Showing posts with label Agatha Christie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Agatha Christie. Show all posts

Tuesday

Appointment with Death - Book Review


I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Appointment with Death



1938


Description


The unstoppable Hercule Poirot finds himself in the Middle East with only one day to solve a murder in the classic Agatha Christie mystery, Appointment with Death

Among the towering red cliffs of Petra, like some monstrous swollen Buddha, sits the corpse of Mrs. Boynton. A tiny puncture mark on her wrist is the only sign of the fatal injection that killed her.









My Thoughts


This is the 31st book by Agatha Christie and the 18th Poirot Mystery

The actual murder takes place on an Archaeological Dig in the Middle East but the preamble to it is set in a travelling atmosphere so it has the added mix of having people of various nationalities intertwined more than those of her novels which are set in the United Kingdom.


The usual family members of course are involved and then the people involved in the dig plus some other visitors.

Many servants and manual workers but is there a red herring in this one?

Who are we meant to like and to dislike?

Does Miss Christie try to lead us up the wrong path?

Yes of course she does but which path is the wrong one and which is the right one.

Not one of my favourites partly because I'm not so fond of that type of location but she does present us with what looks like an impossible murder and of course that is Christie at her finest.





If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.









 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie



If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.









Disclaimer:
I did not receive a free copy of this book or any other incentive to review this book.
I have owned all the Christie novels for many years.


Murder in the Mews - Book Review


I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Murder in the Mews



1937


Description


Murder, stolen plans, a mysterious death and a menage a trois – four intriguing novellas featuring Hercule Poirot…
How did a woman holding a pistol in her right hand manage to shoot herself in the left temple? What was the link between a ghost sighting and the disappearance of top secert military plans? How did the bullet that killed Sir Gervase shatter a mirror in another part of the room? And who destroyed the ‘eternal triangle’ of love involving renowned beauty, Valentine Chantry?
Hercule Poirot is faced with four mystifying cases – Murder in the Mews, The Incredible Theft, Dead Man’s Mirror and Triangle at Rhodes – each a miniature classic of characterisation, incident and suspense.






My Thoughts


This is the 30th book by Agatha Christie and the 17th Poirot Mystery

One of the Poirot short stories books but they are not too short as there are only 4 in this grouping.  



Murder in the Mews
A few good suspects but it looks like suicide or does it, nice twists along the way and an obvious clue to anyone who watches or reads a lot of murder mystery now because I have seen that idea (no spoilers here!) used more and more but perhaps when I first read it many years ago I would not have been familiar with that type of clue.

The Incredible Theft

Well you know what happens with thefts in her novels - there is always much more than a slight of hand involved and again who is that foreigner?  And I'm not talking about Poirot here.

Dead Man's Mirror
Are people always who or what they claim to be?  (Slight clue there!)

Miss Christie throws in one of her outside/inside episodes here which she can easily do when the setting is a large house with various patio type windows.

Triangle at Rhodes
Very similar in a way but then also very different to a certain of her other well-known and full length stories so watch out for the twist here too.


A good read, in fact 4 good reads where you will change your mind on the guilty parties more than once or twice or even three times.



If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie


If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.









Death on the Nile - Book Review



I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Death on The Nile



1937



Description


Agatha Christie’s most exotic murder mystery, reissued with a striking cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.
The tranquillity of a cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot through the head. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything – until she lost her life.
Hercule Poirot recalls an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: ‘I’d like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger.’ Yet in this exotic setting’ nothing is ever quite what it seems…







My Thoughts


This is the 29th book by Agatha Christie and the 16th Poirot Mystery

It is one of the best known Christie books and possibly because of that and the number of adaptations that have been produced it is not among my top Christie stories.  

As with most of her books it is very cleverly written but at one stage I do feel that I can not quite get round the intricate plot because I feel that just one strategic action is not properly explained even having read it a couple of times and having seen all the adaptations, so I do know the full details of it.

She loves villains and heroines and so do I and here you definitely have a special villain and heroine.   I do love the way we are allowed to see the concern and the disdain for them both emanating from Poirot.

We also see several other storylines running through the book some of which have no bearing on the solution of the murder and some which do, not exactly red herrings though.

