Tea, Tonic & Toxin

Send us Fan Mail Have you avoided listening to our two episodes on Death Comes as the End? We have a wonderful guest Egyptologist to discuss this first historical mystery in detail - but maybe you'd just like to read the book first and not have anything spoiled. Never fear! This episode is for you. Our Stay Mysterious episodes are tasting menus for the classic books, where we discuss reasons...

Send us Fan Mail The Moving Toyshop: A Unique Mystery Today’s spotlight is on "The Moving Toyshop" by Edmund Crispin, a book that intertwines mystery with elements of humor and absurdity. The story follows Richard Cadigan, a poet who stumbles upon a dead body in a toy shop that vanishes before the police arrive. It’s a delightful romp through Oxford, showcasing Crispin’s talent for blend...

Send us Fan Mail David Whittle joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin (Bruce Montgomery). First published in 1946, The Moving Toyshop is one of the most celebrated and inventive mysteries of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. The novel follows poet Richard Cadogan, who stumbles upon the body of an elderly woman inside a toyshop late one night. By morning, ho...

Send us Fan Mail Every wish you had a chance to preview a classic mystery book, with no spoilers? Maybe you'd like to see if you want to read farther, or maybe you're planning to in the future, or just want to be convinced? Our new Stay Mysterious segments give you just that. A tasting menu for the history of mystery. Listen to each mini-episode without regard for needing to pause. The M...

Send us Fan Mail Arvind Ethan David returns to Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss The Great Game , his debut prose novel. This historical mystery and conspiracy thriller brings an Indian military veteran and law student into the worlds of A. J. Raffles, Sherlock Holmes, and a young Winston Churchill. A writer and producer whose work spans novels, graphic fiction, audio, television, film, and theatr...

Send us Fan Mail “ The Monsters We Make is narrated so sagely and coolly, I almost didn’t realize how much it had to teach. It is a provoking, moving, and original book that has stuck with me long since I turned its last page.” — Maggie Nelson, New York Times best-selling author of The Argonauts “Serial killers have spawned hundreds of books, but none like this. With a daughter’s heart and a repor...

Send us Fan Mail Z.J. Czupor has joined us TWICE to discuss Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers and Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh . His new murder mystery, Dead Men Don’t Drink , is published at zoltanjames.substack.com . He’s also the author of THE BIG WEIRD: Haikus in Times of Pandemic and Chaos . He is immediate past president of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and an active member of Mystery Wri...

Send us Fan Mail DIED IN THE WOOL (1945) by Ngaio Marsh is a set in the remote New Zealand countryside on a sheep farm during World War II. The story follows Inspector Roderick Alleyn as he investigates the suspicious death of a politician while conducting counter-espionage work. The book is known for its blend of murder mystery and wartime espionage. Marsh’s vivid characterization and clever narr...

Send us Fan Mail On Fire and Under Water is a new crime fiction anthology from Rock and a Hard Place Press. The anthology explores the intersection of climate change and crime through the lens of 15 short stories from some of today’s best crime fiction writers. Edited by Anthony Award-winning author Curtis Ippolito and the editorial team at RHP Press, the stories peel back the curtain on the ways...

Send us Fan Mail DEATH COMES AS THE END by Agatha Christie is a groundbreaking historical mystery set in ancient Egypt. When a wealthy patriarch’s death sparks a series of murders within his family, suspicion and secrets abound. It’s the first full-length historical whodunit. History of Mystery book selections available in our Amazon Storefront or support your favorite local bookstore in our Books...

Send us Fan Mail DEATH COMES AS THE END by Agatha Christie is a groundbreaking historical mystery set in ancient Egypt. When a wealthy patriarch’s death sparks a series of murders within his family, suspicion and secrets abound. It’s the first full-length historical whodunit. Get your copy of our guest's books here!  History of Mystery book slections available in our Amazon Storefront or supp...

Send us Fan Mail HOME SWEET HOMICIDE (1944) by Craig Rice is a classic in the mystery genre that features three resourceful siblings determined to solve a neighborhood murder. Rice’s sharp wit and unique approach to the detective genre earned her widespread acclaim, including a rare Time Magazine cover, solidifying her legacy as one of the most distinctive voices in mystery fiction. Jeff Marks, pu...

