ArtsBooksFictionLeisureHobbies

In GAD We Trust

Jim Noy

Looking at different topics in detective fiction published during the Golden Age of 1920-1940 (precise dates may vary...)

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 1 hr 10 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

May 9 · 1 hr 10 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 37: Universe Building with a Light Touch via The Beanstalk Murder (2024) and The Big Bad Wolf Murder (2025) by P.G. Bell [w’ P.G. Bell]
Earlier this year, I stumbled over The Beanstalk Murder (2024) by P.G Bell, a superb crossover mystery which imports the tenets of a well-clued mystery into the world of Jack and the Beanstalk. Bell’s second novel along this line, The Big Bad Wolf Murder (2025), followed in due course, and a few weeks ago he was kind enough to sit down with me and talk about the writing of these two excellent books. The general thrust of this conversation, available here as a podcast episode for your ears to listen to, was examining how to create a lightly-realised alternative universe which nevertheless has superb depth in its writing…most of which has to be implied, since younger readers don’t want to sit through 20 pages of Elvish songs and lore. And Peter, to give Bell his True Name, is very thoughtful and generous in his reflections, which you can listen to even if you’ve not read the books because everything here is free of spoilers. If you’ve ever wondered about the process of crafting a book, especially one not set in the real world, there’s a great deal to learn from the insight shared here, not least how much damn work can go into appearing so effortless. Also, wow, how sanitised has Little Red Riding Hood become down the years??! You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. My thanks to Peter for his time, and for all the work that went into these superb books, to you for being a patient audience where these unpredictably-released episodes are concerned, and to Jonny Berliner for the music. There was due to be another IGWT episode soon, but some rescheduling became necessary and so you should expect it sometime in August now. Which probably means it’ll come out in October. 2028. Happy reading! ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found on the blog here.
Dec 13, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 36: Building the Perfect Pastiche, via The Return of Moriarty (2025) by Jack Anderson [w’ Jack Anderson]
A bit of pre-Christmas podcasting for you, as I sit down with Jack Anderson, author of The Return of Moriarty (2025) which, honestly now, is probably the very best Sherlock Holmes universe pastiche I’ve ever read. Picking up — spoilers for ‘The Final Problem’ (1893) in case you’re 132 years behind on your TBR — after Holmes and Professor James Moriarty have gone over the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, Jack’s book posits a world in which Moriarty lives and, with his empire in ruins, must find a way to survive while keeping his identity secret. So how do you go about writing a book about such a famous villain? How do you make him someone the reader wants to spend time with? And, given how little there is about Moriarty in Doyle’s canon, how can an author claim to be sticking to the principles of the characters as originally laid out? Into this and more do we get, all without spoilers so that you’re free once you’re done listening to add this to your Christmas list, or to just go and buy your own copy, and enjoy it with Jack’s thoughtful answers to my nosy questions fresh in your mind. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks go to Jack for both his time and the work that went into this wonderful book, to Jonny Berliner for my music, and to you, as ever, my faithful audience who continue to listen to these episodes even though my release schedule is a surprise even to me these days. Podcasting remains something I am committed to, but it’s so much more fun when I can do episodes like this which genuinely interest me, and I’m grateful for the patience of those of you who are happy to listen as and when and if new material is released. Now, go and buy The Return of Moriarty; I non-legally-bindingly guarantee you won’t regret it. ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found here.
