The A.B.C. Murders: Agatha Christie

The A.B.C. Murders, also published as The Alphabet Murders, is a book in the Hercule Poirot series, published in 1936. An added plus for me is that Captain Arthur Hastings and Inspector Japp join him in this investigation. And in this case, there is another official assigned to the case, Inspector Crome, who, as usual, underestimates Poirot's abilities.

Captain Hastings is visiting Poirot, back from his ranch in South America. Poirot receives a letter hinting that a crime will take place in Andover. Thus begins a series of murders, each set in a different city. The case is unusual for Agatha Christie because it is a hunt for a serial killer, and that was not very common in the 1930's.

As I have been reading more books by Agatha Christie in the last few years, I have found every one of them to be an entertaining read, never boring. And this one was no different on that score. It was not my favorite but it has many things to recommend it.

I like the Poirot novels that are narrated by Captain Hastings; the two have a nice relationship, teasing each other but always supportive. In this case there are sections of the book not told from Hastings viewpoint, and we are warned of this. But I did not find that approach quite as effective. There seemed to me to be more characters than usual and I did get confused trying to keep track of them. Even so, I guessed what was going on, and who did it, but not the motive.

Even though I would not put this on my list of top novels by Agatha Christie, it has made many top 5 or 10 lists of Christie novels so I still would recommend it, especially if you are a Christie fan. If you are new to Christie, maybe it is not the place to start.

See other posts about this book at Confessions of a Mystery Novelist..., A Crime is Afoot, and Wordsmithonia.



This post is submitted for the Golden Vintage Scavenger Hunt in the "Train" category.

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Publisher:  Pocket Books, 1966. Orig. pub. 1936.
Length:     188 pages
Format:     Paperback
Series:      Hercule Poirot
Setting:     UK
Genre:       Mystery
Source:     I purchased my copies.

The Seven Dials Mystery: Agatha Christie

The Seven Dials Mystery begins with a house party at Chimneys, the country estate of Sir Oswald Coote and Lady Coote. They are renting it from Lord Caterham, and have invited a slew of young people to join them. The title comes from a prank that is pulled on one of the guests, Gerald Wade, who always wakes up very late in the day. Eight alarm clocks are put in his room to awaken him, but the morning of the prank he does not wake up at all. It is initially determined that the death was accidental. One of the guests then notices that seven of the clocks were lined up on the mantel in Gerald's room. When another guest at this house party is killed, although not while still at Chimeys, a connection between the deaths is suspected.

This is the second book featuring Superintendent Battle, who seems to be called in when affairs of state are tied up with a crime. The first book was The Secret of Chimneys. Much of action in The Seven Dials Mystery also takes place at Chimneys, and many of the characters from the first book return in this mystery.

Agatha Christie described this book as a thriller in her autobiography,:

I had followed up The Murder of Roger Ackroyd with The Seven Dials Mystery. This was a sequel to my earlier book The Secret of Chimneys, and was one of what I called "the light-hearted thriller type". These were always easy to write, not requiring too much plotting and planning.

This Agatha Christie mystery did not disappoint, although I would not place it among my favorite Christie novel.

PROS:

The characters are delightful, from the main characters to the bit players. I find Superintendent Battle to be very appealing, and I like the role he plays in this story.  Lord Caterham and his daughter Lady Eileen are very unique and charming characters. They provide a lot of the humor that makes this book stand apart for me.

I especially enjoyed the character of Lady Coote, who features most prominently in the initial chapters of the story, and the contrast she provides to Lady Eileen, known to friends and family as "Bundle". Lady Coote worries about everything: people coming late to dinner, how to deal with the gardener. There is an extended conversation with MacDonald, the gardener, regarding doing some work on the estate, and he circumvents her wishes very easily.  As soon as Bundle is back on the estate, she asks him to do exactly the same things and takes no flak from him when he demurs.

Overall, I found this to be a fine and engaging story. Initially, I was not impressed with the plot, which seemed too light and silly. For the first half of the book, I was aghast at how unbelievable the story was, though even at that point I enjoyed the various character portrayals. Very shortly, the plot picked up, the story came together, and made more sense.

Even though I was making no effort to guess the perpetrator of the crimes, I was totally surprised by the identity of this person. As many point out, this is a thriller and as such is not trying to lay out clues for the reader to discover, but still, I though Christie did a great job of obfusating the bad guys.

CONS:

I wasn't thrilled with the element of the secret society in the plot, but that was par for the course in thrillers written at this time, and an element that Christie used more than once. Other than that and the time it took to get engaged in the plot, I was quite happy with this book by Christie. I liked it better than The Secret of Chimneys, but some Christie fans go the other direction.

