Tea, Tonic & Toxin

Send us Fan Mail In THE WHEEL SPINS (1936), a young woman’s train journey takes a sinister turn when a fellow passenger mysteriously disappears. This suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat novel by Ethel Lina White served as the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film The Lady Vanishes . The book is a stunner. Special guest Alex Csurko joins us to discuss this classic novel. Check out the conversation st...

Send us Fan Mail Fleur Bradley is the author of many mysteries for kids, including Midnight at the Barclay Hotel and Daybreak on Raven Island . Originally from the Netherlands, she now lives in Colorado with her family. Get your book here ! Watch clips from our conversation with Fleur! Join our  brand new  Patreon community here! It's free to join, with extra perks for members at every level....

Send us Fan Mail Full-time writer KEMPER DONOVAN is currently publishing an ongoing mystery series via Kensington Books. He joins us to discuss The Busy Body , the first in the Ghostwriter series, and The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie. Previously, he published the standalone novel The Decent Proposal (HarperCollins). He is also the host of the podcast All About Agatha , dedicated to all things...

Send us Fan Mail THE ABC MURDERS (1936) is one of the earliest examples of the “serial killer” novel. Striking in alphabetical order, a killer challenges renowned detective Hercule Poirot to a battle of wits. With ingenious twists and red herrings, the book will keep you guessing until the end. Special guest Kemper Donovan joins us to discuss Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery. Check out the...

Send us Fan Mail We were thrilled to chat with Craig Johnson during the 2024 Longmire Days this year about his 20th book, First Frost! Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written, as well as interviewing some of the world’s best contemporary mystery and thriller writers. Get the  book here! Watch parts of  the conversation  he...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written, as well as interviewing some of the world’s best contemporary mystery and thriller writers. In Gaudy Night , Harriet Vane returns to her alma mater, Oxford, only to find the tranquil setting disturbed by a series of unsettling incidents. Published in 1935, it’s cons...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written, as well as interviewing some of the world’s best contemporary mystery and thriller writers. In Gaudy Night , Harriet Vane returns to her alma mater, Oxford, only to find the tranquil setting disturbed by a series of unsettling incidents. Published in 1935, it’s cons...

Send us Fan Mail Montana thriller writer Christine Carbo joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss her book The Wild Inside . Christine is a recipient of the Womens’ National Book Association Pinckley Prize, the Silver Falchion Award, and the High Plains Book Award. She and her family live in Whitefish, Montana. When Christine’s not teaching Pilates or writing suspense, she’s enjoying all that living in...

Send us Fan Mail When a man is found dead in a quaint English village, Inspector Hannasyde must unravel the secrets of the eccentric family involved. In DEATH IN THE STOCKS (1935), a beloved classic, Georgette Heyer infuses the traditional mystery with her signature style of historical romance (and its Regency romance sub-genre). Reflect : Check out the conversation starters below. Weigh In : Spea...

Send us Fan Mail When a man is found dead in a quaint English village, Inspector Hannasyde must unravel the secrets of the eccentric family involved. In DEATH IN THE STOCKS (1935), a beloved classic, Georgette Heyer infuses the traditional mystery with her signature style of historical romance (and its Regency romance sub-genre). Reflect : Check out the conversation starters below. Weigh In : Spea...

Send us Fan Mail Thriller writer David Ignatius joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss his latest book Phantom Orbit . Check out more of his work and get the book here . Website : www.davidignatius.com David Ignatius is a prize-winning columnist for The Washington Post and has been covering the Middle East and the CIA for nearly four decades. He has written several New York Times bestsellers. He lives...

Send us Fan Mail A hazing prank at Harvard left Paul Chapin disabled. Years later, two of the men responsible end up dead, and a series of poems promises continued retribution. Now the other men who hazed Paul are desperate for the protection of brilliant detective Nero Wolfe. Is Paul Chapin exacting revenge on his former classmates, and can Nero Wolfe and his wise-cracking sidekick, Archie Goodwi...

Send us Fan Mail A hazing prank at Harvard left Paul Chapin disabled. Years later, two of the men responsible end up dead, and a series of poems promises continued retribution. Now the other men who hazed Paul are desperate for the protection of brilliant detective Nero Wolfe. Is Paul Chapin exacting revenge on his former classmates, and can Nero Wolfe and his wise-cracking sidekick, Archie Goodwi...

