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DEATH COMES AS THE END by Agatha Christie is a groundbreaking historical mystery set in ancient Egypt. When a wealthy patriarch’s death sparks a series of murders within his family, suspicion and secrets abound. It’s the first full-length historical whodunit.
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Dr. Nicky Nielsen is a Senior Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester. Originally from Denmark, he was awarded an AHRC Block Grant to undertake PhD research at the University of Liverpool, investigating subsistence strategies and craft production at the Ramesside fortress site of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham. He obtained his PhD in 2016.
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Read his article Agatha Christie: World’s First Historical Whodunnit Was Inspired by 4,000 Year‑Old Letters

Author’s Note on Death Comes as the End

“The action of this book takes place on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes in Egypt about 2000 B.C. Both places and time are incidental to the story. Any other place at any other time would have served as well, but it so happened that the inspiration of both characters and plot was derived from two or three Egyptian letters of the XIth Dynasty, found during the 1920-1921 season by the Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in a rock tomb opposite Luxor, and translated by Professor Battiscombe Gunn in the Museum’s Bulletin.
“It may be of interest to the reader to note that an endowment for ka-service–an everyday feature of ancient Egyptian civilization–was very similar in principle to a medieval chantry bequest. Property was bequeathed to the ka-priest, in return for which he was expected to maintain the tomb of the testator, and to provide offerings at the tomb on certain feast days throughout the year for the repose of the deceased’s soul.
“The terms ‘Brother,’ ‘Sister,’ in Egyptian text regularly meaning ‘Lover,’ are frequently interchangeable with ‘Husband,’ ‘Wife.’ They are so used on occasion in this book.
“The agricultural calendar of Ancient Egypt, consisting of three seasons of four months of thirty days, formed the background of peasant life, and with the addition of five intercalary days at the end of the year, was used as the official calendar of 365 days to the year. This ‘year’ originally began with the arrival in Egypt of the flood-water of the Nile in the third week of July by our reckoning. The absence of a leap year caused this to lag through the centuries, so that at the opening of the agricultural year, i.e. in January instead of July. To save the reader from continually having to make allowance for this six months, however, the dates here used as chapter headings are calculated by the agricultural year of the time, i.e., Inundation–late July to late November; Winter–late November to late March; and Summer–late March to late July.”

Characters in Death Comes as the End
Imhotep, a mortuary priest (ka-priest); fussily pompous; provider for his large household
Nofret, Imhotep’s beautiful young concubine, newly arrived from the north
Esa, Imhotep’s mother; blunt-spoken, disdainful of much of her family; she calls her son a fool
Renisenb (ren-eh-seb), Imhotep’s recently widowed daughter (husband Khay); mother of Teti
Yahmose, Imhotep’s eldest son; he’s kind and hesitant, rarely asserting his rights as eldest son
Satipy (sah-tee-pee), Yahmose’s wife; tall, energetic, loud woman who bullied her husband
Sobek, Imhotep’s second son; handsome braggart who resents his dependent status
Kait, Sobek’s wife; her love for her children dominated her every word and act
Ipy (ee-pee), Imhotep’s youngest son; only his father could tolerate his adolescent arrogance
Henet, obsequious, malicious family retainer, poor relation of Ashayet, Imhotep’s dead wife
Hori, Imhotep’s family’s scribe and man of business; he is in love with Renisenb
Kameni, a handsome scribe and kinsman from the North; he sings songs of love for Renisenb
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DEATH COMES AS THE END by Agatha Christie is a groundbreaking historical mystery set in ancient Egypt. When a wealthy patriarch’s death sparks a series of murders within his family, suspicion and secrets abound. It’s the first full-length historical whodunit.
Get your copy of our guest's books here! 
History of Mystery book slections available in our Amazon Storefront or support your favorite local bookstore in our Bookshop Storefront as well! Guests have their own list here!
Or if you happen to be in lovely Roanoke, Virginia, stop in person at the BiblioPub to get your copy.
Watch clips from our conversations with guests!
For bonus episodes, video conversations, and to get all episodes first, join our Patreon community.
Dr. Nicky Nielsen is a Senior Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester. Originally from Denmark, he was awarded an AHRC Block Grant to undertake PhD research at the University of Liverpool, investigating subsistence strategies and craft production at the Ramesside fortress site of Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham. He obtained his PhD in 2016.
Nicky Nielsen has excavated in Europe, Turkey and Egypt, and he is currently the field director of the University of Liverpool Tell Nabasha Survey Project, which conducts archaeological investigations of the ancient city of Imet located in the north-eastern Nile Delta.
He has published several peer-reviewed papers, as well as more public-oriented articles, and he is the author of ‘Pharaoh Seti I’ (2018), ‘From Mummies to Microchips’ (2020, co-authored with Professor Joyce Tyldesley) and ‘Egyptomaniacs: How We Became Obsessed with Ancient Egypt’ (2020).
Read his article Agatha Christie: World’s First Historical Whodunnit Was Inspired by 4,000 Year‑Old Letters
In Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie (1944), the Queen of Mystery transports us to ancient Egypt. In 2000 BC, death gives meaning to life. At the foot of a cliff lies the body of Nofret, concubine to a ka-priest. Many see it as fate—the beautiful, venomous young woman deserved to die.
But the priest’s daughter suspects foul play and believes the evil-doer lurks within their household—and watches helplessly as the family’s passions explode in murder.
The novel reflects Christie’s fascination with the ancient world, inspired by her time in the Middle East with her archaeologist husband, Sir Max Mallowan. It’s the first full-length novel to merge historical fiction with the mystery genre, paving the way for the historical whodunit.

