A dozen new stories about Miss Jane Marple written by some of the leading mystery writers of today. We follow her from the familiar places of St. MaryA dozen new stories about Miss Jane Marple written by some of the leading mystery writers of today. We follow her from the familiar places of St. Mary Mead (Gossington Hall and the vicarage) to London and to New York City and a cruise to Hong Kong. Everywhere she goes there's sure to be hints of murder. I've mentioned before that short story collections tend to be a mixed bag--and this one is no different. Nearly all of the stories get the tone and feel of the Christie mysteries right, but not all are able to achieve Christie's way of hiding clues in plain sight. One of the authors just plain hides the clues--there's no way the reader will know exactly what Miss Marple saw and all about the relationship between two of the characters--two characters who are barely mentioned. And I'm not sold on the ending of the last story. However, it is an entertaining collection and well worth a look even if every story isn't up to Christie's standard. My favorites are "The Unravelling" by Natalie Haynes, "Miss Marple's Christmas" by Ruth Ware, "The Open Mind" by Naomi Alderman, and "The Mystery of the Acid Soil" by Kate Mosse. "The Jade Empress" by Jean Kwok comes close to the top tier. ★★★ and 1/4.
The story opens in court. Elinor Carlisle is on trial for her life--accused of poisoning one Mary Gerrard with morphine in fish past sandwiches. (FishThe story opens in court. Elinor Carlisle is on trial for her life--accused of poisoning one Mary Gerrard with morphine in fish past sandwiches. (Fish paste sounds rather poisonous to me all by itself....) From this opening scene at the trial, we switch gears to the backstory. We see Elinor and her "cousin" Rodney (her aunt's husband's nephew) discussing an anonymous letter just received by Elinor. It warns her that "someone" is worming their way into her Aunt Laura's affections and might do her and Rodney out of their expected inheritance. The only person this note could refer to is Mary Gerrard, the daughter of the lodgekeeper on Laura Wellman's estate. Mary has made herself useful around the house and kept Aunt Laura company in the woman's recent illness. Aunt Laura has become fond of the girl and given her educational advantages above her station. She also speaks of making sure the girl has a chance to set herself up in a respectable profession.
Elinor and Rodney have planned to marry and they've always expected to live well--eventually--because Aunt Laura has always given them to understand that they would benefit under her will. They aren't anxious for Aunt Laura's will to be enforced, but they do want to be sure of their standing. So they make a trip to Hunterbury Hall to see what's what. While there, Aunt Laura suffers a second stroke (the first being the cause of her illness) and tries to communicate that she wants her lawyer. Elinor and Dr. Peter Lord (Aunt Laura's doctor) assure her that they'll have the lawyer in as soon as possible in the morning, but Aunt Laura doesn't make it through the night. Elinor and Rodney are shocked to find that Aunt Laura never made a will at all...leaving Elinor, as the nearest blood relation, as the sole heir.
Other matters are afoot, however. When Rodney sees Mary Gerrard for the first time after many years, he is struck all of a heap and falls head over heels in love. Mary won't stand still for him to address his affections to her--after all he's supposed to be engaged to Miss Elinor! Elinor sees how things are and breaks off the engagement, but she also arranges to fulfill her aunt's intentions and settles money upon Mary. And then...while clearing up her aunt's things and preparing to sell the house, Elinor, Nurse Hopkins (on duty during her aunt's illness and still hanging about), and Mary share a picnic meal of fish paste sandwiches and tea and Mary dies. Bringing us back where we started...
Peter Lord has done his share of being struck all of heap and has fallen for Elinor. He's determined to see her walk free from court and asks Hercule Poirot to investigate. Poirot doesn't, at first, see much room for investigation. The case seems to be pretty clear and there doesn't seem to be anyone else with a hint of a motive. But as the detective begins interviewing people and they start telling him lies, he begins to see possibilities. He digs up evidence and is ready to provide dramatic witnesses in the final days of court...but just which way will the finger of guilt point?
