Tag Archives: The Labours of Hercules

You Probably Imagined It!

Meet the hypochondriacs of golden age detective fiction.

My new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is out now in the UK and published on 24th April in North America. To find out more and get your copy, visit my website carolinecrampton.com/abodymadeofglass.

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Mentioned in this episode:
— “The Case of the Perfect Maid” by Agatha Christie, collected in Miss Marple’s Final Cases
N or M? by Agatha Christie
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie
Green for Danger by Christianna Brand
Black Plumes by Margery Allingham
— “The Blue Geranium” by Agatha Christie, collected in The Thirteen Problems
The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie
Fear for Miss Betony by Dorothy Bowers
A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie
Family Matters by Anthony Rolls
— “They Don’t Wear Labels” by E.M. Delafield, collected in Capital Crimes
Below Suspicion by John Dickson Carr
Blue Murder by Harriet Rutland
Grave Mistake by Ngaio Marsh
Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham
Poison in the Garden Suburb by G.D.H. and Margaret Cole

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There are some minor spoilers in this episode — no solutions to whodunnits totally revealed, but some plot details discussed. If you want to avoiding knowing such details about something that you’re reading or plan to read, please consult the list of books and stories in the episode description before proceeding.

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

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

The Golden Age Autopsy

Step inside the mortuary. Thanks to my guest, Carla Valentine, for joining me. Her book, Murder Isn’t Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie, has lots more on this subject, as does her previous appearance on Shedunnit, Murder Isn’t Easy. Mentioned in the episode: — Murder Isn’t Easy by Carla Valentine— The Murder at the Vicarage… Continue Reading

Agatha Christie Writes Alone

Agatha Christie had a very productive WW2. This is the start of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the golden age of detective fiction did once that period came to an end with the start of the Second World War. Thanks to my guests: —… Continue Reading

Swan Song

How do you say goodbye to a beloved detective? Agatha Christie, of course, made a mystery out of it. Thanks to my guest, Mark Aldridge. You can find out more about his work at markaldridge.info and order a copy of his new book, Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World, from all good… Continue Reading

Swan Song Transcript

Caroline: Detectives have to be fundamentally infallible. On their journey to a mystery’s solution they can be fragile, or flawed, or unreliable, or uncertain, but the reader has to be able to rely on the sleuth to find a satisfactory answer in the end. It’s a fundamental part of what makes a whodunnit work. After… Continue Reading

The First Whodunnit Transcript

Caroline: The world of detective fiction has recently passed an important milestone. It’s a hundred years since the appearance of Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. First serialised in the London Times in 1920, it appeared in book form first in the US at the end of that year and then in… Continue Reading

The First Whodunnit

What was the first murder mystery, really? No major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below. Sources and further information: — The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie — Partners In Crime by Agatha Christie — A Study In Scarlet by… Continue Reading

Poison Pen

Nothing could bad could possibly happen here, the inhabitants of the peaceful English village say to each other. Until the first poison pen letter arrives. No major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discussion of the books listed below. Also, be aware there is a very brief… Continue Reading