Shedunnit

Looking East

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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....

The Queen of True Crime

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

F. Tennyson Jesse created a way of telling crime stories that still influences us today. Find out more about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/thequee...

The Long Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The grandfather of detective fiction still has a lot to teach us. Many thanks to my guest, Jim Noy. You can find out more about his work at his blog, ...

Death By Chocolate

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A box of chocolates can conceal a poisonous secret. Find out more at shedunnitshow.com/deathbychocolate. To support the podcast, be part of a superb b...

The Detective's Best Friend

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Please join me for a long-awaited guided tour of the role that dogs play in detective fiction. Books mentioned: — My Lady's Money by Wilkie Collins...

An Encounter With Father Brown

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Let's spend some time with G.K. Chesterton, the first president of the Detection Club. Sources: — "The Hammer of God" by G.K. Chesterton from The I...

Agatha's Archaeologists

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Agatha Christie knew more than most about digging up corpses. There are no major spoilers in this episode, but be aware that there are mentions of plo...

The Rules (Remastered)

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A good detective story has a recognisable rhythm and plot points. But how did these tropes come about? And what happens when you break the rules? This...

A Second Century of Whodunnits

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Reading my way through the last hundred years, from the 1920s to the 2020s, one mystery at a time. My previous attempt at this reading project can be ...

The Whodunnit in India

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

India has a long and deep tradition of storytelling and mythology. What happens when this heritage is combined with the tropes of golden age detective...

The Tichborne Claimant

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The golden age of detective fiction was obsessed with identity. The reason why? An extremely melodramatic Victorian legal case involving shipwreck, Sh...

A Mysterious Glossary

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know your ack emma from your pip emma? Would you wear the cat's pyjamas? Are you, in fact, a goop? Helen Zaltzman joins me to delve into some b...

Murder Isn't Easy

08 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How much did Agatha Christie really know about dead bodies? Thanks to my guest for this episode, Carla Valentine. She is a trained mortuary technician...

Dorothy L Sayers Solves Her Mystery

24 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Why did she stop writing detective fiction as WW2 approached? This is the sixth and final episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking...

Ngaio Marsh Goes Home

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Caught between two very different worlds, WW2 forced this queen of crime to become better acquainted with her homeland. This is the fifth episode of Q...

Josephine Tey's Golden Age

10 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Something happened to the Scottish writer during WW2 that made her want to write mysteries again. This is the fourth episode of Queens of Crime at War...

Margery Allingham Waits For The Invasion

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

For Albert Campion's creator, the war was her salvation. This is the third episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the be...

E.C.R. Lorac Rises Through The Ranks

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Her WW2 mysteries are best of all. This is the second episode of Queens of Crime at War, a six part series looking at what the best writers from the g...

Agatha Christie Writes Alone

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 go...

At Home With Shedunnit

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who would be the Hastings to your Poirot? What kind of mystery would you like to write? What would you do if you came across a corpse? In this special...

Double Trouble

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when two people write a whodunnit together? Thanks to my guests, Cordelia Biddle and Steve Zettler. They write separately under their own...

The Theatrical World of Agatha Christie

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Murder On Holiday (Replay)

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This summer, you can still travel to the murderous destinations visited by your favourite detectives. While I take a holiday myself, please enjoy this...

Is Agatha Christie A Good Writer?

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Her plots are second to none. But is the Queen of Crime a true literary great? Thanks to my guest, Sophie Hannah. Her latest Poirot continuation novel...

The Murder At Road Hill House

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This sensational case from 1860 ignited a wave of detective fever that we still haven't recovered from. Thanks to my guest Robin Stevens — you can ...

Agatha Christie's England

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Young Sleuths

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Young detectives, and young readers, play an important part in the history of detective fiction. Many thanks to my guest, Maureen Johnson. Her newest ...

Golden Age Inspiration

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you write a 1920s style detective novel that's set in the 2020s? Thanks to Elly Griffiths, aka Domenica De Rosa, for joining me today to talk a...

Policing the Detectives

19 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

A Century of Whodunnits

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Reading through the twentieth century, one murder mystery at a time. Find more information about this episode at shedunnitshow.com/century. The ten bo...

Swan Song

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

The Many Afterlives of Hercule Poirot

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Cryptic Crimes

24 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you can solve a crossword, you can solve a murder. Thanks to my guest, Hamish Symington. You can find out more about his work at hamishsymington.co...