It's been a very long time since I read this one. In fact, I'm pretty sure this is only the second time since I first discovered Christie about forty years ago. This time around, I was getting Strong Poison vibes with the courtroom bits. We open with the courtroom scene and Elinor Carlisle on trial for her life. A man named Peter is in love with her, desperate to see her cleared, and wants to dig up evidence to save his lady. Of course, Dr. Peter Lord is no Lord Peter Wimsey and doesn't have amateur detective stamped all over him, so he does the next best thing to solving the mystery himself, he convinces Hercule Poirot to investigate.
A slightly convoluted plot, but Christie is very good about planting the clues right there in front of you and then distracting you from them. And I thought she did a very good job with the characterization in this one. Very nice sketches of every important character and we get a good sense of who they are and how they behave. 3.5 stars rounded up here
And so I've had my almost annual visit to Indian/Soldier Island. Various challenges have resulted in my reading and/or listening to this about every oAnd so I've had my almost annual visit to Indian/Soldier Island. Various challenges have resulted in my reading and/or listening to this about every other year. This year's reading results from the Agatha Christie challenge--where I am reading her work in order of publication. I'm up to 1939 now. And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians) is one of my all-time favorite Agatha Christie novels. Even though I've read it many times, I still get nearly the same pleasure from it each time I reread it--or re-listen to it. Of course, the pleasure would be complete if I could conveniently forget the solution--but the story is told so well that I don't mind knowing ahead of time what will happen. It was great fun to sit down and listen to Hugh Fraser read the story to me. He does the voices of all the characters very well and makes everything seem very fresh. ★★★★★--every time....more
"The Incredible Theft" is a short story by Agatha Christie which was originally published under the name "The Submarine Plans" and, for reasons not qu"The Incredible Theft" is a short story by Agatha Christie which was originally published under the name "The Submarine Plans" and, for reasons not quite clear to me, listed as a separate entry on the Agatha Christie perpetual challenge I am participating in. This particular version of the story involves Lord Mayfair, the Minister for Armaments, (Lord Alloway in the original) and a set of top secret plans for a new type of bomber plane. As the previous title indicates, this has changed from plans for a new submarine. Mayfair deliberately invites a woman who is suspected of dealing with foreign powers to his home when the plans will be on the spot. He tells his old friend Sir George Carrington (a navy man and Air Marshal) that he's done this to try and catch the woman red-handed--there's all these suspicions, but never any proof. He hopes the idea of a big coup will flush her into the open and cause her to make mistakes. But then...the plans are practically stolen from under his nose and apparently no one could have done it. Sir George suggests they call in Hercule Poirot to discreetly get to the bottom of it.
A nifty little mystery that stands alone quite well (though, again, I'm not sure exactly why it does...). Poirot is not quite as pompous and full of his own powers as is sometimes the case and he even deigns to search for footprints in the wet grass surrounding the study where the plans had been kept. The solution is fairly straightforward, but short stories tend to be a little more so than the longer novels. A fun entry in the challenge line-up. ★★★ and 1/2.
Nurse Amy Leatheran is sent look after the wife of a prominent archaeologist on a dig in Iraq. Ostensibly, she is there because Louise Leidner is run-Nurse Amy Leatheran is sent look after the wife of a prominent archaeologist on a dig in Iraq. Ostensibly, she is there because Louise Leidner is run-down and nervy. But she finds that her charge is scared for her life. Over a period of years, Louise has received threatening letters from a husband she thought was dead. Each time she became close to a man, a new letter would arrive--threating her with death if she ever became the wife of anyone besides Frederick Bosner. When she fell in love with Dr. Leidner and decided to marry him, no letter arrived and she thought that either Bosner had truly died...or, if it was a nasty practical joke, that the practical joker had tired of their game. But then another arrives saying that she has disobeyed and that now she must die.
