My first Gervase Fen book. I intended to start with the first one but I found this book in a second-hand bookshop and just had to buy it! The story isMy first Gervase Fen book. I intended to start with the first one but I found this book in a second-hand bookshop and just had to buy it! The story is set in a theatre, where all kinds of rivalries, jealousies, and fights abound. Adam and Elizabeth are the protagonists and Adam is friends with Fen, so when an obnoxious lead singer is found hanging in his dressing room at the theatre, Fen gets roped into the investigation.
What I found most interesting was the cultural aspect of the story. The opera company is performing Die Meistersinger by Wagner, and the politics of it is strewn about casually throughout the narrative. This book was published in 1947, just two years after the end of the war, so everything German is still suspect. I did not even know that Wagner was banned during war years, because who would even think of such a thing?! He's still banned in Israel due to the belief that he was indirectly responsible for Hitler's racist ideologies.
As for the story, I found that the pace varied throughout the book. A few pages would be extremely interesting and then the next few pages would drag. Fen is a quirky character but I think he has not comfortably slid into his quirkiness. Maybe later books would see him more comfortable. I am not a fan of theatre murders as they have a tendency to "shock" with drugs and debauchery but this one narrowly escaped that stigma.
The plot was interesting but I did not quite grasp the contraption used for the first murder. I am just taking the author's word about it, but that's not helpful for getting a sense of closure for the book. There was nothing specially fun about the murderers but the final twist was interesting and one I could not predict - so, a win for the author. Would definitely read his other books....more
This was a very well-done mystery. When Poirot gets a sudden call from Ariadne Oliver asking him to come down to a country house where she 'feels' somThis was a very well-done mystery. When Poirot gets a sudden call from Ariadne Oliver asking him to come down to a country house where she 'feels' something is wrong. She is assisting with a murder hunt game and invites Poirot over on the pretext of helping her out, but actually to find out what is wrong.
All goes well until the actual day of the event when the supposed murder victim, a girl playing the part of the wife of the Yugoslavian ambassador. However, since she was actually just a local village girl with no enemies, it becomes a puzzle that stumps everyone. The mystery takes a deeper turn when the wife of the local 'lord' goes missing. Poirot steps up and unravels the threads one by one, leading to the only person who could possibly be the culprit, surprising everyone.
The solution was convoluted enough to be extremely interesting. However, I found it to be also a bit unconvincing. Would any of Mrs Folliat's plans have actually worked out in practice? Poirot also comes across as mildly classist and ableist in his admiration for Mrs. Folliat. There is much humour in the book, inevitable with the presence of Mrs Oliver. I enjoyed her appearances as much as I always do, with her hairdos, hats, and apples. After all, if only a woman were to run Scotland Yard ...
The tone of the books are definitely changing now. Since Hickory Dickory Dock, class has taken a backseat, youngsters have more freedom and living in hostels, women are getting educated, and the spectre of communism looms over poor Christie. In this book too, these themes are explored. Dead Man's Folly also emphasises how things had irrevocably changed since the war. Just a couple more books left that I would still classify as 'golden age', though the actual feel of the books remain unchanged. ...more
In this book, Christie goes truly international with Indian and African characters. *gasp* They all live merrily in a student hostel run by Miss LemonIn this book, Christie goes truly international with Indian and African characters. *gasp* They all live merrily in a student hostel run by Miss Lemon's sister, Mrs. Hubbard, until there is a spate of senseless robberies. Poirot is astounded when he sees four mistakes in Miss Lemon's work, unheard of ever before. She confides that she is worried about her sister, which shocks Poirot even more to hear that she has a sister! Good ole Poirot takes up the case to ensure Miss Lemon makes no further mistakes.
But the case proves intriguing on its own, or as Poirot calls it 'a unique and beautiful problem'. He meets the students and gradually a picture emerges. Then there is a murder, another senseless act. And then another murder. It's become more serious.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters. It was rather nice to see young people studying and working instead of just hanging around playing tennis, like in so many other books. The murderer was rather interesting too. Loved the appearance of Miss Lemon, whom I had grown to love in the series. All in all, another great book by Christie....more
Another one of my favourites! I love the David Suchet film as well, and the murderer is brilliantly played by the actor as well.
