Helen and Katie discuss the classic Murder on the Orient Express and Katie reveals the secrets of Eastern Croatian cooking. Warning - terrible pronunciation of Croatian comes as standard!

Theme Tune: Dan McCullough

Whodunnit Dinners Game - Murder on the Leyton Orient Express

Chasing The Donkey Blog

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest

00:15 Introduction to Croatian cuisine and mystery stories

02:02 Discussion of the film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express

03:57 Overview of Murder on the Orient Express and its setting

08:03 The structure of the novel and chapter organization

09:54 Analysis of the portrayal of race and phrenology in the story

14:53 Character analysis and cultural diversity in the story

19:56 Poirot's logical deduction process and mental models

20:04 Helen and Katie's insights on actors playing Hercule Poirot

25:01 The confined train setting and its significance

30:00 Themes of justice, morality, and justice avoidance

30:02 Exploring Croatian food influences and traditional recipes

34:53 The novel's impact and legacy in detective fiction

39:57 Conclusion and key takeaways

40:05 Recipe for Croatian čobanac stew and its cultural significance

50:01 Upcoming episode theme: American food of the 1920s and 30s

Helen and Katie discuss The Pale Horse, an 'occulty' Agatha Christie set in the early 70s. Beatniks and beers aplenty!

Theme tune: Dan McCullough

Whodunnit Dinners game: Bump off at the Bake Off

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the episode and main themes

01:08 Helen discusses the history of pubs from Roman times to the 1500s

02:22 The story behind 'The Pale Horse' and its biblical origins

04:16 Overview of 'The Pale Horse' plot and main characters

09:07 The murder mystery and detective characters in the novel

16:14 Themes of evil, the occult, and normalcy in the story

22:25 TV adaptations of 'The Pale Horse' and their differences

27:25 Helen explores the history of pub grub and traditional British pub foods

42:28 The evolution of pub names, culture, and food from Roman times to modern gastropubs

45:11 Helen and Katie discuss their upcoming challenges and wrap-up

Helen and Katie explore the world of Agatha Christie's early work, comparing the book 'The Seven Dials Mystery' with its Netflix adaptation, and delve into the history of fish and chips as a quintessential British dish.Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the discussion on Agatha Christie's early work

02:00 Setting the scene in 1929 London and the significance of the Seven Dials

04:00 Characters and plot overview of The Seven Dials Mystery

07:03 Comparison of the book and Netflix adaptation

10:01 Helen's critique of the book's style and plot

14:04 Historical background of fish and chips in Britain

20:03 Cooking tips for authentic British fish and chips

24:01 Reflections on adaptations and Helen’s final thoughts

Theme Tune: Dan McCullough

Whodunnit Dinners Games

Helen and Katie explore Nemesis one of Agatha Christie's last novels, discuss the merits of Phillidephia Cheese and Marmite sandwiches and marvel at how Miss Marple is being 'sexed up'.

Theme Tune: Dan McCullough

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Nemesis and Miss Marple's New Adventure

02:00 Background and Context of Nemesis

04:02 The Mystery's Setup and Initial Clues

07:59 The Journey and Characters on the Coach Trip

11:57 Themes of Society and Judgments in the Novel

15:59 The Climax and Resolution of the Murder

20:00 Adaptations and Future of Miss Marple

24:01 Food, Culture, and the 1970s Picnic

The Darling Academy - https://www.thedarlingacademy.com/

History of Coronation Chicken - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_chicken

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightclub - https://www.whodunnitdinners.co.uk/collections/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-nightclub

Katie and Helen have done the hard work so you can lie back and enjoy a great summer holiday murder mystery read with a side order of traditional British sand-wiches or a nice ciabatta if you're a bit more flash.