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HOME SWEET HOMICIDE (1944) by Craig Rice is a classic in the mystery genre that features three resourceful siblings determined to solve a neighborhood murder. Rice’s sharp wit and unique approach to the detective genre earned her widespread acclaim, including a rare Time Magazine cover, solidifying her legacy as one of the most distinctive voices in mystery fiction.
Jeff Marks, publisher at Crippen and Landru, joins us to discuss Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice. He wrote Craig Rice’s bio (Who Was That Lady?) and has been nominated for an Edgar, three Agathas, and many other awards.
Get your copy of our guest's books here! 
History of Mystery book slections available in our Amazon Storefront or support your favorite local bookstore in our Bookshop Storefront as well! Guests have their own list here!
Or if you happen to be in lovely Roanoke, Virginia, stop in person at the BiblioPub to get your copy.
Watch clips from our conversations with guests!
For bonus episodes and to get all episodes first, join our Patreon community.

Real Violence vs. Comic Framing in Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice

Does the novel successfully balance murder with comedy? Did the comedy ever undermine the stakes for you, or did it actually make the danger feel stranger and sharper? How does the novel handle blackmail, kidnapping, murder, and corruption? How does this novel make murder funny without making it weightless?
What moments in the book reminded you that murder is serious business and is not, in fact, just a game for the children?
Craig Rice is often praised for blending mystery with screwball comedy. (Carolyn even noted some similarities to The Brady Bunch.) She has been called the Dorothy Parker of detective fiction—do you agree with this assessment?
Are there moments where the book feels almost like a film comedy rather than a traditional novel?

Crime Fiction About Crime Fiction

This is a mystery about children who have absorbed detective conventions from their mother’s books. How self-aware is the novel about mystery tropes?
Is the book an affectionate satire of detective fiction? Or a love letter to the genre’s imaginative power?
How effective is the actual puzzle once you set aside the comedy? Is it a strong mystery in its own right? Is the mystery itself strong enough to survive if you stripped away the charm?
The book keeps introducing suspects, hidden histories, false identities, and side scandals. Did that feel delightfully layered or did you have trouble keeping track of all the details?

The Social World / Historical Context of Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice

Published in 1944, the novel sits in a wartime America full of newspapers, movie culture, celebrity, crime magazines, and public scandal. In what ways does that broader world shape the book’s energy?
How important is class in this book? Is it less rigid than in British mysteries, or simply rearranged into American forms of status and aspiration?
For all the jokes and plotting, this is also a very affectionate portrait of a family. What makes Marian and the children believable as a family unit? What about this family gives the book its emotional warmth? Why do the kids want their mom to marry Bill Smith? Are they looking for a father? Are they trying to reduce their mother’s workload?
What do you make of the book’s title?
Jeffrey Marks received a grant while working on that book. It was nominated for an Agatha and, fittingly, won an Anthony Award. Marks is currently working on a biography of Erle Stanley Gardner, a book on Gardner’s work with his Pre-Innocence Project, Court of Last Resort, and a dual biography of the two men who wrote as Ellery Queen.
In 2014, Jeffrey Marks offered to help Doug Greene fix issues with the Crippen & Landru Publishers website. After fixing those issues, he proceeded to upgrade the website to a new shopping cart software package. That led to creating a more robust eBook program. In 2018, Doug Greene retired (to become Senior Editor) and Marks took over the company.
Jeffrey Marks has been nominated for a Maxwell award (DWAA), an Edgar (MWA), three Agathas (Malice Domestic), two Macavity awards, and three Anthony awards (Bouchercon). Marks retired from teaching in 2020, today, he writes from his home in Cincinnati, which he shares with his spouse and two dogs.
Crippen and Landru
The very best in short mystery fiction

