(Old feed) Shedunnit Book Club — Seasoned Detectives

How much did Agatha Christie really know about dead bodies?

Thanks to my guest for this episode, Carla Valentine. She is a trained mortuary technician and the technical curator at Barts Pathology Museum in London. She’s also the author of Murder Isn’t Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie.

This is all from the main Shedunnit podcast in 2021, although there will still be bonus episodes coming before the end of the year and of course the members-only festive livestream to look forward to on 15th December (set a reminder on youtube now to join it). I’ll be back in January 2022 with new episodes. Thank you very much for listening this year and for your support of me and the show — it really does mean a lot.

There are no major plot spoilers in this episode, although there is some discussion of the death in Hercule Poirot’s Christmas.

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 independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.

Why did she stop writing detective fiction as WW2 approached?

This is the sixth and final episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.

The Pledge Drive gift offer is now over, because we have smashed the 100 member goal already! Thank you so much to all of you existing members who recommended the show to your friends and family, it’s been delightful to welcome them into the club. The gift giving offer was a new thing this year, and despite the technical teething problems it’s been really popular, so I’m definitely going to find a way to bring it back for next holiday season.

But: to say thank you for all your support and effort this year, I’m going to put on a special Christmas livestream just for book club members on December 15th at 6pm UK time. Lots of you got in touch to say they enjoyed the episode with my husband Guy a few weeks ago, so we’re going to host it together, talk a bit about Christmas mysteries, and answer members’ questions. The video will also be available to members to watch back afterwards if you can’t make it live. I’ll be sending out email alerts and posting in the forum about it nearer the time, but for now just get the date in your diary if you’d like to come.

There are very minor spoilers in this episode for the eventual outcome of the Harriet Vane-Peter Wimsey plot line.

Books referenced: — Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L Sayers — The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers — The Floating Admiral by Members of the Detection Club — The Documents in the Case by Dorothy L Sayers and Robert Eustace — Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L Sayers — Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers — The Zeal of Thy House by Dorothy L Sayers — Dorothy L. Sayers: Her Life and Soul by Barbara Reynolds — He That Should Come by Dorothy L Sayers — Begin Here: A Wartime Essay by Dorothy L Sayers — Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers —Thrones, Dominations by Dorothy L Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh — Striding Folly by Dorothy L Sayers — “The Haunted Policeman” and “Talboys” in Lord Peter Wimsey Investigates by Dorothy L Sayers — The Wimsey Papers by Dorothy L Sayers — The Man Born to Be King by Dorothy L Sayers — The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy L Sayers — Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers — Strong Poison by Dorothy L Sayers — Have His Carcase by Dorothy L Sayers — A Presumption of Death by Dorothy L Sayers and Jill Paton Walsh — Women’s Fiction of the Second World War: Gender, Power, Resistance by Gill Plain

The original music for this series, “The Case Of The Black Stormcloud”, was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.

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 independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.

This is part two (of two) your audiobook for audiobook for November 2021 — my reading of “How The Bank Was Saved” by V. L. Whitechurch, from the collection Thrilling Stories of the Railway first published in 1912. Whitechurch was a priest, railway enthusiast and prolific author, as well as a founding member of the Detection Club. In this story, as is the case in all of his mysteries about trains, the detective is the eccentric railway expert Thorpe Hazell.

This is part one (of two) your audiobook for audiobook for November 2021 — my reading of “Peter Crane’s Cigars” by V. L. Whitechurch, from the collection Thrilling Stories of the Railway first published in 1912. Whitechurch was a priest, railway enthusiast and prolific author, as well as a founding member of the Detection Club. In this story, as is the case in all of his mysteries about trains, the detective is the eccentric railway expert Thorpe Hazell.

 This is the Shedunnit Book Club companion episode for November 2021, in which we are reading Murder’s A Swine by Nap Lombard. There is a brief non-spoilery plot summary included (ie no major twists), but you’ve been warned! I’ll see you in the Shedunnit forum for our fully spoilered discussion thread on 30th November and thereafter.

