The Burden

The Burden

It’s the sixth and final Mary Westmacott novel: The Burden. (But not the final Westmapod episode, so stay subscribed!) Join Gray and Mark as they unburden themselves of their thoughts about the experience of reading this startling hidden gem of a novel! What a way to close out a run of exceptional writing from Mary Westmacott, aka Agatha Christie. We’re not done yet! We’ll be reconvening for a special Reflections episode where we’ll be taking stock of all six books and reading and responding to our listener messages. So do get in touch ahead of our Reflections episode, which will drop in due course...  WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠ [https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-swinging-christies-how-agatha-christie-conquered-the-1960s-mark-aldridgegray-robert-brown?variant=56202063380859]! You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. Our website is ChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. We are also on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.socialChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod [https://www.youtube.com/@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. Our artwork is designed by Tom Double. 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:01:11 - Introductory chat 00:03:34 - The Burden 00:04:02 - The context of The Burden 00:21:45 - The structure of The Burden 00:33:55 - Autobiographical elements 00:52:16 - Laura’s story 01:04:57 - Llewwelyn’s story 01:13:33 - If you liked this, try that 01:18:11 - Next episode, how to get in touch, closing titles 01:21:10 - Coda

A Daughter's A Daughter play

It's a special bonus episode! A Daughter’s A Daughter - good novel, even better play? In a Westmapod first we’re discussing the original play version of A Daughter’s A Daughter, written by Agatha Christie, and how that became a Mary Westmacott novel. Join Mark and Gray as they investigate what changes were made, and what this play teaches us about who ‘Mary Westmacott’ truly is… Read along with us! Each episode drops fortnightly, on Tuesdays. You have until Tuesday 23 June 2026  to read the play script of A Daughter’s A Daughter, and until Tuesday 7 July 2026 to read the final Mary Westmacott novel: The Burden! WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠ [https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-swinging-christies-how-agatha-christie-conquered-the-1960s-mark-aldridgegray-robert-brown?variant=56202063380859]! You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. Our website is ChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. We are also on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.socialChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod [https://www.youtube.com/@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. Our artwork is designed by Tom Double. 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:01:20 - Introductory chat 00:04:35 - A Daughter’s A Daughter play 00:05:23 - The context of A Daughter’s A Daughter play 00:24:05 - The differences between A Daughter’s A Daughter play and novel 00:41:40 - A Westmacott stage trilogy? 00:46:34 - If you liked this, try that 00:48:00 - Next episode, how to get in touch, closing titles 00:50:35 - Coda TW: Mentions of drug use

A Daughter's A Daughter

Mark and Gray are back! And this time they’re discussing the fifth and penultimate Mary Westmacott novel, A Daughter’s A Daughter. Is this the most Agatha Christie-ish of the Mary Westmacotts? Was Agatha inspired by her real family life for this novel? At the end of the day, a daughter’s a daughter, Mark’s Mark, and Gray’s Gray! Read along with us! Each episode drops fortnightly, on Tuesdays. You have until Tuesday 23 June 2026  to read the play script of A Daughter’s A Daughter, and until Tuesday 7 July 2026 to read the final Mary Westmacott novel: The Burden! WE'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! You can pre-order The Swinging Christies: How Agatha Christie Conquered the 1960s ⁠NOW⁠ [https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-swinging-christies-how-agatha-christie-conquered-the-1960s-mark-aldridgegray-robert-brown?variant=56202063380859]! You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. Our website is ChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. We are also on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.socialChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod [https://www.youtube.com/@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. Our artwork is designed by Tom Double. 00:00:00 - Opening titles 00:01:03 - Introductory chat and discussion of Mark’s book covers 00:03:40 - A Daughter’s A Daughter 00:04:04 - The context of A Daughter’s A Daughter 00:24:48 - The structure of A Daughter’s A Daughter 00:39:01 - Autobiographical elements of A Daughter's A Daughter 00:50:39 - Familial love 01:09:11 - Romantic love 01:21:18 - If you liked this, try that 01:23:30 - Who is Mary Westmacott? 01:28:32 - Next episode, how to get in touch, closing titles 01:31:50 - Coda Spoilers, besides A Daughter’s A Daughter - A Pocket Full of Rye

The Rose and the Yew Tree

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 [https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-swinging-christies-how-agatha-christie-conquered-the-1960s-mark-aldridgegray-robert-brown?variant=56202063380859]! You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. Our website is ChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. We are also on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.socialChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. Our YouTube account is @Westmapod [https://www.youtube.com/@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

Absent in the Spring, with Kemper Donovan from All About Agatha

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 [https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-swinging-christies-how-agatha-christie-conquered-the-1960s-mark-aldridgegray-robert-brown?variant=56202063380859]! You can find All About Agatha podcast here [https://podfollow.com/1155061645], and links to Kemper’s books can be found via his website here [https://kemperdonovan.com/]. To sign up to the All About Agatha Patreon, where parts of this episode debuted, visit this link [https://www.patreon.com/allaboutagatha]. You can find us on Instagram ⁠@Christie_Time⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/christie_time/]. Our website is ChristieTime.com [http://christietime.com]. We are also on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/christietime.bsky.socialChristieTime.com [http://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