Whodunnit Dinners Podcast

Whodunnit Dinners
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Whodunnit Dinners podcast is a murder mystery book and food podcast where murder mystery dinner party game writers Helen Barbour and Katie McLaughlin discuss whodunnits...and food inspired by the fiction! Whether you favour classic murder mysteries of the golden age, gritty detective reads, or left-field literary murder mysteries, the meandering conversation touches on everything from author biographies, quality of the writing, menopause brain and celebrity stand-ins. It's like book club, with food!

  1. 4d ago ·  Bonus

    Halloween Special 2026: Utseku's Strange Houses and Fiona Leitch's Cornish Halloween Murder

    Katie McLaughlin and Helen Barber swap Halloween book picks, one dark and one cosy. They also share spooky food ideas and a Halloween murder mystery game. Not one reference to Jason Statham, but plenty of inaccuracy and amusement. Timecodes 0:15 Welcome and the Halloween special1:01 Helen's pick: three clues to guess the book2:12 Meet Uketsu, the masked, anonymous Japanese author who started as a YouTuber3:38 Strange Houses: the bold cover and the author's other books4:19 The premise: floor plans with strange gaps5:04 Reviews and first impressions6:46 The story: the friend's house and the architect Kurihara8:04 The four chapters and the hidden dark secret9:26 Gore or supernatural? Horror meets architecture10:36 Helen's verdict: a strong 4 out of 5 magnifying glasses11:45 Katie's pick: The Cornish Halloween Murder Mystery by Fiona Leitch12:48 The Jodie "Nosy Parker" series, now on book 1113:50 Jodie, Pennstown and the recipes in the book14:36 The chatty writing style17:36 The plot: a convent redevelopment, creepy rag dolls, a witch museum and a murder19:45 Cornish Halloween and bonfire night parades22:02 Katie's take: "not for me", but cosy mystery fans will love it24:26 Katie's rating: 4 out of 5 for cosy mystery fans26:00 Katie's Halloween house and trick-or-treating plans27:36 Easy Halloween treats: boo-nanas, deadly dentures, cobweb cupcakes and tasty bones29:16 Our downloadable murder mystery game, Spectre at the Feast, in family and adult versions29:47 Wrap-up and sign-off Theme Tune: Dan McCullough Whodunnit Dinners Game - Spectre at the Feast

  2. Oct 19

    Agatha Christie Finale: The Crooked House - Despicable Families, Delicious Turkish Dishes and Fainting Imams

    Helen and Katie conclude the Agatha Christie series with a 5 star review, and promise of Halloween treats to come! Theme tune: Dan McCullough Whodunnit Diners Website Have Yourself A Merry Little Murder Whodunnit Dinners Game Spectre At The Feast Whodunnit Dinners Game Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Theme Exploration 03:00 Diving into 'Crooked House' by Agatha Christie 05:56 Character Dynamics and Setting in 'Crooked House' 08:57 Themes of Morality and Family Dysfunction 11:59 The Psychological Depth of Characters 14:51 Insights on Murder and Human Nature 18:03 Conclusion and Reflections on the Book 21:14 Book Recommendations and Connections 23:10 Cultural Influences in Literature 24:54 Rating the Book: A Five Magnifying Glass Review 26:57 Reflections on the Series and Author's Evolution 27:57 Murder Mystery Dinner Party Games 29:53 Exploring Turkish Cuisine: Imam Bayaldi Recipe 37:19 Season Wrap-Up and Future Plans

  3. Oct 5

    Agatha Christie: The Secret Adversary - Romps, Revolution and Romance with Tommy and Tuppence