The Leidners escape to the Middle East and again everything is quiet on the letter front for a good while. Now, however, the campaign has begun again and the most recent letter was hand delivered. There have also been mysterious faces and strange tapping sounds at Louise's window and she is sure that Bosner has arrived in Iraq. When Nurse Leatheran sees the letters, she think (as she realizes Dr. Leidner does) that, for whatever reason, Louise has sent the letters to herself because the handwriting looks very like a more cramped version of the woman's own. Whether it's because a very real fear has turned her brain or because the woman is bored and needs to dramatize herself, Nurse Leatheran isn't sure.
Both Dr. Leidner and Nurse Leatheran are prove wrong though when one afternoon Louise goes to her room for a nap and winds up bludgeoned to death. The difficulty is no stranger entered the archaeologist's compound during the relevant time and there is a mere ten minute window when the killer would have been able to get to her room without passing someone in the main area. Louise's room has one door and the windows were shut--and have bars which would have prevented entry in any case. it is a definite puzzle for the local police. Fortunately, Hercule Poirot is passing through the area on his way home from Syria and it isn't long before the famous detective solve the crime (with assistance from our medical narrator).
I primarily listened to this through our library's connection with Hoopla (though I do own hard copies of it) so I could "read" this while I worked and Anna Massey does a fine job with the narration. It had been a very long time since I first read this (back in the 1980s) although I have more recently watched the filmed version with David Suchet. I couldn't remember how closely the Suchet episode followed the book (and now I think I need to re-watch because with my sieve-like memory I still don't know...).
While I think the explanation of the first murder is a little bit extraordinary and the ultimate identity of the culprit is somewhat unbelievable--for reasons that can't be explained without spoiling*, the book overall is quite entertaining. The setting is good and I quite enjoyed Nurse Leatheran as our narrator. Since she is a complete outsider, we are encouraged to trust her observations, much as we would Hastings, and it was interesting to get a feminine perspective on the investigations of Poirot. Of course, it would have been even more interesting if she had turned out to be one of the Bosners in drag (as Poirot suggests as a possibility at one point)...but having a narrator turn out to be the culprit is a trick one should probably only use once and Christie had already pulled that one out of her bag of tricks.
Christie fooled me for a good while and I had my sights set on the wrong culprit...until the last really big clue. What tripped me up was the real motive, but I don't blame myself for that. Since the ultimate identity is somewhat unbelievable for spoilerish reasons--and I would not have dreamed of the spoilerish reason--it's not a surprise that I didn't spot the real motive. ★★★ and 1/2. [rounded up here]
*If you really must know: (view spoiler)[ I find it difficult to believe that Louise could have remarried her first husband (under the name of Leidner) without realizing what she had done. I don't see how he could have changed that much that she wouldn't at least feel like there was something familiar about him. (hide spoiler)]
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks....more
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him... (Revelation 6:8)
I apparently first read tAnd I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him... (Revelation 6:8)
I apparently first read this in 2014--at least that's what my reading log told me, though I had a hard time believing it. Since then, I acquired the audio CD version with Hugh Fraser reading it to me. And I have to say, this is one of the rare times that I didn't enjoy Fraser reading to me just as much as when I read it for myself. Perhaps I was just not in the mood to be read to. But I'm not going to deduct star value since Fraser is usually good. I gave the book four stars when I read it for myself and we'll stick with that.
Christie's only novel in which Ariadne Oliver makes an appearance without Hercule Poirot is a twist on the plot device used by Philip MacDonald in The List of Adrian Messenger two years previously. The story begins with Father Gorman, a Catholic priest called to the deathbed of a woman apparently dying of flu. She tells him that there is "Wickedness...such wickedness...Stopped...It must be stopped...You will..." And the priest assures her that he will do what is necessary. But before he can do anything about what he has heard, he is murdered on his way home. The police find a list of names in his shoe--a list of names of people who seem to have nothing in common. Except when historian Mark Easterbrook is brought into the investigation through the passing of his godmother (whose name, incidentally, appears on the list), he discovers that the names do have something in common....death.