Send us Fan Mail Jeffrey Marks (publisher, Crippen and Landru) joins us to discuss Home Sweet Homicide (1944), written by Craig Rice. After numerous mystery author profiles for The Armchair Detective , Mystery Scene , and other genre publications, Jeffrey Marks chose to chronicle the short but full life of mystery writer Craig Rice. That biography (Who Was That Lady?) encouraged him to write myste...

Send us Fan Mail Maureen and Jay join us to discuss their wonderful interactive whodunit, You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder . It’s 1933, and your job is to help Scotland Yard solve an impossible murder. Are you up to the task? Get your copy of our guest's books here!  History of Mystery book slections now in our Bookshop Storefront as well! Guests have their own list here! Or if...

Send us Fan Mail Special guests Ruta Sepetys  and Steve Sheinkin join Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss their book The Bletchley Riddle. Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act… Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister, Lizzie, share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amid one of...

Send us Fan Mail We were delighted to discuss all things mysterious with Otto Penzler in this episode.  Otto Penzler joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss the Golden Age of Mystery. Otto Penzler is president and CEO of MysteriousPress.com and proprietor of New York City’s Mysterious Bookshop. Widely regarded as a leading authority on crime, mystery, and suspense fiction, he founded The Mysteriou...

Send us Fan Mail Sergio Angelini joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss Green for Danger  (1944) by Christianna Brand . Sergio was born and bred in Rome, Italy, moving to Singapore for 5 years in the 1980s before settling in the UK. He studied Law at London School of Economics and got a joint MA in Film Studies and Film Archiving from the University of East Anglia. He hosts a podcast focused on c...

Send us Fan Mail GREEN FOR DANGER by Christianna Brand is a masterful wartime mystery set in a British hospital during the Blitz. When a patient dies under suspicious circumstances, Inspector Cockrill investigates a web of secrets among the medical staff. It’s a standout in Golden Age detective fiction. Get your copy of all of our History of Mystery book selections here! (including even some 2027...

Send us Fan Mail We are so excited to expand our discussion of the transcendant The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene with special guest Dr. Robert Willingham. Rob Willingham is a history professor at Roanoke College.  After receiving his doctorate from UT-Austin (where he shared office space with future Heritage Foundation head, Kevin Roberts, oddly), he’s gone on to write and teach about 20th ce...

Send us Fan Mail THE MINISTRY OF FEAR by Graham Greene is a thrilling blend of espionage and psychological mystery set in wartime London. The story follows Arthur Rowe, an ordinary man caught up in Nazi intrigue. Celebrated for its moral complexity, it redefined the boundaries of the mystery genre. Get your copy of all of our History of Mystery book selections here! (including even some 2027 selec...

Send us Fan Mail 2025 was an amazing and tumultous year for Carolyn and Sarah, both of us making moves out of Denver. But we kept on reading (albiet at a slower pace!) and loved having conversations about it all. Join us for our take on 2025, and let us know yours! Get your copy of all of our History of Mystery book selections here! (including even some 2027 selections) History of Mystery book sle...

Send us Fan Mail Rear Window (1942) by Cornell Woolrich is a classic in the suspense genre for its masterful use of tension and claustrophobia. The story’s premise—a man confined to his apartment who becomes an unwitting witness to sinister events—brilliantly explores themes of isolation, voyeurism, and moral responsibility. The book was inspired by “Through a Window” by H. G. Wells . The tight pa...

Send us Fan Mail L. Wayne Hicks joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope ,  published in 1943 by C. W. Grafton (father of Sue Grafton). L. Wayne Hicks is a freelance writer who covered real-life crimes for newspapers in Florida and Colorado. He has written profiles of many mystery writers including Sara Paretsky, Michael Connelly, John Dunning, Robert B. Parker, Donal...

Send us Fan Mail L. Wayne Hicks joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope ,  published in 1943 by C. W. Grafton (father of Sue Grafton). L. Wayne Hicks is a freelance writer who covered real-life crimes for newspapers in Florida and Colorado. He has written profiles of many mystery writers including Sara Paretsky, Michael Connelly, John Dunning, Robert B. Parker, Donal...

Send us Fan Mail The 2026 book list revealed and discussed. What was selected and why? Do you agree? Disagree? Have authors to add? Get your copy of all of our History of Mystery book selections here! (including even some 2027 selections) Watch clips from our conversations with guests! January 2026 Publication: 1943 THE MINISTRY OF FEAR by Graham Greene is a thrilling blend of espionage and psycho...