I didn’t realize how many Agatha Christie mysteries I’d read in 2020 until after writing up the post I wrote on Black Coffee, but it was more than a few. The rest were:
The Secret Adversary
Murder is Easy
The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot
The ABC Murders
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side
Three Act Tragedy
Mystery of the Blue Train
Partners in Crime
The Clocks
Sparkling Cyanide
The Secret of Chimneys
Poirot Investigates
I enjoyed all these stories – there are so far no Agatha Christie mysteries that I didn’t enjoy somewhat – but I think my favorites were The Secret Adversary, The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side (a repeat read from college), and Sparkling Cyanide.
The Secret Adversary is the first Tommy and Tuppence mystery I’d read, and it worked out because that’s actually the first novel they appear in. They start out as friends, and end up getting married. They appear in four novels and one collection of short stories, and unlike Poirot and Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence age as their novels progress. In this book, they’re in their early twenties, by the time they appear in their last novel, they’re in their seventies.
The Secret Adversary is also one of the Christie novels that is not a murder mystery. Christie also wrote spy/crime novels, which is what this book is and I thought it was really well done. There were plenty of red herrings, the pace was good, and the culprit is secret until the end.
The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side is a repeat for me. I think I read it for the first time in college. I liked it for its readability. The mystery was a little loose, but I love Miss Marple and I love the Lady of Shalott references, which was a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson published in (I think) 1842. By the way, I actually ended up purchasing a variety of rose called ‘The Lady of Shalott’ to plant in my garden. They’re quite beautiful.
This was a mystery I had no hope of solving – I grew up in a world where the medicine is much too advanced for me to know the significance of the solution without being able to look it up online.
Sparkling Cyanide was a bit of a locked room mystery and I’m a pretty big sucker for locked room mysteries. A group of people sat down to eat dinner (I believe on New Year’s Eve?) and one never stands up again. When the lights are out, someone slips cyanide into her glass, and when the victim drinks her cocktail, she dies. Which of her companions did it?
The detective in Sparkling Cyanide is Colonel Race. He only appears in four novels (and I thought at least one short story but I can’t find it and I may be confusing him with another character). In two novels, Race is a good friend of Hercule Poirot, and in two, including this story, which is officially his last, he’s on his own (and he’s clearly older). He’s an intelligent ex-Army officer known for his patience and his composure, and he has an ability to detect facts without attracting notice from anybody.
I solved the Sparkling Cyanide mystery but 1) only half and 2) it was based more on what I know about Christie’s pattern of characters (and what I believe may be her personal opinion on some people) than real detective work on my part (which is probably why I only solved half).
As I said, the other stories I enjoyed very much as well, but these three were my favorites. It should be noted that Partners in Crime (Tommy & Tuppence), The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot, and Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot) are short story collections which were no less entertaining than any of the full length novels.
Tag Archives: authors: agatha christie
Black Coffee
Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee was her first play and launched her another part of her writing career as a playwright. The premise of the story is that a scientist discovers a secret formula he was working on for explosives has been stolen. He calls in Hercule Poirot, but as Poirot, his friend and sidekick Captain Hastings, and Inspector Japp arrive, the scientist is murdered.
The play was, with the consent of the Christie estate, turned into a novel in 1998 by Charles Osborne (a writer and a classical music composer and critic). This is the version I listened to in 2020 (and the first of several Christie mysteries I read in 2020). I enjoyed this story very much, in spite of the fact that Christie didn’t actually write it in its novel form. It was more or less a locked room mystery and those are some of my favorites, plus, I enjoy Hercule Poirot a lot. I learned another fun poison, and of course read all about it.
When I saw this was the adaptation of a play I wasn’t sure what to expect. I would assume that it would be easier to go from a play to a novel under the premise that adding is easier than subtracting, but I don’t rightly know. That said, Christie always created an atmosphere that I enjoyed and wasn’t sure Osborne would be able to duplicate it, but he did a good job. I enjoyed the story tremendously and I even thought I’d solved it! But I got it wrong, haha.
It wasn’t my favorite Christie mystery but it was very enjoyable and I hope to see the stage play some day.
And Then There Were None
Another revisit from my college days! And Then There Were None is my favorite Agatha Christie mystery that I’ve read so far.
As I’ve mentioned before, I have a thing about settings that greatly influence the circumstances of plot. Much like other novels and forms of entertainment I’ve written about here, like The Haunting of Hill House, The Shining, and Evil Under the Sun (also by Agatha Christie), setting plays a crucial role in how the plot unfolds.
The ten main characters are on an island, having been offered jobs or holidays or various other enticements to get them out to the island. One by one, they start ending up murdered. The murderer must be on the island.
