Showing posts with label murder mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label murder mystery. Show all posts

Tuesday

Why didn't they Ask Evans?


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








Why Didn't they Ask Evans?



1934



Description



When a man plunges down a cliff, two adventurous young friends decide to find his killer…
While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and says, ‘Why didn’t they ask Evans?’
Haunted by these words, Bobby and his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger.









My Thoughts



This is the 21st book by Agatha Christie and the 4th Stand Alone Mystery 

I have read this one a few times now and there are things I really like - the two main characters who are not sleuths but are very willing to become amateur sleuths and plunge in headlong to find out everything they can without completely thinking it all through.  

I love to see this different side to Miss Christie's writing where there are silly blunders but also intuition worked into the storyline.  Frankie and bobby may set out as naive friends who are just ready for an adventure but the way they actually care about the person who had died (even though Bobby had only met him briefly) is what really keeps them going through it all to get at the solution. 




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 Listerdale Mystery - 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 Listerdale Mystery



1934



Description



A selection of mysteries, some light-hearted, some romantic, some very deadly…
Twelve tantalizing cases… the curious disappearance of Lord Listerdale; a newlywed’s fear of her ex-fiance; a strange encounter on a train; a domestic murder investigation; a wild man’s sudden personality change; a retired inspector’s hunt for a murderess; a young woman’s impersonation of a duchess; a necklace hidden in a basket of cherries; a mystery writer’s arrest for murder; an astonishing marriage proposal; a soprano’s hatred for a baritone; the case of the rajah’s emerald.
All of these short stories have one thing in common: the skilful hand of Agatha Christie.







My Thoughts



This is the 20th book by Agatha Christie and the 3rd Stand Alone Mystery

It has neither Miss Marple nor Hercule Poirot as the sleuth who solves the mystery.

It is another of Miss Christie's Short Story Complilations consisting of 12 mysteries but I do need to say straight away that I enjoyed this one much more than the last one The Hound of Death as this one is a brighter set of stories in which we have some happy endings and some not so happy endings but also with some humour.

Everyone jokes about how "The Butler did it" and in the first of these short stories there is indeed a butler but I'm not going to tell you if he is guilty or not.

Lot of locations involved here also with trains, cars, large houses, small homes, and lots of different levels of society with ladies, maids, butlers, husbands, wives and lawyers.

As is often the case in a Christie story there are twists and some small (and could be easily missed) things that may catch someone's eye and give the flash of inspiration needed to get to the solution.








A good book to start with if you have not read any Agatha Christie books before.



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 on the Orient Express - 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 on the Orient Express 


1934


Description


Agatha Christie’s most famous murder mystery.
Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.
Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer – in case he or she decides to strike again.






My Thoughts


This is the 19th book by Agatha Christie and the 9th Poirot Mystery

One of the best known of her mysteries and perhaps even the best known especially because it had already had 3 TV/Movie adaptations (with 3 different actors playing Hercule Poirot) before they brought out the latest one with Kenneth Brannagh.

It can't be easy to confine your story to one location and also the confines of a train.

Yes you have the characters and the location but having them all in such close proximity must have added constraints to the setting of clues and the movement of the characters just showing how good our famous author is at her craft.

Is there anyone left who does not know the perpetrator of this crime?
This is the second most well-known of Miss Christie's books (first being "And Then There Were None"

Many people who haven't even read the book or seen any of the adaptations already know the outcome of this story but if you do not then you definitely should read it as it is a very well-written book and brings out compassion and hatred together.

I always thought it was so famous that everyone must know but more recently there was a new adaptation of the story and I had to realise that there is a different generation of people who are being introduced to Agatha Christie's works just now.  I suppose that is the joy of books that they can go on for generations being enjoyed by more and more people.

If you do know the outcome and have not read it you still should to see how she links everything together.




 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.


















Lord Edgeware Dies - 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.








Lord Edgeware Dies 



1933



Description


Agatha Christie’s famous murder mystery, reissued with a striking cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.
Poirot had been present when Jane bragged of her plan to ‘get rid of’ her estranged husband. Now the monstrous man was dead. And yet the great Belgian detective couldn’t help feeling that he was being taken for a ride.
After all, how could Jane have stabbed Lord Edgware to death in his library at exactly the same time she was seen dining with friends? And what could be her motive now that the aristocrat had finally granted her a divorce?








My Thoughts



This is the 17th book by Agatha Christie and the 8th Poirot Mystery.

One that once read should not be forgotten because of the uniqueness of the solution but yet I had forgotten it in full from my previous reading of it and hence really enjoyed it again.   

