Mystery Books Podcast

Sara Rosett

A podcast devoted to helping readers discover new mystery books. Hosted by USA Today bestselling mystery author Sara Rosett.

  • 5 minutes 53 seconds
    Georgette Heyer

    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 series


    Sources: 

    https://www.officialgeorgetteheyer.com/books/

    https://cozy-mystery.com/georgette-heyer.html

    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11343817-georgette-heyer-mystery-collection

    https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/55450-the-reclusive-author-who-only-gave-one-interview.html

    https://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.


    12 March 2025, 7:00 am
  • 6 minutes 55 seconds
    Margery Allingham

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    🔍 Are you fascinated by detectives who aren't quite what they appear to be? Join me for a deep dive into Margery Allingham's world, where her famous sleuth Albert Campion hides his clever mind behind a decidedly foolish facade.

    📖 Allingham was born into a family of storytellers and was a child prodigy who earned her first writing fee at age eight, then went on to become one of the "Queens of Crime."

    💫  Join me and discover why Margery Allingham stands alongside Christie and Sayers in the mystery hall of fame. 

    Where to start reading Margery Allingham? 

    The Crime at Black Dudley is a lighthearted mix of mystery and thriller.

    If you want something a little darker, The Tiger in the Smoke (1952) focuses more on the psychology of a serial killer.

    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: 

    Margery Allingham Society: https://margeryallingham.org.uk

    Wikipedia - Margery Allingham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Allingham

    Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Margery-Allingham


    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    26 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 5 minutes 53 seconds
    Constance and Gwenyth Little

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    🎭 What happens when two Australian nurses move to New York City and start writing "wacky cozies"? Join me for the interesting story of the Little Sisters, whose 21 mysteries combined clever plots with laugh-out-loud humor.

    🏥 I explore the backstory of their unique collaboration style and how Constance and Gwenyth Little's experiences as working nurses influenced their resourceful heroines.

    ⭐️ Their recently “rediscovered” books blend romance and mystery and are still drawing in new fans.

    Where to start with Constance and Gwenyth Little books?

    I suggest the first book in the series, The Grey Mist Murders, but you can pick up any because they’re all stand-alone titles. 

    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.goodreads.com/author/show/55837.Constance_Little

    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55836.Gwenyth_Little

    https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress.com

    http://gadetection.pbworks.com

    http://www.girl-detective.net/little.htm


    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    12 February 2025, 8:00 am
  • 5 minutes 8 seconds
    Kelley Roos

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    🔍 Ever wondered what happens when two mystery writers fall in love and collaborate? That’s exactly what happened with the two authors behind the pen name Kelley Roos. The result is a series of books where marriage and mystery meet.

    🌆 Audrey and William Roos created sophisticated stories that balanced romance and suspense. Their Jeff and Haila Troy series, beginning with Made Up to Kill, brings to life the glamour and intrigue of mid-century New York City through the eyes of a crime-solving couple.

    🎬 In this episode I’ll explore their versatility as writers—from novels to plays to television—and how the talented pair combined romance, wit, and suspense in their stories.

    Where to start with Kelley Roos books? 

    If you enjoy theater mysteries: Made Up to Kill - first book in the series

    Their best known book is probably The Frightened Stiff 


    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://cozy-mystery.com/kelley-roos

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Roos

    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/327239.Kelley_Roos

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Roos_(writer)

    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    29 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 11 minutes 13 seconds
    Agatha Christie: Queen of Crime

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    🔍 Agatha Christie is often remembered for her mysterious 11-day disappearance, but there’s so much more to her story. From her early struggles as a writer to her rise as the best-selling fiction author of all time, Christie’s life was as interesting as her novels.
     
     ☠️ In this episode, I explore how her wartime experience* contributed to her mystery writing and how her travel influenced her settings. 

    ✨ Join me as I uncover the full story of the Queen of Crime.

    Where to start with Christie? I recommend:

    • For a country house mystery: The Mysterious Affair at Styles 
    • For an English village mystery: The Moving Finger
    • For a 1920s mystery/romance with a dash of thriller: The Secret Adversary

    *I apologize in advance for mangling “Bletchley” with my Texas accent!
     
    Other episodes you might be interested in:

    S1E1: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
     https://www.sararosett.com/mbps1e1/
     

    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.agathachristie.com

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_Christie

    https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/123715.Agatha_Christie



    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    15 January 2025, 8:00 am
  • 7 minutes 32 seconds
    🏺 Bonus: Murder Among the Pyramids

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    🔎 From lockdown to the land of pyramids: learn how I researched 1920s Egypt during 2020, and created a heroine who was one of the original travel influencers.

    📸 Meet Blix, my intrepid lady photographer who captures foreign locations on film and then entertains lecture halls full of curious Brits with tales of her adventures.

