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.

Have you watched the new Murder on the Orient Express trailer? We have, and we have thoughts. Many of them. We also have a new Miss Marple short story, one that may be a little short on clues, but not on atmosphere. Not that our dear Aunt Jane’s razor-edged bear trap of a ratiocination machine (a.k.a. her mind) would ever be affected by such a silly thing as atmosphere....

So much to discuss in our first Miss Marple short story, including: 1) the "Peter Panning" of yet another beloved Christie detective; 2) the perils of dismissing your dear Aunt Jane if you happen to be a pretentious blowhard of a novelist; 3) the further adventures of dubiously tinned seafood. Throw a log on that fire, spill some lace down your chest, and settle in for some good old-fashioned cynicism, Marple-style.

There is so much to cover in this devilishly clever and somewhat underrated Poirot mystery. (Plus cocaine. A lot of cocaine.) Join us as we discuss just how bad a job M. Poirot does in this one (it's surprising!), the finer points of Art Deco design, and the delightfulness of Cornwall as a setting (though sadly, sans Poldark).

All right, it's time to talk about the *one* case our M. Poirot failed to solve. A better title might be: The One That Got Away, or in the case of the Suchet adaptation, The One *Who* Got Away.... Join us as we discuss television's penchant for spelling out sorrowful/traumatic backstories, and ponder just how big a chocolate can possibly be. We promise you'll never hear the line, "My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates" quite the same way again.

There are so many things lost in this story: a mine; the papers pinpointing the location of said mine; the narrative facade whereby Hastings is supposedly the one telling us this story (more on this last point in our next episode).... But one thing we were sure *not* to lose was context, because boy is it necessary while wading through the colonialist Orientalism on display here.... So pull on your gaiters and wade with us. Along the way we get to hear Poirot call Hastings a "grumpus," so all is not lost.

We are heading to the University of Cambridge in June to present a paper on Agatha Christie! We wanted to share this news with you because 1) we are so excited; and 2) we encourage you to join us there if you can! (Check out http://www.agathachristieconference.com for more details.) Our regularly scheduled programming will resume next week....

Well, this turned out to be rather a delightful read, despite a surprising number of unpleasant characters of the male persuasion. Perhaps that is the ultimate revenge of our plucky heroine, Emily Trefusis (not to mention Dame Agatha herself), in this, our very first standalone novel. So make yourself a hot cocoa (sans strychnine, please) and come enjoy with us the wintry wonders of Devon....