Other resources:

• Review of The Seven Dials Mystery at Ryan's blog, Wordsmithania
• My review of the first Superintendent Battle mystery, The Secret of Chimneys
• Yvette of In So Many Words reviews the film version of The Seven Dials Mystery starring John Gielgud 

This book was my choice for the Crimes of the Century meme, hosted by Rich at Past Offences. I also read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by Kerrie at Mysteries In Paradise, which I am working on very gradually. And it fits into the Golden Vintage Scavenger Hunt in the "Hand Holding Weapon" category.

The cover painting on my edition is by the wonderful artist, Tom Adams.

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Publisher:   Bantam Books, 1981. Orig. pub. 1929.
Length:      217 pages
Format:      Paperback
Series:       Superintendent Battle, #2
Setting:      UK
Genre:       Adventure, spy thriller
Source:      Purchased at the Planned Parenthood book sale, 2015.

The Moving Finger: Agatha Christie

One of the things I like about Agatha Christie's books is that she often surprises me. Some of the books follow a fairly standard plot line but others, like this one, stray from the norm. The Moving Finger has a first person narrator, Jerry Burton. He has moved to the small village of Lymstock with his sister to recuperate from a serious injury. The village is much quieter than they are used to, but that is the point. Then, shortly after he arrives, he receives a very nasty poison pen letter.  He finds out later that there have been others. All of a sudden the village becomes more menacing, and a couple of deaths follow.

I enjoyed this book, the story and the characters. However it was billed as a Miss Marple mystery and she barely shows up until the end, making her part in the solving the mystery a bit unrealistic. It felt to me like she was an afterthought.

I have only read maybe 10 or 12 Agatha Christie novels in the last three or four years, but it also seems to me that this one has a little more romance than usual. The attraction builds slowly and one wonders where it is going, but it is a nice addition. All in all, I would say The Moving Finger is one of my favorite Christie novels so far.

If you are interested in a more detailed overview of the story or samples of the text, see the posts at Mysteries in Paradise and Clothes in Books.

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Publisher:  Dell, 1972. Orig. pub. 1942.
Length:     189 pages
Format:     Paperback
Series:      Miss Marple, #3
Setting:     Small village, UK.
Genre:      Mystery
Source:     Purchased at the Planned Parenthood Book Sale, 2005.

Peril at End House: Agatha Christie

Description from the back of my paperback edition:

End House was most appropriately named. Its young mistress nearly met her end… three times in three days. It was the fourth near-fatal “accident”, witnessed by Hercule Poirot, that convinced Miss Buckley that someone was trying to kill her. But who, and why? Now the celebrated crime-solver is dedicating himself to crime prevention. That is, until an unexpected—and successful—murder attempt carries Poirot’s investigation to the bitter end…

Captain Arthur Hastings is companion and friend to Poirot in some of the earlier novels. In this one he is also the chronicler of the tale. Poirot and Hastings are staying at a Cornish resort, the Majestic Hotel. Hastings describes the area:

No seaside town in the south of England is, I think, as attractive as St. Loo.  It is well named the Queen of Watering Places and reminds one forcibly of the Riviera. The Cornish coast is to my mind every bit as fascinating as that of the south of France.

In one of my earlier reviews of a novel featuring Poirot, I said: "I find the Poirot character to be smug and irritating..." At this point, having read several more, I no longer feel that way. He is much more charming in this one.

I enjoyed this one especially because Arthur Hastings was narrating it. I loved some of the scenes between Hastings and Poirot. Poirot says, in response to a question about his retirement:

To step from your pinnacle at the zenith of your fame – what could be a grander gesture? They say of me: “That is Hercule Poirot! – The great – the unique! – There was never any one like him, there never will be!” Eh bien – I am satisfied. I ask no more. I am modest.

Hastings thinks:

I should not myself have used the word modest. It seemed to me that my little friend’s egotism had certainly not declined with his years.

Inspector Japp shows up late in the book to help with the investigation. In my  recent rereads of Christie's novels, I have not read many books with Inspector Japp, so that was a pleasant surprise.

This is the sixth novel featuring Hercule Poirot that I have read since I started blogging. It is probably the one I have enjoyed the least, and I think it was mostly that it seemed such an obvious ending and left me less satisfied. However, even though I felt that the culprit was obvious almost from the beginning, the motivation behind the crimes was well hidden (from me, at least), although there were definitely clues.