The Honkaku Mysteries

10 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Exploring the thriving tradition of classic Japanese whodunnits. Thanks to my guests, On Nomoto, grandson of honkaku writer Seishi Yokomizo, and Dan...

Queer Clues (Replay)

24 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

First aired in November 2018, this classic Shedunnit episode is all about the coded gay characters and references in books from the golden age of dete...

The First Whodunnit

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

The People's Pathologist

27 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Before there was CSI, there was Bernard Spilsbury. No major spoilers about clues or endings in this episode. However, there is some mention or discuss...

Poison Pen

13 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nothing could bad could possibly happen here, the inhabitants of the peaceful English village say to each other. Until the first poison pen letter arr...

A Christie for Christmas

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Christie Completists

09 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I’ve read a lot of Agatha Christie, but I’ve never read all of her books in order. What insights are there to be had by doing so? Christie complet...

Spoiler Warning (No Spoilers)

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is it still worth reading a whodunnit if you know… who done it? Thanks to my guests Jim Noy of The Invisible Event and Kate Jackson of Cross Examini...

Death Sets Sail On The Nile

18 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

To get to the bottom of why the Nile is a murder mystery location that has bewitched readers for decades, I decided to talk to an author who has just ...

Peace At Last

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

The Butler Did It

28 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Snobbery and murder, all served up perfectly for you on a silver tray. NB: There are spoilers in this episode! Please check the list of books mentione...

The Psychology of Anthony Berkeley

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

He was one of the most influential crime novelists of the 1920s and 1930s, but has languished somewhat in obscurity since. A troubled, dark, incredibl...

The Telephone Call

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why has the murder of Julia Wallace on the night of 20 January 1931 haunted detective novelists for decades? Well, it all comes back to the telephone ...

Locked Room

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A body is found in a sealed chamber, definitely murdered, but there is no way the culprit can have got in or out. How was it done? Special thanks to m...

The Lifelong Fan

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Renée read her first detective novel in the 1930s. She hasn’t stopped since. Special thanks to my guest Renée. Her first crime novel is The Wild C...

The Detection Club

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It started with dinner and ended with a group of crime writers swearing an oath on a skull. Special thanks to my guest Martin Edwards. His latest nove...

A Room of One’s Own

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

If a woman needs a room of her own and £500 a year to write fiction, what does she need in order to write crime fiction? Special thanks to my guest F...

Murder On Holiday

22 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This summer, you can still travel to the murderous destinations visited by your favourite detectives. Find links to all the books and sources mentione...

E.C.R. Lorac

08 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

She wrote over 70 detective novels and won the praise of that most stern of critics, Dorothy L. Sayers. Yet golden age author E.C.R. Lorac is now a my...

Mary Westmacott

24 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, Agatha Christie didn’t want to be Agatha Christie. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/marywestmacott...

Dorothy’s Secret

10 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There was one thing that Dorothy L. Sayers never told anyone. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/dorothyssecret. ...

Cui Bono?

27 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's not who, or how, but why. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/cuibono. Become a member of the Shedunnit Book C...

The Collectors

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The perfect collection is never complete. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thecollectors. Become a member of th...

Bedside Manner

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Is that smiling nurse in the pristine white cap here to save your life, or to bring it to an untimely end? Find links to all the books and sources men...

The Hay Poisoner

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All the best murder mysteries start with a scone laced with arsenic. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thehaypoi...

The Dispenser

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a reason why Agatha Christie knew so much about poisons. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/thedispense...

Happily Ever After

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What would Peter Wimsey be without Harriet Vane? Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/happilyeverafter. Become a mem...

All At Sea

04 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What could be a better place for a murder than a boat, out at sea? Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/allatsea. G...

The Pale Horse

19 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How Agatha Christie’s spooky story inspired real life murderers and detectives. A friendly warning: there are major spoilers for The Pale Horse by...

The Great Gladys

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Philip Larkin, a reptilian sleuth with a mellifluous voice, and a small amount of witchcraft. Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at ...

Teaching Sleuthing

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Detective fiction has always been regarded as a lesser kind of literature. So how do you teach it in a university? Find links to all the books and sou...

Victorian Pioneers

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Decades before Miss Marple, there were Victorian lady sleuths taking on the world with their bloomers and their bicycles. Find links to all the books ...

Let It Snow

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Snow is a very powerful tool for a detective novelist. It can create a sinister atmosphere, keep suspects and murderer stormbound, and preserve the fo...

Competent Women

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Anne Bedingfield, Emily Trefusis, Lucy Eyelesbarrow: why is it that Agatha Christie’s adventurous, highly competent young women never get to become ...

