#100YearsofChristie: Remembering my Favorite Christie Books Today
- Kaveri
- Sep 15, 2020
- 9 min read
The day's a Tuesday, the date reads 15th September and for those who don't know, today marks the 130th birth anniversary of the Queen of Mystery and one of my favorite authors, Agatha Christie. As someone who grew up trying to crack her ingenious mysteries before her detectives did (my successes were few and far between) today's a special day. Come and join me as I tread down the memory lane, looking at my favorite Christie books and drown in nostalgia.
1. And Then There Were None
My Rating: 5/5★
Blurb:
First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. They each find a framed rhyme in their room but don't make much of it. When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion.
This is arguably one of the best works of Christie. Her brilliance shines through in this story with its unique, one-of-a-kind plot. The setting is perfect, with it being cut off from the mainland and sticking to the "Lord of the Flies" theme. The characters are brewed with just the right level of cunning and craftiness; even the seemingly innocent ones seem suspicious. As the story pans out, the thrill kicks right in and the suspense slowly builds to an unbearable pressure. This is one of her cleverest works as well: the story seems tall yet has the most plausible, convincing explanation that is full of logic. Christie herself mentions how hard it was to craft this and how pleased she was with the final product. This has to be my personal favorite as well, just beating Murder of Roger Ackroyd to the place.
2. Murder of Roger Ackroyd
My Rating: 5/5★
Blurb:
The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. First, the attractive widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling, complex case involving blackmail, suicide, and violent death, a cast that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his fabled career.
This book has Christie employing a different channel to her creative genius, by crafting a seemingly commonplace murder mystery with the general domestic setting and the household members being suspected with a twist to blow away the mind of the reader. The end will make you judge everything about your detecting abilities and prove once for all why Poirot has the goods. The sting in the tail will open your eyes to a realm of possibilities left unexplored by your mind and make you get some trust issues (with respect to reading that is.) Trust me when I say, nothing will prepare you for the twist that is to come.
3. The Murder on the Orient Express
My Ratings: 5/5★
Blurb:
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.
This is another masterpiece by Christie (I'm running out of words!) making an extraordinary murder in the setting of a luxury train. With the first class coach isolated from the rest of the train and the snowstorm trapping the suspects together in the scene of the murder, it forms a very interesting and compelling read. The characters make us don our detecting caps on and gives a juicy mystery for the grey cells. The characters all seem shifty and suspicious, raising the stakes a bit more. The end took me by surprise and had me rethink at the way I look at solving mysteries.
4. The Mysterious Affairs At Styles
My Ratings: 4.75/5★
Blurb:
A refugee of the Great War, Poirot is settling in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactress, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim’s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village.
All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that earned Agatha Christie her well-deserved reputation as the Queen of mystery.
This is Christie's debut novel and the one that introduces the beloved detective Hercule Poirot to the masses. The premise is something common- the murder in a house with the usual inhabitants under suspicion. But the way she weaves the tale shows her writing prowess as it makes us get involved in the action and suspect everyone and their aunt. The end twist is a neat little thing, simple on surface yet staggering on its execution. This was one of her works that made me really get into reading more of her works.
5. Murder at the Vicarage
My Ratings: 4.75/5★
Blurb:
‘Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,’ declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, ‘would be doing the world at large a favour!’ It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later – when the colonel was found shot dead in the clergyman’s study. But as Miss Marple soon discovers, the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe.
This is the first novel that features one of my favorite sleuths, Miss.Marple. I must admit, I like her better than Poirot, her style might seem less grand but to me her deducing prowess is extremely admirable. People don't prefer her as her stories "seem to have less action" but to me that is one of the many reasons why she shines: she makes amazing deductions just by refering to 'the microscopic slide' that is her seemingly idyllic village. This is the book that introduced me to her as well, if my memory serves me right, so it has a special place in my heart. Re-reading this every time feels like coming back home; although a weird feel to have for a murder mystery, this serves as a testament to the book. The characters are interesting and the story line is engrossing. Read this book to have your mind changed about how villages aren't as idyllic and dull as perceived(Looking at you, Raymond West!)
6. Five Little Pigs
My Ratings: 4.75/5★
Blurb:
It was an open and shut case. All the evidence said Caroline Crale poisoned her philandering husband, a brilliant painter. She was quickly and easily convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Now, sixteen years later, in a posthumous letter, Mrs. Crale has assured her grown daughter that she was innocent. But instead of setting the young woman's mind at ease, the letter only raises disquieting questions. Did Caroline indeed write the truth? And if she didn't kill her husband, who did?