Yet that is just a minor quibble; the book was still entertaining. Sometimes I wonder if what is obvious to an experienced mystery reader would be obvious to someone who is new to mysteries. And it also depends on what one is looking for in a mystery.

Robert Barnard says in A Talent to Deceive: "Some creaking in the machinery, and rather a lot of melodrama and improbabilities, prevent this from being one of the very best of the classic specimens."

See other reviews at: Mysteries in Paradise, The Game's Afoot, In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel, and Letters from a Hill Farm.

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Publisher:  Berkley Books, 1991. Orig. pub. 1932.
Length:     182 pages
Format:     Paperback
Series:      Hercule Poirot, #7
Setting:     UK, Cornish coast
Genre:      Mystery
Source:    Purchased at the Planned Parenthood book sale, Sept. 2007.

Partners in Crime: Agatha Christie

Many Agatha Christie fans are not fond of the Tommy and Tuppence books. Even Robert Barnard had unkind words for Tommy and Tuppence in his appreciation of Agatha Christie, A Talent to Deceive, calling them "everyone's least favorite Christie sleuths." Yet, I remember liking the Tommy and Tuppence series when I was younger. At this point I have read two of the five books in the series and I am divided about the outcome.

I really enjoyed The Secret Adversary, which is an espionage thriller. It was published in 1922 and it was Christie's second novel. The story is not as serious as today's espionage books; the issues are more black and white. I enjoyed it as a lighthearted entertainment and I even liked the love story.

I did not find Partners in Crime nearly as enjoyable. This is a series of linked short stories. I have only recently re-discovered the attraction of short stories but these did not win me over.

The premise is that Tommy and Tuppence have now been married six years, and are still happy but a little bored with life. Apparently they have sufficient funds to support themselves without either having a job. Happily for them, just as they discuss their boredom, they are offered the opportunity to take over a detective agency. They jump at the chance.

There are fifteen stories. Unfortunately I found the stories in general much too silly and frothy. Each story (except for the introductory stories that set up the premise) is a parody of other fictional detectives of the time.  I did not enjoy that aspect of it either. There were several of the detectives parodied that I had no familiarity with and even when I did, that did not work for me.

There are are few of the stories that I found interesting and entertaining.

In “Finessing The King,” Tommy and Tuppence dress up for a costume party and accidentally encounter murder.  Because I have no familiarity with the author and detectives that are spoofed in the story, I am including Mike Grost's description from Mystery*File:

Isabel Ostrander was a popular American detective writer of the Post World War I era. She was read by John Dickson Carr as a teenager, according to Douglas G. Greene’s biography, was praised by Dorothy L. Sayers in The Omnibus of Crime and The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, and was one of the famous detective writers chosen for parody by Agatha Christie here.  Despite this one time fame, her works are almost completely forgotten and unobtainable today.  This story spoofs Ostrander’s series detective, ex-cop Tommy McCarty, and his best friend, fireman Dennis Riordan.  Tommy dresses up like a fireman at a costume party, a favorite Christie setting, while Tuppence masquerades as McCarty.  As does McCarty in Ostrander’s The Clue in the Air, Tommy and Tuppence hear the murder committed, and are the first to find the body.  In both stories the victim is a young society woman.  They also hear the victim’s dying message, just as in Ostrander’s novel. 

“The Case of the Missing Lady”  is a spoof of Sherlock Holmes. It has a clever twist.

"The Man in the Mist" is a takeoff on G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown. Another clever ending.

I enjoyed "The Crackler" even though I felt the mystery plot was weak. There is a character in that story, Mr. Ryder, who is from Alabama and becomes Tommy's "friend and confidant." That story takes on Edgar Wallace's style. Tommy and Tuppence mix with a group of people suspected to be passing counterfeit bills.

It is important to point out that there are many, many positive reviews of this set of stories. Please don't take my word for it. If you haven't tried Partners in Crime already, you should give it a try.

There are two television adaptations of this series. I have the first one from 1983, Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime, starring Francesca Annis and James Warwick. That set includes a feature length version of The Secret Adversary, which I have watched and enjoyed. I expect to enjoy the adaptations more than I liked the stories.

Resources:

• Check out the entire article by Michael Grost at Mystery*File.
• Curt at The Passing Tramp is very fond of this book, and provides a lot of background information.
• Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise provides some interesting thoughts on the characters of Tommy and Tuppence in these stories.

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Publisher:   William Morrow, 2012 (orig. pub. 1929)
Length:      271 pages
Format:      Trade paperback
Series:       Tommy and Tuppence #1
Setting:      UK
Genre:        Mystery
Source:      I purchased my copy.