    Katie and Helen explore the historical context of Agatha Christie's first Tommy and Tuppence novel, 'The Secret Adversary,' set against the backdrop of post-World War I Britain and the Lusitania sinking. There are lots of confident assertions, plenty of nonsense , a great recipe for toffee apples and Roy Wood from Wizzard! Theme tune: Dan McCullough Whodunnit Dinners Game - The Spy Who Came In With A Cold Whodunnit Dinners Game - My Deadly Valentine Chapters00:24 – Setting the food challenge: 1920s American food01:17 – Christie’s early novels and the 1920s setting02:17 – Introducing The Secret Adversary and Tommy and Tuppence03:11 – The novel’s love story and the Lusitania opening03:41 – The Lusitania’s history and its First World War context05:15 – The sinking and the mysterious packet of papers06:38 – Tommy and Tuppence reunite in London07:37 – Tommy’s postwar struggle to find work08:01 – The difficulties of rebuilding after the war08:57 – Agatha Christie’s nursing and pharmacy experience10:09 – Tommy and Tuppence become the Young Adventurers11:19 – Tuppence meets Whittington and gives the name Jane Finn12:18 – The search for Jane Finn draws in MI5 and Julius Hersheimer13:29 – Julius’s connection to Jane and the missing papers14:42 – The secret treaty and fears of political upheaval16:40 – The novel’s picture of poverty and unrest in the 1920s18:28 – Christie’s political thriller becomes a fast-paced romp18:58 – The mystery of Mr. Brown20:09 – Comparing the novel’s shadowy villain to another mystery20:51 – Rita Vandemeyer, red herrings, and Tuppence undercover22:36 – A recurring Christie mystery trope23:36 – The twists, Tommy and Tuppence, and Julius’s role24:05 – Money, romance, and jealousy25:08 – Comparing The Secret Adversary with The Seven Dials Mystery25:51 – Why the early novel feels especially immediate27:02 – Reader reactions and whether the book deserves more recognition27:35 – Tommy and Tuppence adaptations28:41 – Why the story’s postwar struggles may still resonate30:11 – Faithful adaptations versus reimagining a story30:43 – Katie’s rating: five magnifying glasses32:29 – Tuppence as the energetic force in the partnership32:59 – Choosing a murder mystery party game to pair with the book34:09 – Helen unpacks the American food challenge35:17 – Three food possibilities: Native American, Depression-era, or 1920s party fare36:26 – How 1920s food culture differed from Depression-era cooking37:19 – Coddies, fish cakes, and 1923 toffee apples37:57 – Choosing homemade toffee apples38:42 – The Bogey Books and their party-planning origins39:57 – Halloween parties and the fashion of the 1920s41:14 – Crepe-paper costumes and Katie’s Roy Wood story42:55 – The Bogey Books as early consumer-focused party guides43:17 – How the recipe connects to the book’s romance45:04 – The 1923 brown-sugar toffee apple recipe46:19 – Testing the syrup and coating the apples47:13 – A seasonal treat for Halloween or winter evenings47:26 – Guy Fawkes Night and the British tradition48:14 – The history behind the celebration—and sugar-coated apples48:51 – Looking up the Bogey Books for party inspiration49:13 – Setting the next food challenge: Greek food also found in western Turkey49:30 – A reminder to follow, like, and subscribe51:15 – Closing thoughts and sign-off

  4. Sep 21

    Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express - Craft, Mystery and Chasing Donkeys

    Helen and Katie discuss the classic Murder on the Orient Express and Katie reveals the secrets of Eastern Croatian cooking. Warning - terrible pronunciation of Croatian comes as standard! Theme Tune: Dan McCullough Whodunnit Dinners Game - Murder on the Leyton Orient Express Chasing The Donkey Blog Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest 00:15 Introduction to Croatian cuisine and mystery stories 02:02 Discussion of the film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express 03:57 Overview of Murder on the Orient Express and its setting 08:03 The structure of the novel and chapter organization 09:54 Analysis of the portrayal of race and phrenology in the story 14:53 Character analysis and cultural diversity in the story 19:56 Poirot's logical deduction process and mental models 20:04 Helen and Katie's insights on actors playing Hercule Poirot 25:01 The confined train setting and its significance 30:00 Themes of justice, morality, and justice avoidance 30:02 Exploring Croatian food influences and traditional recipes 34:53 The novel's impact and legacy in detective fiction 39:57 Conclusion and key takeaways 40:05 Recipe for Croatian čobanac stew and its cultural significance 50:01 Upcoming episode theme: American food of the 1920s and 30s