Sep 13, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 35: The Murder Game: Play, Puzzles and the Golden Age (2025) by John Curran [w’ John Curran]
Nothing for a year, then two in consecutive weekends — it’s a podcastpalooza! 11th September 2025 saw the publication not just of Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife (2025) by Martin Edwards, but also the new non-fiction book from John Curran, The Murder Game: Play, Puzzles and the Golden Age (2025). And, like Martin last week, John has been kind enough to join me to talk about the writing of the book and much more besides. The essential tenet of John’s book — that a deliberate, observed, and expectation-governed element of rule-based observation forms a central pole holding up the tent that is the game played with Golden Age detective fiction — won’t, I think, be too controversial to anyone reading this. But to see him examine it so thoroughly in print, and to have stirred into the mix not just examples of ludic aspects from the book, but also commentary from critics both at the time and since, really is quite delightful if, like me, you’ve committed far too much of your life to reading books in this genre — time that could have been easily wasted on far less important things. So, we get into the book’s origins, discuss some of the principles herein, digress into the career of S.S. van Dine, and generally pick apart the game in all its glory. Hopefully this proves an enjoyable listen, and please do rush out and buy the book once you’re done listening. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks to John for his time, to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you, my increasingly patient audience, as these episodes drip out from invisible Event Towers at unpredictable intervals. And, no, no podcast next week; I originally had plans to release one per weekend in September, but they fell through and so not even I know when the next one will be. In the meantime, if you’re interested in the GAD-focussed cryptic crosswords I wrote that got a mention in the above, it turns out there are actually three of them: One based around the Hercule Poirot books. One based around the non-Poirot books. And one in which the answers are all detectives. So that might keep some of you entertained, at least.
Sep 6, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 34: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife (2025) and The (Expanded) Golden Age of Murder (2025) by Martin Edwards [w’ Martin Edwards]
I promised you more podcast, and wouldn’t have blamed you for not believing me; but more podcast there is today for your listening pleasure. Martin Edwards, current President of the Detection Club and winner of just about every crime writing award going, has a new book out next week: the very enjoyable and playful Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife (2025). And he kindly gave of his time to discuss the new book, how it differs from the sort of thing he’s written to date, and the creation process in general. Of course, we also had to discuss the recently-updated (and now ten years old — gulp!) The Golden Age of Murder (2025) and get a few words in about Martin’s work with the brilliantly successful British Library Crime Classics range…so there’s plenty to chew over in these 65 minutes. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. My thanks to Martin for his time, to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you, dear listener, for making these podcasts worth doing. More podcast at some point — I’m committed to getting to episode #40, even if I don’t have the entire route mapped out — and I hope all remains happy and healthy in your lives in the meantime.
Sep 7, 2024 · 1 hr 8 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 33: Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness (2024) by Mark Aldridge [w’ Mark Aldridge]
Another surprise episode of my increasingly-irregular podcast In GAD We Trust, this time featuring Mark Aldridge in discussion about his new book, Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness (2024). Yes, finally some good news: four years on from his excellent Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World (2020), in which he charted the evolution of little Hercule through books, films, TV, video games, and all other media adaptations, Mark has returned to do the same for Aunt Jane, in a sumptuously-illustrated book that takes you chronologically through all the different faces of the world’s most popular spinster detective. Did Christie ever bet on the Grand National? Which of her characters has been mis-named in a majority of printings? Which book might you not have read the full text of? All this and more is revealed in Mark’s book, and also discussed in the 68 minutes of chat below…so learn the answers whichever way appeals the most. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks go of course to Mark for his time, to Harper Collins for providing me with an early copy of the book, to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you, dear listener, for your continued interest in this ever-unpredictable endeavour of mine. I’ve committed to getting to 40 episodes, and I will, but I’ll get there in my own time! And, if you’re heading to the Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, let Mark know you listened to this interview. I make no money or anything from this, but he would probably appreciate knowing that this was a valid use of his time. He’s always wonderful to talk to, and I’d love the chance to pick his brains again when that mystery next book comes out… Stay safe; more podcast…eventually. ~ Previous episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found here.