The Secret of Chimneys: Agatha Christie

Introduction to the novel at Goodreads:

A bit of adventure and quick cash is all that good-natured drifter Anthony Cade is looking for when he accepts a messenger job from an old friend. It sounds so simple: deliver the provocative memoirs of a recently deceased European count to a London publisher. But the parcel holds more than scandalous royal secrets. It contains a stash of letters that suggest blackmail -- and lead to the murder of a stranger who's been shadowing Anthony's every move. Discovering the dead man's identity means retracing his steps -- to the rambling estate of Chimneys where darker secrets, and deadlier threats, await anyone who dares to enter.

In A Talent to Deceive, Robert Barnard says:

If you can take all of the racialist remarks, which are very much of their time, this is a first-class romp, all the better for not being of the "plot to take over the world" variety. It concerns the throne and crown jewels of Herzoslovakia... By far the least awful of the early thrillers.

Personally, I have enjoyed all of the Agatha Christie thrillers that I have read so far. And I did enjoy this one, up to a point. I enjoyed the political intrigues and the many twists and turns the plot takes. It required much suspension of disbelief but I did not mind.

I liked many of the characters. This was the first book featuring Superintendent Battle, and I found him appealing. Lord Caterham is the owner of the stately manor that is the center of this mystery. He and his daughter Bundle Brent are very unique and charming characters. Every male falls for Virginia Revel, a young widow. There were very many other characters and I admit to getting confused sometimes, having trouble keeping up with characters and the plot. I even enjoyed the romance in this one. Christie is very good at misdirection. I was never sure where the romance was going and who was really interested in whom.

However, there are the ethnic slurs that were common in books at the time this was written. Close to the end one of the major characters gives a speech, seeming to support authoritarian government for the good of the people. Not only was it offensive, but it also did not seem to fit the character as he was portrayed throughout the book. But maybe I missed the hints.

The cover artist for my paperback edition shown above is William Teason. He was also the cover artist for two other books I have: The 39 Steps by John Buchan and The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie.

Other reviews at Clothes in Books, In So Many Words, Joyfully Retired, and Leaves and Pages.

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Publisher:  Dell, 1967. Orig. pub. 1925.
Length:     224 pages
Format:     Paperback
Series:      Superintendent Battle, #1
Setting:     UK
Genre:      Adventure, spy thriller
Source:    Purchased my copy at the Planned Parenthood booksale, 2005.  

Hercule Poirot's Christmas: Agatha Christie

I collect books, especially older paperbacks, with skulls or skeletons on the cover. Moira, a lover of Agatha Christie's mysteries, and author of the entertaining blog Clothes in Books, graciously offered to send me a copy of this book with a skull in a Santa hat. I decided to jump ahead in the series so I could feature this book during the Christmas season.

This is truly a country house mystery. The house belongs to Simeon Lee, the head of a large family that doesn't get along. He is overbearing, argumentative, and delights in stirring up trouble among his children.

His son, Alfred, and Alfred's wife, Lydia, live with Simeon, and Alfred has faithfully attended to the family business for many years. Simeon's other children left home at an early age and have never returned. However, all of them have accepted monetary support from Simeon over the years. Simeon has asked all of his sons (and their wives if married) to join him for Christmas at the familly home. And they have accepted.

His only daughter married a Spaniard and has recently died, so her daughter has also joined them. And a surprise guest shows up, the son of Simeon's old business partner when he was living in South Africa.

Before Christmas, someone in the family is murdered. There is not much festivity on Christmas day. Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate, to cooperate with the local policeman and the Chief Constable, Colonel Johnson.

There is a large cast of characters. Most of the characters in the family were not very likable but that did not bother me. Hercule Poirot, on the other hand, is very likable in this book. He had his quirks but he was not annoying.

I read other reviews and it is really interesting how differently various reviewers interpreted the book. This is one of my favorites so far. Certainly my favorite one starring Poirot. But some reviewers complained about the lack of description or character development.

I thought the mystery was good and for once I had no clue who the culprit was. Maybe a twinge of a suspicion that just flitted through my mind and was rejected. I always love to read books written in the late 1930's and the 1940's, around the time of World War II.  This one was written before World War II. Simeon Lee's granddaughter, who has left Spain and has come to live with Simeon, speaks of the effects of the unrest and fighting in Spain at that time. All in all, a very enjoyable read for me, even if not a jolly Christmas story.

