Every episode I think: “they’ll never top this one”. But I genuinely think this one’ll be impossible to surpass. On a trip to Estonia we noticed they’re as passionate as ever about classic detective fiction.

They won’t be able to pin anything on you.

He also wrote a biography of Conan Doyle and co-wrote a series of Sherlock Holmes stories with Sir Arthur’s son Adrian.

General consensus is his best novels are from the late 1930s to early 1940s. They’re slowly coming back into print. Til Death Do Us Part, the Reader is Warned and The Hollow Man (his most famous aka The Three Coffins) are good entry points. But honestly I love pretty much all his stuff. Enjoy!

Ha! The great John Dickson Carr aka Carter Dickson. Master of the locked room mystery and creator of Dr Gideon Fell and Sir Henry Merrivale. (Both sleuths we’re British but enjoyed several US adventures especially towards the end of JDC’s career when he returned to the US.)

I guess we can forget about a series of Round Qatar Quiz, then?

Fingers crossed. Meanwhile I have no doubt our - hopefully temporary pause - is your students’ gain. Such a gifted communicator and such infectious enthusiasm. Many thanks for what we’ve already had.

Ha! Such a great podcast. In a just and fair world it would have garnered myriad awards. Looking forward to the marathon: I ran it last year and really enjoyed it even though I had to cycle home in the rain afterwards.

I filed this novel under “good set-up, disappointing pay-off”. Glad I read it tho’ - it was always a pleasure to support LRI.

Many years ago, I arrived knackered at a French youth hostel and asked the receptionist: “Do you speak English?” “Yes,” he said, “but I don’t like to.” That’s what I say when someone asks if I play golf.

Sallis played Watson in a Holmes Broadway musical in 1964 and I secretly think it was him (rather than Peter Sellers) lined up as Poirot in the ill-fated Death Beat agathachristie.fandom.com/wiki/Death_B...

Recently finished (and loved) the Blazing World - though it felt more like current affairs than history at points. Looking forward to the new one.

Good to see a strong showing for this: my first Christie, and one that holds a special place in my heart.