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.

Do You Need More Good Kids Resources? - Coffee & Conversation

I have done a lot of children's work for churches over the years and one thing that I always found difficult was to get good resources especially pictures to illustrate the bible stories. 

Some years ago I found  Eikonbibleart  


I was living in Belgium at the time and trying to get more resources for the Sunday School of our church there. 

Finding this site was great as their powerpoint presentations could simply be downloaded instantly and their package deals were very good value. 

Plus the pictures are great.

Once back in Northern Ireland I was downloading again and I was still thrilled with the quality of the pictures and the fact that they were continuing to add more stories on a regular basis.  

If you are involved in children's work or you homeschool your kids then do have a look at this site.

Not only do you get the powerpoint presentations but they also have lesson notes, colouring sheets and puzzle sheets to go along with them.

To me another thing which is so good is that this is a British Company and in fact it is now owned by a guy from Northern Ireland and I think that is great.  


They are also on Facebook  and Twitter so check them out.


A few years ago they brought out a comic book based on the Titanic, it is great quality and very suitable to give to kids in your church, school, neighbourhood or family circle.



They now have other comics too and short films like Becky's Christmas

and not only Bible story visuals but also missionary stories meaning a good variety of illustrative resources to pick from.

For kids work at church or for homeschooling, check out this resource site.

Of course I've left the best to the end 

they even offer some free stuff so make sure you look into it soon.

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.

Which Service at Church? - Coffee & Conversation

Sometimes as Christians we only want to go to Worship Services but neglect the Prayer Meetings.

Sometimes as Christians we only want to go to Church on Sundays and forget about our fellow congregants the rest of the week.

Sometimes we want to do only bible studies by specific people instead of looking to God for what we should study and get the best help we can for that Bible passage or topic.

Sometimes we want to go to the fun things at church but never want to help in the church community work.

Sometimes we want to simply go to church events and not actually think of how we can help those and other events take place.

Sometimes we want to be seen to be doing things in the church service but we couldn't be bothered to help behind the scenes.

One Church Service but not another?

Sometimes we are happy to have the Gospel preached but not willing to invite others in to church to hear that Good News.

Sometimes we want to know that our church is reaching out to tell others of the love of God and the rescue there is from our sin through Jesus but we neglect to do our part in God's work.

We pick and choose what we do to suit ourselves but what about the needs of the church and the people of the community around us?

The Hound of 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.

The Hound of Death 

1933

Description

A collection of macabre mysteries, including the superlative short story Witness for the Prosecution…

Twelve unexplained phenomena with no apparent earthly explanation…

A dog-shaped gunpowder mark; an omen from ‘the other side’; a haunted house; a chilling seance; a case of split personalities; a recurring nightmare; an eerie wireless message; an elderly lady’s hold over a young man; a disembodied cry of ‘murder’; a young man’s sudden amnesia; a levitation experience; a mysterious SOS.

My Thoughts

This is the 18th book by Agatha Christie and the 2nd Stand Alone Mystery

In actual fact it is a book of 12 short stories with no signs of any of her usual or seldom used detectives.

It is I think my least favourite of Agatha Christie books even though it contains the first writing of "Witness for the Prosecution" as a short story and later it became famous as a play.

Not entirely a group of detective stories but more stories of the mind or supernatural stories and a great deal of darkness contained therein.

The one I always remember the best is the one about the blue jar and it is more a con story than anything else, using the art of suggestion - this is a bit of a spoiler but not too much.

So if you are not a great Christie fan who wants to read all her books then this is one you may want to leave out unless you are intrigued by things of the mind.




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.

We all love Free Stuff which is Good Stuff - Coffee & Conversation

Sometimes we don't realise how good something we have is.

That is exactly what happened to me a couple of years ago.

I went to the Churches Resources Exhibition in Belfast and came home with a plastic bag full of leaflets and other bits and pieces. A few days later I went through the contents of the bag quickly, mostly saying to myself that I would read through the leaflets properly when I had more time and only concentrate on the things I had particularly asked for or lifted from the stands right now.

Well the other leaflets just got put in a pile and a long time later I eventually decided to go through them mainly to throw them out because I was tired of seeing the pile on my desk in the study.

Imagine my surprise when I read about BES.    

Bible Educational Services

This is a free resource, yes FREE and I was missing out.

How was I missing out?

Because when I had been given the info. I had not properly realised what I was being given.

 At an event like this one you get so used to everything being expensive and everybody trying to persuade you that their product is the best that you can so easily click off and toss the name or idea into the back of your mind, and the leaflet into your bag to be forgotten about with lots of others.

I was annoyed at myself because I had not taken more of an interest at the time, and that I had been so unorganised that I hadn't sorted out and read everything much sooner after I got home.

Needless to say I spent some time on their website and downloaded some items which will help with the upcoming topics in our Sunday School Curriculum in the near future and some which I was able to make good use of almost immediately. Then in a few months time I will have to look into it again and see how we might benefit from it for the next year.

So go Check out the FREE Bible Lessons at BES

And let's tell others

We all love Free Stuff which is Good Stuff!

Pondering the Psalms - Psalm 107

Each Sunday I choose a Psalm and write down some brief thoughts on it.


Today I'm looking at Psalm 107 

This Psalm falls into four parts:


V. 1-3
Thanksgiving to God


V. 4-32
We see a pattern repeated four times

• The Ungodly Man
• Turning to God & God's Intervention
• Following God's Way
• Goodness of God

V. 33-38
God's Good Hand on Nature
God's Good Hand on Man


V. 39-43
God's Justice & Kindness

This Psalm could be summed up simply by verse 1

Though people do not understand or see God's Hand in this world and in their lives that does not change the fact that He is always there in the world and in our lives 
and we would be wise to accept and acknowledge that.

Then we would understand his love and kindness and let Him change our lives.