Christie also dabbles in a bit of apparent black magic in this one. The Pale Horse of the title is an old inn, now inhabited by three women who have a reputation for witchcraft. Seances and secret rituals involving white cocks and modern death rays are rumored to occur. Easterbrook, being a modern man, scoffs at the idea of voo-doo or death-wishes, but as each name on the list winds up dead he begins to wonder if there isn't really such a thing as murder by remote control....
This is one of the better Christie stand-alone novels. There is a fine sense of atmosphere from the coffee shops of Chelsea to the country village and mystic Pale Horse. She does her usual excellent job of misdirection--making me completely misidentify the culprit. I should have know better, I really should have--but like Mark Easterbrook I was thoroughly taken in. Mrs. Oliver makes cameo appearances, adding just the right amount of her general dottiness...and helping Easterbrook spot the method of murder even if he does make a mistake in fingering the villain. The romance is also a nice touch--given enough limelight to make events believable, but not too much attention to distract from the business of tracking down the murder. Good classic Christie fun.
The Listerdale Mystery (1934) by Agatha Christie is a collection of twelve short stories--none of which feature Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, or any ofThe Listerdale Mystery (1934) by Agatha Christie is a collection of twelve short stories--none of which feature Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, or any of her other repeated characters. They include stories of mistaken identity (mostly on purpose), stolen jewels, exploits on trains, mysterious butlers, missing lords, and fake policemen. Quite a number are fairly unbelievable adventure stories ending with rapid romance. There are a few murders thrown in for interest and some of the stories remind me most of the Harley Quin style of plot. Entertaining enough for an afternoon or two of listening (I listened to the audio version read by Hugh Fraser), but most are not Dame Agatha's best work. My favorites are "Philomel Cottage," "Accident," "Jane in Search of a Job," and "Swan Song."
I am currently trying to reread all of Agatha Christie's detective fiction in order of publication--something I have never done and have long wanted tI am currently trying to reread all of Agatha Christie's detective fiction in order of publication--something I have never done and have long wanted to try. When I first discovered her mysteries, I simply read them as I found them and didn't really pay attention to when they had been published. Some of her work I have read once and then never returned to--whether because I didn't like the particular plot as well or because I initially read it from the library and just hadn't added it to my personal collection. Others, such as this one, I have read and enjoyed many times. Some of these novels I can reread and her tricks still work on me if it has been long enough since the previous read--my memory gets more sieve-like as the years go by. Some are what I consider the "big" novels--where the solution is such that I would need to suffer from complete reading amnesia to be fooled again. This is one of the latter.
I last read this (under the Orient Express title) in 2015 and reviewed it in full at that time. For a much more in-depth look at my thoughts on the plot as well as on various formats (I had a regular train murder party--I read the book, listened to an audio version, and watched two filmed versions), please see review of another edition HERE. This year's reading was pure indulgence. I didn't think deep thoughts about the plot or examine Christie's methods of clueing or look at all the subtle hints that were oh-so-obvious this time around (and think why on earth didn't I catch that when I read it the first time?). I just enjoyed watching Poirot do his thing and let his little grey cells do the work. I also had a running film going in my head with Suchet as Poirot (but not being so overly intense in his whole weighing of the guilt and justice thing as happens in his filmed version) and with the rest of the cast of characters as played in the 1974 movie. ★★★★★ every time I read it.
As I mentioned when I reviewed Murder, She Said (the quote book devoted to the sayings and wisdom of Miss Jane Marple), I have a weakness for quotatioAs I mentioned when I reviewed Murder, She Said (the quote book devoted to the sayings and wisdom of Miss Jane Marple), I have a weakness for quotations. I'm always on the look-out for a nifty turn of the phrase, a profound thought, or even a humorous jest to add to the collection of quotes that I've amassed over the years. And, loving mysteries the way I do, I particularly enjoy finding good quotes in my detective fiction. So, when the books of quotations featuring Agatha Christie's two most famous sleuths came out, I naturally had to add the volumes to my small library of quote books.