This book has had several titles. Per Wikipedia, it was first serialised in the US from 12 November 1938 to 14 January 1939 under the title Murder For Christmas. It was published in book form in the UK in December 1938 under this title (Hercule Poirot's Christmas). It was published in US in book form in 1939 under the title of Murder for Christmas. A later paperback edition in the US was titled A Holiday for Murder.
 
As I said above, Clothes in Books is a wonderful blog, full of entertaining information about books of all types. Here is an entry on Hercule Poirot's Christmas at Moira's blog. Please check it out.

The Mystery of the Blue Train: Agatha Christie

The daughter of an American millionaire is unhappy in her marriage. She wants a divorce and embarks on a trip to the south of France. Traveling on the same train are her estranged husband, his former mistress, and a young woman who has recently inherited a large amount of money. Someone will die before the journey's end. And Hercule Poirot will be engaged to solve the murder.

I have read that this was not one of Christie's favorites of her novels. Robert Barnard, in A Talent to Deceive, thinks it is not so bad, but cites "some deleterious influences from the thrillers." He does not care for her thrillers, which are mostly among her early novels. I have liked all the thrillers by Christie that I have read so far, and I like this novel quite a bit.

First of all, it features a train and many scenes on a train. That right there would push it to the top for me. I also like the variety of characters; the rich, the not so rich. Thieves and those who prey on the wealth of others. I will admit many of them are stereotypes, but I still enjoyed them.

I especially liked Katherine Grey, a woman in her thirties who has the opportunity to see more of the world after inheriting a substantial sum of money. She is traveling to visit distant relatives who live on the Riviera. They hope to share in some of her wealth, and she is willing to take them up on their offer to launch her into society.

Poirot and Katherine meet on the train and have a conversation about the mystery novel she is reading, or as he calls it, a "Roman Policier."

    "Some day, who knows, you might be in the thick of things," he went on. "It is all chance."
    "I don't think it is likely," said Katherine, "Nothing of that kind ever happens to me."
    He leaned forward.
    "Would you like it to?"
    The question startled her, and she drew in her breath sharply.
    "It is my fancy, perhaps," said the little man, as he dexterously polished one of the forks, "but I think that you have a yearning in you for interesting happenings. Eh bien, Mademoiselle, all through my life I have observed one thing - 'All one wants one gets!' Who knows?" His face screwed itself up comically. "You may get more than you bargain for."
    "Is that a prophecy?" asked Katherine, smiling as she rose from the table.
    The little man shook his head.
    "I never prophesy," he declared pompously. "It is true that I have the habit of being always right - but I do not boast of it. Good-night, Mademoiselle, and may you sleep well."
    Katherine went back along the train amused and entertained by her little neighbour.

And, of course, there is some romance, without being too intrusive. One element of Christie's books that I had forgotten was the romance. And I have been surprised to enjoy it so much.

Poirot is much less annoying in this book than I found him to be in the last Poirot novel I read (Murder on the Links). Egotistical as always, but much more likeable.

So, all in all, a very enjoyable read for me.

I  read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by  Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that. Links to other reviews for this month will be found here.

Also submitted for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VIII event, hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings. That event celebrates reading of books of mystery, suspense, and horror. The event continues through October 31, 2013. Reviews for that event are here.

Murder at Hazelmoor: Agatha Christie

Murder at Hazelmoor, published in 1931, is one of Christie's non-series books. The original title in the UK was The Sittaford Mystery.

This book introduced me to a term that I am not familiar with: table turning. At Bartleby.com, this is defined as:  "The presumed art of turning tables without the application of mechanical force. Said by some to be the work of departed spirits, and by others to be due to a force akin to mesmerism." The rocking table indicates letters and spell out messages. I have, of course, read books and seen movies where this activity takes place, but I was never familiar with the term. Table turning plays a significant part in this book.

A group of neighbors in the very small village of Sittaford get together for tea on a very cold and snowy night. They have been invited by Mrs. Willet and her grown daughter, Viola, who are visiting England after living in South Africa for many years. Captain Trevelyan has rented his large house in Sittaford to the Willets because of the money he will make on the transaction and has moved to the nearby town of Hazelmoor for a few months. The guests are residents of the smaller houses that have been built in the same area as Trevelyan's home. These guests include Major Burnaby, a friend of the Captain's for many years; Mr. Rycroft, interested in psychic phenomena and criminology; Ronnie Garfield, who is visiting his elderly aunt.

After tea, table turning is suggested as a diversion. As it progresses, a message is spelled out saying that Captain Trevelyan has been murdered. Up to that point, the activity has all been in fun. Immediately, everyone loses their taste for table turning and several of the participants are quite upset.