    🌴 In this bonus episode, I give you a behind-the-scenes look at the research and inspiration for Murder Among the Pyramids, including how true stories of 1920s tourists shooting golf balls off the Great Pyramid and hosting moonlit parties inspired scenes in the book.

    Get your copy of Murder Among the Pyramids by Sara Rosett in audio, print, or ebook. 

    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    20 December 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 1 hour 8 minutes
    🐝 A Whiz-Bang Guide to 1920s Slang: Ch 25-27 of Murder at Archly Manor

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    From "giggle water" to "the bee's knees," I explore the unique expressions that defined a generation in this episode. Hear how I incorporated this snazzy lingo into my High Society Lady Detective series, including Murder at Archly Manor.

    Discover the differences between American and British slang of the era and find out how these phrases helped the younger generation set themselves apart from the old fogies.

    By the end of this episode, you'll be ready to charm your friends with your newfound knowledge of 1920s jargon – and maybe even solve a mystery or two! 🔐

    Book Recommendation: Murder Among the Pyramids, a 1920s spin-off.

    If you want to read the whole novel, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com

    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    12 July 2024, 7:00 am
  • 35 minutes 40 seconds
    🤡 The Art of the Prank: 1920s Hoaxes and Ch 23 & 24 of Archly Manor

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    High Society Hijinks:  Discover the elaborate jokes that shocked and amused the London elite!

    From fake art exhibits to outrageous social stunts, the Bright Young People of the era knew how to make a statement. 😎

    We'll take a closer look at the infamous Bruno Hat hoax, where a group of pranksters fooled the art world with a fictional artist and his bizarre creations.

    Book recommendation: Death Comes to Costa Del Sol by M.H. Eccleston - check out first in the series in MBP S4 E4 Death on the Isle by M.H. Eccleston

    Links:

    https://jamesmulraine.com/2022/11/30/brian-howard-and-the-bruno-hat-art-hoax-a-kind-of-genius/

    https://www.leicestergalleries.com/browse-artwork-detail/MTM5ODU=


    Next chapters in the next episode! 

    If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com



    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    28 June 2024, 7:00 am
  • 37 minutes 11 seconds
    🗝️ Unlock the Secrets of 1920s Service Flats: Ch 20-22 of Archly Manor

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    Step into the world of luxurious London living and intriguing mystery 🏢

    These upscale apartments offered a new level of comfort and convenience for the affluent, with amenities like maid service, meal delivery, and even squash courts! 🎾

    Discover the real-life inspiration behind fictional service flats like Hercule Poirot's swanky Whitehaven Mansions, and learn how I created my own fictional service flat, South Regent Mansions, for my mystery novel Murder at Archly Manor. 📚🔍

    From marble floors to in-house cocktail bars, these service flats were the epitome of sophistication – and the perfect setting for a mystery!🍸🍽️

    Book Recommendation: Murder at the Mansions

    Next chapters in the next episode! 

    If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com

    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    14 June 2024, 7:00 am
  • 37 minutes 15 seconds
    🇬🇧 Dial "H" for the History of the Red Telephone Box: Ch 17-19 of Archly Manor

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    Ring! Ring! Join me this episode for a look at the history of the red telephone box, a quintessential symbol of British culture. 

    I’ll trace the evolution of this iconic kiosk and delve into the controversies surrounding the telephone box's appearance, the public's reaction to proposed changes, and the innovative ways these classic kiosks have been repurposed in modern times. 📚☎️

    And did you know an authentic red telephone box could be the ultimate home decor statement? Yes, that’s right. You too can own a classic red telephone kiosk! I’m tempted. Very tempted.

    Links:

    Map of locations of Red Telephone Boxes Around the World:

    https://www.x2connect.com/RedPhoneBox/K6PhotoGallery

    Other links:

    https://www.the-telephone-box.co.uk/story/

    Next chapters in the next episode! 

    If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at SaraRosettBooks.com



    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    31 May 2024, 7:00 am
  • 55 minutes 30 seconds
    🔍 Cracking the Case: Forensics and True Crime of the 1920s 🔎

    Suggest a book for the podcast or say hello!

    Step back in time and explore the fascinating world of forensic investigation during the Golden Age of detective fiction. 

    I’ll dive into the real-life CSI methods used by detectives in the 1920s and how they compare to the techniques employed by fictional sleuths like Sherlock Holmes.

    I’ll also take a closer look at a true crime case from 1923 that led to the creation of the iconic "murder bag” 💼 - a precursor to the modern crime scene investigation kit. 

    Links:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumbles_murders#cite_note-101

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_bag

    https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203219480


    Next chapters in the next episode! 


    If you want the rest of the mystery right now, you can get Murder in Archly Manor in ebook, audio, and print at
    SaraRosettBooks.com

    Support the show

    📚 Buy Sara's books: SaraRosettBooks.com

    🔎 Get more mystery in your life when you sign up for Sara's updates.


    17 May 2024, 7:00 am
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