All About Agatha (christie)

Well if the Grinch's heart can grow three sizes bigger, why not Mr. Parker Pyne's?? 'Tis the season for such character arcs, after all. Join us as we learn a bit more about Christie's heart specialist of a detective. You just may find a new appreciation for him. (Or, if you are cynical like Catherine… you may not.)

Rejoice or beware, per your preference, because Tommy & Tuppence, those alliterative lovebirds, are back! And in wartime no less: the spring of 1940, to be exact (and Christie is very exact). Join us as we discuss this mid-career thriller of Christie's, which is in many ways quite typical (poor Tommy and his poor head!), but in others quite unusual....

This week we revisit a familiar-seeming love triangle, and while it’s true that this Poirot short story and the Poirot novel we just covered--Evil Under the Sun--share many similarities, they also share some key differences…. Join us for our 100th episode (!!) as we use this little exercise in compare and contrast to marvel yet again at the fecundity of Dame Agatha’s nimble brain.

We were thrilled to have bestselling—and Poirot-continuing!—author Sophie Hannah on the podcast for a wide-ranging chat about all things Agatha. Please revel in the Christie fandom, as we did.

Are you ready for an oh-so-European tale of despair, betrayal, and misplaced pride? Would it help if you listened to some Edith Piaf while we told it to you? Okay, then. Time to sit for another soulful spell with Mr. Harley Quin and his dessicated sidekick, Mr. Satterthwaite, this time on the shores of Monte Carlo. Bon voyage!

While this one is something of a fan favorite, we were surprised by the simplicity of the central mystery upon a reread, given all the Christie puzzles we've solved thus far.... Add to that a number of characters who are never really suspects, plus a few absurd side-plots that don't quite hang onto the main action as they should, and we come out a bit more critically on this one than we expected, despite retaining a healthy affection for some of this Poirot novel's better elements.

How have we not covered Christie’s first published short story yet?! (A Poirot, naturally.) Consider this a master class in some of the fundamental tropes she would go on to use many, many times. Actors, costumes, a temporal deception, even the harlequinade! Add to that a real-world, “ripped-from-the-headlines” analogue, and what more could two Christie podcasters want? (Well, we could always use more Miss Lemon in the Suchet adaptation, but we can't have everything.)

While we can't pretend this is a special Hallowe’en-themed episode, there is perhaps nothing scarier than being in want of a job…. We were also rather frightened by the flimsiness of this early Christie thriller when it came to its establishing concept, its plot, and its romantic intrigue. So take a listen... if you dare.

Given the ceaseless flitting of that winged and mysterious fourth dimension known as time, we have managed to pass the two-year mark for our podcast... which means it's time to check in on our rankings! In other words, we were given a great excuse to nerd out yet again over those Christie creations we've already covered, and boy, did we capitalize on that opportunity. We hope you enjoy, as we did.

While a trip to the dentist with Agatha Christie is the only trip to the dentist one might actually enjoy, we are sad to report our enjoyment of this novel was somewhat sullied by the incompleteness of the puzzle mystery therein. Thank goodness for Inspector Japp, who makes his final appearance in a Poirot novel in these pages, and who does not disappoint on screen either, as brought to life by the talented Philip Jackson.

Time for another wacky installment of the enigmatic Mr. Quin and the put-upon Mr. Satterthwaite, who we see traversing not only the Atlantic Ocean but the Canadian continent in this story of a fatal attraction. (Be assured that no bunnies will be harmed in the reading of this story, or the listening of this episode.)

It's been a while since we've had the pleasure of dissecting a miniature Poirot mystery puzzle, and this one has almost all the classic Christie clue tropes we've come to love. We also enjoyed revisiting our beloved Captain Hastings and Felicity Lemon, as brought to life on an extremely early episode of the Suchet series. Come and revel with us in the Poirovian splendor of it all.

While the characters populating this Poirot novel almost all live up to its melancholy title, we're happy to report our reading experience did not, as we both quite liked this unusually structured Christie puzzle mystery... despite some glaring plot holes.

To say we loved this shockingly unsung short story is an understatement. We may even have lurved it. Come take a walk with us on the darker, dread-laden side of Christie....

Our final installment of the Partners in Crime series, in which we say goodbye for now to Tommy and Tuppence, and goodbye forever to the series that adapted the collection. As discussed in previous episodes, we don't love every aspect of Christie's married detective duo, but we found a lot to celebrate here nonetheless.

Another doozy from Mr. Parker Pyne! Someone ought to revise that final couplet of Romeo and Juliet, because we’re pretty sure this story has more woe in it, albeit of the marital variety…. Join us in a discussion so far-ranging, it manages to incorporate creations by Cole Porter, Tennessee Williams, and Jerry Springer. (Yup, Jerry Springer. You’ve been warned.)

And then it was time to talk about the film adaptations (and one televised adaptation, too). We were lucky enough to have Dr. Mark Aldridge, author of Agatha Christie on Screen, back on the podcast for an interview about the many films based on this novel. We hope you enjoy... and that you also forgive us the telephonic tinniness of our voices. Alas, we could not fly to England to interview Mark in person. Maybe next year?

A bit of a supersized episode for a supersized novel! It is time, at long last, for And Then There Were None. Join us as we focus on the text only (film adaptations to be discussed next week), and revel in what many consider to be Christie’s most glorious creation, outlier though it undoubtedly is when considered in the context of her overall canon. We also deal with the unfortunate original title, as well as the unfortunate allusions made in earlier editions to that problematic nursery rhyme. We will say this, however: as Christie’s first novel to incorporate a titular rhyme, it’s almost definitely her most successful. Consider it one more thing to celebrate in this gem of a novel.

We found quite a bit to mull over with regard to our titular character, that romance novel-reading, trivia contest-winning, accidental jewel-thieving Edward Robinson. Does he secure his, ahem, manhood by the end of the story? Did we as Twenty-First Century readers find the definition of said manhood in this story to be rather troubling? Yes and yes, naturally.

Tommy & Tuppence are ba-ack, so you know what that means: time to start digging for buried treasure! No, really. Join us for this Christmas adventure in July as we discuss, among other topics, the vagaries of keeping potatoes from spoiling in warm climates, and whether or not Tommy and Tuppence are in fact smug marrieds. (They are.)