Dec 16, 2023 · 56 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 32: The Revival of James Ronald [w’ Chris Verner]
Five and a half years ago I tracked down and read an obscure novelette by long-forgotten British pulp writer James Ronald, which set me on the trail of his far-from-readily-available other works. This week, Moonstone Press published the first two in a series of reprints that will see Ronald’s entire criminous catalogue made available, and series editor Chris Verner is here to tell us all about it. Chris has spent the last year and a half trawling through Ronald’s works both in this genre and otherwise in order to ensure that we’re getting as much of his criminal imaginings as possible, and the one thing that comes across here is the sheer amount of work that has gone into tracking down stories by an author whose output is, at best, slightly unknown. A phenomenal effort, and incredible to think of this going on behind the scenes for so long. And, thankfully, such immersion has not dimmed Chris’ enthusiasm for Ronald’s output — there’s much to enjoy in the man’s writing, and we get to discussing the appeal and quality of his prose along the way as well. If this doesn’t whet your appetite, you are, frankly, beyond hope. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks to Chris for throwing so much light upon proceedings and for all the work he’s done on behalf of our little community of classic era crime fiction nerds, to Jonny Berliner for my theme music, and to you at home for listening and — I’m anticipating a bit here — going out to support these books as they become available. More podcast next year; see you then! ~ The James Ronald Stories of Crime and Detection, published by Moonstone Press: The Dr. Britling Stories (1929-31) Murder in the Family (1936) This Way Out (1939) They Can’t Hang Me (1938) The Dark Angel (1930) Cross Marks the Spot (1933) Death Croons the Blues (1934) Hard-Boiled (1937) Murder for Cash (1938) Counsel for the Defence (1932) The Sealed Room Murder (1934) She Got What She Asked For (1941)
Dec 2, 2023 · 1 hr 3 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 31: Bodies from the Library 6 (2023) ed. Tony Medawar [w’ Tony Medawar]
Another year, another Bodies from the Library collection — incredibly, the sixth — and another opportunity to sit down with Tony Medawar and talk about the wonderful work he’s doing on all our behalfs. As well as discussing the contents of the latest collection — all spoiler-free, of course — we get into the details of the series as a whole and the various decisions that go into such a long-term project. That done, we turn our eye upon the other intriguing projects that Tony has on the go at present that are going to make life all the more exciting for we classic detective fiction nerds in the coming months and years. Prepare to be enticed… You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks to Tony for his time and the work he’s doing, to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you, dear listeners, for playing along at home. There will be more In GAD We Trust before Christmas, that much I can promise. Now, please, go out and buy at least one of the Bodies collections for someone in your life this festive season, and make this old man very happy.
Oct 7, 2023 · 1 hr
In GAD We Trust – Episode 30: The Joys of Detective Fiction + Montgomery Bonbon: Death at the Lighthouse (2023) by Alasdair Beckett-King [w’ Alasdair Beckett-King]
The return of my In GAD We Trust podcast, and a welcome return for Alasdair Beckett-King, comedian and now children’s author. Since last appearing on the podcast, Alasdair has written two books for younger readers — Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum (2023) and Montgomery Bonbon: Death at the Lighthouse (2023) — and so joins me this time to discuss mystery fiction and the writing thereof. Because I wrote a book myself, you may remember, so we’re positive old hands at this. How many Agatha Christie novels has Alasdair read? What does he think of the Sarah Phelps adaptations of Christie’s work? Is classic detective fiction effectively sat in a fantasy world? And how likely is it that a child wearing a false moustache would be taken as an adult by everyone they meet? Some of this, and much more besides, is answered below, so here’s hoping it passes a pleasant hour for those of you who might be interested. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. My thanks, of course, to Alasdair for his time, to Jonny Berliner for my theme music, and to you, the anticipated audience, for your attention. In GAD We Trust is definitely an on-going project for me, but the next ten episodes will be a little more occasional as befits my full-time working status — rest assured, more are planned and will hopefully pop up and surprise you at irregular intervals over the coming year or so.
Mar 19, 2022 · 58 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 29: Writing The Red Death Murders (2022)
All good things come to an end, and so does my podcast; started in the first UK lockdown and hard to justify now that lockdowns are well and truly over, In GAD We Trust’s 30th episode (number 29, but don’t forget that bonus run through the Jonathan Creek canon) is going out in a blaze of self-promotion. See, I self-published my debut novel last month, and thought the perspective of a new author on how a decade’s worth of ideas gets concentrated into a narrative might be interesting — the advantage of being new to this game coming in having written only one book and so being, perhaps, clearer on the key points which informed the book itself. So, starting in 2001 and bringing us all the way up to 2022, I give you The Story of The Red Death Murders, laying out the key developments and the ideas that lurked hidden in the back of my mind for 25 years (in one case…) before coming to light when needed. Apologies, my voice is a little scratchy and the edit’s a bit rougher because I’ve had a cold for the last week and kept hoping it would clear up, so this is a touch last-minute, but I hope there’s enough in here for it to be more than the blatant piece of advertising it so obviously is. Onwards! One final thanks to Jonny Berliner for my theme, to all the guests who gave of their time and expertise freely, and to you at home, on buses, or sneaking a quick cigarette at work for listening along. A podcast without an audience is an all-too-common thing these days, and it’s been a real joy to share these discussions with you and see the discussions which have resulted. And so, listener, farewell to In GAD We Trust! I thank you for your past constancy, and can but hope that some return has been made in the shape of that distraction from the worries of life and stimulating change of thought which can only be found in the fairy kingdom of getting far too nerdy about detective stories.