Notable Trials

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How did a legal history series become so well known that even Lord Peter Wimsey owned a set? Find links to all the books and sources mentioned at she...

The Mutual Admiration Society

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

One chilly night in November 1912, a group of young women gathered together to share their writing with each other. From that meeting, we got Peter Wi...

Enter The Watson

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The detective’s sidekick is a fundamental building block of the classic whodunnit. But they don’t often get full credit for the vital role they pl...

Off The Rails

02 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There’s something so linear and definite about a train journey — it can only take you from A to B, with no possible deviations. Except when murde...

Knock Knock

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Wouldn’t sleuthing be so much easier if the dead could speak to the living? Find links to all the books mentioned at shedunnitshow.com/knockknock. ...

Brides In The Bath

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. But three times? Three women dead in identical circumstances is highly suspicious. Find links to all the...

Golden Age Detective Fiction (Words To That Effect)

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we have the final episode in my summer break guest series: 'Golden Age Detective Fiction' from Words To That Effect by Conor Reid. It first app...

A Novel Remedy (The Allusionist)

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today on my summer break guest series, we have Helen Zaltzman of The Allusionist again (along with my husband Guy Cuthbertson) talking about the books...

Alter Ego (The Allusionist)

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

I'm taking a summer break from making the podcast, but I've roped in some friends to keep you entertained while I'm gone. Today, we have Helen Zaltzma...

The Lady Detective

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Maud West, a real life lady detective from the golden age of detective fiction who lived a very colourful life — as well as sleuthing, she like...

Back To School

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

School is an enclosed world that breeds tension and suspicion and stress. No wonder it's such a perfect setting for a murder mystery. Find links to al...

Florence Maybrick II

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Her trial gripped the nation and tested Britain’s legal system to the limit. But what happened to Florence Maybrick? This is the second of a two par...

On The Thames

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The River Thames has always had a dark side. Its fast-flowing, tidal waters have long attracted those with something to hide. Find links to further re...

Florence Maybrick I

15 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A shipboard romance that somehow became one of the most notorious domestic poisoning cases in British history. This is the story of Florence Maybrick....

Period Style

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Murder mysteries: if you believe the clichés, they all happened in the 1920s and 1930s, surrounded by flappers and butlers. But let’s take a secon...

Pseudonyms

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Authors’ names loom large when we think about detective stories. Yet many of them are pseudonyms, created just to appear on book covers. But why go ...

The Secret Life of Ngaio Marsh

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

By any definition, the New Zealand crime writer Ngaio Marsh lived an extraordinary life. But who was she really, this globetrotting blockbuster author...

Round Robin

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Writing is usually a solitary pastime, yet a group of detective fiction authors in the early 1930s decided to work together on murder mystery stories....

The Other Detectives

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Some sleuths need no introduction. But other characters, also created by famous authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, lurk in obscurity....

Nurse Daniels

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On 6 October 1926, a woman went into a cloakroom in Boulogne, France and never came out. She was never seen alive again. Her disappearance captivated ...

The Rules

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A good detective story has a recognisable rhythm and plot points. But how did these tropes come about? And what happens when you break the rules? Find...

Dining with Death

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Food matters in books. It helps to set the scene, build up characters and evoke a period, and it also symbolises comfort, security and domesticity. Ye...

Edith Thompson

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On the morning of 9 January 1923, a brutal and horrifying execution took place at Holloway Prison in London. The condemned young woman screamed and cr...

Adaptations (with Sarah Phelps)

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For many people, their main contact with detective fiction is via film and television adaptations. For a huge global audience, Agatha Christie's work ...

Crime at Christmas

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Reading crime fiction from the early twentieth century is a really popular activity at Christmas. It's nice to curl up with a good whodunnit by the fi...

The Lady Vanishes

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When Agatha Christie disappeared in 1926, nobody could find her. Books mentioned in order of appearance —The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha C...

Queer Clues

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The detective stories of the 1920s and 30s aren't exactly well known for being at the vanguard of the struggle for gay rights. But there are queer clu...

Crippen

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The detective writers of the 1920s and 1930s weren't working a vacuum. They took a keen interest in the crimes of their time, often weaving elements f...

Surplus Women

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why are spinsters always solving mysteries? Contributors: —Rosemary Cresswell, senior lecturer in global history at the University of Hull. Follow h...

Whodunnit?

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For a couple of decades between the first and second world wars, something mysterious happened. A golden age of detective fiction dawned, and people a...