Richard Abernethie diAnother one of my favourites! I love the David Suchet film as well, and the murderer is brilliantly played by the actor as well.
Richard Abernethie dies, and his sister, Cora Lansquenet makes a wild statement about his being murdered at the funeral. Nobody takes her seriously until Cora herself is violently murdered in her home. Was Richard's death really a murder? Why was Cora murdered? Did she know something and had to be silenced or was her murder really about something else? It's a very interesting story and Christie lays down the red herrings adroitly.
The cast of characters (and of suspects) is quite huge. There are Timothy and Maud Abernethie, Helen Abernethie, Susan and Gregory Banks, Rosamund and Michael Shane, George Crossfield, and Miss Gilchrist. I enjoyed these characters and I especially enjoyed the killer and their shenanigans. It's a treat to get such an ordinary murderer who doesn't want much ... chilling!
There are some major plot points that call for massive suspension of disbelief, but I could and did go along with it. I don't believe it is that easy to impersonate people but the flow of the writing and the story is such that you let it go. And it's enjoyable to have such an unique story. ...more
This is one of Christie's rare works that has well-rounded characters and psychological interplay between the characters. This was also one of my earlThis is one of Christie's rare works that has well-rounded characters and psychological interplay between the characters. This was also one of my earliest Christies and I remember not understanding a lot of it. At the age of eight or nine, I was not familiar with certain concepts and did not quite understand what was happening. But I was attracted to the slow pace and the complicated relationships. As an adult, I find this book brilliant. Also, finally glad to have read how Midge, Edward, and Henrietta ended up because my copy did not have those last couple of pages!
Lucy and Henry Angkatell are having guests over the weekend. Midge, a relatively poor relative who works in a dress shop is going to enjoy herself. She is in love with Edward, who himself is in love with Henrietta. Henrietta is in love with John, who is married to Gerda. The Angkatells have only two neighbours: Veronica Cray, a famous actress and ex-lover of John, and our beloved Hercule Poirot. The stage is set for murder!
Gerda and John Christow are off to spend a weekend with the Angkatells. Their relationship is extremely patriarchal and one-sided. Gerda worships her husband, and John takes her for granted. He also has a mistress in Henrietta Savernake, who is supposedly independent and wonderful but her role in life is to love John and do his bidding. In short, John is a brilliant doctor, and a bit of a jerk but the whole world appears to revolve around him. Until it doesn't.
This might not be to the taste of many Christie fans but she did experiment with a lot of different styles. Some failed but I think this turned out quite well. ...more
Poirot is on holiday again, this time on an island retreat. With him are a number of other vacationers. However, he sees trouble brewing. He is provedPoirot is on holiday again, this time on an island retreat. With him are a number of other vacationers. However, he sees trouble brewing. He is proved right when beautiful and dumb Arlena Stewart is found dead on one of the beaches. The guests staying on the island are immediately suspect. It must be one of them, but who?
I enjoyed this mystery, especially after that dud by Lucy Foley. It's literally the same theme (people stranded on an island and a murder occurs) but how different! Poirot is sure that the solution to the crime lies in the dead woman's character. The characters were fun to interact with, and unlike Poirot, I had no suspicion who the murderer would be.
I found some parts of the solution far-fetched. (view spoiler)[Something as simple as how the murderer would get a Chinese hat in England that is the exact duplicate of the victim's hat was where I was a little sceptical. I also wondered why the accomplice is helping the murderer. (hide spoiler)] But apart from these, the book was a delightful read. ...more
There is furore in French's department store when the body of a woman tumbles out of a window display. The murdered woman turns out to be the wife of There is furore in French's department store when the body of a woman tumbles out of a window display. The murdered woman turns out to be the wife of the owner of the department store, Cyrus French. The police gets called in and Ellery Queen trots along. He quickly deduces that the murderer must be one of the store employees or someone connected with the French family. When a drug angle is discovered, things become clearer.
This was my second Ellery Queen book and so far, I have not warmed to this series. I find the narrative too verbose and repetitive. The French Powder Mystery had a hard time keeping my interest because it just dragged on and on. The writing is clunky and it felt never-ending. The actual mystery plot may have some merit but it gets buried under a sea of redundant words. The ending was too abrupt. There were also too many characters who all merged into one another for me because little time was given to their development or even to their place in the narrative.