Major Burnaby decides he must immediately walk to Hazelmoor and confirm that the Captain is safe. Everyone protests, due to the impossibility of the trip on foot (or by car) in the snow, but he insists. He sets off immediately. And, two and a half hours later, he arrives at the house and discovers the dead body of Captain Trevelyan. It turns out the approximate time of death is about the same time as the incident of the table turning.

That is the setup of the story. The unusual part of this story is that there are two investigators. One is Inspector Narracott, summoned from Exeter to lead the investigation. The second is a young lady, Emily Trefusis, who is the fiancee of Captain Trevelyan's nephew, who has become the prime suspect.  Emily knows that her fiancee has some flaws, but she is sure he is not capable of murder.

This is another Christie mystery featuring a strong, confident female character. Emily adds spice to the investigation as she and Inspector Narracott run into each other as they follow leads. Emily is aided by a newspaperman, also from Exeter, who opens some doors for her that would otherwise have been closed. But she is so enterprising and determined, we know she would have found a way no matter what.

The mystery is quite good and kept me guessing for most of the book. Even in the end, although I considered the solution as one of many possible solutions, I was quite surprised at how it was done. Yet it all makes sense. Christie is so good at diverting the reader, and that is one of the reasons I am enjoying her books so much.

This post is my second submission for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril VIII event, hosted by Stainless Steel Droppings. That event celebrates reading of books of mystery, suspense, and horror. The event continues through October 31, 2013. Reviews for that event are here.

It is also submitted for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by Mysteries In Paradise.

The Man in the Brown Suit: Agatha Christie

The  Man in the Brown Suit is one of Agatha Christie's early thrillers. It is also a stand alone book, not starring one of her regular protagonists, Poirot or Miss Marple or Tommy and Tuppence. First published in serialized form in 1923 and 1924 under the title Anne the Adventurous, it was then published as a hardback in 1924.

So far, most of the Agatha Christie novels I have read are told in first person narrative. This one is a bit different because it has two narrators. Most of the story is told by Anne Beddingfield, a young adventuress. The journals of Sir Eustace Pedler cover some areas of the tale which Anne cannot tell. The use of two narrators allows for different tones and varied looks at secondary characters.

Anne is the daughter of an archaeologist who has died and left her with very little money. She has always dreamed of being an adventuress. The opportunity arises when she witnesses the accidental death of a man who falls under a train. She is convinced that there is a story behind his death and follows up on a clue on a piece of paper that she has stumbled upon. She uses all her funds to buy a ticket on a ship bound for South Africa, and the excitement begins. After she gets over being very, very seasick.

Some readers and reviewers rate Christie's books in the adventure or spy thriller vein lower than her puzzle mysteries, but I have found them very entertaining. This one is told in a light-hearted manner and not to be taken seriously, but I enjoyed that element of the story too.

Margaret's review at BooksPlease goes into more detail about the background of the novel.

Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings reviews an audio version of this book.


I  read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by  Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that. Links to other reviews for this month will be found here.

The Murder on the Links: Agatha Christie

My Agatha Christie read for this month was The Murder on the Links (1922), one of the early books in the Hercule Poirot series. 

In recent years, I have only read a few books by Agatha Christie and this is only the second one featuring Hercule Poirot. So far, I find the Poirot character to be smug and irritating, but he does get the job done in the end. I know he is a very popular character with most Christie readers, so I am prepared to have my mind changed as I read more books in the series.

Robert Barnard summarizes the plot in two sentences (in A Talent to Deceive):

Super-complicated early whodunit, set in the northerly fringes of France so beloved of the English bankrupt. Poirot pits his wits against a sneering sophisticate of a French policeman while Hastings lets his wander after an auburn-haired female acrobat.

My take:

• I liked that this novel was told in first person by Captain Arthur Hastings. I do seem to favor first person narratives, where it makes sense.
• I enjoyed the hints of romance between various characters. Christie often throws in some romance, but it does not overpower the story.
• I suspected fairly early on how the murder had been committed (although not the why). However, the clues were strung out throughout the novel and held my interest.

Having enjoyed Hastings as the narrator of this book, I was disappointed to find that he only features in eight of the thirty-three Hercule Poirot novels, and mostly in the earlier ones. From what I have read, he is the narrator for most Hercule Poirot short stories.

The other Hercule Poirot novel that I have reviewed is Murder on the Orient Express (my review is here). That one is later in the series and Hastings is not involved.

I  read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by  Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that. Links to other reviews for this month will be found here.

