Mystery Books Podcast

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 🔍 What makes a great detective so irresistible that readers come back book after book? Join me as I explore the great detective trope in mystery fiction, from the sleuths who defined the form to the ones still winning readers over today.🕵️‍♀️ I share why the great detective is a flat-arc character, and why that steady, familiar presence feels so comforting. Then I look at the early pioneers who shaped the trope, and I offer a few starting points if you want to meet the Golden Age greats.📺 I also talk about modern takes on the great detective, both on the page and on TV, including consulting detectives and some unexpected twists on the formula. Tune in for the full reading and watching list.Links: Mysteries in the Mail letters - The Purloined Peacock, physical full-color letters sent to your mailbox in 8 weekly installments beginning January 2027. Preorder closes December 14, 2026. Related MBP Episodes:-S7E4 Why Readers Love Locked Rooms and Impossible Crimes-S7E3 From Miss Marple to Modern Cozies: A Guide to Amateur Sleuth Mysteries-S6E6 Dorothy L. Sayers-S6E1 Agatha Christie-S3 E9 The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers-S2E1 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman-Murder at Archly Manor: Ch 4 + Sherlock Holmes Reading RecommendationsSupport the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! ⛲ What would you do if you received an invitation to a weekend at a grand estate? Accept? Or, if you’re a mystery reader, you might check the guest list for someone with murderous intentions before you RSVP.🏛️ Join me as I look at why this setting has worked for more than a century, how it differs from a village mystery, a locked room, and a closed circle, and which books to try first.📚 I’ll walk through Golden Age country houses, downstairs detectives, modern country house mysteries that still play fair, and a few of my own 1920s house-party mysteries.📥 Download the printable reading list: Country House Mysteries with a Downton Abbey Flavor (PDF).Other episodes you might likeS7E3 From Misx Marple to Modern Cozies: A Guide to Amateur Sleuth MysteriesS7E4 Why Readers Love Locked Rooms and Impossible CrimesS6E1 Agatha Christie: Queen of CrimeS6E3 Constance and Gwenyth LittleS6E5 Georgette HeyerS6E6 Dorothy L. SayersS4E3 The Three Dahlias by Katie WatsonS3E3 Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen CambridgeS1E6 Her Royal Spyness by Rhys BowenShow-notes extraDownload: Country House Mysteries: From Agatha Christie to Modern Manor House Whodunits (reading list PDF)Support the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 🔎 What makes a crime seem truly impossible, and why can't mystery readers get enough of these types of stories? Join me as we unlock the irresistible appeal of locked room mysteries that have delighted readers for over 150 years.🧐 I’ll break down the difference between a locked room mystery and a closed circle — and why readers get genuinely cranky when authors mix them up. 🗝️ Then I’ll  give you some classic locked room stories starting with Edgar Allan Poe, running through the Golden Age, and finishing up with some modern takes on the genre in both books and television. Links:Trope Thesaurus: Mystery and Thriller by Sara Rosett and Jennifer Hilt: https://books2read.com/mysteryandthriller/Related MBP Episodes: Bonus: Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara RosettS6E1 Agatha ChristieS4E5 Crime TV Shows for Cozy Mystery ReadersS3 E5 Under Lock and Skeleton Key by Gigi PandianSupport the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 🧶 What’s an amateur sleuth mystery? One of the most beloved subgenres in mystery fiction! They're stories of an ordinary person, not a professional detective, who solves a crime. 📚 If you love cozy mysteries, classic whodunits, or Golden Age detective fiction, this episode is your guide to the amateur sleuth.🕵️ The amateur sleuth has a long, rich history that spans from Agatha Christie's Miss Marple to Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey to modern cozy mystery series. ⚡️ I also tackle what I call the "special problems" of writing amateur sleuth mysteries, and I break down how the Polish mystery film In for a Murder solves each of the challenges.🔗 For a twice-a-month update on newly released historical mystery books, sign up HERE.Podcasts Mentioned:S1E6 Her Royal SpynessBonus: Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara RosettS6E1 Agatha ChristieS6E6 Dorothy L. SayersS2 E5 - The Mimosa Tree Mystery by Ovidia YuS4E5 Crime TV Shows for Cozy Mystery ReadersS2E4 Mystery in TranslationS2 E1 - Thursday Murder Club by Richard OsmanS2 E3 A Peculiar CombinationBooks on Writing Fiction:Trope Thesaurus: Mystery and Thriller by Sara Rosett and Jennifer Hilt: https://books2read.com/mysteryandthriller/How to Outline a Cozy Mystery by Sara Roset: https://books2read.com/howtocozySupport the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 🔎 Ready for your next whodunit? Let’s talk about mysteries arriving in early 2026. Join me as I dive into the most exciting upcoming classic-style whodunits releasing from January to March 2026—think locked rooms, closed circles, clever clues, and satisfying reveals that echo the Golden Age greats.Get a curated preview of fresh releases and rediscovered gems, including debuts like The Murder at World’s End and A Field Guide to Murder, British Library Crime Classics reprints, a meta-Holmes homage in The Final Problem, and my own Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra, which is perfect historical if you want a Golden Age travel whodunit.Support the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! ❣️ Valentine’s Day is coming up, so what better time to talk about romantic couples who just happen to solve mysteries. I explore the enduring appeal of romantic detective pairings, breaking down why mysteries with relationship arcs and witty banter keep fans turning the pages. You'll hear how opposites attract, expert/novice combos, and slice-of-life moments bring these stories to life.Get a curated tour through time, from Victorian Egypt to 1920s drawing rooms to modern art heists, as I share my list of couples—from Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson to Nick and Nora Charles. Add a few titles to your TBR stack and see how dynamic duos make whodunits twice as intriguing.Get a printable PDF of the list here. Support the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 📬 Do you love mysteries where the format is part of the puzzle? What about crime fiction told through letters, emails, and documents? If you answered yes to either question, join me as I explore epistolary mysteries—one of my favorite subsets of the mystery genre.