I enjoyed the Hitchcock-style intervention of the authors summarising the mystery and inviting the readers to solve it by themselves before going on to the finale. One of the main reasons I finished reading this book was the dated feel of it. I doubt I would have managed to finish this otherwise boring book if it did not have the old-world charm attached to it. Clues about hats, old-style departmental stores, old-fashioned drug rings, etc. are great fun.
I might try another book at some point but so far Ellery Queen has only disappointed....more
In the dying throes of the British Empire, Sarah Parrish is in her last year in India, determined to enjoy herself to the fulVery mild spoilers ahead.
In the dying throes of the British Empire, Sarah Parrish is in her last year in India, determined to enjoy herself to the fullest before she and other Europeans have to leave. She goes on a skiing holiday to Kashmir with a bunch of other people. A woman gets killed on the slopes and it is put down to an accident. However, when Sarah is disturbed in the middle of the night by a strange sound, she gets involved in a bizarre plot that culminates in multiple murders.
The good things first. I loved the descriptions of Kashmir. Reading the book made me feel like I was watching Kashmir ki Kali with murders. It was strangely evocative of a time and place I have never been to, and Kaye's writing is superb in this respect.
The atmosphere was very well done too. The thrill of murders happening all around was engaging and creepy and kept me on my toes. You keep pointing the fingers at everyone in turn and it was intriguing to note that I guessed almost correctly. Just got the wrong spouse!
However, mere descriptions and atmosphere cannot make a book and Death in Kashmir basically lacks a plot. The whole story hinges on some vague master-plot that would destroy the world and the current social order. There is a lot of class apology and musings about how poor people can do well if they were only brilliant too. No such musings about how dumb and rich people do quite well! The big enemy here is communist Russia.
Which basically makes no sense. Since there is no political background given (except for a feeble attempt to throw off responsibility for the Kashmir mess created by the British on to communists), the story just goes round and round without actually moving forward. From beginning to end, there is really no indication what the victims had found out that was so important that could change the world. Even if communist Russia was interested in randomly murdering a few people down in Kashmir, we are never given any reason why these murders needed to be done.
Apart from the extremely shoddy plotting, the story dragged in the middle part for exactly the reasons mentioned above - it was going nowhere. In addition, a tacky romance was added to make the book even more dreary. It was ridiculous how easily Sarah trusts this person, who might very well be the murderer. Sarah herself is rather irritating at times, especially when she was with Charles.
Definitely not a winner, and nowhere near the quality of Death in Kenya, which I really enjoyed....more
Poirot is at his dentist's for a checkup and attributes the strange atmosphere there to his nervousness. It was rather nice to know that the inimitablPoirot is at his dentist's for a checkup and attributes the strange atmosphere there to his nervousness. It was rather nice to know that the inimitable Hercule has his Achilles' heel like the rest of us mere mortals! Later in the day, the dentist shoots himself. Poirot does not believe this version and sets out to discover the truth. When a patient dies, and another goes missing, even Japp is convinced that something shady is going on.
There are a number of suspects including a foreign blackmailer, a respectable sister, a powerful businessman, and a strange missionary woman. I found the plot rather convoluted, with a number of random, meaningless musings thrown in. The most interesting character was Sainsbury-Seale, who, by her very absence, gives a bit of intrigue to the plot.
Alistair Blunt and all the drama surrounding his importance was quite tiresome. I found it a ridiculous assumption that the whole of Britain's economy and political system would collapse if one 'conservative' businessman dies. That's just so ridiculous! Christie simply couldn't make a decent political argument to save her life. I can do a better argument for conservatives than this and I am not even one!
This is not one of Christie's best by large. There were still parts of it that were fun to read but the whole 'big business' thriller spin was wearying to read. The twist in the plot rather saved it from being an utter dud, though!...more
This was quite a tedious read. I have read hundreds of murder mysteries and I especially love golden age mysteries. Rarely do I find them tedious, eveThis was quite a tedious read. I have read hundreds of murder mysteries and I especially love golden age mysteries. Rarely do I find them tedious, even if I rate them low for political reasons. The Draycott Murder Mystery is Molly Thyme's first mystery and second novel. I am not surprised she isn't better known. She is no competition with most other golden age writers.