The story goes on from there.
I still love how this book unfolds. There’s a crushing sense of inevitability and claustrophobia. I still love the motivation for the murders that we do, eventually, get from the story. It’s still the first mystery I recommend if someone asks me where to start with mysteries.
As you may or may not be aware, the original title of And Then There Were None was “Ten Little N*ggers” or “Ten Little Indians.” The language, which was not as offensive in England when the book was published, was changed for obvious reasons in the United States.
Anyway, there’s a real minstrel song/poem that goes with each “title.” The poem has changed through the years too, at least the one printed in the book. This is the current version, called “Ten Little Soldier Boys.”
Ten little Soldier Boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Soldier Boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Soldier Boys travelling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Soldier Boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
Six little Soldier Boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Soldier Boys going through a door;
One stubbed his toe and then there were four.
Four little Soldier Boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Soldier Boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Soldier Boy left all alone;
He went and hanged himself, and then there were none.
…This is the mystery, guys. If you’re going to read just one in your whole life, this is it.
Evil Under the Sun
My annual attempt at reading “scary” stories in October actually worked out in 2017.
I actually read this book, and it was exciting because it was the first book I took out from the library in the town where I now live, so it was a big moment for me.
Anyway, Evil Under the Sun was one of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries, one of the lesser known ones that doesn’t get much attention. This one, unlike a couple of the other lesser known ones I’ve read, was quite enjoyable.
Hercule Poirot is on holiday at a secluded beach hotel in Devon when a beautiful, flirtatious red-headed actress named Arlena is murdered. Poirot and the police go through the full investigation and questioning of witnesses and about their alibis.
In this particular case, Arlena was a well known flirt who had many affairs after her first husband died under suspicious circumstances and she remarried an honorable military man, who was in love with someone else who happened to be at the hotel. He also had a daughter who hated her step mother.
Other suspects include a young man that Arlena appeared to be having an affair with, the young man’s wife, and several other vacation goers with means and motive.
As usual, Poirot’s reasoning was flawless, and as usual, there is a piece of information the reader isn’t privy to until Poirot reveals it – in this case, a similar murder – which means the reader can’t solve the mystery but doesn’t render it unenjoyable.
I might have liked this book a lot because, as I’ve mentioned before, I have an affinity for mysteries and stories where the isolated settings dictate a lot of what is possible for the characters. This book took place at a remote beach resort, and so there were a very specific set of suspects that must have committed the crime in a very specific set of circumstance.
This was an entirely satisfying mystery and a good one for Halloween.
Murder on the Orient Express
I first read Murder on the Orient Express in college, when I went through a phase where I read a loooot of Agatha Christie mysteries. I started with And Then There Were None (as it came highly recommended by one of my best friends’ mom, who was one of two sets of extra parents I was fortunate enough to have growing up), and then moved on to Murder on the Orient Express.
I revisited it in preparation for the movie that, at the time, was coming out in November. Spoiler alert: I never saw the film.
The book is considered one of Christie’s two best (along with And Then There Were None) and upon revisiting, it’s definitely one of my favorites.
As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I like limited settings. They require a lot of interesting dialogue and a clever plot. Murder on the Orient Express takes place on a train! A train that is caught in a snowstorm!
For those who don’t know, the Orient Express was a long distance passenger train that originally ran from Paris to Istanbul. The line made a lot of changes through the years and eventually was shut in 2009, the last version of the line running from Strasbourg to Vienna.
Our favorite Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, who ends up on the train when his plans are changed, is called in to solve the murder of Samuel Ratchett, by his friend Bouc who operates the train line and who is on board. Ratchett, who believe his life was being threatened and tried to hire Poirot and was refused, is murdered on the second night of the trip when the train is caught in the snow near Vinkovci.
The story moves on from there. The story involves a kidnapping and a ransom and another murder. It was very reminiscent of the Lindbergh kidnapping in 1932 and may have inspired this part of the book.
I was glad I revisited this story. It really isn’t very long and was quite a nice break from the near constant stream of non-fiction books I usually involve myself in.
Christie’s murder mysteries aren’t usually solvable by the reader because of some piece of unknown information that the reader isn’t privy to until the big reveal towards the end. In this case it was details of the other murder relevant to the story. That said, you could guess at the ending better in this story than with many of Christie’s other stories.
Not being able to solve the mysteries doesn’t usually bother me. I never enjoy something I solve half way through…sometimes less than halfway through. Like the movie Fracture with Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. Solved it half way through. Knew how it would work out. Was psyched with my own cleverness but sad that I couldn’t enjoy the rest of the film.
