Tea, Tonic & Toxin

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...

Send us Fan Mail Puja Guha grew up and has worked all over the world. Her spy thriller series THE AHRIMAN LEGACY is an Amazon bestseller, and she has been featured on TV and media, including Fox5, Reader’s Digest, and The London Post. Get your book here! Watch clips from our conversations with guests! Join our  Patreon community here! It's free to join, with extra perks for members at every l...

Send us Fan Mail Yes, you read that right! 2024! Due to Carolyn & Sarah's lives exploding they've been getting  the episodes out a bit slower than  they would prefer. Not to worry, they are actively working on solutions to be able to make more time to catch up on getting book discussions  out to you! Get your books here! Watch clips from our conversations with guests! Join our  Patre...

Send us Fan Mail Ann Claire joins us in studio to discuss Dead and Gondola , the first book in her Christie Bookshop Mystery series. The second book in the series, Last Word to the Wise , was released in 2023. Her Bookmobile Mysteries, Santa Fe Cafe Mysteries, and Cyclist’s Guide Mysteries are available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats on Amazon and from other booksellers. Get your book here...

Send us Fan Mail The intricate plot, morally complex characters, and exploration of the human psyche in A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS (THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS) (1939) make it one of the first modern suspense thrillers. Eric Ambler paved the way for such writers as John Le Carré, Len Deighton, and Robert Ludlum. It’s one of TIME Magazine’s 100 best mystery and thriller books of all time. Special guest Neil...

Send us Fan Mail The intricate plot, morally complex characters, and exploration of the human psyche in A COFFIN FOR DIMITRIOS (THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS) (1939) make it one of the first modern suspense thrillers. Eric Ambler paved the way for such writers as John Le Carré, Len Deighton, and Robert Ludlum. It’s one of TIME Magazine’s 100 best mystery and thriller books of all time. Special guest Neil...

Send us Fan Mail Ten strangers, each with a dark secret, are lured to a remote island and drawn into a deadly game. As the body count rises, paranoia intensifies in this classic whodunit. Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1939) will keep you guessing until the very end. Check out the And Then There Were None notes below! Special guest Ann Perramond joins us to discuss the best-selling cr...

Send us Fan Mail David Morrell is the award-winning author of First Blood , the novel in which Rambo was created. He joins us to discuss Rogue Male (by Geoffrey Household) and First Blood . He holds a Ph. D. in American literature from Penn State and was a professor in the English department at the University of Iowa. His many New York Times bestsellers include the classic spy trilogy that begins...

Send us Fan Mail ROGUE MALE (1939) is an enduring masterpiece of mystery, adventure, suspense, and the sheer thrill of the chase. Described by author Geoffrey Household as a “bastard offspring of Stevenson and Conrad,” it’s “the best escape and pursuit story yet written, with lip-chewing tension right to the end.” –The Times (UK) Special guest David Morrell , New York Times bestselling author of F...

Send us Fan Mail Part memoir and part literary true crime, Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse is the mesmerizing story of a landmark sexual assault investigation and the female private investigator who helped crack it open. The book won the 2023 Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime, and it was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Erika Krouse is a writer o...

Send us Fan Mail Georgia Jeffries joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss The Younger Girl , a supernatural thriller based on a true crime. Georgia is a writer of Emmy Award-winning drama and acclaimed noir fiction. Honored with multiple Writers Guild Awards, Golden Globes, and the Humanitas Prize, her work in film has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “standing ovation television.”  Get your bo...

Send us Fan Mail Shana Kelly began her career as a literary agent at the William Morris Agency in New York and London for 10 years. She currently works as a documentary screenwriter, book editor, writer, and publishing consultant. She also teaches at Denver-based Lighthouse Writers Workshop. In 2024, Shana won an Emmy for writing A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps , a historical documen...

Send us Fan Mail We are beyond excited to be starting our fourth year, and to share with you the books we have on tap! Give a listen and let us know what you think, or if we're leaving out pivotal content to the genre. See the  full book club list here ! Watch clips from our conversations with guests (and  ourselves)! Join our  brand new  Patreon community here! It's free to join, with e...

Send us Fan Mail “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again …” A young bride is haunted by the lingering shadow of her husband’s first wife at the eerie Manderley estate. Secrets, jealousy, and suspense converge in a chilling tale of love and deception. The classic Gothic suspense novel REBECCA (1938) by Daphne du Maurier won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century. Shana Kelly was the...

Send us Fan Mail Mystery writer Kathy Reichs joins Sarah and Carolyn to discuss her latest book, Fire and Bones . #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with a twisty, unputdownable thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who finds herself at the center of a DC arson investigation that spawns deepening levels of mystery and, ultimately, violence. Mystery w...

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 The Wheel Spins (1938), a young woman’s train journey takes a sinister turn when a fellow passenger mysteriously disappears. Ethel Lina White’s suspenseful, edge-of-your-s...