All About Agatha Christie
All About Agatha (Christie)
All About Agatha is a podcast all about, well, Agatha. Agatha Christie, of course: the Queen of Crime, a real-life Dame of the British Empire, and author of sixty-six mystery novels that spanned the Twentieth Century, defining a genre. For five years, Catherine Brobeck and Kemper Donovan revisited these novels in publication order, ranking them according to pre-set criteria (plot, character, etc.). Tragically, Catherine Brobeck passed away at the end of 2021. Since then, Kemper has completed the podcast's ranking project, and now contents himself with celebrating the greatness of Christie by attempting to solve the ultimate mystery where she is concerned. Why Christie--and Christie alone--endures as powerfully as she does.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 3, 2020 • 51min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Erymanthian Boar & The Augean Stables by Agatha Christie
We have two more enjoyable entries to cover in The Labours of Hercules collection. Join us as we follow Papa Poirot up into the airy heights of the Swiss Alps, and then down into the very deepest and darkest depths, that special place in hell inhabited by [cue organ] the British tabloids!!
Jun 21, 2020 • 1h 11min
And Then There Were 21: Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie
We can't say we particularly relished reading this mid-career Christie thriller, but we CAN say we relished *discussing* our reading of this mid-career Christie thriller.... Make sure your tray is secure and your seat's in an upright position, because we're leaving on a jet plane for Morocco and things are about to get real bumpy, real fast!
Jun 5, 2020 • 49min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Lernaean Hydra & The Arcadian Deer by Agatha Christie
You get two Poirot short stories in this episode for the price of one--but the bargain gets even better, because the first of these felt very much like a Miss Marple story, while the second felt even more like one of our beloved Quin/Satterthwaite tales....
May 15, 2020 • 58min
A Very Special Episode: Interview with Ruth Ware
We were delighted to get Ruth Ware on the phone, author of five recent--and already quite beloved--psychological crime thrillers. (This is her preferred term for the books she writes; just one of many topics we discussed!) And we of course couldn't pass up the chance to talk Christie with a fellow aficionado....
May 8, 2020 • 1h 18min
And Then There Were 22: A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
We're not sure what to say about the length of this episode except that we seem to have a greater bandwidth for gabbing on about Christie these days.... Fortunately you, dear listener, probably have more time and inclination to listen too. So let's settle in together to discuss this incredibly bitter-tinged mystery novel inhabited by such unpleasant characters, because we nonetheless quite appreciated it!
Apr 25, 2020 • 7min
*Special Announcement* in re Extra (Free-to-Download) Content!
We are making our latest Patreon episode, all about the Anthony Horowitz mystery Magpie Murders, free to download (and distract)! This glorious nerdfest of a novel is VERY much inspired by Christie, so chances are if you listen to this podcast, you will very much enjoy the novel itself, and (we hope!) our discussion. You can find it at http://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha. Enjoy! And please stay safe. (And sane.)
Apr 19, 2020 • 58min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Nemean Lion by Agatha Christie
We are so excited to be starting in earnest, at long last, The Labours of Hercules collection. Especially as it begins with such a charming Foreword and an even more charming--and intriguing--opening story. We also threw in some D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths for good measure; why not, right?
Apr 3, 2020 • 1h 5min
And Then There Were 23: After the Funeral by Agatha Christie
We both adored this (somewhat) unsung Christie gem... though not without reservations. Fortunately, for purposes of discussion, those reservations turned out to be slightly different. It's a truth universally acknowledged that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, and that certainly holds true for the various familial arrangements portrayed so vividly in this sprawling novel.
Mar 20, 2020 • 46min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Incredible Theft by Agatha Christie
There is a lot going on in the world at the moment, but there will always be Agatha Christie. Join us as we celebrate our final Christie novella, which just may be more remarkable than it appears at first glance (or read, as it were). We also took this opportunity to clip heavily from the hijinks-riddled Suchet series. So let’s all bask in the lightness together, shall we?
Mar 7, 2020 • 1h 5min
And Then There Were 24: They Do It with Mirrors by Agatha Christie
While we never do get the mirror the title seems (out of context) to promise, there was so much to adore in this imperfect yet rollicking early ‘50s novel. Take a deep breath, get out your Freud and Jung, and maybe take an umbrella for the trip down memory lane you’re about to embark on with one Miss Jane Marple.