While the mystery here isn’t solvable, exactly, the solution is particularly interesting. It’s cleverly done, and very satisfying.
One thing that always sticks out in Christie’s mysteries, though, is how dated they are. Not, necessarily, in a bad way. I’m obsessed with train travel, so the idea of a rail line that goes from Paris to Istanbul is fascinating to me. What is a little off-putting, but not book destroying, is how constantly stereotypes are adhered to in Christie’s writing. Poirot is Belgian, and constantly referred to as “foreign.” It’s done all over her works with regard to nationalities, ethnicities, and gender. It isn’t inherently negative, but to someone who isn’t used to these references, it’s a little bizarre. It’s done here.
As I said, it doesn’t ruin the story. It’s just a little off putting if you aren’t used to it. And the books are nearly 100 years old. It was a very different time.
I really loved revisiting Murder on the Orient Express. It isn’t a long read, so if you haven’t read it and are looking for a clever story, it’s a lot of fun.
‘Murder on the Orient Express’ trailer
I first read Murder on the Orient Express back in college – I went through a huge Agatha Christie phase my freshman year and read at least 10 (probably more) of her mysteries. Murder on the Orient Express is frequently touted as one of her best, and I agree. The book has gotten several film treatments; a couple I’ve seen but none that I’ve loved. I must say, I’m really excited about the one coming out this November! Naturally, I’ll have to reread the story before then, but it’s a great cast and I’m really looking forward to seeing if they can get it right. Is anyone else?
Here’s the trailer:
Hallowe’en Party
As someone who occasionally likes to read books that match the season they’re in, I decided in October to read Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie. I don’t know why the apostrophe is in there, but it is.
I read this book mostly on flights to and from Utah, so it isn’t impossible that I missed some details as I read and as I dozed on and off over the course of a 5-6 hour flight.
This was a Hercule Poirot novel, so the Belgian detective with the immaculate mustache was called on to investigate the murder of a 13 year old girl, who was killed by drowning in a bobbing-for-apples bucket at – you guessed it – a Halloween party.
I never want to give away the ending to mysteries, because that’s – for lack of a better term – completely douchy, so I will just comment on how I felt about this particular mystery.
I went through a phase my freshman year of college where I read, easily, 15-20 of Agatha Christie’s mysteries, and I found all of them entertaining, although some more clever than others.
I found this one dark, not so much because of the subject matter – murder is always dark – but the murder of a 13 year old has a particular blackness about it, and so does the motive. But what really got me was the way the characters in the book blamed the girl – Joyce – for her own death, because she wasn’t particularly likable. (Actually, in the telling of this tale, almost nobody was very likable.)
Joyce was 13, and a serial teller of tall tales. She adopted other people’s stories as her own, and exaggerated greatly many of her own roles in stories, and she was a showoff and sort of mouthy. She was also referred to as a bit dim.
Now, it would be quite understandable if other children disliked her. Children are children and I forgive them for judging their peers. They know each other in a way adults don’t, and have to deal with other children in the way adults don’t. But the adults in this book seem to really dislike her, and seem to think her mother may be slightly overreacting to her death.
There’s no hints that she’ll grow out of it or anything of the sort – as lots of kids do grow out of their most obnoxious traits as they grow up and mature. It’s just a bunch of adults saying stuff like, “Yeah, Joyce the liar, heh, no redeeming qualities, won’t miss her much, I don’t know why her mother is so upset.”
Ok, they didn’t exactly say that, but I got that definite sense reading the story.
I don’t know if this was time Agatha Christie was writing in, where children were not considered to be super special snowflakes and expected to be small adults who were never going to change as they grew up, or if this was done on purpose as some sort of story telling technique/plot device. I just didn’t love it.
I did enjoy visiting with Hercule Poirot again, as I hadn’t read a story of his in quite some time. And I did enjoy his friend, Ariadne Oliver, a mystery writer (who called him in to investigate because, uh, nobody seemed to think it was odd a 13 year old drowned in a bobbing-for-apples tub?). She was the only adult in the story who seemed to be alarmed that a child was murdered and she definitely didn’t like murder outside of her stories. A self-insert by the author, maybe? Another likable character was Miranda, Joyce’s close friend, but she was under utilized.
As with all of Dame Christie’s books, I did enjoy it, it just wasn’t my favorite of her stories. The ending didn’t feel natural, the whole story felt a bit convoluted, and there were some loose ends. Plus, as I mentioned, almost nobody in the book was very likable.
Hallowe’en Party was a short book (a very redeeming quality), and not terrible, but overall, not Agatha’s best.
words in scarlet ink 