Also submitted for the Vintage Mystery Challenge (World Traveler). The novel begins with Hastings returning to London after a Paris business trip. He then travels to France with Poirot at the request of a client. The majority of the book takes place in Merlinville-sur-Mer, France.

The Body in the Library: Agatha Christie

From the synopsis of the book at the official Agatha Christie website:

Dolly Bantry wakes in her beautiful home in the quiet village of St Mary Mead; everything is perfect until the shocking discovery of a body in the library. Who is the murdered young girl and who could possibly have killed her? Suspicion falls on Dolly’s husband, a man with a reputation as a flirt, who swears he never met the young woman – but why was she found in his library?

I read the first novel in the Miss Marple series (Murder at the Vicarage) in January. In that book, published in 1930, the story is told in first person narrative, by the vicar in St. Mary’s Mead. This second novel featuring Miss Marple was not published until twelve years later, although there was a book of short stories published in 1932.

In this novel, Christie uses the third person. Although I preferred the use of first person narrative in the first book, it would not have worked well for this one. The action starts in the Bantry's home, Gossington Hall, where the body is discovered. The police are called in and begin their investigation. The action moves to the Majestic Hotel at Danemouth, where the victim worked and was reported missing.

Dolly Bantry’s concern for her husband causes her to call in Miss Marple for help. Both of them know that it would hurt him to be suspected and shunned by the villagers, which will inevitably happen if they never catch the murderer. Even Sir Henry Clithering (retired from Scotland Yard) comments on Miss Marple’s ability to hone in on the culprit in such crimes.

He tells Conway Jefferson, who has called him in to help out with the investigation:

"Downstairs in the lounge, by the third pillar from the left, there sits an old lady with a sweet, placid spinsterish face, and a mind that has plumbed the depths of human iniquity and taken it as all in the day's work. Her name's Miss Marple. She comes from the village of St Mary Mead, which is a mile and a half from Gossington; she's a friend of the Bantrys, and where crime is concerned, she's the goods, Conway."

An interesting aspect in amateur detective mysteries is how much part the policemen play in the story. In this one, we get a lot of the back and forth between the various police officers, and are in on how the case is progressing. Miss Marple comes into the story later and sort of ties it all together. I think I like that more than amateur sleuths who are on their own. (Of course, it mainly depends on how well the story is told, in either case.)

I had inklings of who the culprit was about midway through, but was never sure. So far, I have found that Christie usually keeps me guessing until the end. Another mystery was how (and why) the body shows up in the library, and that was handled very well, also. Overall, another enjoyable read for me.

I  read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that. Links to other reviews for this month will be found here.

Also submitted for the Vintage Mystery Challenge (Serial Killers). Per Wikipedia:

The novel was first serialised in the US in The Saturday Evening Post in seven parts from 10 May (Volume 213, Number 45) to 21 June 1941 (Volume 213, Number 51) with illustrations by Hy Rubin.

Crooked House: Agatha Christie

Crooked House was published in 1949. The story is set following World War II. A couple that met in Egypt during the war has reunited in London. However, their plans to marry are interrupted by the death of her grandfather. This is the first non-series book by Christie that I have read since I began my quest to read all of her mystery novels.

From the synopsis of the book at the official Agatha Christie website:

Three generations of the Leonides family live together in a large, if somewhat crooked looking, house. Then the wealthy patriarch, Aristide, is murdered.  Suspicion falls on the whole household, including Aristide’s two sons, his widow – fifty years his junior – and even his three grandchildren.

The story focuses on a family that is very close. Each is protective of the others, even though they may see each other's faults. Each member is strange, in their own way, and thus the introduction to each member of the menagerie is entertaining. Some mystery readers fault Agatha Christie because of her characters (too stereotypical, too cardboard?), but I have not seen that in the books I have read. This one seems to be the perfect blending of puzzle, plot, and characters.

The revelation of the culprit is surprising and shocking, but when you return to the story you can see all the clues leading in that direction.

I liked everything about this book. I have no complaints. But here is a list of the attributes that I particularly appreciated:

• The story is told in first person, by Charles Hayward, who wants to marry Sophia Leonides. I generally enjoy books told in the first person, because you get closer to the character. And it justifies not knowing some facts or being in the dark about some subjects, as long as that is true for the narrator.
• It is a love story, but the love story does not dominate. As the reader, I wanted the love story to end well, but as with all the mysteries by Christie that I have read, I was never sure what was coming.
• The story features a strong woman as a central character, and I always appreciate that. Especially in a vintage mystery.

