Episodes
Saturday, April 27th is Independent Bookstore Day here in the United States, and what better way to celebrate than with this live interview from my book tour last week at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids, Michigan?! Special thanks to Elizabeth Bosscher for conducting this interview. I had such a great time sitting down with her. If you'd like to visit or learn more about Schuler Books, which has four locations in Michigan, click here. Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page by...
Published 04/26/24
Published 04/26/24
Andrew Winans is the director of a new off-Broadway production of Christie's theatrical adaptation of her superb novel, The Hollow. I loved getting to speak with someone who has been in the trenches with his cast of actors and crew of professionals over the past few months, bringing this Agatha Christie play to life.... To purchase tickets for this run of The Hollow (13-21 April) at The Players Theatre in downtown New York, click here. Come visit me on my ongoing book tour for my mystery...
Published 04/12/24
Next week's episode will be a discussion with Andrew Winans, the director of an upcoming Off-Broadway production of The Hollow, a play written by Agatha Christie, based on her novel. If you are interested in attending this production, which runs from 13-21 April in New York, go ahead and click here. And my East Coast/Midwest tour of the United States for The Busy Body is about to begin! Click here for more details. I hope to see some of you very soon--in person!
Published 04/06/24
If you're a longtime listener of this podcast, you'll know never to trust an actor in a Christie story. So what happens when not one but two actors feature among the rather small cast of suspects? A lot, as it turns out, in this early short story that showcases Christie's unique ability to spin seemingly endless variations on a single puzzle.... In addition to the titular story, the following Christies are spoiled in the course of this episode: "Miss Marple Tells a Story” "The Affair at...
Published 03/30/24
Quick: what is the best Joan Hickson adaptation of a Miss Marple novel? Or how about your least favorite Suchet episode? If you like pondering such questions, then this is the episode for you! Just beware of spoilers; I list all the novels Teresa and I spoil in the course of this wide-ranging conversation at the top of the episode. To buy tickets to the All About Agatha Live! Panel at the upcoming Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay in September, click here. To check out all the splendid...
Published 03/16/24
Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is back! And with this episode, she’s officially earned her title as All About Agatha’s resident expert on Christian theology. I leaned heavily on her expertise for this episode, which involves a lot of parsing of Biblical and even apocryphal references, as we discussed this curious, fascinatingly revealing short story from the Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection. To read Sarah’s newly published article “Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Christian,” click ...
Published 03/02/24
Actor Lee Samuel Tanng has appeared in TEN (!!) regional productions of plays based on Agatha Christie novels over the last eleven years. He sat down with me to discuss the joys of regional theater, the particular challenges (and advantages) of pulling off a murder mystery in real time, and of course, to rank his ten experiences from least to most favorite. This conversation was a blast. You can see a collage of all Sam's roles on the podcast's Twitter/X account here, and on Instagram here. ...
Published 02/17/24
Perhaps it was inevitable that an episode about the longest-running play in history would be the longest episode ever produced on this podcast.... And yet there's nary a spoiler in it; so tuck in, safe in the knowledge that the secret of The Mousetrap remains safely locked in my heart. Nibble nibble. Squeak squeak. Special thanks to my guests Phil O'Neill and Scott Ratner, and to Nick Cardillo and Christopher Diehl for their invaluable contributions. Click here to access the BBC...
Published 02/03/24
Alex Michaelides has a new mystery out, and I had such a great time geeking out with him about Agatha Christie and other literary inspirations of his, including the great Ruth Rendell. You can purchase Alex's new book, The Fury, in the United States here. And you can pre-order it in the UK (it's out February 1st) here. You can purchase my new book, The Busy Body, in the United States here, the United Kingdom here, and Australia/New Zealand here. For details on my upcoming book tour,...
Published 01/20/24
I've talked a bunch--especially recently--about Agatha Christie and the theater. But what is it like to put on an Agatha Christie play? In particular, in one of those smaller regional/community venues that so frequently put on Christie's plays? Thanks to the three experts I gathered together for this episode, we can begin to answer that question. You can find out more about each of them directly below. 1) Do yourself a favor and check out Brad Friedman's mystery blog. It has provided me...
Published 01/05/24
And you thought the days of bumper-sized episodes of All About Agatha were behind you.... This one might be a bit of a cheat, since it's a Frankenstein's monster (a Bella Baxter?!) of a few different things: 1) a nice long "mail bag"/"housekeeping" segment; 2) a fresh episode analyzing "The Naughty Donkey" in Christie's Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection; and 3) a rerun of the episode I aired in the summer this year with Sarah Hinlicky Wilson co-hosting, in which we discussed...