Feb 12, 2022 · 1 hr 16 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 28: Writing Mysteries for Younger Readers [w’ M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman]
There is a Golden Age of detective fiction going on at the very moment, but because most of what’s being written is aimed at 8-to-12 year-olds, it gets overlooked by, like, grown-ups. I’m trying to raise awareness of this with my frequent Minor Felonies posts, and it’s partly in pursuit of this aim that I’m delighted to welcome M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman — authors of the excellent Adventures on Trains series — to my nerdy detective fiction podcast, In GAD We Trust. Ahead of the publication of fifth entry in the series Sabotage on the Solar Express (2022) and Sam’s non-fiction book about train journeys Epic Adventures (2022), both published on 17th February, Maya and Sam sat down to discuss writing murder for a potentially sensitive audience, how to clue a solution without making it too obscure, the importance of their collaboration with Elisa Paganelli, and the explosion of detective fiction available for younger readers in recent years. There are also quite a few parallels between the classic-era Golden Age titles of a century ago and the work being done in the younger market, and it was lovely to get some perspective on this from two people actively involved in writing high-quality, engaging, and well-motivated mysteries. I know the step to books for 8 year-olds might seem an odd one to take for those of you raised on a diet of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, but I’m hoping the discussion — not least the point about the rigour of audience expectations, and the need for everything to hang together for a book to be read five or six times — will at least give you something to think about. Anyway, onwards with the chat… I’m very grateful to Maya and Sam for their time, to Jonny Berliner for my theme tune, and to you all at home for listening. In GAD We Trust is now a monthly undertaking, rather than a fortnightly one, and will definitely stop at some point, but while it’s fun I’m going to keep putting these out yet. You can find all previous episodes on the blog by clicking here. ~ The Adventures on Trains series by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman 1. The Highland Falcon Thief (2020) 2. Kidnap on the California Comet (2020) 3. Murder on the Safari Star (2021) 4. Danger at Dead Man’s Pass (2021) 5. Sabotage on the Solar Express (2022) 6. The Arctic Railway Assassin (2022)
Sep 25, 2021 · 2 hr 4 min
In GAD We Trust – Bonus Episode! The Highs and Lows of Jonathan Creek [w’ Nick Cardillo]
Last week, Nick Cardillo and I discussed the impossible crime on screen, at the end of which he casually asked about Jonathan Creek like I’d be able to condense my thoughts into a pithy bon mot and not obsess about what I’d missed out for the next 30 or 40 years. Instead, we’re back to discuss the series as a whole today. I’ve written about Creek before — picking my five favourite episodes, bemoaning its fall from grace — but this time we’re going through the entire series from 10th May 1997 (‘The Wrestler’s Tomb’) to 28th December 2016 (‘Daemons’ Roost’), looking at each and every episode to varying degrees of detail and enthusiasm. I wouldn’t expect this to be of interest to someone who hasn’t watched Jonathan Creek, but presume all spoilers all the time (I may have forgotten to mention this in the recording — it was a long session, and the edit took frickin’ aaaaages) and seek solace in knowing that a chronological approach is taken and so you might be able to skip over any you haven’t seen. Sure, I could provide time codes, but I’m not gonna. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks of course go to Nick for the casual suggestion and his willingness to submit to such a searching examination of one of the few genuine joys of my younger life that still holds sway over me as an adult, to Jonny Berliner for the music, to you for being an audience that’ll appreciate this, and to David Renwick for creating something that, while not without significant flaws, undoubtedly altered the course of my interests forever. Theoretically, episode 28 of In GAD We Trust should follow next week, but I don’t think it will — I’m very busy, the guest is very busy, and I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to co-ordinate in time. I imagine the next podcast on here will be the Spoiler Warning chat about After the Funeral (1953) by Agatha Christie in three weeks, but maybe we’ll surprise you. There’s so little genuine surprise these days, y’know? Or, at least, not the good kind of surprise. A bit of irresolution is exciting. I hope. ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found on the blog by clicking here.