Caught between two very different worlds, WW2 forced this queen of crime to become better acquainted with her homeland.

This is the fifth episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.

Thanks to my guest, Gail Pittaway. You can find out more about her work here.

The Pledge Drive gift offer is now over, because we have smashed the 100 member goal already! Thank you so much to all of you existing members who recommended the show to your friends and family, it’s been delightful to welcome them into the club. The gift giving offer was a new thing this year, and despite the technical teething problems it’s been really popular, so I’m definitely going to find a way to bring it back for next holiday season.

But: to say thank you for all your support and effort this year, I’m going to put on a special Christmas livestream just for book club members on December 15th at 6pm UK time. Lots of you got in touch to say they enjoyed the episode with my husband Guy a few weeks ago, so we’re going to host it together, talk a bit about Christmas mysteries, and answer members’ questions. The video will also be available to members to watch back afterwards if you can’t make it live. I’ll be sending out email alerts and posting in the forum about it nearer the time, but for now just get the date in your diary if you’d like to come.

There are no spoilers in this episode.

Books referenced: — Ngaio Marsh: Her Life in Crime by Joanne Drayton — Ngaio Marsh by Margaret Lewis — Ngaio Marsh: The Woman and Her Work by B. J. Rahn — Black Beech and Honeydew by Ngaio Marsh — Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh — Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh — Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh — Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh — Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh — Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh — Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh — Photo Finish by Ngaio Marsh

The original music for this series, “The Case Of The Black Stormcloud”, was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.

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 independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.

Something happened to the Scottish writer during WW2 that made her want to write mysteries again.

This is the fourth episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.

Thanks to my guest, Jennifer Morag Henderson. You can find out more about her work at jennifermoraghenderson.com and pre-order the new edition of Josephine Tey: A Life at all good booksellers.

As part of the 2021 Shedunnit Pledge Drive, all existing members can claim a free annual membership to give to a friend (usually £50). The offer is valid until the pledge drive has met its goal of 100 new members. Click here or visit shedunnitbookclub.com/2021gift to get your gift now.

There are no spoilers in this episode.

Books referenced: — The Man in the Queue by Gordon Daviot aka Josephine Tey — A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey — The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey — The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey — Richard of Bordeaux by Gordon Daviot aka Josephine Tey — Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey — Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey — To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey — The Singing Sands by Josephine Tey

The original music for this series, “The Case Of The Black Stormcloud”, was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.

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 independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.

For Albert Campion’s creator, the war was her salvation.

This is the third episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War.

As part of the 2021 Shedunnit Pledge Drive, all existing members can claim a free annual membership to give to a friend (usually £50). The offer is valid until the pledge drive has met its goal of 100 new members. Click here or visit shedunnitbookclub.com/2021gift to get your gift now.

There are no spoilers in this episode.

Books referenced: — Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham — Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy L. Sayers — The Fashion in Shrouds by Margery Allingham — Traitor’s Purse by Margery Allingham — Coroner’s Pidgin by Margery Allingham — The Oaken Heart by Margery Allingham — The Adventures of Margery Allingham by Julia Jones (aka Julia Thorogood) — Ink in Her Blood: The Life and Crime Fiction of Margery Allingham by Richard Martin — Mr Campion’s Career by B. A. Pike

The original music for this series, “The Case Of The Black Stormcloud”, was created by Martin Zaltz Austwick. Find out more about his work at martinzaltzaustwick.wordpress.com.

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 independent bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.

This is the full audio of my interviews with J.C.Bernthal and Martin Edwards, which appeared in the first two episodes of the Queens of Crime at War series. We discuss what Agatha Christie and E.C.R. Lorac were doing during WW2, as well as the state of detective fiction in the last 1930s more generally. There are no spoilers in these interviews.

This is the Shedunnit Book Club companion episode for October 2021, in which we are reading The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne. There is a brief non-spoilery plot summary included (ie no major twists), but you’ve been warned! I’ll see you in the Shedunnit forum for our fully spoilered discussion thread on Sunday 31st October and thereafter.