29 episodes
Tea & Murder: An Agatha Christie Podcast Rebecca Thandi Norman
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4.4 • 30 Ratings
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The opposite of true crime. Part book club, part interview show, Tea & Murder is a podcast all about Agatha Christie and her work. Every episode, host Rebecca Thandi Norman has an exciting guest to discuss an Agatha Christie book, story, or play of their choice. With a smattering of literary analysis and a big dose of humor, Rebecca and her guest dive into why we like the things we like, what makes a great mystery, and every conceivable element of the Agatha Christie universe. Welcome to Tea & Murder!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bonus Episode: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd with Kate Krosschell
Tea & Murder's very own producer Kate Krosschell finally read a Christie, so of course we talked to her about it! She sits down with host Rebecca Thandi Norman to discuss the classic twist in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (pssst: spoilers for this book!) and the "unreliable narrator" trope. Did Kate guess the murderer? Yes! Did that stop her from enjoying the book? Thankfully, no!
This episode is a bonus mini-episode between seasons 2 and 3. Get ready for season 3, launching soon!
Want to read it for yourself?
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd:
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9781957240145
Have feedback for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email teaandmurderpodcast@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram at @teaandmurder.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
At Bertam's Hotel with Dr Mark Aldridge
In the final episode of season 2, host Rebecca Thandi Norman speaks with Christie historian and writer Dr Mark Aldridge about a Miss Marple mystery that they both love: At Bertram's Hotel. Mark and Rebecca discuss the way Christie approaches the changes of the 1960s, the fantastic character of Bess Sedgwick, and why this is a book that may not be for those who want lots of clues and a big reveal at the end. They even imagine another ending (tell us if you prefer it too!).
Mark is currently co-hosting the fabulous podcast "The Swinging Christies" with writer Gray Robert Brown, all about Christie's work in the sixties. Find it here.
Read Mark's books:
Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9780008296643
Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert on Wickedness
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9780008522698
Agatha Christie On Screen:
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9781349676958
Mentioned in this episode:
Curtain Up: Agatha Christie: A Life in the Theatre by Julius Green
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9780062313393
Have feedback for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email teaandmurderpodcast@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram at @teaandmurder.
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Murder on the Links with Ragnar Jonasson
At age 17, Ragnar Jonasson began translating Agatha Christie books into his native Icelandic. Years later, Ragnar is a crime writer himself, specialising in the region's beloved "Nordic Noir" genre, but he still loves Christie's work. Jonasson and host Rebecca Thandi Norman talk about Ragnar's work as a translator, why he loves the Poirot & Hastings combination, and what book took the longest to translate. They discuss Murder on the Links, a book that Ragnar has a special connection to, and why it's a charming example of Christie's early Poirots.
There is a partial spoiler for Lord Edgware Dies; one clue is partially revealed in a discussion of translation.
Find out more about Ragnar Jonasson:
http://www.ragnarjonasson.com/ // https://www.instagram.com/ragnarjo/?hl=en
Our next book (and the final episode of season 2!) is At Bertram's Hotel:
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9780062073693
Have feedback for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email teaandmurderpodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Instagram at @teaandmurder.
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An Appointment with Death with Manon Wogahn
**Please note that this episode contains mentions of suicide as part of the book discussion. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you are not alone. Please reach out to a loved one or a hotline in your country. All international hotlines can be found here.**
We're chatting with Manon Wogan, the creator of Bookstagram account @mysterymanon and the fantastic The Cluesletter newsletter. Host Rebecca and Manon are talking about how to get involved with book-focused social media and dive into An Appointment with Death, the Christie book with a psychological edge.
From talking about who they wish had been the murderer to why this book is different from all other Christies, Manon and Rebecca leave no stone unturned. Manon shares where this book sits for her in terms of her favorite Agatha Christies, other authors she loves, and what makes Poirot such an enduring character.
Spoilers for An Appointment with Death and (sorry) by-proxy spoilers for Murder on the Orient Express.
Follow @mysterymanon:
https://www.instagram.com/mysterymanon/?hl=en
Sign up for The Cluesletter:
https://www.manonwogahn.com/welcome-cluesletter/
Our next episode is the penultimate episode of season 2! We'll be reading Murder on the Links:
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9780525565086
Have feedback for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email teaandmurderpodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Instagram at @teaandmurder.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
The Pale Horse with Freya McOmish
In this episode of Tea & Murder, host Rebecca Thandi Norman chats with digital designer, filmmaker, and astrology expert Freya McOmish. They discuss Agatha Christie's astrological birth chart, what makes astrology interesting, and how Chrstie typically includes spiritual and/or occult elements in her work.