Looks like an unsolvable mystery: how can someone be in two places at the same time?  Are witnesses mistaken, or which witness/witnesses are mistaken?  But when the behind the scenes facts are known it seems to be such a simplistic but intricate plan by a clever murderer.

I have to admit it is hard to talk about this one without giving too much away.

One of the best known of Christie's books and certainly deserves to the up there in the top 10.



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 Thirteen Problems - 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 Thirteen Problems 



1932



Description



The Tuesday Night Club is a venue where locals challenge Miss Marple to solve recent crimes…
One Tuesday evening a group gathers at Miss Marple’s house and the conversation turns to unsolved crimes…
The case of the disappearing bloodstains; the thief who committed his crime twice over; the message on the death-bed of a poisoned man which read ‘heap of fish’; the strange case of the invisible will; a spiritualist who warned that ‘Blue Geranium’ meant death…






My Thoughts



This is the 16th book by Agatha Christie and the 2nd Miss Marple Mystery.

It is a book of short stories with the following titles:

The Tuesday Night Club
The Idol House of Astarte
Ingots of Gold
The Bloodstained Pavement
Motive v Opportunity
The Thumb Mark of St. Peter
The Blue Geranium
The Companion
The Four Suspects
A Christmas Tragedy
The Herb of Death
The Affair at the Bungalow
Death by Drowning


The first story sets the scene for the rest - there are a certain group of people gathered together in a relaxed atmosphere who each present a mystery and the others are to suggest the solution to this mystery.  

Miss Marple's nephew features here along with some others who may or may not appear in further books.

Miss Marple may seem like the one who would have the least experience of the "big bad world" but she is in fact the one who has seen many things in her small village and thus is the one who can provide the solutions.

Some of the short stories here have actually later been used as the ideas for other Christie stories.

As much as I enjoy a full story where the reader has to read carefully and uncover all the clues hidden within to solve the crime at times I really do enjoy a group of short stories like this to read.  Somewhat like enjoying a cryptic crossword puzzle because each correct answer written into the puzzle brings a sense of satisfaction itself.
Or perhaps these short stories are just a series of quick fixes for us mystery lovers.

A good read with such a varied group of stories.

Also a good start for someone to get introduced to the books of Agatha Christie.



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




















Peril at End House - Book Review

Disclaimer:
There is an affiliate link on this blogpost.



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








Peril at End House 



1932



Description



Nick Buckley was an unusual name for a pretty young woman. But then she had led an unusual life. First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car failed. Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder missed her by inches. Later, an oil painting fell and almost crushed her in bed.
Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick’s sun hat, Hercule Poirot decides the girl needs his protection. At the same time, he begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn’t been committed. Yet.









My Thoughts



This is the 15th book by Agatha Christie and the 7th Poirot Mystery

The clues are always there.  No matter what they say - the clues are always there.

That is exactly how it is with this book which means that once you have read it (and no doubt missed some clues) you will enjoy reading it again later even though it is one of those books that you will remember who the murderer is.

But would anyone other than Poirot have solved this one?   In fact I actually think Miss Marple would also have spotted the very deviousness of this murderer.

A clever thought out murder mystery with a clever and vile murderer.

Great read.  Great deduction.



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:
If buying through Amazon via the link above I get a little commission but that does not mean any extra expense to you.

The Murder at the Vicarage - Book Review



I am trying to read through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and write a review on each one.

  









The Murder at the Vicarage. 

1930
  
A Miss Marple Story.


Description


'Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe', declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, 'would be doing the world at large a favour!'
It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later - when the Colonel is found shot dead in the clergyman's study. But as Miss Marple soon discovers, the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe.
The first Miss Marple mystery, one which tests all her powers of observation and deduction.







My Thoughts

This is the 13th book by Agatha Christie and the First involving Miss Marple.

Oh how no-one thinks an elderly spinster could be interesting or knowledgeable when it comes to - well almost anything except perhaps her garden.

This book is full of endearing characters and infuriating characters which are probably the norm in an English Village the difference here being that one of those infuriating characters gets murdered.

Plenty of suspects and a complicated timeline of events makes this a difficult case to solve until Miss Marple can see around and through various aspects of this mystery.

A great storyline to introduce this sleuth and one that is definitely suited to her personality and insight.   So read and enjoy (as I did) and watch out for the clock, the garden and all the people that see everything in a village.









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
















The Seven Dials Mystery - Book Review



I am trying to read through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and write a review on each one.