Sep 18, 2021 · 1 hr 5 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 27: The Impossible Crime on Screen [w’ Nick Cardillo]
Does In GAD We Trust have a hype train? If so, stoke the conductor, point the rails, wake up the boiler, and do other train things, because episode 27 is here and Nick Cardillo wants to talk about the impossible crime on screen. Written down, the impossible crime — sometimes called the “miracle problem” when no crime had been committed but something at odds with the laws of nature and probability has occurred — has a rich a varied history of brilliant and complex examples that are thrilling to experience. On the screen…less so. So Nick wanted to examine this, and we did. We also managed to veer around a few associated topics (the use of humour in the Henry Merrivale novels of John Dickson Carr, for one), and kept free of spoilers for everything discussed, so hopefully there’s something here for you if the seeing impossible done doesn’t fire your interest, you massive weirdo (I jest, I jest; I’m sure someone somewhere probably thinks you’re grand). You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks go to Nick for his time — you can find his Kickstarter for The Improbable Casebook of Sherlock Holmes here — to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you for your continued (or new — welcome!) interest in these episodes. More podcast soon — stay safe.
Sep 4, 2021 · 54 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 26: The Maxims of Misdirection
I’m as surprised as you to see a new episode of my In GAD We Trust podcast, especially as I said on Thursday that there was unlikely to be one this weekend — well, okay, perhaps a I’m little less surprised than you, since I (sort of) planned, recorded, and (sort of) edited this, but you get the idea. However, on Thursday everything (sort of) came together and I was able to record this almost in one take and so here we are. A little while ago, I learned of the linguist Paul Grice and his formalisation of communication via the Co-operative Principle, and it struck me that there was much in the idea that related to Golden Age detective fiction in a way that might be unique. The problem was, I couldn’t quite see my way through my thinking, and so I consigned the idea to the pending box of Maybe I’ll Write About That Someday. which is a veritable black hole of half-formed ideas. And then, during the course of Thursday, inspiration struck and I found the illustrations I would need to limn my thinking, and so I raced home from work and recorded this tout seul, did a very quick edit (I had a busy Friday ahead) and here is the result: me talking for almost an hour on a subject I grasp in an at-best very shallow way, with no-one sat opposite me to contradict or correct my wanderings…but I would love to know what you make of it, if a speculative meander through the philosophical implications of the linguistics of the mystery story (the mystery story, Jim) doesn’t sound like too hard work. It’s a bit free-form — this episode is very much Jazz, where the others are more Classical — but I hope you can see the point I’m making, and why I found it quite exciting when the idea struck me. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to listen, and to Jonny Berlinder for the music. It occurs to me that I can include here, at the bottom of this post, ROT13‘d possible spoilers from the books I cite late in the episode, but I’ll see if there’s any interest before seeking them out to state as accurately as possible. More In GAD We Trust in a fortnight — with a guest, I promise — and don’t forget that Moira, Brad, and I will be discussing After the Funeral (1953) by Agatha Christie in spoiler-rich detail at some point in October, too. We haven’t set a date yet, that’s a job for this weekend, but it’s definitely happening so get ready… ~ Alll episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found on the blog by clicking here.
