All About Agatha is a podcast all about, well, Agatha. Agatha Christie, of course: the Queen of Crime, a real-life Dame of the British Empire, and author of sixty-six mystery novels that spanned the Twentieth Century, defining a genre. For five years, Catherine Brobeck and Kemper Donovan revisited these novels in publication order, ranking them according to pre-set criteria (plot, character, etc.). Tragically, Catherine Brobeck passed away at the end of 2021. Since then, Kemper has completed ...
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Kemper Donovan Podcasts
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*LIVE!* Episode - True Crime Queen: The Real-life Murders in Agatha Christie's Fiction (Recorded at the 2025 Agatha Christie Festival)
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Rejoice: it is time for another live episode from the Agatha Christie Festival, in Christie's birthplace of Torquay! This time I braved the stage all by myself, to discuss Christie's use of true crime in her fiction. As usual, I had an absolute blast. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Visit the podcast on Instagram, …
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Summer Rerun - Gone Girl: The Notorious Real-Life Disappearance of Agatha Christie
55:20
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Please enjoy this time capsule from early 2017, all about the real-life disappearance of our favorite author.... See (some of) you in England! Details below regarding my two appearances there. I'll be appearing first, in London, 12-13 September, at Silent Echoes: Golden Age Crime Fiction and Trauma, hosted by Golden Age Mysteries and Florida State …
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Interview with Marthe Jocelyn, Author of YA Mystery Series Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen
1:07:02
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At long last, another episode about YA mystery! If you haven't yet heard of Marthe Jocelyn's Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen series, you are in for a treat.... Visit Marthe on her website, or on Instagram, or just check out the Aggie Morton books directly. Marthe wanted me to note that the illustrator is Isabelle Follath, who you can visit on Instagram…
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Interview with Riley Sager, Author of With a Vengeance (and Many Other Mysteries)
55:51
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Riley Sager has been producing bestselling mystery thrillers with Christie-like consistency for nine years now. His latest, With a Vengeance, is his most Christie-like yet. It was a pleasure to speak with him about the book, Christie's influence, and what it's like to be a mystery writer in the world of publishing today. You can visit Riley and per…
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Click Clack Click Clack DING: The (Real) Secretaries of Agatha Christie (with Guest Co-Host Helen Frank)
1:15:32
1:15:32
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I could not be more thrilled to welcome back A+++ listener, and now two-time guest co-host, Helen Frank, to discuss the flesh-and-blood secretaries of Agatha Christie's life. We already covered the ones that Christie created for herself out of ink, so this episode is a completist's delight. So many secretaries! For those of you in the SoCal area, c…
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All About the Audiobooks of Agatha Christie (with Special Guest Gray Robert Brown)
2:21:29
2:21:29
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How has it taken me this long to talk about audiobooks?! Huge thanks to Gray Robert Brown, for his willingness to share his considerable expertise on this topic. Thank you also to Hugh Fraser, for the many, many hours he has spent speaking Agatha Christie's words into a microphone. We salute you, Captain Hastings. You can find Gray at his website h…
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Interview with Steen Just, Wikipedia Administrator for Danish-Language Agatha Christie Articles
55:31
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Steen Just is a Danish gentleman who is passionate about Agatha Christie--so much so that he has spent his retirement contributing hugely to the Danish-language Wikipedia articles on Agatha Christie. I had a great time talking with him about his unique perspective on our favorite author. The following Christie titles are spoiled to some degree in t…
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Interview with Dr. Mark Aldridge, Project Research Lead for BBC Maestro's Agatha Christie Writing Course
1:04:23
1:04:23
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There's a decent chance you've heard about the recent online course put out by BBC Maestro, in which a digitally manipulated representation of Agatha Christie teaches the craft of writing a mystery. Yes, really! I was fortunate enough to sit down with the person responsible for all the research that went into this quite heavily researched project: …
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Click Clack Click Clack DING: The (Fictional) Secretaries of Agatha Christie (with Guest Co-Host Helen Frank)
1:24:22
1:24:22
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1:24:22
When A+++ podcast listener Helen Frank contacted me about doing a themed episode on the secretaries of Agatha Christie, little did I know there would be so much to talk about. And little did she know that I would hoodwink her into co-hosting the episode in question! But I'm so glad I did. I think you'll be as well. Loose Lips, the second book in my…
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Interview with Mystery Author Jeffrey Round
1:14:37
1:14:37
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It was a delight to speak to Jeffrey Round--both about his work, and of course, about Agatha Christie. He is every bit as much of a Christie fan as me, and so many of you.... You can visit Jeffrey at his website, or check out his novel The Sulphur Springs Cure directly. To visit and subscribe to the podcast's Patreon page, click here. Loose Lips, t…
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An Afternoon at the Theater with Hercule Poirot (and Director Christopher Diehl)
1:21:30
1:21:30
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What fun it was to put together this roving episode of All About Agatha! Thanks again to Christopher Diehl for inviting me to A Poirot Double Bill. I'm already looking forward to his next Christie theatrical production. Come see me this week, May 4th-9th, on my tour of the (U.S.) South! Click on my website for more details. Visit and subscribe to t…
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A Christie for Easter: In the Cool of the Evening by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson)
1:54:27
1:54:27
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We've done so many Christies for Christmas, it's about time we did one for Easter. Alas, mutations from the radioactive byproduct of a 1960s-era nuclear power plant did not move me or my guest co-host the way Christie seems to have intended. But perhaps your mileage varies. The following titles are spoiled to varying degrees in this episode: The Ma…
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Interview with Literary Map Designer (Yes, That's a Thing) Ben Olins
1:01:57
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It isn't every day I get to interview a map designer on All About Agatha. Nor is it every day I get to work on a map with a map designer, which is something I've been doing on the side in tribute to my late co-host, Catherine Brobeck, whom Ben and I talk about at some length in our conversation. We also talk some Christie, because of course we do; …
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A *Very Special* Episode: Listener Mail!
