Author Archives: Leandra Griffith

Edmund Crispin’s Inside Jokes

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

The creator of amateur sleuth Gervase Fen loved to make fun of detective fiction.

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Mentioned in this episode:
— The Crooked Hinge by John Dickson Carr
— Bruce Montgomery/Edmund Crispin: A Life in Music and Books by David Whittle
— The Case of the Gilded Fly by Edmund Crispin
— Love Lies Bleeding by Edmund Crispin
— The Glimpses of the Moon by Edmund Crispin
— The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin
— Swan Song by Edmund Crispin
— Holy Disorders by Edmund Crispin
— Frequent Hearses by Edmund Crispin
— Buried for Pleasure by Edmund Crispin
— Hamlet, Revenge! by Michael Innes
— The Long Divorce by Edmund Crispin
— “We Know You’re Busy Writing, But We Thought You Wouldn’t Mind If We Just Dropped In For A Minute” by Edmund Crispin

NB: Links to Blackwell’s are affiliate links, meaning that the podcast receives a small commission when you purchase a book there (the price remains the same for you). Blackwell’s is a UK bookselling chain that ships internationally at no extra charge.

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Find a full transcript of this episode at shedunnitshow.com/edmundcrispinsinsidejokestranscript.

Music by Audioblocks and Blue Dot Sessions. See shedunnitshow.com/musiccredits for more details.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Green Penguin Book Club 6)

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Kathryn Harkup is Caroline’s guest for a reconsideration of Agatha Christie’s very first detective novel. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are “entering the spoiler zone”, at 22:30. After that, expect full spoilers. A full list of titles in the Penguin series can be found at penguinfirsteditions.com. The next book discussed… Continue Reading

Vanishing Corpses

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Where did that dead body go? It was right here! The 2024 Shedunnit Pledge Drive is underway! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get at least two bonus episodes a month by becoming a Shedunnit member now at shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive. Mentioned in this episode: —The Vanishing Corpse by Anthony Gilbert —The Vanishing Corpse by… Continue Reading

Mysterious Knitting

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

How to weave the perfect murder mystery plot. Find out more about Kate Davies’ work at katedaviesdesigns.com and browse all of her patterns at shopkdd.com. The Margery Allingham’s Mysterious Knits book, which contains Caroline’s essay about knitting and detective fiction, is available to order here. This episode marks the beginning of the 2024 Shedunnit Pledge… Continue Reading

Instrument of Death

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Beware the pipe organ. Support the podcast by joining the Shedunnit Book Club and get two extra Shedunnit episodes a month plus access to the monthly reading discussions and community: shedunnitbookclub.com/join. There are no major spoilers in this episode but some minor plot details for the titles listed below are discussed. Mentioned in this episode:… Continue Reading

Mr Fortune, Please (Green Penguin Book Club 4)

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Dolores Gordon-Smith joins Caroline to read this short story collection by H.C. Bailey. No major plot spoilers until you hear Caroline say we are “entering the spoiler zone”, at 21:34. After that, expect full spoilers. Caroline’s new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To find out more and… Continue Reading

Death at the Speakeasy

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

During Prohibition, the cocktails are downright criminal. This episode was hosted by Leandra Griffith with guest (and usual host) Caroline Crampton. If you are interested in seeing more content from Leandra, you can find her on YouTube and Instagram. Caroline’s new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To… Continue Reading

Dylan’s Whodunnits

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

The great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas had a passion for detective stories. This episode is hosted by Guy Cuthbertson. His guest is John Goodby, a Professor of Arts and Culture at Sheffield Hallam University, and an expert on Dylan Thomas.  He edited The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas and has co-authored a biography of Thomas.… Continue Reading

The Mystery of A.A. Milne

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Why didn’t the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh write more detective fiction? My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To find out more and get your copy, visit my website carolinecrampton.com/abodymadeofglass. Join the Shedunnit Book Club for two extra Shedunnit episodes a month plus access to the monthly reading… Continue Reading

The Murder on the Links (Green Penguin Book Club 2)

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

John Curran joins Caroline to read Christie’s third novel, her first (sort of?) to appear as a green penguin. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now. To find out more and get your copy, visit my website carolinecrampton.com/abodymadeofglass. Join the Shedunnit Book Club for two extra Shedunnit… Continue Reading

The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (Green Penguin Book Club 1)

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Helen Zaltzman is the guest for this dissection of the first green penguin. Until 26:43, the discussion is free of major spoilers. At that point, as you will hear us say, we enter the spoiler zone and you can expect spoilers until the end. Helen’s podcast The Allusionist is available wherever you are listening to… Continue Reading

