You are about to listen to a BBC podcast and I'd like to tell you a bit about what goes into making one.

I'm Sadata Sese, an assistant commissioner of podcasts for BBC Sounds.

I pull a lot of levers to support a diverse range of podcasts on all sorts of subjects,

relationships, identity, comedy, even one that mixes poetry, music and inner city life.

So one day I'll be helping host develop their ideas, the next fact-checking, a feature,

and the next looking at how a podcast connects with its audience, and maybe that's you.

So if you like this podcast, check out some others on BBC Sounds.

BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.

When I was a kid in the 1990s, I remember my nan coming over at Christmas time

and us sitting together in front of a little 60s gas fire to enjoy a festive dose of murder.

Because me and my nan absolutely loved the art deco world of Poirot starring David Suchet.

Like many others, Agatha Christie makes me think of this time of the year.

Today on Open Book, we're going to explore how and why she drew on it in her writing.

As a Radio 4 listener, perhaps you've been enjoying Lucy Worsley reading from a new book

Agatha Christie and Elusive Woman, or maybe you're looking forward to the three new

Marple stories that continue on air this week.

I'm sure there are some Poirot repeats on TV somewhere too.

But what is it about the Queen of Crime that conjures Christmas?

Well, the connection goes back a long way.

And to help me uncover this mystery, I'm joined by the crime writers Lucy Foley and Abia Mukherjee,

as well as the historian and self-proclaimed agathologist Mark Aldridge. Welcome all.

Lucy, I want to start with you. You've drawn upon this connection between crime and this time of year and your own work.

...