It has to be noted that this is one of her books that even if it was not one of the most wellknown it still would be one that once read the victim and murderer will not be forgotten. 

There is one thing missing in this one - no Captain Hastings!



If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie


If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.



















Dumb Witness - Book Review



I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Dumb Witness



1937



Description


An elderly spinster has been poisoned in her country home…
Everyone blamed Emily’s accident on a rubber ball left on the stairs by her frisky terrier. But the more she thought about her fall, the more convinced she became that one of her relatives was trying to kill her.
On April 17th she wrote her suspicions in a letter to Hercule Poirot. Mysteriously he didn’t receive the letter until June 28th… by which time Emily was already dead…






My Thoughts



This is the 28th book by Agatha Christie and the 15th Poirot Mystery

Okay I don't like cats, I do like dogs but not enough to be a dog owner.  So I would not particularly be drawn to a story which seems to be written about a dog.

However I love this book.

I have read it a few times and always enjoy how she has carefully written certain aspects to each of the suspects' character.  I like the way they are each not how we expect them to be and actually in the end nearly all of them are displaying different feelings and actions than before.  It is as if we have an aquaintance with them to start with but then get to know them and they have relaxed in front of us by the end.

Of course the dog Bob cannot speak but by getting to know his character as well the mystery is solved.

I would almost guarantee that the first person you think is the murderer will not be the one you think of half way through the book and certainly not the one who is revealed at the end.



If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie


If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.



















Cards on the Table - Book Review


I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Cards on the Table


1936


Description


A flamboyant party host is murdered in full view of a roomful of bridge players…
Mr Shaitana was famous as a flamboyant party host. Nevertheless, he was a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation to view Shaitana’s private collection.
Indeed, what began as an absorbing evening of bridge was to turn into a more dangerous game altogether…






My Thoughts



This is the 27th book by Agatha Christie and the 14th Poirot Mystery

How does someone kill another person in a room with 9 people and no-one sees the murder being committed, not even the great Hercule Poirot himself.

There is no noisy atmosphere, no moving around because 8 of these people are playing bridge while the murder victim sits quietly and watches his guests.

We are faced with the secrets the bridge players are hiding from the world.
We are faced with the idea of a strange weapon that one of them could possibly have had with them.
We are faced with the problem of how Poirot will be able to interview the suspects when so little is known and so little happened that could be asked about.
We are faced with the dilemma "Was it spontaneous or premeditated?"

Definitely a difficult teaser for those little grey cells our favourite detective is always talking about.

But I felt there were just too many coincidences among the lives of players.
That was the one part of this novel that makes it not one of my top Christie books.



If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie


If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.



















Murder in Mesopotamia - Book Review


I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Murder in Mesopotamia



1936



Description


An archaeologist’s wife is murdered on the shores of the River Tigris in Iraq…
It was clear to Amy Leatheran that something sinister was going on at the Hassanieh dig in Iraq; something associated with the presence of ‘Lovely Louise’, wife of celebrated archaeologist Dr Leidner.
In a few days’ time Hercule Poirot was due to drop in at the excavation site. But with Louise suffering from terrifying hallucinations, and tension within the group becoming almost unbearable, Poirot might just be too late…






My Thoughts



This is the 26th book by Agatha Christie and the 13th Poirot Mystery


Is it awful of me to say that I was happy about who was the victim in this murder mystery?

I do like this book and feel for many of the characters in it.  Miss Christie wrote it well giving us positions and timings to consider carefully for alibis and has carefully portrayed relationships between many different characters.

As usual if we read it carefully we will see the clues but as is the case in the best books there are many facets to the characters here which mean that we do have quite a few suspects to dwell on.

How long does it take to wear down someone before they snap?

How long ago can an incident have happened but still have repercussions now?

Can we recognise people years later?

How long can someone wait to take revenge?

Which types of people can plan for a long time before acting?

Which types of people can act on the spur of the moment?

These are all questions to be considered in this one. 




If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie



If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.





















The ABC Murders - Book Review


I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.