  

The Seven Dials Mystery. 


1929  


An Inspector Battle Mystery.


Shelfari Description



Reclusive tycoon, Sir Oswald Coote, and his melancholy wife, Lady Maria, have come upon the ideal plan to spice up their quiet lives.

They'll host a lavish weekend party at Chimneys, their isolated estate, and invite only "bright young things". But the festive mood is clouded by doom. A practical joke involving seven clocks and a sleeping guest has ended in accidental death-and cause for alarm.

For the guests may not be all that they appear.
And as whispers of a strange club called Seven Dials echo through the halls of Chimneys, all hands will be pointing to murder...






My Thoughts


This is the 10th book by Agatha Christie and the 2nd for Inspector Battle.

We see a return to the home of Bundle whom we remember from "The Secret of Chimneys"

This time I found the characters easier to remember - I suppose it helped that there were a few in this story that had been in the other Chimneys one too - and I read through the story quicker, with less breaks which is always a good sign.

A few red herrings appearing and I few twists which I always enjoy but the logical working out of the solution is still there. The title is a good title for the story but probably makes the reader make an assumption that is also made by several of the characters.

Inspector Battle again was a good detective but not the uniqueness of Poirot or Miss Marple.

I had read the book many, many years ago but had forgotten it so I thoroughly enjoyed it and have to admit I did work out part of it, but not all and had to wait to the end to see what everyone wants to see.

I'll give you one little clue to think over if you decide to read this book - a woman may not always be as you are led to believe.
This however is not about the revealing of that person you need to get to at the end.

This Novel was adapted for television in 1981 by ITV and was kept quite true to the original story which makes me happy. I didn't have it on DVD so I hunted and managed to get a "not too expensive" copy of it on Ebay. I really did want to get it because one of the characters was played by the same actor who played Tommy in The Secret Adversary and I was not disappointed because he played it well and did not keep making me think of Tommy.









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












And Then There Were None - Book Review



I was trying to read through the novels of Agatha Christie in the order in which they were written and write a review on each one.







But then I heard that the World's Favourite Christie had been voted on and the winner was  

And Then There Were None. 


I was just so tempted to read it even though it was

Written in 1939  


and I was only up to 

1929


because it is the only one that I was really not sure that I had actually read before and I know I have never owned a paperback of it but I do have it now in hardback in my Heron Set of Christie Novels.

So my apologies for jumping ahead and doing this one out of order.



Shelfari Description



Ten people, each with something to hide, are invited to a lonely mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but one another and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests fall victim to the dark secrets of their pasts. And one by one they start to die...






My Thoughts


This is the 34th book by Agatha Christie and one of the few that do not involve one of her detectives.

Even though I cannot remember if I read this while a teenager I did know most of the story. Those who have ever read it could not fail to remember the plot (if not all the details) because it is, like her play "The Mousetrap", unique and unforgettable.

Anyone who is interested in Christie's books could not fail to have heard or read something pertaining to this classic especially around the 2 changes of title that have been made over the years. Starting out life as "Ten Little Niggers" using an old rhyme of that name; then changing to "Ten Little Indians" which became as much a "no-no" as the original title and finally becoming "And Then There Were None" which actually tends to give away the storyline but is probably a good hook title.

A select guest list, a deserted location and a missing host will undoubtedly grab your interest as you read a synopsis or teaser for the book but when I read this book through in less than a day I can say that the first 2 pages had me hooked.

She very carefully introduces her characters so that we know something about them but not everything and she does it quickly through the actual characters themselves. We have the superior feeling at this stage of being somewhat familiar with all the characters before they are introduced to each other.

I cannot imagine anyone who likes a murder mystery being disappointed with this one and so I agree that it is worthy of the title "The World's Favourite Christie" and it isn't even a Poirot or Marple story.

I hunted around on the internet to see if I could buy a dvd of any of the 3 films that have been made in 1945, 1965 & 1974 but was unsuccessful so ended up watching them on YouTube instead.
NOTE: Why do filmmakers always want to change the endings? If they think the book is good enough to make into a film then surely the ending is good enough?

But just today I have found out that there is a 3 part mini series being filmed for the BBC with some interesting actors for the roles and we should see this on our screens possibly at Christmas.


World's Favourite Christie - Book Review


However after saying it is very good and acknowledging why it has been chosen as the world's greatest Christie, I would say if you only read one Christie do not make it this one. My reason for this is simply that this is not her usual style so you are best to pick a Poirot or a Marple to get the real Christie feel.






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