You all know I went to London and met a lot of people and saw a lot of presentations and had a lot of fun and bought two books that sort of stank . . . a lot. But the absolute highpoint of my trip was a Monday night at the end of June, in a quiet book-filled room, when JJ, Dan and I sat down to talk about Agatha Christie. I remember there was food, and we were bathed in sunlight for a while . . . until there was none. My focus was keenly set on the two men before me and on the most wonderful conversation that we had – a conversation that JJ, of all things, recorded.
I’m deep in the doldrums tonight because this is the final Friday of my summer vacation. What a lift I got to open my e-mail and discover that JJ has at last edited our Christie mutterings into a two-part podcast, the latest in the periodic series where Dan and JJ talk about all things concerning impossible crimes and locked room mysteries.
In the first episode (which you can listen to here), JJ and I talk about the novels by Christie that include some sort of impossible crime element. (Dan could not join us for this one – he had already scheduled his annual psychic cleansing in a local sweat lodge, something you can read about in his alternate blog site, The Reader Is Warmed.) As JJ himself puts it, the conversation speaks for itself, but rest assured that there are no spoilers.
I just listened to the whole thing, and I have to say that it lifted my spirits considerably and brought me back to that lovely evening. I could count on one hand the number of times I have had a serious face-to-face conversation about Christie or any of my favorite GAD authors (and still have several fingers left over). This was a pure joy.
Next week, JJ will post Part II, this time including Dan, and I was honored that my friends were willing to stretch the boundaries of their own podcast to allow us to talk in general about my favorite author. I hope you will listen to both and comment at JJ’s site, where we’ll all continue the conversation in the comments section. Your comments are also, as always, welcome here.
Ah Sweet Mystery! 
That is great news, Brad, and I think the podcast is a fabulous idea!
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I imagine I can relate to your experience, Brad, as I’m fortunate enough to have enjoyed a similar one a year earlier. I’d never admit this to Dan or JJ – er… I assume they don’t read this site – but there was a surreal sort of meet your heroes bit to it. Kind of like getting to spend two hours with your favorite band, but you actually have something really interesting to talk about other than “I really like that part in that one song…”
Like you, I’ve never had an opportunity to sit down face to face and have an in depth conversation with anyone well versed in this genre. I’ve leant quite a few books to friends, but there just isn’t that breadth of reading experience. The fact that you get to then listen to the recording and remember every last bit of it is the cherry on top.
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Ben, it was very much like that for me as well, but once I demanded that Dan and JJ knock off the hero worship, they were able to relax and get into the discussion.
Seriously, the only reason I flew to London was that I was jealous of your experience! That’s why I demanded a two-parter, even though we ran out of things to say. Next week, the guys listen to me talk about my cats, Hercule Purroit and Jane Meowple for forty minutes. It’s gonna be great!
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