Aug 21, 2021 · 1 hr 19 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 25: Fair Play and the Nomenclature of Golden Age Detective Fiction [w’ Scott K. Ratner]
Gutsy of me to suggest, on my site dedicated to the discussion of Golden Age detective fiction, that a lot of the terminology used to talk about these stories is incorrect, eh? Well, thankfully I’m not the one trying to convince you; that job falls to Mr. Scott K. Ratner. Those of you who know Scott from the Golden Age Detection Facebook group, or remember his previous appearance on the podcast, will know how intelligently he dissects the subgenre, and this is no exception. For a number of years now, he’s been working tirelessly to promote the idea that talking about “fair play” in GAD is a fool’s errand — detective stories aren’t games codified by objective standards, and so the idea of being “fair” in the doling out of evidence and clues doesn’t really apply. And, y’know, he’s got a point. You’ll doubtless be aghast at such apostasy, but, well, that’s why there’s some 80 minutes of discussion ready for your listening pleasure below. I admit that I’m one to use this terminology, and this discussion helped me clarify some of Scott’s opposition to the phrases and nomenclature we’ve come to adopt so easily down the years (this is why he should start a blog, see, so we could have all this sort of stuff in one easy-to-find place). And, let’s be clear: this is no attack on detective fiction itself, but instead simply an invitation to consider that using the terms we do might — just might — be to the detriment of the form. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks of course go to Scott, who got up so early to record this that I’m not sure he even bothered going to sleep first, to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to all of you at home listening along and justifying this endeavour. The relatively paltry list of tags below is because I’ve been hit with the quandary of precisely what we do discuss that might crop up elsewhere and so be worth tagging: I’ve gone with the authors we cite directly and a few general topics, but if you think anything in particular needs highlighting, let me know. More podcast in a fortnight, stay safe in the meantime. ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found on the blog by clicking here.
Aug 7, 2021 · 56 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 24: Bodies from the Library 4 (2021) ed. Tony Medawar + The International Agatha Christie Festival 2021 + Even More! [w’ Tony Medawar]
Prepare yourself for what might just be the most jam-packed episode of In GAD We Trust to date — when you sit down with Tony Medawar, there’s always going to be a lot to talk about. With the podcast coming to an end after episode 30, I was hardly going to let Tony get away without one last discussion about all the great work he’s doing for fans of classic era detective fiction. Firstly there’s the fourth Bodies from the Library collection coming out in September, then the small matter of the fifth and sixth collections due out in succeeding years and the first entry in what might just be a new parallel series of uncollected short fiction that will see the light of day in 2022. Deep breath now… We also discuss the forthcoming republication this September of Anthony Berkeley’s novel The Wintringham Mystery (1927), originally serialised in the Daily Mirror in 1926 before being slightly rewritten and published in novel form as Cicely Disappears (1927) under the nom de plume A. Monmouth Platts. Tony has written the introduction for this new edition, which includes the story of how the puzzle was apparently too tough even for Agatha Christie. Then there’s the not insignificant matter of Tony’s role as producer of the International Agatha Christie Festival, also in September, where, alongside the great and the good of Agatha Christie research and discussion, I have a small part to play about which I am very excited. Then we look at forthcoming projects Tony has brewing, including some very interesting Anthony Berkeley news, and…oh, hell, plenty of other things, too — as I say, it’s a jam-packed episode. And I ask the stupidest question I think I’ve ever recorded, which is now preserved here for posterity. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks of course go to Tony for giving his time to record this and the efforts he continues to go to on all our behalfs, to Jonny Berliner for my theme tune, and to you all for listening at home. The talk given by Mark Aldridge that Tony mentions in the above can be found here and the episode of In GAD We Trust in which Mark talked about his frankly superb book Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World (2020) can be found here. Go and buy it. Go and buy it now. More podcast in two weeks, hope you’re all keeping safe and well in the meantime. ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found on the blog here.