1:38:25
1:38:25
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Letters! We get letters! We get stacks and stacks of letters! It's a mailbag-only episode of All About Agatha, and you know what that means: Sia's heartbreaking "Breathe Me" song underlying my chatter at various points in the episode! No, I couldn't have predicted this either, but the Sia is a testament to how deeply I cherish all these messages, a…
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First, dogs. Now, cats. Who knows where this podcast will lead me next? Come see me on tour! 4th-9th of March in the Northeastern U.S.! Visit my website for more details. You can now buy Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in the United States. Check out Kate Jackson's excellent article about cats and mysteries. And…
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A Special Valentine's Day Episode: All About Love in Agatha Christie
1:23:27
1:23:27
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Love and marriage are said to go together like a horse and carriage, but what about love and murder? Like a sheep and herder, maybe? I'm just spitballing here, forgive me; I'm a little delirious after exploring so many iterations of love in so many different Christie works. I hope you enjoy the episode. It was a labor of--well, you know. BLANKET SP…
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Interview with Lucy Foley, Author of The Midnight Feast (and Other Mysteries)
1:03:42
1:03:42
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Chances are you know exactly who Lucy Foley is, and have read one of her bestselling mystery thrillers, all of which have been compared to Agatha Christie. Lucy is also a massive Christie fan herself, and it was such a joy to speak with her about her work, and our shared love of Dame Agatha (and in particular Miss Marple!). Here are a few organizat…
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Special Announcement: I Am Okay, But Next Episode Delayed Due to L.A. Fires
2:42
2:42
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Thank you to everyone for understanding. As I mentioned, here are a few organizations you can contribute to, if you are so inclined. Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation California Community Foundation's Wildlife Recovery American Red Cross The Salvation Army Stay safe, everyone.
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A Special Christmas Episode: Promotion in the Highest by Agatha Christie Mallowan (with Rev. Dr. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson). . . and Some Holiday Poems, Too!
2:01:51
2:01:51
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It's always a joy to have the Reverend Doctor Sarah Hinlicky Wilson on the show to explain to us what the heck Agatha Christie Mallowan is getting at in the extremely personal and extremely Christian short stories she wrote within her Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories collection. Happy holidays to all who celebrate; we certainly know that Agath…
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Beware Poppy and Mandragora: Within a Wall by Agatha Christie (with Guest Co-Host Michelle Kazmer)
1:53:33
1:53:33
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It was a joy to welcome Dr. Michelle Kazmer back on the podcast to discuss an early and unusual Christie short story that contains echoes of so much of what we love about Christie overall. For those in the United States who may be feeling a bit fatigued from all the tryptophan consumed this holiday weekend, just be thankful it's nothing compared to…
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Interview with Maureen Johnson, Author of Death at Morning House
1:06:51
1:06:51
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Take comfort, for Maureen Johnson is back on the podcast to talk about her newest (standalone) YA mystery novel, and to talk about the nature of YA mystery itself! You can find out more about Maureen and check out all her brilliant books at her website here. You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book in my Ghostwriter Mysteries series, here in t…
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A Special HALLOWE'EN SPOOKTACULAR Episode: The Fourth Man by Agatha Christie
1:22:05
1:22:05
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We've got strange goings-on in this early, supernatural Christie short story. What happened to poor Felicie Bault? Could it be a multiple personality disorder? A body swap?! Or something even WEIRDER? You be the judge... but first, delight with me in heaps upon heaps of listener correspondence. Happy Hallowe'en, everyone! For U.S. listeners: pre-or…
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*Crossover Episode* with The Swinging Christies (!!): Ranking the 1960s Novels of Agatha Christie
1:24:48
1:24:48
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Did you know that Superman's appearance on I Love Lucy is considered by some to be the first crossover episode of television? In that case, I was blessed with the appearance of *TWO* supermen on this crossover episode of All About Agatha and The Swinging Christies, in which I sat down (in Agatha Christie's birthplace and on Agatha Christie's birthd…
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Interview with Marci Kay Monson, Author of the New Children's Book, Agatha Christie's The Mysterious Affair at Styles
57:07
57:07
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Marci Kay Monson has created something very interesting in this children's picture-book version of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I can't think of a better way to start off what I hope is a long-running discussion of YA mystery, here on the podcast. You can check out Marci's book on her website here. You can pre-order Loose Lips, the second book …
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*LIVE!* Episode: Agatha Christie's Greatest Screen Adaptation? (Recorded at the 2024 Agatha Christie Festival)
1:45:37
1:45:37
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It's time for another live episode from the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, with a to-die-for panel of Agathologists! And guess what? The sound quality of this one is SUPERB, thanks to the presence of an on-site technician. Thank you to the Festival for making this happen! I hope you all enjoy; I know we did.... I'm appearing at Bloody Scotlan…
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