A young man finds the body of a woman in his farmhouse and is arrested. Everyone around him believes him to be innocent and try to help him. His fiancee, Cynthia, is all out to help him and she enlists the help of Lady and Sir Kean as well as our main detective, Fayre. The doctor appears to be the main suspect. But there are a number of other wooden characters as well.
The dialogue felt endless and people talked and talked and talked forever. There was very little action happening and a whole lot of telling, without any showing. And not even a second murder to liven things up. By all golden age mystery rules, the good doctor Gregg ought to have been murdered at some point!
The whole mystery was quite boring and I was rather surprised how everyone unquestioningly takes it that John Leslie was not the murderer, despite every evidence being against him. It was rather annoying. Other characters were annoying as well. Overall, quite mediocre. I might try another book of the author but not holding any high hopes....more
This is one of the books I remember vividly, probably because they showed the film on TV so many times! But it's always fresh when I read it: intricatThis is one of the books I remember vividly, probably because they showed the film on TV so many times! But it's always fresh when I read it: intricately plotted, well-drawn characters, and a more serious feel to the mystery than the usual Christie. This might very well be one of the unsung favourites for many.
Death on the Nile is set in Egypt (should be obvious, eh?) but all characters are European or American (in other words, white). So don't get into it thinking you'll be reading a nice Egyptian story. Unlike Death Comes as the End, this book is just another British story.
Linnet Ridgeway is friends with Jacqueline de Bellefort, who is in love with Simon Doyle. But Linnet marries Simon and a nice love triangle sets up a nice murder mystery. Linnet and Simon go off to Egypt on their honeymoon and are upset and shocked to find Jacqueline stalking them. But is it just petty revenge or is there something more sinister in the air? Three murders later, Poirot is able to finally discover the culprit.
But while the murders may be the main plot, there are also a couple of sub-plots. Colonel Race is on board on the track of a dangerous anarchist. And there are also jewel thieves on board: another case solved by Poirot. For a single cruise, there seem to be far too many criminals on board. You'd think it got over-crowded, but Christie manages the varying plots with a deft hand. The murders are the focus and the sub-plots remain sub-plots, never going off on to annoying tangents.
I quite enjoyed reading this book, even though I didn't like the ending. Poirot is much too kind with some criminals than with others. It's rather an interesting view into Christie's mind, though!...more
Cards on the Table is another underrated masterpiece of Christie. It's not a novel that you often hear about but the plot here is unusual, and I foundCards on the Table is another underrated masterpiece of Christie. It's not a novel that you often hear about but the plot here is unusual, and I found it quite thrilling too. Poirot is not the only sleuth either. With him are Superintendent Battle (usually seen in standalone mysteries), Colonel Race (seen in minor capacities in other mysteries), and my favourite Ariadne Oliver.
May I mention how much I love Ariadne Oliver? An attempt by Christie to poke fun at herself, Ms. Oliver is an author who writes impossible mysteries solved by a Finn detective. And she loves apples! I love this scatterbrained character so much! Her very presence in a book drives it up by a star for me.
So Mr. Shaitana is a strange man who is rich and well-established in London society. Though no one seems to like him much, they all enjoy his parties and consequently, he was able to indulge his odd fancies. One of which includes a fascination for murderers who got away with it - the best in their field! He invites four murderers and the four sleuths mentioned above for a bridge party. Nine turns out to be an unlucky number for him as at the end of the play, Shaitana is found dead. And there can be only four suspects.
This is a brilliant story because of how narrow the field of suspects is. There could only be four suspects and none of them are cleared beforehand. They are also all dangerous because they have murdered previously. A lot depended on the bridge play, with which I am not acquainted at all, but this was not a deterrent to my enjoying the book. ...more
I can't imagine how Eberhart manages to make murder mysteries soooo boring and then suddenly amp up the tension. In this 200 page book, I only began tI can't imagine how Eberhart manages to make murder mysteries soooo boring and then suddenly amp up the tension. In this 200 page book, I only began to get interested around page 125. That's too little too late for me.
Serena is a job-holding young woman and she decides to go back to her home town in the middle of war. She stays in her sister's home, and meets the old gang, including Jem, her old crush. However, there seems to be something heavy in the air and tragedy is just around the corner. When her brother in law's old aunt dies, nobody suspects anything. But then other deaths happen, and they are all under suspicion.
