Mark and Gray head to St Loo (or its possible real-life counterpart, Torquay in Devon!) to discuss The Rose and the Yew Tree. This is the fourth Mary Westmacott novel - and the secret is out! The world finally finds out who Mary Westmacott really is. So where does Agatha Christie go from here? Is this the end of the road for Mary Westmacott…?

Read along with us! Each episode drops fortnightly, on Tuesdays. You have until Tuesday 9 June 2026 to read book 5, A Daughter’s A Daughter!

WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠!

You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. Our website is ChristieTime.com. We are also on Bluesky at ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod.

Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops. And do also stay subscribed to our other podcast, The Swinging Christies, for monthly episodes over there!

Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.

Westmapod is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.

00:00:00 - Opening titles

00:01:06 - Introductory chat

00:03:16 - The Rose and the Yew Tree

00:03:38 - The context of The Rose and the Yew Tree

00:25:32 - The structure of The Rose and the Yew Tree

00:43:37 - The autobiographical elements of The Rose and the Yew Tree

00:54:19 - Politics and Politicking

01:07:08 - Finally, a romance?

01:25:21 - If you liked this, try that

01:28:55 - Who is Mary Westmacott?

01:32:38 - Next episode, how to get in touch, closing titles

01:35:12 - Coda

Spoilers, besides The Rose and the Yew Tree - Giant’s Bread, Death on the Nile

TW: discussion of sexual and physical assault

Gray and Mark are joined by the internationally-beloved Agatha Christie expert, host of the smash-hit All About Agatha podcast - not to mention their very good friend - Kemper Donovan to discuss Absent in the Spring!

What will Kemper, Mark and Gray make of Absent in the Spring, which Agatha Christie herself ranked among the very best of her novels. Is this the best Mary Westmacott? Listen on to find out!

Read along with us! Each episode drops fortnightly, on Tuesdays. You have until Tuesday 26 May 2026 to read book 4, The Rose and the Yew Tree!

WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠!

You can find All About Agatha podcast here, and links to Kemper’s books can be found via his website here. To sign up to the All About Agatha Patreon, where parts of this episode debuted, visit this link.

You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. Our website is ChristieTime.com. We are also on Bluesky at ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod.

Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops. And do also stay subscribed to our other podcast, The Swinging Christies, for monthly episodes over there!

Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.

Westmapod is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown.

00:00:00 - Opening titles

00:01:06 - Introductory chat

00:02:40 - Absent in the Spring

00:03:02 - The context of Absent in the Spring

00:23:24 - The structure of Absent in the Spring

00:38:44 - The autobiographical elements of Absent in the Spring

00:52:33 - Psychoanalysis

01:16:29 - Adultery

01:31:08 - If you liked this, try that

01:38:16 - Who is Mary Westmacott?

01:40:56 - Next episode, how to get in touch, closing titles

01:47:51 - Coda

Spoilers, besides Absent in the Spring - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Endless Night

Welcome back to Westmapod, and welcome to Tenerife! Join Mark and Gray, sunning themselves, and discussing Unfinished Portrait, the second novel Agatha Christie wrote under her secret alter ego, Mary Westmacott! Will Unfinished Portrait give us a new insight into who Agatha really was? Is it worth a read? Was it just an excuse for a holiday? Listen on to hear.

Read along with us! Each episode drops after a fortnight, on Tuesdays. You have until Tuesday 12 May 2026 to read book 3, Absent in the Spring!

WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠!

You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠. Our website is ChristieTime.com. We are also on Bluesky at ChristieTime.com. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod.

Please subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified every time an episode drops. And do also stay subscribed to The Swinging Christies for monthly episodes over there!

Please also consider giving us a star rating and/or reviewing us on your podcatcher of choice.

Westmapod is a Christie Time project by Mark Aldridge and Gray Robert Brown. Artwork designed by Tom Double.

00:00:00 - Opening titles

00:01:03 - Introductory chat

00:06:41 - Unfinished Portrait

00:12:54 - The context of Unfinished Portrait

00:20:31 - The structure of Unfinished Portrait

00:30:41 - The autobiographical elements of Unfinished Portrait

01:04:18 - Art & Artistry

01:15:39 - A portrait of Dermot

01:28:45 - If you liked this, try that

01:16:02 - Who is Mary Westmacott?

01:33:29 - Next episode, how to get in touch, closing titles

01:36:36 - Coda

Spoilers, besides Unfinished Portrait - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Endless Night

TW: discussions of coercive control and abusive relationships, suicide