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
Oct 26, 2017 • 34min
Tea with Tommy & Tuppence: The Man in the Mist by Agatha Christie
Quick: we say "Gilda," you say... what? Rita Hayworth? Gilda Radnor? Well, after this episode you very well may say "Ghost Cop." It's another caper courtesy of our pals Tommy and Tuppence, and this time Tommy is dressed up as a priest from a previous (failed, naturally) case. Can he do his best Father Brown impersonation and figure out whodunit? That is honestly an open question when it comes to these two, so you'll just have to listen to find out!
Oct 20, 2017 • 34min
Tea with Tommy & Tuppence: The Case of the Missing Lady by Agatha Christie
Time to get your screwball on! This may be Christie's most Wodehousian story yet (and it's certainly got some competition). Join us as we dive into a delightfully lighthearted Tommy & Tuppence caper. Oh, and also: were you aware that FUTURE PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN once played Tommy in a live televised adaptation of this very story?! Because we certainly were not. So much yet to learn about the Christieverse....
Oct 13, 2017 • 59min
And Then There Were 51: Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie
Get ready for some drama! Both from this theater-saturated novel and from your intrepid co-hosts, as one of us quite liked this one, the other, less so. But it's not all tragedy, because stage plays aren't the only things to come in three parts. So too do... love triangles! And we know how Papa Poirot enjoys a romance. So join us as we debate the merits of this rare Hercule Poirot novel to feature another detective, one Mr. Satterthwaite of "The Mysterious Mr Quin" fame. He too enjoys a side-dish of romance amidst a generous helping of murder. Let's dig in.
Oct 6, 2017 • 34min
Tea with Tommy & Tuppence: Finessing The King by Agatha Christie
What happens when our adorably mischievous young married duo T&T get up to no good at a '20s masquerade? Someone gets stabbed through the heart, of course! Nor do the horror and hijinks end there, not even close.... For one thing, we've got both 50 Cent and Andrew Lloyd Webber in this episode; what could possibly go wrong?
Sep 29, 2017 • 39min
Tea with Tommy & Tuppence: The Affair of the Pink Pearl by Agatha Christie
Get ready for some light-hearted banter, folks, because Tommy and Tuppence are back! T&T sightings are relatively sparse in the Christieverse, but this early collection of short stories will help tide us over, as will the early '80s TV adaptations. Prepare to be delighted.
Sep 23, 2017 • 47min
A Very Special Anniversary (!!) Episode: Rankings & Other Musings
We officially turned one year old! Come celebrate with us by engaging in a granular evaluation of the state of our novel rankings thus far, with many a blast from the past! (Mary Cavendish and Jane Wilkinson will be pleased.... Anne Bedingfeld, not so much. Sorry Anne.) Plus our thoughts on this crazy little projects of ours, including what makes Christie so gosh-darn special. Honestly, we could talk about that any time, but a birthday is an excellent excuse.
Sep 15, 2017 • 59min
And Then There Were 52: Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by 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.
Aug 31, 2017 • 33min
A Hercule Poirot Amuse-Bouche: The Lemesurier Inheritance by Agatha Christie
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.
Aug 25, 2017 • 33min
A Miss Marple Nightcap: The Thumb Mark of St. Peter by Agatha Christie
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.
Aug 18, 2017 • 26min
A Miss Marple Nightcap: Motive v. Opportunity by Agatha Christie
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.
