Agatha Christie, Julia Child, and Abraham Lincoln feature in Colleen Cambridge’s mysteries. In this week’s episode, she joins Brook and Sarah to discuss what writing mysteries that include real people. Discussed and mentioned An American in Paris Mysteries (series featuring Julia Child) Colleen Cambridge Phyllida Bright Mysteries (series featuring Agatha […]
Episodes
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Carter Dickson, Carr Dickson, Roger Fairbairn. These are pen names of prolific Golden Age author John Dickson Carr, who earned his fame for writing puzzle mysteries. In today’s episode, Brook and Sarah discuss this author who is often considered to be the best in locked room mysteries. Discussed and mentioned […]
What would you do if you were struggling at work and you were invited to join an exclusive club that promised to help elevate your career? Find out in the latest installment of our What Would You Do series when Brook and Sarah discuss Please Join Us (2022) by Catherine […]
For some mystery fans, there is no place for romance, and for others they can’t get enough of it. Brook and Sarah discuss when (and if) romance and mystery should mix. Discussed and mentioned Truly Devious series, starting with Truly Devious (2018) Maureen Johnson The Inheritance Games series, starting with […]
An isolated cabin, and old manor house, a creepy apartment building. These make for great settings for mysteries and in this episode, Brook and Sarah discuss some of the most mysterious buildings. Discussed and mentioned “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) Edgar Allan Poe The Paris Apartment (2022) […]
Author coach Samantha Skal joins Brook and Sarah to discuss what makes a great twist and what mystery fans are looking for when being surprised by a mystery. Discussed and mentioned Gone Girl (2012) Gillian Flynn The House Across the Lake (2022) Riley Sager Rear Window (1954 film) The Last […]
During his writing career, Peter Robinson–the creator of the Alan Banks series and author of several stand alone novels–won awards in multiple countries, including the Grand Master Award from the Crime Writers of Canada. In today’s episode, Brook and Sarah discuss the works and career of this modern great. Discussed […]
In today’s episode, Brook and Sarah share their favorite mysteries from 2024. Discussed and mentioned Slow Horses (books and TV series) Mick Herron Murder in the Basement (1932) Anthony Berkeley Before the Fact (1932) Francis Iles – Pen name of Anthony Berkeley Kate Ellis – The Wesley Peterson series starts […]
Brook and Sarah open the next season of episodes by discussing what they read and watched over the 2024 holiday break. Discussed and mentioned Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman (2023) Patricia Meredith The Christmas Murder Game (2022) Alexandra Benedict “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding” (1923) Agatha Christie Man on […]
This episode was originally released on January 24, 2023. What happens when someone famous for something else writes a mystery? In this week’s episode, Brook and Sarah discuss mysteries written by authors famous for other achievements. Discussed David WalliamsState of Terror (2021) Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise PennyMycroft Holmes (2015) […]
This episode was originally released on March 12, 2024. Brook and Sarah start a new series exploring the life and writing of modern masters of the mystery genre. This week, they discuss Sue Grafton, author of 25 novels in the Alphabet series featuring PI Kinsey Milhone. Titles mentioned Keziah Dane […]
This episode was originally released on January 30, 2024. Avid mystery fans are familiar with the expectations of the genre. Occasionally, an author will try something new and delight fans in the process. In this episode, Brook and Sarah discuss mysteries that bend genre conventions. Discussed and mentioned Wrong Place […]
We are taking a short break to enjoy the holidays. In this episode, we discuss what we plan to read and watch. After this episode, we will release a few older episodes, and return in early 2025 with new ones. Discussed and mentioned Death of a Christmas Tree Salesman (2023) Patricia […]
In past episodes, Brook and Sarah have discussed examples of younger sleuths such as Nancy Drew. In today’s episode, Brook and Sarah explore other early examples of younger sleuths including Trixie Belden; Nell, the Boy-Girl Detective; and Violet Strange. Discussed and mentioned Read New York Nell Niblo: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/deadwood_dick/37 The Golden […]
In this week’s episode, Brook and Sarah discuss the choices they would make if they were the characters in Lisa Unger’s 2024 release The New Couple in 5B. Note: The conversation goes into detail about the book and contains spoilers about its plot, so if you haven’t read the book, […]