Shows
Tea, Tonic & ToxinA Coffin for Dimitrios, episode 1 with Neil Nyren!Send us a textThe 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 Nyren joins us to discuss the book. Check out the conversation starters below. Weigh in, and you might just get an on-air shoutout and a fab stick...2025-05-0148 minTea, Tonic & ToxinAgatha Christie's And Then There Were None, with Ann Claire!Send us a textTen 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 crime novel of all time. Weigh in, and you might just get an on-air shoutout and a fab sticker!Get your book here!2025-04-081h 04Tea, Tonic & ToxinFirst Blood with David Morrell!Send us a textDavid 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 with THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE, the basis for the only television mini-series to premier after a Super Bowl. An Edgar, Anthony, and...2025-03-111h 21Tea, Tonic & ToxinRogue Male by Geoffrey Household with special guest David Morrell!Send us a textROGUE 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 First Blood (the classic thriller that inspired the RAMBO movies) joins us. Check out the conversation starters below. Weigh in, and you might just get an on-air shoutout and a fab sticker!...2025-03-041h 01Tea, Tonic & ToxinTell Me Everything with guest Erika KrouseSend us a textPart 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 of fiction and nonfiction. Her upcoming collection of stories, Save Me, Stranger, will be released in January 2025. Learn more about Erika below!...2025-02-241h 13Tea, Tonic & ToxinGeorgia Jeffries and The Younger Girl!Send us a textGeorgia 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 book here!Watch clips from our conversation with Georgia!Join our brand new Patreon community here! It's free to join, with extra perks for members at every l...2025-02-031h 03Tea, Tonic & ToxinRebecca by Daphne du Maurier, with Shana Kelly! Part 2Send us a textShana 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 documentary that aired on PBS in 2023. She is currently writing a historical documentary about the League of Women Voters.Shana Kelly joins Tea, Tonic & Toxin to discuss Daphne du...2025-01-1852 minTea, Tonic & ToxinThe 2025 Prospective Book List!Send us a textWe 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 extra perks for members at every level.Tea, Tonic, and Toxin is a mystery and...2025-01-0947 minTea, Tonic & ToxinRebecca by Daphne du Maurier, with Shana Kelly! Part 1Send us a text“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 signing agent for many successful authors, including New York Times bestseller Curtis Sittenfeld, author of PREP and ELIGIBLE.In 2024, Shana Ke...2024-12-3148 minTea, Tonic & ToxinKathy Reichs on Fire and Bones!Send us a textMystery 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 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...2024-12-2336 minTea, Tonic & ToxinThe Wheel Spins, Episode 2! By Ethel Lina White, with special guest Alex CsurkoSend us a textTea, 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-seat read served as the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film The Lady Vanishes. It’s a classic of the genre.Alex Csurko joins us to discus...2024-12-1158 minTea, Tonic & ToxinThe Wheel Spins with Alex Csurko - episode 1!Send us a textIn 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 starters below. Weigh in, and you might just get an on-air shoutout and a fab sticker!Get your book here!Watch clips from our conversation with Alex!...2024-11-2251 minTea, Tonic & ToxinMidnight at the Barclay Hotel with Fleur BradleySend us a textFleur 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.grace sigmaConsultancy specializing in lean process, systems design, data storytelling, and data visualization.Disclaimer: This post contains af...2024-11-101h 03Tea, Tonic & ToxinThe Busy Body & All About Agatha Christie with Kemper DonovanSend us a textFull-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 Agatha Christie, in which guise he has appeared on BBC TV and Radio New Zealand and written for the official Agatha Christie website, agathachristie.com.2024-10-2150 minTea, Tonic & ToxinThe ABC Murders by Agatha Christie, with guest Kemper DonovanSend us a textTHE 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 conversation starters below. Weigh in, and you might just get an on-air shoutout and a fab sticker!Full-time writer KEMPER DONOVAN is currently publishing an ongoin...2024-10-201h 02Tea, Tonic & ToxinCraig Johnson, Walt Longmire, and 20 books!Send us a textWe 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 here!Join our brand new Patreon community here!Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire novels, wh...2024-09-0657 minTea, Tonic & ToxinGaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers with guest ZJ Czupor, amazing second episode!Send us a textTea, 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 considered by some to be the first feminist mystery novel, and it’s a prime example of Dorothy L. Sayers’ elegant prose, complex characterization, and intricate, emotionall...2024-08-221h 04Tea, Tonic & ToxinGaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers with guest ZJ CzuporSend us a textTea, 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 considered by some to be the first feminist mystery novel, and it’s a prime example of Dorothy L. Sayers’ elegant prose, complex characterization, and intricate, emotionall...2024-08-091h 00Tea, Tonic & ToxinThe Wild Inside with guest Christine Carbo!Send us a textMontana 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 Northwest Montana has to offer.Christine's website buy the book Christine's facebookTea, Tonic & Toxin's YoutubeIt was a clear night in...2024-07-301h 05Tea, Tonic & ToxinDeath in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer with special guest Jen Kloester! Part 2!Send us a textWhen 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: Speak up, and you might get an on-air shout out and a fabulous sticker!Jennifer Kloester is the bestselling author of Georgette Heyer’s Regency World, Ge...2024-07-191h 13Tea, Tonic & ToxinDeath in the Stocks by Georgette Heyer with special guest Jen Kloester! Part 1!Send us a textWhen 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: Speak up, and you might get an on-air shout out and a fabulous sticker!Jennifer Kloester is the bestselling author of Georgette Heyer’s Regency World, Ge...2024-07-0759 minTea, Tonic & ToxinPhantom Orbit by David IgnatiusSend us a textThriller 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.comDavid 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 in Washington, DC.David Ignatius is known for his uncanny ability, in novel after novel, to predict the next great...2024-06-141h 17Tea, Tonic & ToxinThe League of Frightened Men with Ira Brad Matetsky, part 2!Send us a textA 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 Goodwin, stop him before he kills again? Find out in Rex Stout’s The League of Frightened Men (1935).Check out The Offical Nero Wolfe Society!On X...2024-06-0750 minTea, Tonic & ToxinThe League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout - with Ira Brad Matetsky!Send us a textA 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 Goodwin, stop him before he kills again? Find out in Rex Stout’s The League of Frightened Men (1935).Check out The Offical Nero Wolfe Society!On X...2024-05-2152 minTea, Tonic & ToxinEdgar Award winning Bearskin with author James A McLaughlinSend us a textThriller 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 Fiction), The Washington Post, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and Goodreads. He’s currently working on a sequel to Bearskin.Check out all the book and other ite...2024-05-081h 05Tea, Tonic & ToxinNorman Shabel's Legal ThrillersSend us a textBrooklyn-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 neighborhood called Brownsville in Brooklyn, NY. At the time, many immigrants as well as Jewish children like himself and people of color faced daily injustices. For example, he...2024-04-2845 minTea, Tonic & ToxinThe Hollow Man by John Dickson CarrSend us a textTHE 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 book on Amazon.Reflect: Check out the conversation starters below.The Novel as a Riddle“To the murder of Professor Grimaud, and...2024-04-171h 00Tea, Tonic & ToxinCarter Wilson chats about his newest thriller: The Father She Went to FindSend us a textPenny 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 birthdya, she receives a card in the mail from him, just as she has every year since he left. But this birthday card is different. For the...2024-03-311h 01Tea, Tonic & ToxinThe Postman Always Rings Twice - with guest Rebecca Heisler!Send us a textTHE 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 Amazon.Reflect: Check out the conversation starters below.Our guest, Rebecca Heisler, lives outside Boston with her two rescue mu...2024-03-101h 11Tea, Tonic & ToxinBarbara Nickless tells us about Play of ShadowsSend us a textIn 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 grisliest cases. She’s the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence, the Golden Quill Award, Suspense Magazine Best Debut of 2016, Amazon Editors’ Best Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense N...2024-02-261h 14Tea, Tonic & ToxinThe Thin Man, part 2.Send us a textTea, 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, theories, and doubts, along with the occasional guest. And we hope to entertain you, dear friend. We want you to experience the joys of reading the best mysteries and thri...2024-02-111h 00