Jul 10, 2021 · 1 hr 3 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 23: What’s in a Watson? [w’ Caroline Crampton]
The companion of the fictional detective — the “stupid friend” as Ronald Knox styled them — is something I have spent far too long thinking about, mainly because the protoype is always taken to be Sherlock Holmes’ chronicler Dr. John H. Watson. Joining me this week to discuss why that might not always be a good comparison to draw is Caroline Crampton of the superb Shedunnit podcast. Back in October 2019, about the time I was mulling over an examination of the very Decalogue in which Knox talks about the “stupid friend”, Caroline put out this episode about Watsons that got me thinking we should exchange views on the topic. It has taken some time, mainly because I’ve been less productive about the Knox Decalogue than my rosy optimism predicted, but with a look at rule 9 coming on Tuesday next week, here we are. So, who is John Watson? What is his purpose in the Holmes stories? What does the changing face of GAD mean for the role of the “stupid friend”? How might that differ from the original intent of Doyle’s stories? All this and more — including a comparison with classic UK sticom Yes, Minister (1980-84) — is raked over in the search of what we mean when we call a character a ‘Watson’ and whether the label has any meaning 134 years after the character’s emergence. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks, of course, go to Caroline for her time here and the work she put into compiling Agatha Christie’s England as mentioned in the above, to Jonny Berliner for the music, to you for listening, and to Arthur Conan Doyle for providing us with an archetype from which so much wonderful material has poured forth. More podcast in two weeks, when Moira, Brad, and I shall be discussing A Murder is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie in full spoiler-rich detail, and then back to normal In GAD We Trust service thereafter. Stay safe, keep your distance, wash your hands. ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found on the blog by clicking here.
Jun 26, 2021 · 1 hr 9 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 22: On Making a Good First Impression [w’ Sergio @ Tipping My Fedora + Brad @ AhSweetMysteryBlog]
After the interruption to the schedule of two weeks ago, here’s another In GAD We Trust podcast — and given the topic of ‘Making a Good First Impression’ it’s only fitting to welcome returning guests Sergio and Brad. We had orignally intended to discuss Ellery Queen, but life is miserable enough at the moment and so instead we’re looking at authors and sleuths alike who made a positive impression with their debuts. The list of authors tagged below will give you an idea of how broadly the conversation ranges — keeping these two on topic is like herding cats — and, man, is it ever fun to let Sergio wander into the various corners of his mind and find them packed with trivia (be sure to ask him about Geoffrey Sainsbury’s translations of Simenon, because I had to cut that out). You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks are due to Brad and Sergio for their time (we had to record this twice, because my technology failed us at the first attempt), to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you for listening. More podcast in a fornight, and then a fortnight after that on 24th July it’ll be time for A Murder is Announced (1950) by Agatha Christie to be discussed in full, spoiler-rich detail. Stay safe, keep your distance, wash you hands. ~ All podcast episodes on The Invisible Event can be found by clicking here.
May 29, 2021 · 1 hr 26 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 21: The Diversity of Approaches to Detective Fiction [w’ Martin Edwards]
The detective fiction genre is built around the essential structure of a crime, an investigation of that crime, and the revelation of the guilty party who committed the crime, and good heavens didn’t the Golden Age map out a lot of different ways to walk that path. And there are few people better placed to discuss this than President of the Detection Club and recent recipient of the CWA Diamond Dagger Martin Edwards, who celebrates three decades as a published author this year. It’s fair to say that the idea of being able to complete even one novel is pretty daunting to most of us, so the notion of writing 15 or 20 or 60 is frankly preposterous — and yet we know authors did produce work in these numbers, and turned out some wonderful work in the process. And since so many of them didn’t just copy-and-paste their previous plots and change a few character names, I became curious about the mindset of how one goes about ensuring that the work produced over a long career can continue to change while also remaining essentially the same. So the focus of today’s podcast — returning for a third run of (probably) another ten episodes — is not to examine all the different ways a crime novel can be written, but to look at authors who utilised a diversity of approaches over their careers…and maybe a few who didn’t. In the first half Martin is very generous in reflecting on his own writing career, and in the second half we use that perspective to examine the different careers of most of the authors tagged below. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks to Martin for his time and insight, to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you for listening. This ‘series’ will probably be fortnightly like before, but it also might not be…so, well, watch this space. Stay safe, see you soon. ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found here.
