ll explore their versatility as writers—from novels to plays to television—and how the talented pair combined romance, wit, and suspense in their stories.

Where to start with Kelley Roos books? 

If you enjoy theater mysteries: Made Up to Kill - first book in the series

Their best known book is probably The Frightened Stiff 

For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: 

High Society Lady Detective series 

1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series

Sources: 

https://cozy-mystery.com/kelley-roos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Roos

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/327239.Kelley_Roos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Roos_(writer)

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🔍 Agatha Christie is often remembered for her mysterious 11-day disappearance, but there’s so much more to her story. From her early struggles as a writer to her rise as the best-selling fiction author of all time, Christie’s life was as interesting as her novels.
 
 ☠️ In this episode, I explore how her wartime experience* contributed to her mystery writing and how her travel influenced her settings. 

✨ Join me as I uncover the full story of the Queen of Crime.

Where to start with Christie? I recommend:

• For a country house mystery: The Mysterious Affair at Styles 
• For an English village mystery: The Moving Finger
• For a 1920s mystery/romance with a dash of thriller: The Secret Adversary

*I apologize in advance for mangling “Bletchley” with my Texas accent!
 
Other episodes you might be interested in:

S1E1: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
 https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e1/
 

For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: 

High Society Lady Detective series 

1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series

Sources:

https://www.agathachristie.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/123715.Agatha_Christie

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

🔎 From lockdown to the land of pyramids: learn how I researched 1920s Egypt during 2020, and created a heroine who was one of the original travel influencers.

📸 Meet Blix, my intrepid lady photographer who captures foreign locations on film and then entertains lecture halls full of curious Brits with tales of her adventures.

🌴 In this bonus episode, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at the research and inspiration for Murder Among the Pyramids, including how true stories of 1920s tourists shooting golf balls off the Great Pyramid and hosting moonlit parties inspired scenes in the book.

Get your copy of Murder Among the Pyramids by Sara Rosett in audio, print, or ebook. 

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

From "giggle water" to "the bee's knees," I explore the unique expressions that defined a generation in this episode. Hear how I incorporated this snazzy lingo into my High Society Lady Detective series, including Murder at Archly Manor.

Discover the differences between American and British slang of the era and find out how these phrases helped the younger generation set themselves apart from the old fogies.

By the end of this episode, you'll be ready to charm your friends with your newfound knowledge of 1920s jargon – and maybe even solve a mystery or two! 🔐

Book Recommendation: Murder Among the Pyramids, a 1920s spin-off.

If you want to read the whole novel, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com. 

🕵️‍♀️ 📦 Cozy Books Corner Subscription Box (affiliate code), a book box curated for cozy mystery readers.

➡️ Use code SaraR5 and get 15% off! ⬅️

Support the show

📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.