Tea, Tonic & Toxin Announces 2026 Reading List Focused on Mysteries from 1943-48
Celebrated mystery podcast and book club spotlights twelve groundbreaking novels while reviving brilliant but overlooked authors from the mid-20th century.
MANITOU SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, December 11, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tea, Tonic & Toxin, the only book club and podcast dedicated to exploring the full history of mystery fiction in chronological order, today unveiled its highly anticipated 2026 reading list. In 2026, hosts Carolyn Daughters and Sarah Harrison—together with the podcast’s growing community of readers and listeners—will delve into some of the most influential mysteries and thrillers published between 1943 and 1948, a pivotal period that reshaped the genre.
The 2026 list includes twelve landmark novels:
* The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene (1943)
* Green for Danger by Christianna Brand (1944)
* Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie (1944)
* Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice (1944)
* Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh (1945)
* The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin (1946)
* The Horizontal Man by Helen Eustis (1946)
* The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing (1946)
* The Fabulous Clipjoint by Frederic Brown (1947)
* In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes (1947)
* The Blank Wall by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding (1947)
* The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey (1948)
The list reflects Tea, Tonic & Toxin’s ongoing mission to celebrate both enduring classics and brilliant authors who enjoyed commercial and critical success in their day but have since slipped into relative obscurity—among them Dorothy B. Hughes, Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, Helen Eustis, Christianna Brand, Craig Rice, and Kenneth Fearing.
“Our goal has always been to understand how the mystery genre has evolved by reading its most remarkable works in order,” said cohost Carolyn Daughters. “The 1940s were a turning point—a period of psychological complexity, wartime tension, and narrative innovation. We’re excited to spotlight mystery authors who deserve far more recognition today and to continue sharing the sheer joy of discovering (and rediscovering) these extraordinary books with our listeners.”
Since launching in 2022, Tea, Tonic & Toxin has read chronologically from Edgar Allan Poe’s 1841 "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" through the Golden Age and early noir era, producing more than 90 episodes. The podcast hosts also conduct in-depth interviews with leading contemporary writers and scholars. Guests have included David Morrell (author of First Blood), Longmire series author Craig Johnson, Bones series author Kathy Reichs, David Ignatius (prize-winning columnist and author of political thrillers), writer and producer Arvind Ethan David, Edgar Award winner Erika Krouse, Neil Nyren (winner of the 2017 Ellery Queen Award), and Dashiell Hammett's granddaughter Julie Rivett.
Cohost Sarah Harrison added, “We prepare for every episode as if we’re welcoming these authors and their most loyal fans into the room with us. It has been incredibly moving to see that level of care and curiosity recognized and appreciated across the mystery community.”
Each year’s reading list is carefully curated to illuminate how pivotal authors—famous and forgotten—shaped the detective story, the psychological thriller, and modern crime fiction. The 2026 selections deepen that exploration, offering fresh insight into wartime anxieties, shifting social norms, and genre-defining narrative experimentation.
Tea, Tonic & Toxin can be found on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The hosts also engage their audience through book giveaways, contests, and lively conversations across social channels.
ABOUT TEA, TONIC & TOXIN
Tea, Tonic & Toxin is a mystery book club and podcast for people who love the best mysteries and thrillers ever written. Hosted by Sarah Harrison (Roanoke, VA) and Carolyn Daughters (Manitou Springs, CO), the program is the only podcast dedicated to reading the history of mystery chronologically—from Poe to the present. Alongside their chronological journey, the hosts interview some of the world’s most talented contemporary mystery and thriller writers. Together with their growing community, they aim to educate, entertain, and reignite interest in exceptional—and sometimes long-overlooked—authors who shaped the genre.
Learn more and listen at teatonicandtoxin.com, or follow or subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
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