Tea, Tonic & Toxin

The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene with Dr Robert Willingham

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailWe are so excited to expand our discussion of the transcendant The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene with special guest Dr. Robert Wil...

The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene, episode 1

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us Fan MailTHE MINISTRY OF FEAR by Graham Greene is a thrilling blend of espionage and psychological mystery set in wartime London. The story fol...

What we said about what we read in 2025

07 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a text2025 was an amazing and tumultous year for Carolyn and Sarah, both of us making moves out of Denver. But we kept on reading (albiet at a sl...

Through a Window to Rear Window, by Cornell Woolrich and HG Wells

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textRear Window (1942) by Cornell Woolrich is a classic in the suspense genre for its masterful use of tension and claustrophobia. The story’...

The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope by CW Grafton, with guest L Wayne Hicks, episode 2!

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send a textL. Wayne Hicks joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope,  published in 1943 by C. W. Grafton (father of Sue ...

The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope by CW Grafton, with guest L Wayne Hicks

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textL. Wayne Hicks joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope,  published in 1943 by C. W. Grafton (father of S...

What we're reading in 2026!

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe 2026 book list revealed and discussed. What was selected and why? Do you agree? Disagree? Have authors to add?Get your copy of all o...

Laura by Vera Caspery

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written and interviewing s...

Mr Campion's Christmas with Mike Ripley

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMike Ripley joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion novels, along with his latest novel in the seri...

Mike Ripley talks Margary Allingham and Albert Campion

23 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written and interviewing s...

Traitor's Purse by Margery Allingham!

16 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTRAITOR’S PURSE (1940) by Margery Allingham is a mystery thriller classic that masterfully combines psychological tension with a high-...

Tom Epperson: Baby Hawk

26 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTom Epperson, a native of Arkansas, headed west to Los Angeles with his boyhood friend Billy Bob Thornton to pursue a career in show bus...

Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler with Owen Hill, part 2!

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFarewell, My Lovely (1940) by Raymond Chandler is a cornerstone of the noir genre and the Philip Marlowe books, showcasing Marlowe in on...

Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler with Owen Hill, part 1

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFarewell, My Lovely (1940) by Raymond Chandler is a cornerstone of the noir genre and the Philip Marlowe books, showcasing Marlowe in on...

Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler, with Arvind Ethan David

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textArvind Ethan David joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler.Arvind is a writer and and produce...

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler with Anthony Rizzuto, part 2

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTHE BIG SLEEP (1939) is a seminal work in the hardboiled detective genre, and it’s among the best of the Raymond Chandler books. It sh...

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler with Anthony Rizzuto, part 1

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTHE BIG SLEEP (1939) is a seminal work in the hardboiled detective genre, and it’s among the best of the Raymond Chandler books. It sh...

Ahriman: The Spirit of Destruction with Puja Guha!

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPuja Guha grew up and has worked all over the world. Her spy thriller series THE AHRIMAN LEGACY is an Amazon bestseller, and she has bee...

2024 Retrospective

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textYes, you read that right! 2024! Due to Carolyn & Sarah's lives exploding they've been getting  the episodes out a bit slo...

Agatha Christie, Ann Claire, and Dead and Gondola!

01 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAnn Claire joins us in studio to discuss Dead and Gondola, the first book in her Christie Bookshop Mystery series. The second book in th...

A Coffin for Dimitrios - Eric Ambler - Part 2 - Guest Neil Nyren

18 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe intricate plot, morally complex characters, and exploration of the human psyche in A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS (THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS) (1...

A Coffin for Dimitrios - Eric Ambler - Part 1 - Guest Neil Nyren

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe intricate plot, morally complex characters, and exploration of the human psyche in A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS (THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS) (1...

Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, with Ann Claire!

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTen strangers, each with a dark secret, are lured to a remote island and drawn into a deadly game. As the body count rises, paranoia int...

First Blood with David Morrell!

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDavid Morrell is the award-winning author of First Blood, the novel in which Rambo was created. He joins us to discuss Rogue Male (by Ge...

Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household with special guest David Morrell!

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textROGUE MALE (1939) is an enduring masterpiece of mystery, adventure, suspense, and the sheer thrill of the chase. Described by author Geo...

Tell Me Everything with guest Erika Krouse

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPart memoir and part literary true crime, Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse is the mesmerizing st...

Georgia Jeffries and The Younger Girl!

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textGeorgia Jeffries joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss The Younger Girl, a supernatural thriller based on a true crime.Georgia is a writer ...

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, with Shana Kelly! Part 2

18 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textShana Kelly began her career as a literary agent at the William Morris Agency in New York and London for 10 years. She currently works a...

2025 Mystery Book List!

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWe are beyond excited to be starting our fourth year, and to share with you the books we have on tap!Give a listen and let us know what ...

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, with Shana Kelly! Part 1

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again …”A young bride is haunted by the lingering shadow of her husband’s first wife at...

Kathy Reichs on Fire and Bones!

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMystery writer Kathy Reichs joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss her latest book, Fire and Bones.#1 New York Times bestselling author Kath...

