Classic Mysteries
177 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 60 ratingsShort reviews of classic mystery novels and stories that are worth reading and re-reading
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
"Beware of the Trains," by Edmund Crispin
May 13, 2019 19:34 - 6 minutes - 5.63 MBSixteen stories, mostly of murder, a fair amount of seeming impossibilities - and Gervase Fen to show why they're not as impossible as they may seem.
"Challenge the Impossible," by Edward D. Hoch
May 06, 2019 12:16 - 7 minutes - 6.89 MBThe fifth and final collection of Edward D. Hoch's marvelous stories featuring Dr. Sam Hawthorne, who delights in solving crimes that seem to be impossible.
"The Case of the Haven Hotel," by Christopher Bush
April 28, 2019 14:45 - 5 minutes - 5.25 MBPrivate investigator Ludovic Travers and his friend and frequent colleague, Scotland Yard Superintendent George Wharton, uncover strange and deadly doings at an English seaside resort.
"Pass the Body," by Christopher St. John Sprigg
April 21, 2019 16:50 - 4 minutes - 4.45 MBMurder in a locked room, an impossible disappearance, and a lot of residents who seem to be living in fear. Former detective Charles Venables must follow sometimes gruesome clues to find the secrets behind the terrors of the Garden Hotel.
"And Death Came Too," by Richard Hull
April 15, 2019 14:58 - 5 minutes - 4.99 MBsome "bright young people" are invited to a late night gathering after a charity ball - but what they find is hardly what they expect: the wrong owner of the house, a vanishing lady, and a champagne-stealing young constable are pieces of a puzzle, and so is the uninvited guest: Death.
"Death of a Doll," by Hilda Lawrence
April 08, 2019 00:50 - 5 minutes - 5.21 MBIn only a few minutes time, Ruth Miller, moving to a new apartment in a lovely boarding hotel called Hope House, saw her dream of peace and happiness transformed into a horrible nightmare. What had happened - and was anyone else safe from the madness there?
"Portrait of a Murderer," by Anne Meredith
March 23, 2019 23:42 - 4 minutes - 4.55 MBAdrian Gray died violently, at the hands of one member of his family. Will the killer be able to deflect suspicion and get away with murder? Or will the unexpected play a significant role in the course of events?
"Five Little Pigs," by Agatha Christie
March 22, 2019 18:35 - 4 minutes - 4.37 MBCarolyn Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband. She died in prison. Sixteen years later, her daughter came to Hercule Poirot and asked him to find evidence that her mother was innocent - or that would prove her guilt.
"Maigret Enjoys Himself," by Georges Simenon
March 18, 2019 11:06 - 5 minutes - 4.88 MBMaigret's wife and doctor wanted him to take a vacation - and Maigret had to find a way to stay informed about a murder investigation.
"Who Killed Dick Whittington?," by E. & M.A. Radford
March 10, 2019 22:49 - 6 minutes - 6.23 MBA holiday pantomime of the folk story of Dick Whittington and his cat has an unexpected ending: the actress playing Dick Whittington dies onstage - victim of cyanide poisoning.
"The Strange Case of Harriet Hall," by Moray Dalton
March 04, 2019 01:11 - 5 minutes - 5 MBThe very odd behavior of the woman calling herself "Harriet Hall" seemed frightening to members of the Dene family. But who uncovered Harriet's secret life - and did it lead directly to murder?
"Murder by Matchlight," by E. C. R. Lorac
February 19, 2019 23:44 - 5 minutes - 5.48 MBChief Inspector Macdonald will have his hands full as he tries to determine who has done what and to whom...
"Fen Country," by Edmund Crispin
February 18, 2019 02:31 - 5 minutes - 4.65 MBA posthumous collection of more than two dozen stories by Edmund Crispin, written with the author's signature style of clever plotting and witty writing.
"Murder Fantastical," by Patricia Moyes
February 09, 2019 17:47 - 4 minutes - 4.53 MBThe Manciples were a delightfully eccentric family - but could one of them have murdered a particularly unpleasant neighbor?
"A Shilling for Candles," by Josephine Tey
February 03, 2019 23:23 - 5 minutes - 5.46 MBChristine Clay's name may be known and loved by fans around the world, but when she is found dead on the beach, Inspector Alan Grant must find out who hated her enough to kill her.
"The Colour of Murder," by Julian Symons
January 28, 2019 00:33 - 4 minutes - 4.37 MBDid the accused man really commit the murder - and was it all revealed in his answers to the psychiatrist's questions?
