Agatha Christie had quite a formula. She didn’t discover it. Others employed similar elements before her, and many more have practiced it since. But Christie perfected it with her cozy who-done-its featuring Hercule Poirot.
At left: Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) explains his solution to the story’s mystery in Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Available on Hulu and HBO Max.
Christie’s mysteries generally begin by introducing a cast of eccentric characters, progress quickly to an inciting incident (usually a murder), and kick into gear with the arrival of a master investigator who works to solve the mystery. In the end, the sleuth gathers the characters for a big reveal. The mystery is explained, the culprit identified, and order restored.
Rian Johnson pays homage to the Christie’s formula in Knives Out, and I’ve endeavored to do something similar in the Mystery Theatre stories “A Knavish Piece of Mystery” and “The Play’s the Thing.” The latter debuts today on Apple, Audible, Deezer, Libsyn, Spotify as well as the Prime Stage website.
At right: The cast of Knive Out assembles for mast sleuth Benoit Blanc’s solution to the story’s mystery.
By presenting the story as a podcast series, Prime Stage is able to invite listeners to take part in solving the mystery. Click the link below to join in … or go to the Mystery Theatre’s Lybsyn page where you’ll also find a comment box and a Prime Stage email link. Joining a mystery has never been easier.