  5. Sep 7

    Agatha Christie: The Pale Horse - Remote murder, British Pubs and Ploughman's

    Helen and Katie discuss The Pale Horse, an 'occulty' Agatha Christie set in the early 70s. Beatniks and beers aplenty! Theme tune: Dan McCullough Whodunnit Dinners game: Bump off at the Bake Off Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the episode and main themes 01:08 Helen discusses the history of pubs from Roman times to the 1500s 02:22 The story behind 'The Pale Horse' and its biblical origins 04:16 Overview of 'The Pale Horse' plot and main characters 09:07 The murder mystery and detective characters in the novel 16:14 Themes of evil, the occult, and normalcy in the story 22:25 TV adaptations of 'The Pale Horse' and their differences 27:25 Helen explores the history of pub grub and traditional British pub foods 42:28 The evolution of pub names, culture, and food from Roman times to modern gastropubs 45:11 Helen and Katie discuss their upcoming challenges and wrap-up

  6. Aug 24

    Agatha Christie: The Seven Dials Mystery - Bright Young Things and Mushy Peas

    Helen and Katie explore the world of Agatha Christie's early work, comparing the book 'The Seven Dials Mystery' with its Netflix adaptation, and delve into the history of fish and chips as a quintessential British dish.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the discussion on Agatha Christie's early work 02:00 Setting the scene in 1929 London and the significance of the Seven Dials 04:00 Characters and plot overview of The Seven Dials Mystery 07:03 Comparison of the book and Netflix adaptation 10:01 Helen's critique of the book's style and plot 14:04 Historical background of fish and chips in Britain 20:03 Cooking tips for authentic British fish and chips 24:01 Reflections on adaptations and Helen’s final thoughts Theme Tune: Dan McCullough Whodunnit Dinners Games

  7. Aug 10

    Agatha Christie: Nemesis - Incredible Coach Tours, Toni Collette and Coronation Chicken

    Helen and Katie explore Nemesis one of Agatha Christie's last novels, discuss the merits of Phillidephia Cheese and Marmite sandwiches and marvel at how Miss Marple is being 'sexed up'. Theme Tune: Dan McCullough Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Nemesis and Miss Marple's New Adventure 02:00 Background and Context of Nemesis 04:02 The Mystery's Setup and Initial Clues 07:59 The Journey and Characters on the Coach Trip 11:57 Themes of Society and Judgments in the Novel 15:59 The Climax and Resolution of the Murder 20:00 Adaptations and Future of Miss Marple 24:01 Food, Culture, and the 1970s Picnic The Darling Academy - https://www.thedarlingacademy.com/ History of Coronation Chicken - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronation_chicken The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightclub - https://www.whodunnitdinners.co.uk/collections/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-nightclub

  8. Jul 30 ·  Bonus

    Summer Holiday Reads 1: Tom Hindle, PD James, Adam Kay, Celeste Ng and Sand-Whiches

    Katie and Helen have done the hard work so you can lie back and enjoy a great summer holiday murder mystery read with a side order of traditional British sand-wiches or a nice ciabatta if you're a bit more flash. Theme tune: Dan McCullough Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Beach Reads and Podcast Hosts 01:00 Criteria for the Perfect Beach Murder Mystery 03:09 Helen's First Choice: A Caribbean Miss Marple 05:38 Katie’s Favorite: Evil Under the Sun 06:07 A Seaside Devon Mystery with Poirot 14:00 P.D. James’ Modern Take on Pride and Prejudice 21:12 Death Comes to Pemberley: A Thoughtful Murder Mystery 26:00 Tom Hindle’s Lake Garda Murder on Holiday 32:01 Final Recommendations and Fun Food Ideas for the Beach Resources A Caribbean Mystery and Evil Under The Sun by Agatha Christie Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James A Particularly Nasty Case by Adam Kaye Murder at Lake Garda by Tom Hindle Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng Agatha Christie Official Website P.D. James Official Website WhoDunnit Dinners Murder Mystery Games

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About

Whodunnit Dinners podcast is a murder mystery book and food podcast where murder mystery dinner party game writers Helen Barbour and Katie McLaughlin discuss whodunnits...and food inspired by the fiction! Whether you favour classic murder mysteries of the golden age, gritty detective reads, or left-field literary murder mysteries, the meandering conversation touches on everything from author biographies, quality of the writing, menopause brain and celebrity stand-ins. It's like book club, with food!

Information

  • Creator
    Whodunnit Dinners
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Whodunnit Dinners
  • Show Website
    Whodunnit Dinners Podcast