It is a small book, but I spent a very pleasant hour reading Poirot's thoughts on everything from himself (oh, what modesty!) to Hastings, from Human Nature to Truth and Lies, and from Romance to Detective Work. It was nice to see quotations from the short stories as well as novels and the book gives us a well-rounded sample of snippets from the great detective.
Jordan Bingham is in need of a job--she owes money on grad school loans and on a credit card that a good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend maxed out before sheJordan Bingham is in need of a job--she owes money on grad school loans and on a credit card that a good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend maxed out before she knew what was happening. She'd like a job that fits with her interests, but who wants a literary woman with a specialty in languages? Vera Van Alst--the most hated woman in Harrison Falls...that's who.
Vera is a rabid book/manuscript collector and she has advertised for an assistant to help her track down a rumored long-lost play by Agatha Christie. A play that's never been produced or published and supposedly written while Dame Agatha went missing for eleven days in 1926. Vera had an assistant, but he, most annoyingly, got run over by a subway before he could track the manuscript down. Jordan is desperate for a job and decides that she'll try and run the gauntlet of Vera's irritable ways. Because, other than her employer's personality, everything seems perfect--getting paid to do research? Awesome. Hobnobbing with rare books people? Cool. Living in a fantastic little attic apartment? Sweet. Finding out your predecessor was probably murdered? Now wait a minute....Before she knows it, Jordan isn't just looking for the missing Christie. She's also trying to figure out who killed Alexander Fine before whoever they are decides Jordan Bingham needs bumping off as well.
The Christie Curse is definitely a cozy mystery. The only death takes place off-stage (well before we come along) and the attempted second is very light on violence. We also have the amateur sleuth getting herself into trouble with both the bad guys and the police while she tries to make sense of the clues left for her. The plot is a little murky at times (I'm wondering just how X got involved in the first place, for one), but this type of mystery isn't meant to be intricate and in need of high-voltage brain power. It's just a lot of fun to read.
Jordan is a very likable protagonist--I immediately had a fondness for her from my work with graduate students in real life. And I loved the way she handled her difficult employer. Their interactions made for for some highly enjoyable moments, as did her life with her disreputable uncles. Overall, a fun, light mystery with an interesting tie-in for Christie fans. The next one has connections to Dorothy L. Sayers and I'll be interested to see how that plays out. ★★★ and a half. [rounded up here]
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks....more
I've mentioned before how difficult it is for me to review audio novels. I tend to just sink back and listen rather than pay attention to details and I've mentioned before how difficult it is for me to review audio novels. I tend to just sink back and listen rather than pay attention to details and take notes for review comments. My latest session with Hercule Poirot in The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie (1936) is no different. It doesn't even help that I've read the novel before--because that was long ago when I was first discovering Christie. For the most part, I enjoyed this BBC production of the novel--although I have to admit, after watching David Suchet play Poirot and listening to several audio novels with him as the reader, I have been spoiled and I can't say that John Moffatt fulfills my ideal of Poirot's voice and intonation. It was nice to hear Philip Jackson's familiar voice as Inspector Japp The plot itself is quite good--even when one knows (as I do) the solution. It is still very interesting to listen to Christie work her magic and hear Poirot explain how he gets into the mind of the killer to discover who s/he is.
Just a small overview of the plot--for those who have yet to read this mystery classic or for those who need a refresher. Hercule Poirot receives a taunting letter challenging him to discover the identity of a killer before he or she strikes. The great detective is told to direct his attention to Andover--but Mrs. Ascher, a tobacco shop owner, is killed in her shop with an ABC Railway guide left on the counter before Poirot can even reach the town. Betty Barnard is next to die in Bexhill and then Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston. It looks like England has a serial killer on its hands. Will Poirot be able to use his "little grey cells" to outwit the murderer before he can work his way through the rest of the alphabet?