I  read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by  Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that. Links to other reviews for this month will be found here.

Also submitted for the Vintage Mystery Challenge (Jolly Old England).

Murder at the Vicarage: Agatha Christie

This novel is the first in the Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie and was published in 1930. The story is set in the village of St. Mary Mead. A very unpopular resident of the village is murdered in the vicar's study. The vicar, and Miss Marple, get involved in figuring out who the murderer could be.


Mysteries by Agatha Christie are hard to review. Christie is so well known and so revered that it is hard to add anything new. I am on a quest to read one Agatha Christie novel a month this year, and discover what I like and dislike about her novels. I have read only four of her novels (including this one) in the last few years, and I enjoyed three of them. Very encouraging. (The one I did not enjoy was her first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles.)

It has been so long since I read a Miss Marple mystery that I don't remember which ones I read, how many, or anything about the stories. I was surprised to find that this one was told in first person, and also that there were no further Miss Marple mysteries for another twelve years. A book of short stories was published in 1932, and six of those stories were actually written and published prior to the publication of Murder at the Vicarage.


This is part of a brief description of this book from Robert Barnard, in his book, A Talent to Deceive:

Our first glimpse of St Mary Mead, a hotbed of burglary, impersonation, adultery and ultimately murder. What is it precisely that people find so cosy about such stories?

I will be counting this book for the Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge, hosted by Socrates Book Reviews because it fits the definition perfectly. But I agree with Robert Barnard, this book describes the dark side of English village life.

What did I like?

I liked the way the story was told: first person narration by the Vicar. There is a lot of subtle humor. I enjoyed the relationship between the Vicar and his much younger wife.  The mystery was interesting. I did guess who did it, but I was never sure until the solution was revealed.

I was surprised, and delighted, to find that the Miss Marple in this book is not a sweet old woman. She is very perceptive and sees the evil that is hidden underneath the surface in the village. The vicar's wife describes her as a "nasty old cat." She also says... "That kind of old cat is always right."

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read for me.

I  read this book for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by  Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that.

Also submitted for the Vintage Mystery Challenge (Scene of the Crime).

The Secret Adversary: Agatha Christie

The Secret Adversary is the first book in a brief series by Agatha Christie starring Tommy and Tuppence. The series consists of only five books, and one of those is a short story collection. This book was published in 1922 and was only Christie's second novel. Tommy and Tuppence are two young adventurers, out of work and running out of money in the months following World War I.

I was aware when I began reading this book that a lot of Agatha Christie fans do not consider it one of her better works. Even Robert Barnard had unkind words for the Tommy and Tuppence in his appreciation of Agatha Christie, A Talent to Deceive, calling them "everyone's least favorite Christie sleuths," although he considered this book the best of that series.

I remember reading some of the Tommy and Tuppence series when I was younger, and those books were among my favorites. So I wanted to give this book a try. And I was very happy with the results. Tommy and Tuppence did not disappoint me.

The Secret Adversary is an espionage thriller. The story is not as serious as today's espionage books; the issues are more black and white. I see it more as a lighthearted entertainment. There is a love story, which of course ends happily.

Tommy and Tuppence meet accidentally, discuss their unhappy situations, and decide to join forces to hire themselves out as adventurers. Even before they put out an advertisement, Tuppence is accosted by a man who proposes to hire her. Then he turns out to be part of a nefarious plot to find and expose a draft treaty which could compromise the British government. Soon they are involved with British intelligence and other persons interested in tracking down the young woman who was carrying the treaty.

The plot gets very complicated very quickly. Most of the action and events are either foolhardy or unbelievable, but I found it was fun and kept me entertained. I like Tuppence because she was a strong female character, spoke her mind, and was not afraid to lead the way. I liked Tommy because he was not brilliant but he had common sense.

This is the first book I have officially read for the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, hosted by  Mysteries In Paradise. If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that.

Joining the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge

I have been planning to join in on this challenge for a while. I want to read more Agatha Christie and I like the idea of doing it in an organized fashion so that I can compare style of writing over time, etc. But I was planning to wait until January 2013 to do that.  Today I decided to bite the bullet and go ahead and commit. Based on this post at Mysteries in Paradise: Forgotten Books, Agatha Christie?

 I have been blogging less than a year and I only have one post about an Agatha Christie book so far.  My review of Murder on the Orient Express is here.

I hope to review at least one more Christie mystery before the end of the year, and then I will aim at one (or more) a month in 2013.  This is a self-paced challenge and it is continuing. Two appealing factors.

If you are interested in joining in, here are instructions on how to do that.