It's actually a great plot with high potential for a thrilling read. But Eberhart just plods on and on and on with Serena's thoughts and vague 'something is wrong' feelings until I was heartily tired of her and just wanted someone to murder her. Then there was Alice, Serena's sister. She is childish and annoying, and for some reason, everyone seems to go along with her atrocious demands. Jem was annoyingly 'male'. The rest were forgettable. They also all seemed to blend into each other for a long time, so I am sure I missed much of the foreshadowing.
I have read just one other book of Eberhart, and I am not thrilled with either. I have just one more book of hers, so I suppose I would read it at some point, but this author is fast palling on me....more
Knowing that Christie had accompanied her husband, Max Mallowan, to Mesopotamia and had modelled these characters after people she knew there tickled Knowing that Christie had accompanied her husband, Max Mallowan, to Mesopotamia and had modelled these characters after people she knew there tickled me. In fact, the character of Louise Leidner was inspired by the wife of the senior archaeologist in a dig where Mallowan was working. Christie knew here what she was writing about!
When a certain Dr. Leidner hires Nurse Leatheran to look after his wife, she immediately suspects there is something wrong. However, she did not bargain on a murder. When threatening letters turn to actual murder, the dig is interrupted. Lucky for them that Hercule Poirot was travelling! He is consulted and he sets about investigating the business.
This is a tightly knit mystery with a side mystery woven in for good measure. I really enjoyed the whole thing. But it was hard for me to swallow a very significant plot point. The narration was done by Nurse Leatheran, a fresh voice among Christie narrators. This is a pretty good mystery but if you are looking for local colour, Christie doesn't indulge in those. It's all about the British people in this one, lost in their own little world.
There are a couple of references that completely overturned the timeline of these books. Nurse Leatheran talked about how Poirot got mixed up in a murder in the Orient Express train immediately after leaving Baghdad. But The Murder on the Orient Express has already happened. But she is really notorious with her references! Poirot also comes recommended by Van Aldin from The Mystery of the Blue Train. Loved these! ...more
Poirot gets a mysterious letter signed ABC, hinting at some mischief about to take place in a place called Andover. When Alice Ascher is found murderePoirot gets a mysterious letter signed ABC, hinting at some mischief about to take place in a place called Andover. When Alice Ascher is found murdered, Poirot gets on the trail. This is followed by murders of Betty Bernard at Bexhill and Carmichael Clarke at Churston. The killer appears to be on a mission to go till Z. It is up to Poirot to prevent him.
Much is said about Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, citing them as unique. And so they are. Except this one is rather unique too. The idea of portraying a serial killer is interesting, especially taken in the context of Poirot's world and the petty lives of ordinary people. Why does a killer target you? In this case, the answer is rather frightening. In the end, I wondered if he would have kept on with the alphabetic murders if he had not been caught. I enjoyed this book very much.
The characters are interesting and I really enjoyed the interactions between the different people. Inspector Japp takes a backseat and we have the superior Inspector Crome, who looks down on Poirot. Hastings is present after a longish stay away in Argentina. And of course, he would fall for the wrong woman, yet again. Really, the man never learns! Good thing he is safely married off.
I am definitely rating this superlative Christie mystery at 5! ...more
When Ms Mary Gregor of Duchlan Castle is murdered, the whole village is shocked. Who could have killed such a wonderful and kind old woman? Dr. HaileyWhen Ms Mary Gregor of Duchlan Castle is murdered, the whole village is shocked. Who could have killed such a wonderful and kind old woman? Dr. Hailey is consulted immediately, so that he is on the spot from the beginning. There appears to be no clue except a fish scale on the wound. A very typical locked room mystery and the plot was rather intriguing.
The story was written in a rather rambling manner. Though it started off crisply with the murder, the family dynamics just went on and on for pages. I usually actually love family dynamics in a murder mystery but only if it is done right. Here, it pretty much became a melodrama with an old woman trying to hold on to her family position at any cost to the wives of the men in the family. Take any old Indian joint family and you'll pretty much see this shit. Then there are love angles and husband-wife fights. It just went on for too many pages.
I did enjoy the actual investigation scenes, especially with the local inspectors. And the stakes are upped when more bodies begin to fall. I actually began to enjoy the show when that happened. But it also became clearer who committed the murders a while before the resolving. The clue was pretty clear to me.