The Wheel Spins, Episode 2! By Ethel Lina White, with special guest Alex Csurko

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written, as well as interv...

The Wheel Spins with Alex Csurko - episode 1!

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn THE WHEEL SPINS (1936), a young woman’s train journey takes a sinister turn when a fellow passenger mysteriously disappears. This s...

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel with Fleur Bradley

10 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFleur Bradley is the author of many mysteries for kids, including Midnight at the Barclay Hotel and Daybreak on Raven Island.Originally ...

The Busy Body & All About Agatha Christie with Kemper Donovan

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textFull-time writer KEMPER DONOVAN is currently publishing an ongoing mystery series via Kensington Books. He joins us to discuss The Busy ...

The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie, with guest Kemper Donovan

19 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTHE ABC MURDERS (1936) is one of the earliest examples of the “serial killer” novel. Striking in alphabetical order, a killer challe...

Craig Johnson, Walt Longmire, and 20 books!

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWe were  thrilled to chat with Craig Johnson during the 2024 Longmire Days this year about his 20th book, First Frost!Tea, Tonic & ...

Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers with guest ZJ Czupor, amazing second episode!

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written, as well as interv...

Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers with guest ZJ Czupor

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written, as well as interv...

The Wild Inside with guest Christine Carbo!

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMontana thriller writer Christine Carbo joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss her book The Wild Inside.Christine is a recipient of the Wome...

Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer with special guest Jen Kloester! Part 2!

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhen a man is found dead in a quaint English village, Inspector Hannasyde must unravel the secrets of the eccentric family involved. In ...

Death in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer with special guest Jen Kloester! Part 1!

07 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhen a man is found dead in a quaint English village, Inspector Hannasyde must unravel the secrets of the eccentric family involved. In ...

Phantom Orbit by David Ignatius

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThriller writer David Ignatius joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss his latest book Phantom Orbit.Check out more of his work and get the b...

The League of Frightened Men with Ira Brad Matetsky, part 2!

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textA hazing prank at Harvard left Paul Chapin disabled. Years later, two of the men responsible end up dead, and a series of poems promises...

The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout - with Ira Brad Matetsky!

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textA hazing prank at Harvard left Paul Chapin disabled. Years later, two of the men responsible end up dead, and a series of poems promises...

Edgar Award winning Bearskin with author James A McLaughlin

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThriller author James McLaughlin joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss his book Bearskin.McLaughlin is the author of Bearskin, published by...

Norman Shabel's Legal Thrillers

28 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBrooklyn-born New Jersey class-action attorney turned author Norman Shabel has written seven plays and eight novels. Three of his plays ...

The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTHE THREE COFFINS (THE HOLLOW MAN) (1935) by John Dickson Carr is celebrated for its exceptional execution of the locked-room mystery, a...

Carter Wilson chats about his newest thriller: The Father She Went to Find

31 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPenny has never met anyone smarter than her. That's par for the course when you're a savant - one of fewer than 100 in the wor...

The Postman Always Rings Twice - with guest Rebecca Heisler!

10 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTHE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1934) is James M. Cain’s gripping, groundbreaking noir tale of passion and betrayal. In a dusty roadsi...

Barbara Nickless tells us about Play of Shadows

25 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode we are delighted to chat with Barbara Nickless! She is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author o...

The Thin Man, part 2.

11 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a mystery and thriller podcast and book club for people obsessed with mysteries and thrillers. Each month, your...

The Thin Man, part 1!

28 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt’s time for more mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers! Our 2024 selections include stunners published from 1934-1939.   Get ...

2023 Retrospective!

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for people who love mysteries, thrillers, introspection, and good conversation. Each mo...

The Nine Tailors, part 2!

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a book club and podcast focused on the history of mystery. We’re discussing the best mysteries, detective st...

Looking Ahead to 2024

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a book club and podcast focused on the history of mystery. We’re discussing the best mysteries, detective st...

The Nine Tailors, part 1!

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic & Toxin is a book club and podcast focused on the history of mystery. We’re discussing the best mysteries, detective st...

Murder on the Orient Express, part 2

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAgatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more tha...

Murder on the Orient Express, part 1

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAgatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more tha...

Recipes for Murder, part 2: All about Agatha

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textKaren Pierce, a detective-fiction devotee, food lover, and Agatha Christie superfan, has attended and volunteered at several Anthony Bou...

Recipes for Murder, part 1!

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textKaren Pierce, a detective-fiction devotee, food lover, and Agatha Christie superfan, has attended and volunteered at several Anthony Bou...

The Case of the Velvet Claws

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Case of the Velvet Claws (1933) introduces criminal defense lawyer and detective Perry Mason and Della Street, his secretary. Perry ...

Rumor of Evil- a chat with Gary Braver

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCarolyn & Sarah are thrilled to speak with author Gary Braver on his latest mystery: Rumor of Evil. Just in time for spooky season, ...

Malice Aforethought, episode 2!

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMalice Aforethought is considered one of the first examples of the “inverted detective story.” Here, both the murder AND murderer ar...