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks....more
Sir Oswald and Lady Coote had rented Chimneys with the idea of enjoying country estate living. In their last days at the secluded country house, they Sir Oswald and Lady Coote had rented Chimneys with the idea of enjoying country estate living. In their last days at the secluded country house, they did what all country house owners do--they hosted a country house party. It was all going so well--lively young people all over the place. But then the young people decide to play a great joke on Gerry Wade. Gerry had proven himself to be a champion sleeper--rising for "breakfast" in time for luncheon. So, his friends decide that it would be great fun to go out and buy an alarm clock each (and a few more for good measure) and line them all up under Gerry's bed after he'd gone to sleep. Eight alarm clocks, all set at incremental intervals are put in place and the group eagerly await the moment when Gerry will shoot out of his bed like a rocket after hearing the noise.
Only...he doesn't. Because during the night he had a lethal dose of chloral hydrate. The inquest brings in a verdict of "death by misadventure" but Gerry's sister doesn't really believe it. After all--she'd never known her "champion sleeper" of a brother to need a sleeping draught.
When Lady Eileen Brent, "Bundle" to her friends, and her father come home to Chimneys after a trip to the Continent, she finds an unfinished letter from Gerry Wade to his sister in her desk drawer. She's heard all about the unfortunate death and believes that it just might need a bit of looking into. As she's rushing into town to consult a friend, she (as she thinks) runs over a man and kills him. But when the doctor examines the body he finds that the car didn't touch him and the man was actually shot. The man's dying words had been "Seven Dials...tell....Tell...Jimmy Thesinger." Now Bundle is sure something must be done. She teams up with Jimmy Thesinger (friend of Gerry Wade and the dead man, Ronny Devereaux) and Gerry's sister Loraine and the three set out to find the Seven Dials and get to the bottom the mystery.
Bundle also consults Superintendent Battle, whom she met previously in the incidents related in The Secret of Chimneys. After due consideration of the letter written by Wade, she is convinced that he (as a member of the Foreign Office) had run across a secret society and was killed for his pains. She wants the superintendent to give her the names of all the secret societies in the Seven Dials. He complies, but tries (unsuccessfully) to warn her off. The secret society is found, some secret plans are nearly stolen, and much mayhem ensues before the secret of the Seven Dials is finally revealed.
(view spoiler)[This semi-sequel to The Secret of Chimneys is a bit of a toss-up for me. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the light-hearted, near-Wodehousian atmosphere of the country house party and their build-up to the alarm clock hi-jinks. The characters are quite good fun. And if I had kept that tone in mind throughout the book, I might not have a rating dilemma on my hands. But Bundle gets downright serious about her search for the secret society and when she found it, I was all for getting down to mystery business and capturing the evil mastermind behind it all. Except...that's not what we've got. The secret society is really on the side of the angels and the culprit is....someone I didn't expect. (hide spoiler)]
I suppose I should hand it to Dame Agatha for pulling the wool over my eyes on this reading, especially since I read this once back in the mists of time. I believe I enjoyed twisty ending much more that first time round. After a bit of thought: ★★★ for this reading. Good solid fun and high-spirited adventure.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting portions of review. Thanks....more
I reread my own paper copy of this novel about two years ago (review at title link). At that time I also viewed the David Suchet version of the story.I reread my own paper copy of this novel about two years ago (review at title link). At that time I also viewed the David Suchet version of the story. I won't rehash the plot here or reference my previous review--other than to say: Of these three recent experiences of Christie's excursion into the evil masterminds/thriller genre, I much prefer this audio version with Hugh Fraser narrating. Fraser does a terrific job managing all the different voices and accents--from Poirot's French to Russian and Chinese tones. The one misstep comes when Poirot meets with the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister of France, Monsieur Desjardeux. Desjardeux is outraged when Poirot names the French member of the Big Four and Fraser's efforts to differentiate Desjardeux's voice from Poirot's results in the Prime Minister's tones venturing towards those of his Chinese characters. But that is only momentary and the performance overall is outstanding. And somehow the idea of a nefarious gang of super-criminals doesn't seem quite so fantastic when Captain Hastings himself is telling the tale. So--for the audio version, I'm bumping the rating back to the ★★★ and 1/2 that I gave the story when my much younger self first read it (long, long before blogging).
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