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Jeffrey Marks (publisher, Crippen and Landru) joins us to discuss Home Sweet Homicide (1944), written by Craig Rice.
After numerous mystery author profiles for The Armchair Detective, Mystery Scene, and other genre publications, Jeffrey Marks chose to chronicle the short but full life of mystery writer Craig Rice. That biography (Who Was That Lady?) encouraged him to write mystery fiction.
He has been nominated for a Maxwell Award (DWAA), an Edgar (MWA), three Agathas (Malice Domestic), two Macavity Awards, and three Anthony Awards (Bouchercon).
Get your copy of our guest's books here! 
History of Mystery book slections now in our Bookshop Storefront as well! Guests have their own list here!
Or if you happen to be in lovely Roanoke, Virginia, stop in person at the BiblioPub to get your copy.
Watch clips from our conversations with guests!
HOME SWEET HOMICIDE (1944) by Craig Rice is a classic in the mystery genre for its clever combination of humor and an engaging plot. Featuring three resourceful siblings determined to solve a neighborhood murder, the novel highlights Rice’s knack for lighthearted storytelling and crafting intricate puzzles. The children’s enthusiasm for amateur sleuthing adds a whimsical (and relatable) touch.
Rice’s sharp wit and unique approach to the detective genre earned her widespread acclaim, including a rare Time Magazine cover, solidifying her legacy as one of the most distinctive voices in mystery fiction.

First Impressions About Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice: The Carstairs Children as Detectives

What was your first reaction to the Carstairs children? Endearing, exhausting, too clever by half, or instantly relatable and irresistible? (Carolyn particularly loved how they tracked expenditures and measured and divided amounts and quantities of food and drink—she and her siblings did the same.)
The children think that reading mystery fiction has trained them for real detection. Is the novel making fun of that idea, celebrating it, or both?
How does the sibling dynamic shape the story? Would the mystery work as well without the constant bargaining, bickering, loyalty, King Tut dialogue, and shared invention? Who’s the brains, who’s the strategist, who’s the pragmatist, and who’s the chaos engine?

Craig Rice and Marian Carstairs: Mothers, Writers, Workers

Marian is a working widow supporting her family by producing popular crime novels at warp speed. What does the book suggest about women’s work—especially Marian’s endless labor as mother and writer? How unusual or modern did she feel as a protagonist, even when she’s not technically the central sleuth?
What does the book suggest about the life of a woman writer—especially one writing under multiple (male) names and trying to turn imagination into income?
The children are deeply invested in getting Marian both publicity and romance. In what ways do the children act like parents? In what ways does Marian act childlike?

Gender, Performance, and Identity

What does the novel do with feminine performance—movie glamour, flirtation, false helplessness, beauty, tears, “slick chicks,” and social manipulation? Do you think the book is poking fun at gender roles—or quietly depending on them to make the machinery work?
Like Craig Rice herself, Marian writes under male names. The book keeps circling questions of presentation, alias, performance, and reinvention. How important is that to the novel’s worldview?
How does Marian compare with other women in Golden Age crime fiction?
Crippen and Landru
The very best in short mystery fiction

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Maureen and Jay join us to discuss their wonderful interactive whodunit, You Are the Detective: The Creeping Hand Murder. It’s 1933, and your job is to help Scotland Yard solve an impossible murder. Are you up to the task?
Get your copy of our guest's books here! 
History of Mystery book slections now in our Bookshop Storefront as well! Guests have their own list here!
Or if you happen to be in lovely Roanoke, Virginia, stop in person at the BiblioPub to get your copy.
Watch clips from our conversations with guests!
For bonus episodes and to get all episodes first, join our Patreon community.
November 1933. London. Seven people receive mysterious letters. Someone knows their terrible secrets. They are summoned to a posh townhouse where one is stabbed right in front of the others, but somehow no one saw a thing.
Can you help Scotland Yard solve the mystery? An interactive murder mystery from the bestselling author and illustrator of Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village
Dear Detective, Have you seen the story in the papers about the dreadful murder of the American novelist? The crime is so devious, so logistically impossible, that it seems to have been committed not by a person but by a disembodied hand. I must confess that we are at a loss. Who wrote the poison pen letters that lured these seven people to this deadly gathering? What do a poet, an earl, an actress, a cook, a telephone operator, and a lothario have in common? And how can a man be stabbed in a room full of suspects when none of them went near him or saw a thing? We have had our best people on the case, Detective, and we still can’t make heads or tails of it. We are giving this case file to you. Can you decipher the clues, decode the witness statements, and identify the murderer? You are our last hope. Can you help us crack the Creeping Hand Murder? Yours truly,
Detective Chief Inspector of the Metropolitan Police
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