Theme tune: Dan McCullough

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Beach Reads and Podcast Hosts

01:00 Criteria for the Perfect Beach Murder Mystery

03:09 Helen's First Choice: A Caribbean Miss Marple

05:38 Katie’s Favorite: Evil Under the Sun

06:07 A Seaside Devon Mystery with Poirot

14:00 P.D. James’ Modern Take on Pride and Prejudice

21:12 Death Comes to Pemberley: A Thoughtful Murder Mystery

26:00 Tom Hindle’s Lake Garda Murder on Holiday

32:01 Final Recommendations and Fun Food Ideas for the Beach

Resources

A Caribbean Mystery and Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kaye

Murder at Lake Garda by Tom Hindle

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Agatha Christie Official Website

P.D. James Official Website

WhoDunnit Dinners Murder Mystery Games

Katie and Helen discuss Agatha's Christie's lesser known book, A Carribean Mystery. Will Miss Marple work outside of the English village of St Mary Meade? What is the difference between North American and Sub-Tropical PawPaw? And what has Jason Statham ever done for us?

Theme Tune: Dan McCullough

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to 'A Caribbean Mystery' and its setting

02:01 Helen and Katie discuss the plot and characters

04:00 The significance of the Caribbean location for Miss Marple

07:00 Murder, mystery, and the story's suspense

09:01 Helen's thoughts on the book's plot twists and clues

12:01 The setting's influence on the story and character dynamics

14:59 Helen and Katie analyze the themes of anonymity and abroad

18:00 The writing style of Agatha Christie in the 1960s

21:13 The unexpected explicit content and its context

23:03 Overall review and recommendations for fans

25:58 Casting and character suggestions for adaptations

29:59 Food discussion: Pawpaw and Caribbean recipes

36:04 Nostalgic reflections on 1970s roadside picnics

40:56 Closing thoughts and next episode teaser

Resources

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie - https://www.amazon.com/s?k=A+Caribbean+Mystery+by+Agatha+Christie

We kick off our Agatha Christie season with The Mysterious Mr Quin, a collection of supernatural short stories. Helen shares some easy and tasty Italian canapes and we shoe-horn Jason Statham in again.

Theme tune: Dan McCullough

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Agatha Christie and the Podcast

02:59 Exploring Agatha Christie's Works

05:54 The Character of Mr. Satterthwaite

08:58 The Mysterious Mr. Quinn and Theatre Connections

11:49 Themes of Aging and Observation

14:16 Supernatural Elements in Christie's Stories

16:44 Favorite Stories and Unique Styles

19:21 Conclusion and Reflections on Christie's Legacy

20:45 Casting Characters: A Creative Discussion

23:26 Short Stories: Crafting Mystery Gems

24:19 Supernatural Elements in Mystery Fiction

26:13 Exploring Food: Italian Culinary Traditions

36:41 The Pawpaw Challenge: A Culinary Adventure

To kick off Season 3, Katie and Helen discuss the famous Agatha Christie play The Mousetrap (without giving away who-dunnit) and set up the new season, which is All About Agatha.

Theme Tune: Dan McCullough

Resources

The Mousetrap - Official Website - https://the-mousetrap.co.uk/

Agatha Christie - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie

The Mousetrap on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mousetrap

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to The Mousetrap and its cultural significance

01:49 Setting and staging of the play in traditional English theatre

03:33 Plot overview and character introductions

05:16 Themes of mystery, darkness, and traditional storytelling

07:12 The history and adaptations of Agatha Christie's works

09:08 Touring productions and family-friendly theatre options

10:46 Personal impressions and recommendations for audiences

11:54 Future seasons and exploring lesser-known works by Christie

13:48 Closing thoughts and upcoming content

WhoDunnit Dinners Podcast Season 3 launches next Monday. Find out more and discover what Katie and Helen are up to in our first episode.

Helen and Katie discuss the rich literary world of Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose,' delving into its detective brilliance, humour, historical depth, and semiotic layers. But fear not, there are healthy doses of irrelevance and lashings of Black Pudding to lighten the tone.

Resources

Get the book: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco's Official Website

Get the Book: The Stornaway Black Pudding Bible

The Mousetrap - West End London

http://www.whodunnitdinners.co.uk

Theme tune: Dan McCullough