The ABC Murders



1936



Description


Agatha Christie’s world-famous serial killer mystery, reissued with a striking cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.
There’s a serial killer on the loose, bent on working his way through the alphabet. And as a macabre calling card he leaves beside each victim’s corpse the ABC Railway Guide open at the name of the town where the murder has taken place.
Having begun with Andover, Bexhill and then Churston, there seems little chance of the murderer being caught – until he makes the crucial and vain mistake of challenging Hercule Poirot to frustrate his plans…






My Thoughts



This is the 25th book by Agatha Christie and the 12th Poirot Mystery


It is one of my least favourites even though Hastings is involved with Poirot for the solving of this mystery.

Miss Christie used a similar method by the murderer in this story as is Curtain and that is almost a spoiler which is unusual for me to write.
Perhaps that is why both those books are among my least favourites because I particularly do not like that kind of evil. 

Then there is another trait of the murderer that is also very evil so when the culprit is unmasked the reader has no sympathy for them at all.

She writes it full of red herrings but yet even among these all the clues are there waiting to be picked out and pieced together.  

This is one of the books that I would definitely recommend to be read before seeing the TV adaptation of it.  In fact I am a believer in any book being the real source of the story and so should always be read first but in this case I feel it really matters.



If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie



If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.
















Death in the Clouds - Book Review


I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Death in the Clouds



1935



Description



A woman is killed by a poisoned dart in the enclosed confines of a commercial passenger plane…
From seat No.9, Hercule Poirot was ideally placed to observe his fellow air passengers. Over to his right sat a pretty young woman, clearly infatuated with the man opposite; ahead, in seat No.13, sat a Countess with a poorly-concealed cocaine habit; across the gangway in seat No.8, a detective writer was being troubled by an aggressive wasp.
What Poirot did not yet realise was that behind him, in seat No.2, sat the slumped, lifeless body of a woman.






My Thoughts



This is the 24th book by Agatha Christie and the 11th Poirot Mystery

I love this one.

I know I have said that of others and it is true but then I do love so many of her books.

This one was written so carefully and well that the second time I read it I still got the murderer wrong.  I thought that I had remembered it so well that I remembered the correct murderer, but I was wrong.  I was actually still being mislead by the clues the same way as I had been the first time I read it so that to me makes a really good book.

Because this takes place on an aeroplane we have that added intrigue of the contained space like the locked room in so many stories.  Then because it takes place many years ago we have the added intrigue of the confined space full of people as the plane is small.

This one as many of her other novels have different nationalities involved so does this lead to misunderstandings because of different languages and cultures?

Also a young woman is there to help Poirot as in some of the other books based around him but does she help or hinder?

Now for the big question some of you may be asking because you know I love to have Hastings in the Poirot mysteries.
Is Hastings in this one?
Well you will have to read it to find out for yourself because this time I'm not giving you any clue on that important fact.



If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie


If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.














Three Act Tragedy - Book Review


I am reading through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and writing a review on each one.








Three Act Tragedy


1934


Description


At an apparently respectable dinner party, a vicar is the first to die…
Thirteen guests arrived at dinner at the actor’s house. It was to be a particularly unlucky evening for the mild-mannered Reverend Stephen Babbington, who choked on his cocktail, went into convulsions and died.
But when his martini glass was sent for chemical analysis, there was no trace of poison – just as Poirot had predicted. Even more troubling for the great detective, there was absolutely no motive…







My Thoughts



This is the 23rd book by Agatha Christie and the 10th Poirot Mystery

Not one of my favourites.  Mainly because there is one part of the story line which I either just don't read or follow properly or is not explained properly but I have felt (on the both occasions that I have now read it) is not compatible with the rest of this murder mystery.  

This is one of Miss Christie's books to have multiple murders and speculation of even more murders so there is a lot to take in as we go through this book.

Friends are a feature of this novel too on both the murderer's side and the sleuth's side.

It is indeed a tragedy for more than one person and in more than one way but will bring the reader a great deal of satisfaction if they can not only work out who the murderer is but can work out exactly how it all was orchestrated or performed.



If you would like to know more about this book then click on the title or picture above.


 Here is a link to a list of her novels on Amazon
Books by Agatha Christie


If thinking of reading this book in the future why not pin this pic to go back to later.