"The Dark Garden," by E. R. Punshon
January 20, 2019 20:16 - 5 minutes - 4.7 MBIt began with accusations of embezzlement, and the number of both suspects and potential motives just kept growing.
"Trouble in Triplicate," by Rex Stout
January 13, 2019 20:36 - 5 minutes - 4.8 MBEven Nero Wolfe knows that it's hard to keep someone from being murdered if the killer is determined enough. Here are three examples...
"The Green Ace," by Stuart Palmer
January 06, 2019 17:25 - 5 minutes - 4.85 MBAndy Rowan stands convicted for a murder he says he didn't do. Only schoolteacher Hildegarde Withers believes him - but can she prove it before Rowan's date with the electric chair?
"The Belting Inheritance," by Julian Symons
December 29, 2018 23:20 - 5 minutes - 4.99 MBDavid Wainwright was killed in World War II - or was he? His mother welcomed him - his brothers called him an impostor. But was he a murderer?
"Death of an Old Girl," by Elizabeth Marchand
December 24, 2018 17:22 - 5 minutes - 4.89 MBBeatrice Baynes, an alumna (or "old girl") of the Meldon School for Girls, was irritating and opinionated. But surely there must have been a better reason than that for her murder.
"More Murder in a Nunnery," by Eric Shepherd
December 16, 2018 23:08 - 5 minutes - 4.6 MBThe Convent's Reverend Mother teams up with Scotland Yard Deputy Commissioner Andrew Pearson to solve the mystery of the dead man who turned up on the Convent's compost heap.
The Twelve Reading Days of Christmas
December 10, 2018 01:50 - 10 minutes - 9.29 MBHolidays give us time to read - and here are my suggestions for a dozen fine mysteries for your enjoyment!
"The Division Bell Mystery," by Ellen Wilkinson
December 03, 2018 01:48 - 6 minutes - 6.15 MBThe division bell rang, calling members to vote - and then the shot rang out. Who shot the financier?
"Hercule Poirot's Christmas," by Agatha Christie
November 27, 2018 23:32 - 4 minutes - 2.78 MBNothing like a good old fashioned Christmas house party - with a good olld fashioned bloody murder for Poirot to solve!
"The Arsenal Stadium Mystery," by Leonard Gribble
November 25, 2018 17:00 - 5 minutes - 4.77 MB70 thousand spectators came out to watch the pros of Arsenal take on a team of gifted amateurs. N70 thousand spectators came out to watch the pros of Arsenal take on a team of gifted amateurs. None of them expected murder.one of them expected murder.
"Murder Down Under," by Arthur Upfield
November 18, 2018 19:30 - 6 minutes - 6.33 MBJust the kind of case for Bony - Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte - a disappearance without a single clue. And then there's the missing man's curious neighbor, Mr. Jelly, with his fascination with crime...
"The Long Divorce," by Edmund Crispin
November 07, 2018 23:06 - 5 minutes - 4.61 MBThe anonymous letters amounted to moral blackmail - and it was too much for at least one victim. Could Gervase Fen act in time to prevent another murder?
"The Conqueror Inn," by E. R. Punshon
November 01, 2018 21:31 - 6 minutes - 5.53 MBA dead body, so disfigured after death as to be unrecognizable, is discovered near an old and gloomy inn. With World War Two battering Britain, Inspector Bobby Owen must track down a killer - once he can figure out whose body is lying there.
"Three Plots for Asey Mayo," by Phoebe Atwood Taylor
October 28, 2018 20:08 - 6 minutes - 11.5 MBAsey Mayo, the handyman-turned-sleuth from Cape Cod, becomes involved in finding solutions to three complex murder plots.
"Murder Has a Motive," by Francis Duncan
October 20, 2018 00:14 - 4 minutes - 4.04 MBWas the murder really nothing more than a senseless killing? Or is it really true that murder must have a motive? And can that motive be uncovered in time to prevent more deaths?
"Maigret's Travels," by Georges Simenon
October 15, 2018 23:14 - 5 minutes - 5.25 MBChief Detective Inspector Maigret must try to find a killer operating among people of wealth and enormous influence.
"The Singing Masons," by Francis Vivian
October 14, 2018 18:57 - 4 minutes - 4.49 MBInspector Knollis knows a great deal about beekeeping - knowledge that will be vital to solving the murder of a most unpleasant man.