Published 12/22/23
Kate Jackson knows her stuff when it comes to classic crime, and then some. I had such a good time talking to her about non-Christie authors of the Golden Age, and then engaging in a choose-your-own-adventure-style exercise that took us through various plot points she meticulously pulled from scores of Christie novels, short stories, and plays. What fun! To buy Kate's book How to Survive a Classic Crime Novel in the U.S., click here. In the UK, click here. To check out Kate's blog, click...
Published 12/16/23
It's time to discuss friend of the podcast Sophie Hannah's murder mystery musical movie!! Mystery and musical fans, unite!! To rent/buy Sophie's movie in the U.S., click here. To rent/buy Sophie's movie in the UK, click here. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. You can pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States (here), the United Kingdom (here), and Australia and New Zealand (here). This episode is sponsored by Britbox. For listeners...
Published 12/08/23
If you like The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, then this episode is for you! If you like theater, then this episode is *really* for you! Mark was a delight; his passion for Ackroyd, theater, and all things Agatha Christie shines through our entire conversation. Enjoy! Click here to download the Orson Welles radio adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd referenced in the episode. Click here to visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page. You can pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The...
Published 11/23/23
What an excellent opportunity this conversation was to use--and explain--such new-fangled terms as "Booktube," "Bookstagram," and "BookTok." If the online world of readerly appreciation befuddles you (as it often does me), then allow Mara Sinclair to explain all.... For more Mara in your life, check out her YouTube Channel, Bookslikewhoa. You can also find Mara on Goodreads, Instagram, and Discord. You can pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the United States, Australia...
Published 11/11/23
'Tis the season for a spooky Christie story, and this one does not disappoint. On the contrary, I would argue it raises the bar by marrying elements of the supernatural and the rational, all in one text. Apparently you can have a trick and a treat; you don't have to choose! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. You can pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy Body, in the U.S. here. And you can pre-order The Busy Body in Australia and New Zealand here. You...
Published 10/28/23
If you are a longtime listener of this podcast, Jamie Bernthal-Hooker is no stranger to you. But until now, our conversations have focused on his scholarly endeavors vis-a-vis Christie. Last month, I was fortunate enough to snag him for a half-hour at the Agatha Christie Festival to discuss his creative project satirizing murder mysteries in general, and Miss Jane Marple in particular. Get ready to meet Jessica Brick! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. Please...
Published 10/14/23
Get ready for some hot mics: it's time for a live episode of All About Agatha at the 2023 Agatha Christie Festival! I hope you'll be able to share in some of the fun we had down in Torquay this year, because we certainly had a lot of it. Enjoy! Please visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. Please pre-order my upcoming mystery novel, The Busy Body, here.
Published 09/29/23
Yes, yes: Agatha Christie famously abstained from cocktails and all other alcoholic drinks. So how was it possible to write an entire book--and speak for an entire hour--about Christie and cocktails?! Take a listen and find out! Colleen's book, Agatha Whiskey: 50 Cocktails to Celebrate the Bestselling Novelist of All Time is available at all major booksellers. Click here to purchase Colleen's book in the UK, and here for purchase in the U.S. To pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body,...
Published 09/15/23
I loved geeking out with Karen over the top ten "food-related" books within the Christie canon, and I think you will too! Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. You can purchase Karen's book here. You can pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body, here. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit them here for 10% off your first month of therapy.  
Published 09/01/23
On this episode I talk generally about the stage plays of Agatha Christie (that we know of thus far), but first I do a massive housekeeping segment with messages from all of you. (Letters! We've got letters! We've got stacks and stacks of letters!) It's such a joy to hear from as many of you as I do; please keep in touch. Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. You can purchase tickets to the rehearsed (and costumed!) reading of Agatha Christie's version (much like Taylor's...
Published 08/19/23
I had such a great time focusing on Agatha Christie's theatrical endeavors, with the person who knows more about them than anyone else in the world. Come delight with me and Julius Green in all the drama! You can visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. You can buy the newer, paperback edition of Julius's book (with a slightly altered title) here. You can pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body, here.
Published 08/05/23
Get ready for another panoramic episode, in which I take full stock of the Christie canon from the unusual perspective of the dedications she (usually) inserted at the front of her books. I even managed to unearth some unsolved (by me, anyway) mysteries.... Visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page here. Pre-order my mystery novel, The Busy Body, at the bookseller of your choice here.
Published 07/22/23
My former co-host Catherine Brobeck loved this short story, and this episode about this short story. And so do I! It's also one of the short stories under discussion at this year's upcoming International Agatha Christie Festival in September, during which my co-panelists and I will crown Agatha Christie's Greatest Short Story. Take a listen to the first part of the episode for a sneak peek at the other stories we'll be debating. Happy Summer, everyone! To buy tickets to the Festival, click ...
Published 06/30/23