All About Agatha Christie

One might be inclined to ponder why they would ever ask Evans anything at all after we're done discussing this mid-career Christie thriller.... But let's focus on the positive, shall we? This episode posts on the birthday of our beloved Dame Agatha, born a whopping 127 years ago, her legacy stronger than ever.... We look forward to celebrating many more together.

A.k.a. the one that got away. Yes, friends, this is the *only* Poirot short story not to be adapted by the ITV series starring David Suchet. And while it's a bit... out there, we found ourselves wishing this tale of madness and murder had been adapted in the earlier, peppier seasons featuring the whole crime-solving gang. What would Miss Lemon have made of a centuries-old inherited family curse? What sport would Hastings have been obsessed with as a side-pursuit? When would Japp and his trench coat have made their much-needed appearance? How would a car chase have been shoehorned into the proceedings? The fact that we'll never know just may be our own curse, but we'll learn to live with it together.

Things get a little wild when Miss Jane Marple herself tells the story in this, the final installment of the Tuesday Night Club. We've got carp; we've got haddock; we've got insanity; we've got the power of prayer. We may even have (gasp) true love? Has a romance been blossoming amidst these weekly tales of mayhem and intrigue? Leave it to Miss Marple to ferret it out... and to put it in its place.

Are you a fan of the 1990 blockbuster smash-hit film GHOST, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and--most importantly--Whoopi Goldberg? If your answer to this question was a resounding "yes!" then this is your dream episode, as we found some startling parallels between the situational dynamics in this Miss Marple short story and that film. If your answer was "huh?" then we have so much to teach you.... Let's get started.

Our first interview! We were so thrilled to chat with Christie scholar Mark Aldridge, author of Agatha Christie on Screen, about the many film adaptations of Murder on the Orient Express…. Please join us in the second (and final) installation of our exploration of this Christie classic. And have no fear: we *will* be revisiting this topic come November when the new film adaptation is released!

This is a big one! So big, we decided to break it into two parts. This episode deals with the novel only; next episode we will tackle the three English-language adaptations and also touch on the feature film yet to be released, which looms darkly on the horizon.... Our ranking of this one is bound to be a bit controversial, and we'd love to hear any strong opinions you may have. But first, go get your sponge bag, your handkerchief, your pocket watch, your pipe cleaner, your scarlet dressing gown, and of course your passport (no smudges, please) and climb aboard the Simplon-Orient Express with Papa Poirot for this undeniable Christie "crown jewel" of a novel.

Another day, another episode wherein Miss Marple outsmarts all those foolish enough to underestimate her. This one is quite a pitch-black little story, as evidenced by its rather fantastic alternate title in the U.S.: Drip! Drip! And perhaps also by the fact that it's set in a place called "Rathole."

What do Poldark, Daphne Du Maurier, and the Spanish Armada all have in common? If you said Cornwall, then you are an ideal listener for this week's tale of Cornish intrigue brought to you by Miss Marple's nephew, the fake novelist Raymond West. (Spoiler: we do not like Raymond West.) Now for another one: what do Olivia de Havilland, Beverly Cleary, and Northanger Abbey all have in common? If you said nothing, then you are correct! Although technically, they are all tangents we explored on this rather freewheeling episode. Enjoy! (We certainly did.)

This one is a little controversial! In a few different ways. Join us for a rollicking discussion of our latest Poirot novel, including such topics as: feminist literary theory (and whether it has a place in the interpretation of this text), and our first instance of (a subtextual, yet heavily implied) homophobia.... Oh, and there's also David Suchet playing (gasp) Inspector Japp!

The real mystery of this very special episode is why Hercule "mal de mer" Poirot would choose to spend his summer holiday in a boat on the Mediterranean, but luckily for us he does, along with a cast of characters running the full spectrum of companionability from delightful to despicable.... So come soak in the sun with us as we explore Poirot's most extreme--and perhaps, ironically, darkest--solution of extralegal justice among his many, many cases.