Tea, Tonic & Toxin

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...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written and interviewing some of the world’s best contemporary mystery and thriller writers. LAURA by Vera Caspary (1943) is a sophisticated mystery that blends romance and psychological intrigue. Told through shifting perspectives, it follows a detective investigating the m...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Ripley joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss Margery Allingham’s Albert Campion novels, along with his latest novel in the series, Mr Campion’s Christmas . Mike Ripley completed the third Albert Campion novel left unfinished on the death of Pip Youngman Carter (Margery Allingham’s husband) in 1969. Mr Campion’s Farewell was published in 2014, and Mike has continued the Camp...

Send us Fan Mail Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a history of mystery book club and podcast. We’re reading the best mysteries ever written and interviewing some of the world’s best contemporary mystery and thriller writers. Traitor’s Purse (1940) by Margery Allingham is a mystery thriller classic that masterfully combines psychological tension with a high-stakes plot. Suffering from amnesia, amateur sle...

Send us Fan Mail TRAITOR’S PURSE (1940) by Margery Allingham is a mystery thriller classic that masterfully combines psychological tension with a high-stakes plot. Suffering from amnesia, amateur sleuth Albert Campion races to stop a wartime national security threat. The novel’s unique premise and tightly woven narrative create a sense of urgency and intrigue. Known for its psychological depth, it...

Send us Fan Mail Tom Epperson , a native of Arkansas, headed west to Los Angeles with his boyhood friend Billy Bob Thornton to pursue a career in show business.  Epperson’s co-written the scripts for One False Move , A Family Thing , The Gift , A Gun, a Car, a Blonde , and Jayne Mansfield’s Car .  His L.A. noir The Kind One was nominated for both the Edgar Award and the Barry Award for Best First...

Send us Fan Mail Farewell, My Lovely (1940) by Raymond Chandler is a cornerstone of the noir genre and the Philip Marlowe books, showcasing Marlowe in one of his most memorable cases. The novel’s richly atmospheric prose vividly captures the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, immersing readers in its gritty, dangerous world. Chandler’s exploration of moral ambiguity and flawed characters adds depth...

Send us Fan Mail Farewell, My Lovely (1940) by Raymond Chandler is a cornerstone of the noir genre and the Philip Marlowe books, showcasing Marlowe in one of his most memorable cases. The novel’s richly atmospheric prose vividly captures the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles, immersing readers in its gritty, dangerous world. Chandler’s exploration of moral ambiguity and flawed characters adds depth...

Send us Fan Mail Arvind Ethan David joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss Trouble Is My Business by Raymond Chandler. Arvind is a writer and and producer who tells stories and builds accidental businesses around them. Most recently, he released Douglas Adams: The Ends of the Earth (Pushkin). The Boy with Wings (based on Sir Lenny Henry’s book) premiered in summer 2025 at The Polka Theatre London...

Send us Fan Mail THE BIG SLEEP (1939) is a seminal work in the hardboiled detective genre, and it’s among the best of the Raymond Chandler books. It showcases Chandler’s masterful use of sharp dialogue, complex characters and his gritty depiction of 1930s Los Angeles. This classic hardboiled detective novel introduces private eye Philip Marlowe. Hired to resolve a blackmail scheme, Marlowe uncover...

Send us Fan Mail THE BIG SLEEP (1939) is a seminal work in the hardboiled detective genre, and it’s among the best of the Raymond Chandler books. It showcases Chandler’s masterful use of sharp dialogue, complex characters and his gritty depiction of 1930s Los Angeles. This classic hardboiled detective novel introduces private eye Philip Marlowe. Hired to resolve a blackmail scheme, Marlowe uncover...