✉️ I share the inspiration behind my own Mysteries in the Mail letter subscription featuring Lady Eileen and Fitzhugh, two delightful characters whose adventures are told in installments mailed in physical letters.📖 Then I delve into epistolary crime fiction, and I also discuss epistolary-adjacent mysteries like interactive puzzle books and crime fiction where letters play a key role in the plot.📚 Read-alike recommendations include classic epistolary mysteries, puzzle books, and more letter-based crime fiction to add to your TBR pile, all of which make fantastic gifts for mystery readers. Links mentioned in this episode:Mysteries in the Mail by Sara Rosett: https://sararosettbooks.com/products/mysteries-in-the-mailEpistolary Mystery Novels:The Appeal by Janice Hallett: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54621096-the-appealWhere'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13526165-where-d-you-go-bernadetteCurrently Reading:Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1499952.Daddy_Long_LegsTo Read:The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/129117.The_Spellman_FilesThe Documents in the Case by Dorothy L. Sayers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/130633488-the-documents-in-the-case-by-dorothy-l-sayers-and-robert-eustaceDeath on the Down Beat by Sebastian Farr: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61041891-death-on-the-down-beatEpistolary-Adjacent : Interactive Puzzles:Cain's Jawbone by E. Powys Mathers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50074593-cain-s-jawboneThe Creeping Hand Murders by Maureen Johnson: You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222683984-you-are-the-detectiveThe Museum Heist by Henry Lewis: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/173404229-the-museum-heistEpistolary-Adjacent : Crime Fiction with Letters:The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9672561-the-brothers-of-baker-streetThe Missing Maid by Holly Hepburn: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203020023-the-missing-maidSupport the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 🚢 What secrets unravel when a murderer strikes aboard a Nile steamer? In this special bonus episode, I take you behind the scenes of my new mystery novel, Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra, the second book in the 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series.🔎 I share how Blix and Hildy's tranquil cruise turns into a classic closed-circle whodunit filled with secrets, intriguing characters, and plenty of 1920s flair. 🤫 I give you behind-the-scenes research tidbits, talk about the special edition features, and let you know how to get the book or audiobook.If you love whodunits with rich settings, this episode is for you—happy sleuthing!🏺Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra Special Edition: https://sararosettbooks.com/collections/murder-on-the-s-s-cleopatra📚For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: High Society Lady Detective series Support the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 🔍 Ever wondered what happens when you combine medieval French scholarship, advertising expertise, and detective fiction? Meet Dorothy L. Sayers, whose Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries revolutionized the genre.✍️ Join me as I explore the interesting career of one of the founding authors of the Detection Club who wrote mysteries where love bloomed between intellectual equals then went on to write something completely different! Where to start with Dorothy L. Sayers books: If you like to start at the beginning of a series, the first Lord Peter Wimsey book is Whose Body?I recommend The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, which I have a podcast about: S4EP: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers https://www.sararosett.com/mbps3ep9/For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: High Society Lady Detective series 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series  Sources: https://www.sayers.org.uk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_L._Sayershttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Dorothy-L-SayersSupport the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.Support the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.

Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello! 🎭 Did you know the Queen of Regency Romance was also a master of murder mysteries? Join me as we explore Georgette Heyer's lesser-known but equally interesting career as a crime writer.🏰 Heyer’s mysteries usually revolved around country house murders with police sleuths, Superintendent Hannasyde and Inspector Hemingway. ⭐️ Whether you're a fan of her Regency romances or new to Heyer, you'll discover why her twelve mystery novels still intrigue fans today.Where to start with Georgette Heyer’s books:One of my favorites is Footsteps in the Dark, which has a fun, breezy tone and lots of gothic and thriller elements as well as a murder mystery. For more classic whodunits, check out my books in print, audio, or ebook: High Society Lady Detective series 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt seriesSources: https://www.officialgeorgetteheyer.com/books/https://cozy-mystery.com/georgette-heyer.htmlhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11343817-georgette-heyer-mystery-collectionhttps://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/55450-the-reclusive-author-who-only-gave-one-interview.htmlhttps://interestingliterature.com/2016/05/five-fascinating-facts-about-georgette-heyer/Support the show📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com 🔎  Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.