Mar 13, 2021 · 1 hr
In GAD We Trust – Episode 20: The Dr. Thorndyke Stories of R. Austin Freeman [w’ Dolores Gordon-Smith]
In January of last year, I read my first R. Austin Freeman novel, little suspecting that it was to be the first step along a road of sheer delight. And so, to mark the end of Series 2 of In GAD We Trust, today I’m discussing Freeman and the Thorndyke stories with author and fellow R.A.F. fan Dolores Gordon-Smith. I find Freeman and Thorndyke fascinating for all manner of reasons, not least because they seem to me to be the first genuine evolution of the Great Detective beyond being merely a Sherlock Holmes facsimile. Since Dolores read every single one of the Thorndyke mysteries last year, she’s in a great position to be able to discuss this, and to look at the development Freeman brought to the emerging GAD genre that he would go on to propogate in his later novels. And, of course, no discussion about Freeman is complete without mentioning his somewhat dubious personal perspectives, such as his support for the eugenics movement — we’re mainly here for his detective fiction, you understand, but it’s interesting to reflect on how a man who wrote such intelligent books could also be so blinkered. Plus, Doctor Who gets a mention. Of course. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. Thanks to Dolores for taking the time to talk about one of my favourite new old authors, to Jonny Berliner for the music, and to you for continuing to listen. IGWT will take a bit of a break now, and may be back later in the year. ~ R. Austin Freeman on The Invisible Event: The Red Thumb Mark (1907) John Thorndyke’s Cases, a.k.a. Dr. Thorndyke’s Cases [ss] (1909) The Eye of Osiris, a.k.a. The Vanishing Man (1911) The Mystery of 31 New Inn (1912) The Singing Bone, a.k.a. The Adventures of Dr. Thorndyke [ss] (1912) A Silent Witness (1914) The Great Portrait Mystery [ss] (1918) Helen Vardon’s Confession (1922) The Cat’s Eye (1923) Dr. Thorndyke’s Casebook, a.k.a. The Blue Scarab [ss] (1923) The Mystery of Angelina Frood (1924) The Shadow of the Wolf (1925) The Puzzle Lock [ss] (1925) The D’Arblay Mystery (1926) The Magic Casket [ss] (1927) A Certain Dr. Thorndyke (1927) As a Thief in the Night (1928) Mr. Pottermack’s Oversight (1930) Pontifex, Son and Thorndyke (1931) When Rogues Fall Out, a.k.a. Dr. Thorndyke’s Discovery (1932) Dr. Thorndyke Intervenes (1933) For the Defence: Dr. Thorndyke (1934)
Feb 27, 2021 · 1 hr 9 min
In GAD We Trust – Episode 19: Reissue! Repackage! Repackage! [w’ Various People]
On the back of the Reprint of the Year Award run by Kate at CrossExaminingCrime, I thought it might be interesting to see what those of us who submit titles for that undertaking would choose to bring back from the exile of being OOP. To that end, I invited various bloggers to nominate a single title and the complete work of an author to reprint, and the responses of those who responded — Kate @ CrossExaminingCrime, Aidan @ Mysteries Ahoy!, Brad @ AhSweetMystery, John @ Countdown John’s Christie Journal, John @ Pretty Sinister, and Steve @ In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel — have been collected for your listening pleasure below. So, get out a pen and paper, load up your secondhand bookseller of choice, and prepare to have your appetite whetted and your bank balance depleted as the cognoscenti of classic mystery fiction tell you what’s on their whislists. You can listen to the podcast on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or by using the player below. My thanks to all involved, to Jonny Berliner for the music, to you for being an audience, and to the publishers both mentioned in the above and overlooked for enabling a brilliantly rich vein of classic mysteries to continue to pour onto all our bookshelves. Following this episode’s debut (?), John has gone on to write about The Crime in the Crystal (1933) by Robert Hare, and James Scott Byrnside tracked down and reviewed Murder Mansion, a.k.a. House of Murder (1934) by Aidan’s choice J.H. Wallace. Just to futher whet your appetites, like… If you haven’t voted in the Big Ol’ Agatha Christie 2021 Spoiler Discussion Poll you can find it here; closes on Monday, results and schedule next Saturday. Stay safe, hope your vaccine notifcation shows up soon, more podcast in a fortnight. ~ All episodes of In GAD We Trust can be found on the blog by clicking here.

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes