All About Agatha (christie)

Time to get your screwball on! This may be Christie's most Wodehousian story yet (and it's certainly got some competition). Join us as we dive into a delightfully lighthearted Tommy & Tuppence caper. Oh, and also: were you aware that FUTURE PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN once played Tommy in a live televised adaptation of this very story?! Because we certainly were not. So much yet to learn about the Christieverse....

Get ready for some drama! Both from this theater-saturated novel and from your intrepid co-hosts, as one of us quite liked this one, the other, less so. But it's not all tragedy, because stage plays aren't the only things to come in three parts. So too do... love triangles! And we know how Papa Poirot enjoys a romance. So join us as we debate the merits of this rare Hercule Poirot novel to feature another detective, one Mr. Satterthwaite of "The Mysterious Mr Quin" fame. He too enjoys a side-dish of romance amidst a generous helping of murder. Let's dig in.

What happens when our adorably mischievous young married duo T&T get up to no good at a '20s masquerade? Someone gets stabbed through the heart, of course! Nor do the horror and hijinks end there, not even close.... For one thing, we've got both 50 Cent and Andrew Lloyd Webber in this episode; what could possibly go wrong?

Get ready for some light-hearted banter, folks, because Tommy and Tuppence are back! T&T sightings are relatively sparse in the Christieverse, but this early collection of short stories will help tide us over, as will the early '80s TV adaptations. Prepare to be delighted.

We officially turned one year old! Come celebrate with us by engaging in a granular evaluation of the state of our novel rankings thus far, with many a blast from the past! (Mary Cavendish and Jane Wilkinson will be pleased.... Anne Bedingfeld, not so much. Sorry Anne.) Plus our thoughts on this crazy little projects of ours, including what makes Christie so gosh-darn special. Honestly, we could talk about that any time, but a birthday is an excellent excuse.

One might be inclined to ponder why they would ever ask Evans anything at all after we're done discussing this mid-career Christie thriller.... But let's focus on the positive, shall we? This episode posts on the birthday of our beloved Dame Agatha, born a whopping 127 years ago, her legacy stronger than ever.... We look forward to celebrating many more together.

A.k.a. the one that got away. Yes, friends, this is the *only* Poirot short story not to be adapted by the ITV series starring David Suchet. And while it's a bit... out there, we found ourselves wishing this tale of madness and murder had been adapted in the earlier, peppier seasons featuring the whole crime-solving gang. What would Miss Lemon have made of a centuries-old inherited family curse? What sport would Hastings have been obsessed with as a side-pursuit? When would Japp and his trench coat have made their much-needed appearance? How would a car chase have been shoehorned into the proceedings? The fact that we'll never know just may be our own curse, but we'll learn to live with it together.

Things get a little wild when Miss Jane Marple herself tells the story in this, the final installment of the Tuesday Night Club. We've got carp; we've got haddock; we've got insanity; we've got the power of prayer. We may even have (gasp) true love? Has a romance been blossoming amidst these weekly tales of mayhem and intrigue? Leave it to Miss Marple to ferret it out... and to put it in its place.

Are you a fan of the 1990 blockbuster smash-hit film GHOST, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and--most importantly--Whoopi Goldberg? If your answer to this question was a resounding "yes!" then this is your dream episode, as we found some startling parallels between the situational dynamics in this Miss Marple short story and that film. If your answer was "huh?" then we have so much to teach you.... Let's get started.

Our first interview! We were so thrilled to chat with Christie scholar Mark Aldridge, author of Agatha Christie on Screen, about the many film adaptations of Murder on the Orient Express…. Please join us in the second (and final) installation of our exploration of this Christie classic. And have no fear: we *will* be revisiting this topic come November when the new film adaptation is released!

This is a big one! So big, we decided to break it into two parts. This episode deals with the novel only; next episode we will tackle the three English-language adaptations and also touch on the feature film yet to be released, which looms darkly on the horizon.... Our ranking of this one is bound to be a bit controversial, and we'd love to hear any strong opinions you may have. But first, go get your sponge bag, your handkerchief, your pocket watch, your pipe cleaner, your scarlet dressing gown, and of course your passport (no smudges, please) and climb aboard the Simplon-Orient Express with Papa Poirot for this undeniable Christie "crown jewel" of a novel.

Another day, another episode wherein Miss Marple outsmarts all those foolish enough to underestimate her. This one is quite a pitch-black little story, as evidenced by its rather fantastic alternate title in the U.S.: Drip! Drip! And perhaps also by the fact that it's set in a place called "Rathole."

What do Poldark, Daphne Du Maurier, and the Spanish Armada all have in common? If you said Cornwall, then you are an ideal listener for this week's tale of Cornish intrigue brought to you by Miss Marple's nephew, the fake novelist Raymond West. (Spoiler: we do not like Raymond West.) Now for another one: what do Olivia de Havilland, Beverly Cleary, and Northanger Abbey all have in common? If you said nothing, then you are correct! Although technically, they are all tangents we explored on this rather freewheeling episode. Enjoy! (We certainly did.)

This one is a little controversial! In a few different ways. Join us for a rollicking discussion of our latest Poirot novel, including such topics as: feminist literary theory (and whether it has a place in the interpretation of this text), and our first instance of (a subtextual, yet heavily implied) homophobia.... Oh, and there's also David Suchet playing (gasp) Inspector Japp!

The real mystery of this very special episode is why Hercule "mal de mer" Poirot would choose to spend his summer holiday in a boat on the Mediterranean, but luckily for us he does, along with a cast of characters running the full spectrum of companionability from delightful to despicable.... So come soak in the sun with us as we explore Poirot's most extreme--and perhaps, ironically, darkest--solution of extralegal justice among his many, many cases.

Have you watched the new Murder on the Orient Express trailer? We have, and we have thoughts. Many of them. We also have a new Miss Marple short story, one that may be a little short on clues, but not on atmosphere. Not that our dear Aunt Jane’s razor-edged bear trap of a ratiocination machine (a.k.a. her mind) would ever be affected by such a silly thing as atmosphere....

So much to discuss in our first Miss Marple short story, including: 1) the "Peter Panning" of yet another beloved Christie detective; 2) the perils of dismissing your dear Aunt Jane if you happen to be a pretentious blowhard of a novelist; 3) the further adventures of dubiously tinned seafood. Throw a log on that fire, spill some lace down your chest, and settle in for some good old-fashioned cynicism, Marple-style.

There is so much to cover in this devilishly clever and somewhat underrated Poirot mystery. (Plus cocaine. A lot of cocaine.) Join us as we discuss just how bad a job M. Poirot does in this one (it's surprising!), the finer points of Art Deco design, and the delightfulness of Cornwall as a setting (though sadly, sans Poldark).

All right, it's time to talk about the *one* case our M. Poirot failed to solve. A better title might be: The One That Got Away, or in the case of the Suchet adaptation, The One *Who* Got Away.... Join us as we discuss television's penchant for spelling out sorrowful/traumatic backstories, and ponder just how big a chocolate can possibly be. We promise you'll never hear the line, "My mama always said, life is like a box of chocolates" quite the same way again.

There are so many things lost in this story: a mine; the papers pinpointing the location of said mine; the narrative facade whereby Hastings is supposedly the one telling us this story (more on this last point in our next episode).... But one thing we were sure *not* to lose was context, because boy is it necessary while wading through the colonialist Orientalism on display here.... So pull on your gaiters and wade with us. Along the way we get to hear Poirot call Hastings a "grumpus," so all is not lost.