"The Widow's Cruise," by Nicholas Blake
September 16, 2018 18:05 - 5 minutes - 5.4 MBNigel Strangeways was anticipating a quiet cruise. What he found was a lot of fellow cruisers with secret agendas of their own that would lead to murder.
"Murder a la Mode," by Patricia Moyes
September 09, 2018 16:02 - 6 minutes - 5.57 MBWhen an editor of "Style" magazine is murdered, the night before a major issue is due at the printer, Inspector Henry Tibbett must explore the complicated relationships among the magazine's staff that might have led to murder.
"Excellent Intentions," by Richard Hull
September 06, 2018 22:56 - 6 minutes - 5.75 MBHenry Cargate was dead, and virtually everyone was glad - except the police, for there is never a license to kill the truly objectionable.
"A Nice Class of Corpse," by Simon Brett
September 04, 2018 23:27 - 6 minutes - 5.62 MBA deadly and not-so-accidental fall down a flight of steps threatens the "niceness" of an exclusive residential hotel. And then Mrs. Pargeter decides to investigate a clear case of murder.
"The Murder of My Aunt," by Richard Hull
September 02, 2018 21:47 - 5 minutes - 4.97 MBEdward Powell cannot abide his aunt, and the feeling is mutual. Edward thinks a nice convenient murder would solve the problem. It may be a touch more difficult than he imagines.
"And Dangerous to Know," by Elizabeth Daly
August 26, 2018 23:17 - 5 minutes - 4.73 MBWhen a young woman disappears without a trace, her family asks Henry Gamadge to help find her. What he finds is a web of hidden passions that lead to murder.
"Lonelyheart 4122," by Colin Watson
August 19, 2018 18:16 - 5 minutes - 5.18 MBThe women who disappeared had all met a charming man quite recently...but nobody except the missing women could describe the man they knew as Lonelyheart 4122. Then Miss Teatime came along...
"Too Many Women," by Rex Stout
August 13, 2018 01:11 - 5 minutes - 5.09 MBTo catch a murderous hit-and-run driver, Archie Goodwin finds himself in a workplace with hundreds of young women - but will Nero Wolfe get the facts he needs to avert more deaths?
"The Case of the Murdered Major," by Christopher Bush
August 06, 2018 02:35 - 6 minutes - 5.85 MBEveryone hated Major Stirrop, the camp commandant - but who actually killed him?
"Weekend at Thrackley," by Alan Melville
July 26, 2018 19:38 - 4 minutes - 4.31 MBJim Henderson wondered why he had been invited to spend a weekend at a country house, a place where the jewels vanished and so did some of the guests.
"Murder for Christmas," by Francis Duncan
July 22, 2018 18:52 - 5 minutes - 4.86 MBMordecai Tremaine invstigates a murder that spoils a house party.
"Ordeal By Innocence," by Agatha Christie
July 15, 2018 18:21 - 5 minutes - 4.86 MBJacko Argyle was convicted of murdering his mother. He died in prison. Now, years after the guilty verdict, there's proof of his innocence. That means somebody else in the family must be a murderer...
"My Kingdom for a Hearse," by Craig Rice
July 07, 2018 15:26 - 5 minutes - 5.11 MBThe supermodel Delora Deanne was a composite, really, of many actresses. Now it looked as if somebody was quite literally taking her apart.
"The Linking Rings," by John Gaspard
July 01, 2018 23:12 - 5 minutes - 10.3 MBMurder amid a performance by talented stage magicians leaves the police wondering if they can believe their eyes.
"Blood on the Tracks: Train Mysteries," edited by Martin Edwards
June 28, 2018 01:12 - 6 minutes - 11.7 MBFrom Conan Doyle to Michael Gilbert, here's a collection of stories about crime in, on, and around trains, edited bu Martin Edwards.
"Keep it Quiet," by Richard Hull
June 16, 2018 15:29 - 5 minutes - 4.84 MBBenson, the chef at the Whitehall Club, may have made a fatal mistake, using the poison instead of the vanilla extract. Wouldn't it be wonderful if that mistake could only be hushed up? It's not going to be as easy as it may sound...
"Death on the Aisle," by Frances and Richard Lockridge
June 11, 2018 00:59 - 4 minutes - 4.3 MBWherever they go, Pam and Jerry North do have an unfortunate tendency to turn up dead bodies., much to the dismay of their good friend, Lieutenant (now Acting Captain) Bill Weigand. This time, it's murder in a Broadway theater - and Pam North might end up in a featured role...