Tag Archives: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Editing Agatha Christie

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 the West is available for pre-order.

Mentioned in this episode:
The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle, introduction by Shafquat Towheed
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Mentioned Shedunnit episodes:
A Mysterious Glossary

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/editingagathachristietranscript.

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

Meet The Coles

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

Miss Marple, Spinster Sleuth

A feminist take on the gossiping busybody of St Mary Mead. Thanks to my guest, Leandra Griffith. As well as being Shedunnit’s production assistant, she posts about mysteries on her Instagram @leandra_thetbrzero and her YouTube channel. Become a member of the Shedunnit book club and get bonus audio, listen to ad free episodes and join… Continue Reading

A Detective’s Farewell

How do you say goodbye to a long-running character? Many thanks to my guest, Elly Griffiths. Her latest book is The Last Remains. Books mentioned in this episode— Cat Among The Pigeons by Agatha Christie— The Clocks by Agatha Christie— Curtain by Agatha Christie— The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths— The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths—… Continue Reading

The Elusive Agatha Christie

How well do we really know the queen of crime? Thanks to my guest, Lucy Worsley. Her book Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman is out now. Books and sources mentioned: — An Autobiography by Agatha Christie — Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet P. Morgan — Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life by Laura Thompson… Continue Reading

Agatha The Adventuress

In 1922, Agatha Christie took a trip around the world. Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/agathatheadventuress. To support the podcast, be part of a superb bookish community, and get two bonus episodes a month, become a member of the Shedunnit Book Club now at shedunnitbookclub. Referenced for this episode: — Agatha Christie: The Grand Tour… Continue Reading

Looking East

Expanding the horizons of golden age detective fiction. Many thanks to my guest, Christopher Huang. You can find out more about his work at ricordius.com. His first mystery novel is A Gentleman’s Murder. Read his article “How Do You Decolonise The Golden Age Mystery? Read More Historical Fiction!” at crimereads.com. Find out more about this episode… Continue Reading

The Theatrical World of Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was the most successful female playwright of all time. She also wrote some detective novels you might have heard of. Julius Green is the author of Agatha Christie: A Life in Theatre, available in paperback now at all good booksellers. There are no spoilers in this episode. Find links to all the books… Continue Reading

Agatha Christie’s England

Where is St Mary Mead, anyway? My guide to Agatha Christie’s England is now available to pre-order from the publisher at shedunnitshow.com/map (ships 19th July 2021). It’s also available to order from Amazon, Waterstones, Blackwell’s and other booksellers. An audio version is available for purchase at shedunnitshow.com/audiomap (if you are entitled to a free copy… Continue Reading

Agatha Christie’s England Transcript

Caroline: When you close your eyes and imagine the setting of an Agatha Christie story, what do you see? A grand country house, perhaps, or an idyllic English village complete with its own spinster sleuth. For all that the Queen of Crime is lauded for her plots, she deserves praise for her settings, too. Beyond… Continue Reading

Policing the Detectives Transcript

Caroline: Is detective fiction an escapist genre? The marketing for today’s thrillers and cosy mysteries that encourages us to “get away from the real world” for a while by reading about fictional crimes would suggest that it is. Expecting to be soothed by plots that centre on violent death might sound counter intuitive, but it… Continue Reading

Policing the Detectives

Is it possible to write a whodunnit and leave out the police? Many thanks to my guest, Nicole Glover. More information about her work is available at nicole-glover.com, and her first book, The Conductors, is out now in the US and the UK. The inspiration for this episode was Nicole’s article “Who Are You Going… 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 Many Afterlives of Hercule Poirot

There aren’t many characters who are recognisable just from a silhouette, but Hercule Poirot is one of them. 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 booksellers.… Continue Reading

The Many Afterlives of Hercule Poirot Transcript

Caroline: There aren’t many characters who are recognisable just from a silhouette, but Hercule Poirot is one of them. The beloved Belgian detective made his first appearance in The Mysterious Affair At Styles a hundred years ago, and today it seems impossible to remember a time when he wasn’t a ubiquitous part of pop culture.… 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

A Christie for Christmas

The original golden age of detective fiction in the 1920s followed on from a devastating global pandemic. Is it any wonder, then, that we’ve read so much crime fiction in 2020? And why do we find murder mysteries a comforting choice for Christmas? This festive season if you’d like to support the podcast and buy… Continue Reading

Peace At Last

The day the First World War ended, 11 November 1918, marked the beginning of a new era in which detective fiction would flourish. How did Britain go from “peace at last” to “whodunnit”? Thanks to my guest (and husband) Guy Cuthbertson. His book about Armistice Day is Peace At Last and he’s on Twitter as… Continue Reading

The Butler Did It

Snobbery and murder, all served up perfectly for you on a silver tray. This episode marks the start of the Shedunnit Pledge Drive! If I can add 100 new members to the Shedunnit Book Club by the end of 2020, I can start releasing episodes more regularly and expanding what the podcast covers. If you’d… Continue Reading