Send us Fan Mail Thriller author James McLaughlin joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss his book Bearskin . McLaughlin is the author of Bearskin , published by Ecco/HarperCollins in 2018 and winner of the 2019 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Bearskin has been featured, mentioned, and reviewed in The New York Times ( 4 Writers to Watch , Bears and Poets , New Books We Recommend , and Best Crime Fict...

Send us Fan Mail Brooklyn-born New Jersey class-action attorney turned author Norman Shabel has written seven plays and eight novels. Three of his plays have been produced off Broadway in NYC, Philadelphia, and Florida. You can find novels from all our guests in our amazon store. Prolific author and playwright, Normal Shabel had a difficult childhood. He grew up in a poor Jewish and Italian neighb...

Send us Fan Mail THE THREE COFFINS (THE HOLLOW MAN) (1935) by John Dickson Carr is celebrated for its exceptional execution of the locked-room mystery, a subgenre demanding ingenious plotting and cerebral depth. Many consider it the best locked room mystery of all time. Carr’s complex puzzles, cryptic clues, and taut, suspenseful atmosphere make it a mystery fiction masterpiece. Read : Buy the boo...

Send us Fan Mail Penny has never met anyone smarter than her. That's par for the course when you're a savant - one of fewer than 100 in the world. But despite her photographic memory and superpowered intellect, there's one ystery Penny's never been able to solve: Why did her father leave when she was in a coma at age seven, and where is he now? On Penny's twenty-first birt...

Send us Fan Mail THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1934) is James M. Cain’s gripping, groundbreaking noir tale of passion and betrayal. In a dusty roadside diner, love and lust ignite a murderous plot and challenge conventional notions of right and wrong. As secrets unravel, two lovers are drawn deeper into a web of crime, leading to a shocking and morally ambiguous climax. Read : Buy the book on Am...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we are delighted to chat with Barbara Nickless! She is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of the multi-award-winning Sydney Parnell crime novels. Barbara’s new series features forensic semiotician Dr. Evan Wilding—a man whose gift for interpreting the words and symbols left behind by killers has led him to consult on some of the world’s...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic, and Toxin is a mystery and thriller podcast and book club for people obsessed with mysteries and thrillers. Each month, your hosts, Sarah Harrison and Carolyn Daughters , will discuss a game-changing mystery or thriller, starting in the mid-19th century onward. Together, we’ll see firsthand how the genre evolved. Along the way, we’ll entertain ideas, prospects, theorie...

Send us Fan Mail It’s time for more mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers! Our 2024 selections include stunners published from 1934-1939.   Get reading, and subscribe so you never miss an episode! (You can find the 2022 schedule here and 2023 schedule here .) The allure of THE THIN MAN (1934) lies in its timeless intrigue, captivating characters, and masterful storytelling. Dashiell Hammett’...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic, and Toxin is a book club and podcast for people who love mysteries, thrillers, introspection, and good conversation. Each month, your hosts, Carolyn Daughters and Sarah Harrison, will discuss a game-changing mystery or thriller, starting in 1841 onward. Together, we’ll see firsthand how the genre evolved. Along the way, we’ll entertain ideas, prospects, theories, doubt...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a book club and podcast focused on the history of mystery. We’re discussing the best mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers ever written — in chronological order. The Nine Tailors , a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery, is quite possibly Dorothy Sayers’ masterpiece. The murder method in the 1934 novel is a stunner to be sure. The idea came from a sixpenny pam...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a book club and podcast focused on the history of mystery. We’re discussing the best mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers ever written — in chronological order. It’s time for more mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers! Our 2024 selections include stunners published from 1934-1939. Scroll down the page, get reading, and subscribe so you never...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a book club and podcast focused on the history of mystery. We’re discussing the best mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers ever written — in chronological order. The Nine Tailors , a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery, is quite possibly Dorothy Sayers’ masterpiece. The murder method in the 1934 novel is a stunner to be sure. The idea came from a sixpenny pam...