Nevertheless, I am glad to have read Anthony Wynne, one of the golden age authors. Maybe his other stories would be less melodramatic. I definitely intend to check them out....more
Mr Satterthwaite, Sir Charles Cartwright, Egg Gore, and Hercules Poirot team up to solve a baffling murder. At Sir Charles' dinner party a seemingly hMr Satterthwaite, Sir Charles Cartwright, Egg Gore, and Hercules Poirot team up to solve a baffling murder. At Sir Charles' dinner party a seemingly harmless vicar dies. Everyone (including Poirot) dismisses it as a medical issue at the time. But when their friend Dr Bartholomew Strange dies in a similar fashion at a similar party, the story really begins. Who could possibly have murdered Strange? An even more impossible question was who could possibly have murdered the vicar?
I must say I loved the story itself. The idea was brilliant and the motive was genuinely unique. There was also a fun element which revealed itself at the very end. But for all this, Three Act Tragedy was a bit of a washout for me. The first half of the book is unbearably slow and I really disliked all three key characters mentioned above. Poirot only re-enters the scene midway through the book and at this stage, it does pick up.
I disliked Charles Cartwright. For some reason, I was annoyed every single time he posed or playacted. And since that was the quirk assigned to his character and he was a key char, I was quickly bored. I disliked the fact that a young girl like Egg would love an old man like him. I disliked her name was Egg. I disliked their relationship. I am also not a fan of Satterthwaite, who doesn't seem to have much character, but at least I didn't hate him. It wasn't even that I disliked these people (which I did) but I found them boring. Worse!
At any rate, I did begin to enjoy the story once Poirot made an appearance, so I guess that's something. Probably wouldn't choose to read this book again. ...more
Myra is in love with Richard but realises there can't be anything between them. Richard is already committed, married to a woman serving life in prisoMyra is in love with Richard but realises there can't be anything between them. Richard is already committed, married to a woman serving life in prison for murder. What nobody expected was that Alice would be pardoned when the main witness against her admits to perjury. But the murder was still committed and there is still a murderer around. Myra could only hope that all their lives wouldn't be ruined before he or she is caught.
Mignon Eberhart has written around six murder mysteries as well as romances. Another Woman's House has a heavy dose of romance in the first half before the suspense takes over. This involves Myra ruminating endlessly about her love and her prospects and repeating herself. This got boring as she waffled on endlessly and she and Richard went round and round. I didn't really care about these two. I wanted to get to the meat of the story - the murder - or murderer!
I sort of guessed the murderer quite early in the story. The only suspense remained as to who would be next and why was the murder committed. The suspense built up gradually and the book became more enjoyable. The characters were thin and the motivations didn't always make sense, but I don't really care about that. What did disappoint me was the thin motivation for the murder. The background to the murder was also not properly laid out.
But all this is not to say this book is bad. It's quite a mindless romp, which is what golden age mysteries should be! I am definitely reading more Eberhart!...more
I was reading Murder on the Orient Express just before a train journey. I got into a rickety old train from Paris to go to a rickety old town called SI was reading Murder on the Orient Express just before a train journey. I got into a rickety old train from Paris to go to a rickety old town called Sarreguemines in the dead of winter. Blithely, I got into the train and guess what, it stopped midway because of heavy snow. The lights went out and the friendly man sitting next to me suddenly became sinister. I still remember thinking about the damn story throughout the journey. That was almost a decade ago but remains my most uncomfortable train journey till date, despite me having travelled from Gwalior to Agra in India in the general compartment - all thanks to this book!
One of Christie's masterpieces, Murder on the Orient Express is also one of her most famous works. It is also the book most adapted to TV and radio over the years. Poirot gets into the Orient Express at Istanbul. It is unusually crowded for the time of the year but it soon becomes apparent why. A rich American is stabbed in cold blood, and the attendant doctor could make no sense of it as the blows appear to be done by different people. This intrigues Poirot and he takes over the case.
The story is inspired by the famous Charles Lindbergh kidnapping and murder case in the US. Christie did often look to America for inspiration. In this case, it was wonderfully justified. The unusual solution and Poirot's reactions are also quite unique for this book. This might not be my favourite Christie, but for it's unique setting and solution, it can't be beaten. ...more
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