To find out, the Crale’s daughter asks Hercule Poirot to reopen the case. His investigation takes him deep into the conflicting memories and motivations of the five other people who were with the Crales on the fatal day. With his keen understanding of human psychology, he manages to discover the surprising truth behind the artist's death.
This is one of the earliest Christies I read that stood out to me and begged me to read every work this author has ever penned. I remember the feeling of awe this book evoked as I reverently closed it and returned to the library I borrowed it from. This book had Poirot throughout and made me get more acquainted with him. Writing this makes me feel it's time for another re-read!
7. The Big Four
My Rating: 4.75/5★
Blurb:
Framed in the doorway of Poirot’s bedroom stood an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. The man’s gaunt face stared for a moment, then he swayed and fell. Who was he? Was he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what was the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper? Poirot finds himself plunged into a world of international intrigue, risking his life to uncover the truth about ‘Number Four’.
This is a book I read this year during the never-ending lock down (a perfect time to read many books) and absolutely enjoyed this! This book had Poirot move about a lot and involved many dangerous and thrilling aspects to it. I really loved reading this book where the villains were aplenty and the detective was almost outsmarted..almost. Read this book to enjoy a Christie book that slightly deviates from her classic touches.
8. The Man in the Brown Suit
My Rating: 4.5/5★
Blurb:
Newly-orphaned Anne Beddingfeld is a nice English girl looking for a bit of adventure in London. But she stumbles upon more than she bargained for! Anne is on the platform at Hyde Park Corner tube station when a man falls onto the live track, dying instantly. A doctor examines the man, pronounces him dead, and leaves, dropping a note on his way. Anne picks up the note, which reads "17.1 22 Kilmorden Castle". The next day the newspapers report that a beautiful ballet dancer has been found dead there-- brutally strangled. A fabulous fortune in diamonds has vanished. And now, aboard the luxury liner Kilmorden Castle, mysterious strangers pillage her cabin and try to strangle her. What are they looking for? Why should they want her dead? Lovely Anne is the last person on earth suited to solve this mystery... and the only one who can! Anne's journey to unravel the mystery takes her as far afield as Africa and the tension mounts with every step... and Anne finds herself struggling to unmask a faceless killer known only as 'The Colonel'....
This is another gem I discovered in this crazy year that is 2020! The lead, Anne is someone I instantly connected with. Her gaiety and adventurous spirit is something very infectious and she helped me travel with her to South Africa from the comfort of my cozy house. She also joins the list of my favorite Christie female leads, with the likes of Miss.Marple, Tuppence and Eileen Brent. This story has adventure, action and a sprinkling of romance. Reading this transported me the ethereal world entered only by readers (and druggies, but I'm not one of them!) and made the long, lazy hours of the day pass by quickly.
9. The Secret Adversary
My Rating: 4.5/5★
Blurb:
Tommy and Tuppence, two young people short of money and restless for excitement, embark on a daring business scheme – Young Adventurers Ltd.
Their advertisement says they are ‘willing to do anything, go anywhere’. But their first assignment, for the sinister Mr Whittington, plunges them into more danger than they ever imagined.
This book introduces my third favorite recurring detectives after Marple and Poirot- the superb duo Tommy and Tuppence. I encountered them first in this read and felt enthralled by their characters. This read is extremely engaging and entertaining; I wasn't able to guess the culprit here as well (but to be fair to myself, I was just getting acquainted with the detection skills involved to sniff out whodunits, and she's the Queen here) This works great as a standalone and also sets the base for the series based on these characters.
10. The Seven Dials Mystery
My Rating: 4/5★
Blurb:
Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper; so the other house guests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6.30 a.m. But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank had backfired with tragic consequences.
For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words ‘Seven Dials’ were to take on a new and chilling significance.
I read this book only last month, but I absolutely loved the experience this offered! It also had a lot to do with the lead, Bundle (Lady Eileen Brent). She was a smart and vivacious lady who was eternally curious about everything and eager to sniff it out. This book has Christie veering a little from her usual style to write a mystery filled with humorous elements and I felt that she has managed to brew it to perfection. Filled with lively characters and an entertaining plot, this is a surefire way of spending an enjoyable afternoon. This book was extremely engaging, that I read it all in a single sitting! To read a detailed review of this, go to my post on the same.
That's some of my favourite Christies off the top of my head! It was really difficult managing to narrow down the field to just 10, but I had to do so for the fear of ranting on and on! Some notable mentions include: The Moving Finger, The Body in The Library, The ABC Murders, The Pale Horse and A Murder is Announced. I'm looking forward to picking up more works of hers and engaging the few grey cells I have left in my brain.
~Reviewed by Kaveri (@biliophilerants)~
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