In the book club portion of the interview. Rebecca and Freya dive into The Pale Horse, the ideal book to reflect on how Christie often uses spiritual elements as a plot device in her mysteries. Please note that there are non-specific spoilers for The Pale Horse in this episode!
In this episode, Freya mentions her forthcoming website, WooWoo. It is mentioned as www.woowoo.ooo, which is now redirected to www.hellowoowoo.com Stay tuned for updates!
Looking for where to start with astrology? Freya recommends Astrology Zone with Susan Miller:
https://www.astrologyzone.com/
Next episode, we'll be talking about An Appointment with Death:
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9780062074119
Have feedback for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email teaandmurderpodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Instagram at @teaandmurder.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
The Mousetrap with Kristian Husted
"The Mousetrap" is the longest running play of all time; we're discussing what keeps audiences coming back to this charming production! Director Kristian Husted recently staged a version with Copenhagen Theatre Circle, the English-language amateur theatre company based in Copenhagen. He speaks with host Rebecca Thandi Norman about the enduring appeal of the play, how to stage a mystery, and how to direct a play you've never seen before.
Don't worry, there are NO SPOILERS in this episode. You're welcome!
Please note that CTC's production of "The Mousetrap" has already run; we recorded this episode pre-release.
See more about Copenhagen Theatre Circle here:
https://ctcircle.dk/
Our next episode features The Pale Horse:
https://bookshop.org/a/87919/9780062074119
Have feedback for us? We'd love to hear from you! Email teaandmurderpodcast@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Instagram at @teaandmurder.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Customer Reviews
Wonderful content; sometimes poor audio and uninteresting guests
I have been an Agatha Christie fan for 30 years, and I’ve been an avid listener of the ‘All About Agatha’ podcast for several years now. So I was delighted to find ‘Tea and Murder’. I appreciate that Ms. Norman is not trying to recreate the wonderful format of ‘All About Agatha’. Overall, this is a great podcast for Christie fans, and I enjoy listening to anyone who loves to talk about Christie’s work as much as I do.
I only have two reservations: (1) The sound quality of the guests is sometimes disappointing. For example, the recent interview with Christie scholar John Curran was very difficult to hear. This has been true on a few other occasions. Perhaps this is just a learning curve for the producer. (2) My other concern relates to one specific interview. I don’t want to be overly critical, but I did not enjoy hearing how much a guest hated ‘Cards on the Table’. The bulk of the guest’s criticism seemed to focus on the fact that Agatha Christie’s characters reflected many of the prejudices of their time, class, and nationality. All the Christie fans I know freely admit that there are statements and depictions in Christie’s books that feel stuck in their time. Sometimes it’s clear that Christie is putting offensive words into characters’ mouths. There are also times when it seems that the offensive comments and ideas line up quite closely with Christie’s own beliefs and ideas. I’m a politically liberal gay man, but I don’t expect writers from 80 years ago to perfectly align with all of my values. I read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Evelyn Waugh, Emily Dickinson, Hemingway, etc. and sometimes cringe at certain comments and attitudes. It was disappointing to tune into that particular episode and hear the guest complain non-stop about how much she hated reading ‘Cards on the Table.’ I often enjoy hearing the views of people who don’t like Christie or certain aspects of her work, but this particular guest didn’t say anything new or interesting or illuminating. It was just a torrent of derision. But I will keep listening!
Great content, terrible audio quality
As a huge Christie fan I was excited for this podcast, however, I find it very difficult to keep listening. The audio quality of the host and the guests are drastically different, so different in fact that I find myself turning up the volume to hear the guests and then turning it back down when the host talks. There is something very grating about how often and how clearly I can hear the host sucking their teeth and smacking their lips but can barely hear what the guests are saying. All the other audio issues I can deal with but the lip smacking/teeth sucking is maddening it’s like listening to someone eat in asmr.
Great content but poor audio quality
I’ve tried listening to the first three episodes. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to force myself to continue listening about three of my favorite Agatha Christie novels. The host’s audio quality is great, but for me each of the three guests are unlistenable. I’ll keep trying. I hope that the quality improves in subsequent episodes.