The Green Penguin

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

One visit to Agatha Christie changed everything. Thank you to my guest, Jules Burt, for sharing his book-collecting experiences and knowledge with us. You can learn more about his collection on his YouTube channel, Jules Burt Collections and Unboxings at youtube.com/@JulesBurt. My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is published… Continue Reading

A Reading Life Transcript

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Caroline: Hello, and welcome to Shedunnit, the podcast that unravels the mysteries behind classic detective stories. I’m Caroline Crampton, and today I’m going to be taking you behind the scenes a little bit of the making of this show. Whenever I chat to Shedunnit listeners online or meet you out in the real world, one… Continue Reading

A Reading Life

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

A conversation about how Shedunnit is made. Mentioned in this episode: — Death and the Sisters by Heather Redmond — Murder of a Lady by Anthony Wynne — The Birthday Murder by Lange Lewis — Enter Sir John by Clemence Dane and Helen Simpson Authors Mentioned: — Richard and Frances Lockridge — Rudolph Fisher Mentioned… Continue Reading

Whodunnit Centenary: 1924

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Time travelling, murder mystery style. Mentioned in this episode: — The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie — The Plague Court Murders by John Dickson Carr — Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie — The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers — A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh — Death… Continue Reading

Death at the Club

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Private members’ clubs are surprisingly popular with corpses. The 2023 Shedunnit Pledge Drive is underway! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get your hands on some exclusive audio perks by becoming a Shedunnit member now at shedunnitshow.com/pledgedrive. Mentioned in this episode: — The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L Sayers —… Continue Reading

Spooky Sleuthing

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

The supernatural and the rational come together in the murder mystery. Thank you to my returning guest, Carla Valentine, for joining me. This episode marks the beginning of the 2023 Shedunnit Pledge Drive! Help ensure the future of the podcast and get your hands on some exclusive audio perks by becoming a Shedunnit member now… Continue Reading

Agatha and Plum

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Agatha Christie and P.G. Wodehouse had a lot in common. Thank you to my guest, Eliza Easton, for joining me. Mentioned in this episode:— The Code of the Woosters by PG Wodehouse— Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie— The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie— Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie— Murder on the… Continue Reading

Murder-on-Sea

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Murder does like to be beside the seaside. Thanks very much to my guests. Dr Allan Brodie is a visiting fellow at Bournemouth University and the author of books including England’s Seaside Heritage from the Air. Dr Kathryn Ferry is a historian of the British seaside and the author of books including The British Seaside Holiday, more… Continue Reading

Murder in a Heatwave

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

When the temperature rises, don’t lose your cool. Thanks to my guest Cecily Gayford — you can find more information about Murder in a Heatwave and all the other anthologies she has edited via the website for Profile Books. Be aware: there are spoilers in this episode for the the story “The Vindictive Story of… Continue Reading

Cricket and Crime

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

Why are crime writers so bowled over by the game? Thank you to my guests, Dr. Andrew Green and cricket statistician Andy Zaltzman. You can find more cricket-related content and news from Andy by listening to Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5, or via his podcast, The Bugle Ashes Urncast. You can find Dr.… Continue Reading

Editing Agatha Christie

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

How do we approach offensive language in texts from previous times? Be aware that this episode includes discussion of prejudice, slurs and “of its time” attitudes and language. Thank you to my guest, Subhadra Das. You can find more information about her work at her website subhadradas.com and her book (Un)Civilised: Ten Lies That Made… Continue Reading

Meet The Coles

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

What happens when a couple of socialists decide to write mysteries? Thanks to my guest, Curtis Evans. His blog is The Passing Tramp and his book, The Spectrum of the English Murder, it is available through all good booksellers.  Join Caroline and guest Teresa Peschel for a free live episode of Shedunnit on YouTube on… Continue Reading

The Villa Murder

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

The tragic tale of Alma Rattenbury.   Content warning: this episode includes mention of suicide. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join a book-loving community at shedunnitshow.com/membership. Mentioned in the episode:— The Anatomy of Murder by The Detection Club— Stay of Execution by Eliot… Continue Reading

The Evolution of Margery Allingham

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

The parallel lives of a writer and her detective. Thanks to my guest, Julia Jones. Her biography of Margery Allingham is available now through all good bookshops. Mentioned in the episode:— Margery Allingham: A Biography by Julia Jones— The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham— Blackkerchief Dick by Margery Allingham— Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham— Dancers in… Continue Reading

7 Golden Age Mysteries Set on Planes

Posted on by Leandra Griffith

  The setting is a crucial ingredient to any mystery. It influences the story’s tone and atmosphere, how a murderer might execute their crime, and the number of suspects moving in and out of that space. While transportation mysteries are widely popular, one less-utilised transit setting by crime writers is air travel. Commercial air travel… Continue Reading