Malice Aforethought, episode 1

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Tea, Tonic & Toxin book club and podcast! Our focus is the history of mystery. We’re reading and discussing the bes...

The Maltese Falcon, episode 2!

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for people who love mysteries, thrillers, introspection, and good conversation. Each mo...

The Maltese Falcon, episode 1

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPublished in 1930, The Maltese Falcon is gritty, gripping noir at its best. As far as detective stories go, this one’s a game changer....

Red Harvest, Part 2

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textRed Harvest by Dashiell Hammett (1929) marked Hammett’s transition from short stories to novels. His portrayal of the Continental Op a...

Red Harvest, Part 1

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Tea, Tonic & Toxin book club and podcast! Our focus is the history of mystery. We’re reading and discussing the bes...

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, episode 2!

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) has become known as one of Agatha Christie’s most controversial novels due to an unexpected stunner...

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, episode 1

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) has become known as one of Agatha Christie’s most controversial novels due to an unexpected stunner...

Whose Body? Part 2!

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWHOSE BODY?by Dorothy SayersDorothy Sayers’ Whose Body? is the first of 16 detective novels published by Sayers, one of the queens of ...

Whose Body, episode 1!

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Tea, Tonic & Toxin book club and podcast! We’re reading and discussing the best mysteries and detective stories eve...

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, episode 2!

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) is the first Hercule Poirot mystery! Can Belgian detective Hercule Poirot solve an unsolvable cri...

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, episode 1!

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Tea, Tonic & Toxin book club and podcast! We’re reading and discussing the best mysteries and detective stories eve...

The 39 Steps, part 2

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWhen a freelance spy is murdered in Richard Hannay’s London flat, Richard Hannay goes on the run. Fearing for his life, his goal is to...

The 39 Steps, part 1!

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Tea, Tonic & Toxin book club and podcast! We’re reading and discussing the best mysteries and detective stories eve...

Trent's Last Case, episode 2!

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPublished in 1913, Trent’s Last Case is considered one of the first “whodunits” – stories in which new clues appear throughout, ...

Trent's Last Case, episode 1!

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textPublished in 1913, Trent’s Last Case is considered one of the first “whodunits” – stories in which new clues appear throughout, ...

The Innocence of Father Brown, Part 2!

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Innocence of Father Brown (1911) is G. K. Chesterton’s first collection of short stories featuring Father Brown, a nondescript Cat...

The Innocence of Father Brown, Part 1

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Innocence of Father Brown (1911) is G. K. Chesterton’s first collection of short stories featuring Father Brown, a nondescript Cat...

2023 Prospective

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Innocence of Father Brown (1911)G. K. Chesterton’s first collection of short stories featuring a Catholic priest who solves crimes...

2022 Retrospective!

29 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text“The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841)Edgar Allan Poe is the mystery master. Set in Paris, this gruesome tale introduces amateur det...

Lady Molly of Scotland Yard

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for anyone who loves mysteries and detective stories. We’re making our way through th...

The Hound of the Baskervilles, part 2...

20 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for anyone who loves mysteries and detective stories. We’re making our way through th...

The Hound of the Baskervilles, part 1!

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for anyone who loves mysteries and detective stories. We’re making our way through th...

The Big Bow Mystery, part 2!

07 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for anyone who loves mysteries and detective stories. We’re making our way through th...

The Big Bow Mystery, part 1!

31 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSet in London’s working-class East End, this 1892 book is one of the earliest examples of the locked-room mystery genre. In The Big Bo...

A Study in Scarlet, Part 2...

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Watson — two of the most famous characters in English literatu...

A Study in Scarlet, Part 1!

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for anyone who loves mysteries and detective stories. We’re making our way through th...

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, part 2!

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAustralia’s first literary sensation, The Mystery of a Hansom Cab sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide upon publication. Set...

The Mystery of a Hansom Cab, part 1

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for anyone who loves mysteries and detective stories. We’re making our way through th...

The Moonstone, Part 2

02 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThis masterpiece includes a stolen Indian gem with a bloody past, plot twists, red herrings, a small circle of suspects, and a couple am...

The Moonstone, Part 1

21 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textTea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for anyone who loves mysteries and detective stories. We began with Edgar Allan Poe’s...

The Notting Hill Mystery

23 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Notting Hill Mystery (1862-1863) is often called the first detective novel. In it, the wife of Baron R** dies after drinking acid. I...

The Woman in White, part 2

19 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins tells the story of a woman locked away in an insane asylum. Well, sort of. This 1860 thriller is ...

The Woman in White, part 1

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins tells the story of a woman wrongfully locked away in an insane asylum. This 1860 thriller includes...

Bleak House: Part the Second.

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn Bleak House, Charles Dickens’s tenacious criminal investigator, Inspector Bucket, is a London police detective who investigates a m...

Bleak House: Part the First!

15 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIt’s big, so start reading now. (Don’t fret – we’ll spend two months on this 1853 masterpiece.) Dickens addresses class and line...

The Purloined Letter

14 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textEdgar Allan Poe called “The Purloined Letter” “perhaps the best of my tales of ratiocination.” The story, published in 1844, is ...