I greatly enjoyed Shady Hollow - it was exactly what I needed to escape the real world for an afternoon. Our heroine, a delightful investigative reporI greatly enjoyed Shady Hollow - it was exactly what I needed to escape the real world for an afternoon. Our heroine, a delightful investigative reporter fox, and her best friend, a whip smart raven who owns a bookstore, are probably two of my new all time favorite characters!...more
As this is my third Agatha Christie, and also the third detective/series I’ve sampled, I’ve come to the conclusion that my enjoyment of her work is noAs this is my third Agatha Christie, and also the third detective/series I’ve sampled, I’ve come to the conclusion that my enjoyment of her work is not just a fluke as exemplified by my delight in Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None. Now I just need a Tommy & Tuppence book and I’ll have read one of each of her series and a stand alone. Though I’ve been greatly struggling with The Secret Adversary so we’ll have to see if I’m a fan of the T&T series as well.
The Body in the Library follows a similar structure to Orient Express in that the crime is committed before the book even starts (as opposed to None) and the book is spent trying to solve the crime. Miss Marple is lovely and funny and charming, as are her friends who often enlist her help to solve crimes, as Mrs. Bantry does in The Body in the Library. As a character, despite not actually getting too much “page time,” readers get a sense of who she is and what she values.
Christie’s plot and pacing are masterful as ever, the twists abound, and while you may think you’ve solved the mystery as quickly as Miss Marple, I promise you there is always still one more twist lurking in the shadows that you probably missed. I recommend The Body in the Library just as highly as Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None....more
My husband’s aunt has every Agatha Christie book ever written, and most of her later works are first editions. Every time we have gone to visit her ovMy husband’s aunt has every Agatha Christie book ever written, and most of her later works are first editions. Every time we have gone to visit her over Christmas, I marvel at her beautiful built-in bookshelves full of Christie hardcovers. Last summer, when my book club decided to read mysteries all summer, we knew we had to include a classic Christie and chose Murder on the Orient Express. I enjoyed it so much, that I looked for more of her books to read and enjoy.
And Then There Were None is my new favorite (granted, favorite of 2) Agatha Christie mysteries. The woman is the queen of crime for a reason – her mysteries are complex without being confusing, and it is great fun to attempt to solve the mystery as it is unfolding. Unlike Orient Express, which deals mostly with Detective Poirot interviewing suspects after a murder, in There Were None, the crime is being committed over the course of the book and the characters must take up the mantle of amateur sleuths as they are being killed one by one while trapped on an island a mile off the English coast.
I love that Christie provides so many clues and insights into what is going on, but still leaves a person guessing as to which of the 10 guests is not really a guest – it’s a great example of a “locked room” mystery and one that I highly recommend! Hopefully in the near future I’ll have a chance to watch the BBC adaptation and be able to compare it to the book....more
When deciding on books for the Modern Readers Book Club this summer, we decided to go on a magical mystery tour, and you can’t have a mystery tour witWhen deciding on books for the Modern Readers Book Club this summer, we decided to go on a magical mystery tour, and you can’t have a mystery tour without including the bestselling mystery writer of all time (seriously, it’s a fact), Agatha Christie! For years I wondered why Agatha Christie had such an appeal, until my future father-in-law gave my fiance and I tickets to see the stage production, The Mousetrap, in Philadelphia one weekend. And I now know why she is the queen of mystery writing. Her plot and pacing are exquisite - it is easy enough to follow along, the writing in her books and the dialogue in the play made you feel like you were in the hotel/on the train with the inspector as they attempt to solve the mystery. Christie reveals enough details and suspicions that the reader can attempt to solve them mystery themselves, but she also allows for enough wiggle room for you to eventually be surprised by the final twist without feeling completely blindsided. While I have not been a mystery reader for a terribly long time (this could probably be considered my first true mystery novel, save for a Patterson novel I read shortly after college), I have quickly come to appreciate the differences in storytelling required for a good mystery versus a good novel. Suspense is key, but in moderation. If the crime is committed at the start, then there should be enough background build up for each character that it doesn’t feel procedural. If crimes are continuing to be committed, it should feel like at least one character’s life is still under threat. After reading Murder on the Orient Express, I immediately went out and purchased more Agatha Christie books - they make for a delightful, quick, beach or summer read and I have enjoyed myself immensely....more
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