November 2024 Reads

A bit below my monthly average, but I thoroughly enjoyed the books I read during November. For some reason it completely escaped my attention that I read both the first and the latest book in the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright. It's hard to believe we're getting close to Christmas and the end of the year. Before I do a reading round-up for the year, I've got a few more books to read first. If I posted longer or related reviews, the links can be found below.

A VERY ENGLISH MURDER (Lady Eleanor Swift #1) by Verity Bright (4*)

A fun, somewhat over the top but overall, very amusing and easy to read vanishing-corpse mystery. I’m looking forward to spending more time in early 20^th century England solving mysteries with Lady Eleanor, her butler Clifford, and her English bulldog Gladstone.

 

AGATHA CHRISTIE: A MYSTERIOUS LIFE by Laura Thompson NF (4.5*)

This was more than ‘just’ a description of Christie’s life. This biography also deep dives into her books, her writing, her storytelling powers, as well as the puzzles she created and solved. The author takes links and hints about Agatha’s life from her (mostly Mary Westmacott’s) fiction. All of it sounds plausible but none of it can be taken as fact since they are conclusions drawn by Laura Thompson and not biographical details provided by Christie herself. It is noteworthy that the author uses the word ‘elusive’ with regard to Agatha Christie given that Lucy Worsley titled her biography Agatha Christie: an Elusive Woman. This has been a most enjoyable bedtime read. Sure, at about eight pages per evening it took a looooong time read, but I wasn’t in a hurry. I’m going to miss my nighttime encounters with Agatha Christie.

 

LIAR’S ISLAND (CSI Ally Dymond #3) by T. Orr Munro (3.5*)

Two CSI investigators find themselves stranded on a small island with a tiny group of inhabitants, one of whom may well be a murderer. I enjoyed Liar’s Island and I’d call it a well-plotted and easy-to-read mystery that for me personally could have done with a little more tension and a little less personal backstory. My full review can be found here:  https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/11/liars-island-by-t-orr-munro.html

 

A MIDWINTER MURDER (Lady Eleanor Swift #20) by Verity Bright (4+*)

A delightful new instalment in the Lady Eleanor Swift series. The setting combined with the reclusive Earl who lives there create a wonderful contrast with the charming Christmas atmosphere Eleanor’s staff create in the gamekeeper’s cottage. Just as the mystery is wonderfully balances with the developing romance between Ellie and her Chief Inspector fiancé. My full review can be found here: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/11/a-midwinter-murder-by-verity-bright.html

 

OUT OF SIGHT (Second Sight #3) by K.C. Wells 4*

Detective Gary Mitchell and psychic Dan Porter tackle their third baffling case while their relationship continues to flourish. What should have been a cold-case investigation almost immediately turns active and takes them far out of their comfort zones in more ways than one. In the background runs the continuing unsolved mystery of Gary’s brother’s murder. Because this story arc stretches over all the books in this series, they should be read in order.

 

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE (Ernest Cunningham #1) by Benjamin Stevenson 4.5*

Gripping, well-plotted, and at times funny mystery in which the first-person narrator strictly follows the Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction as established during the Golden Age of Crime Writing. More than once I feared the story was trying to be too clever only for the ending of the story to prove that the plot was indeed that clever. I’m sorry now that I already read Everyone on This Train is a Suspect and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret earlier this year. Not because they spoiled this book for me but because I’d love to be able to look forward to reading them.

October Reads

October was a solid reading month. I didn't have any star reads and my lowest score was 3 stars. See below for my thoughts on the books I read. The first two come with links to longer reviews on this blog because I was lucky enough to get ARCs through Netgalley.

What was your October like? Did you read any books you'd like to recommend? Please share in the comment section because I'm always on the lookout for new gems.

MISS BEETON’S MURDER AGENCY (Miss Beeton #1) by Josie Lloyd (4-*)

A fast-paced, thrilling mystery, and captivating crime-caper with a few too many wtf moments for me to rate if five stars. If you like your cosy mystery with a large dose of mayhem, a host of larger-than-life characters, a cute little doggo, as well as plenty of action, and you don’t mind suspending disbelief once or twice, you’re going to love Miss Beeton’s Murder Agency.

Longer review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/10/miss-beetons-murder-agency-by-josie.html

 

EVERONE THIS CHRISTMAS HAS A SECRET (Ernest Cunningham #3) by Benjamin Stevenson (4.5*)

I found this book all but impossible to put down. Ernest’s chatty narration pulled me along and had my swiping through the pages as fast as I could. The cast of characters was fascinating and the possible motifs for murder kept me guessing until Ernest reveals all in the rather spectacular denouement. Did I pick up on all the clues? No! Did I figure out whodunit? Also, no! But did I thoroughly enjoy myself while reading this book? Absolutely!

If you’re looking for a captivating, well-plotted and faultlessly executed mystery this Christmas, you are probably looking for Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.

Longer review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/10/everyone-this-christmas-has-secret-by.html

 

ONE OF US IS DEAD (Roy Grace #21) by Peter James (3*)

Rufus Rorke was supposed to have died two years ago but is recognised, alive and well by a man he used to be friends with. At the same time the police, led by Detective Superintendent Roy Grace are investigating a number of suspicious deaths. It isn’t long before the police's attention is focussed on Rufus. But how do you catch a man who has successfully lived undercover for years?

This is a well-written story with a fascinating plot. I was disappointed that it wasn’t a real mystery or thriller, though. This is not a whodunnit but a ‘how-do-we-catch-him’ sorta story and I kept on waiting for a twist in the tale that never happened.

 

MY BROTHER’S HUSBAND (My Brother’s Husband #1) by Gengoroh Tagame (4*)

I’m copying the original blurb here since I can’t put it better myself:

Yaichi is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo; formerly married to Natsuki, father to their young daughter, Kana. Their lives suddenly change with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji. Mike is on a quest to explore Ryoji's past, and the family reluctantly but dutifully takes him in. What follows is an unprecedented and heartbreaking look at the state of a largely still-closeted Japanese gay culture: how it's been affected by the West, and how the next generation can change the preconceptions about it and prejudices against it.

I’m not sure how much I like reading Mangas but even turning the pages from back to front didn’t diminish how much I enjoyed this touching story.

 

AUTUMN CHILLS by Agatha Christie (4.5*)

A collection of 12 short stories featuring Hercule Poirot (4 stories), Miss Marple (2 stories), Harley Quin (2 stories), Parker Pyne (1 story), Tommy & Tuppence (1 story). Two of the stories were stand-alone and one of them (While the Light Lasts) wasn’t actually a mystery. While I enjoyed some stories more than others, all of them were a delight to read.

 

YOU ARE HERE by David Nicholls (4+)

Michael and Marnie have both retreated from the world after their marriages failed. Now they both find themselves on a coast to coast walk and with every passing kilometre they find themselves coming out of their self-imposed shells and getting closer to each other. A well-written and intriguing read about second chances taking them.

 

DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER by Alice Slater (3.5*)

A story about obsession that makes for an obsessive read despite the fact that I’m not sure how much I actually liked the main characters or the story itself. The book makes the reader wonder about the popularity of true crime books, podcasts, and television shows. How healthy is that fascination and how does that public interest affect those who have to live with the consequences of murder? The book’s ending was a bit too ambiguous for my liking too. Just as the title is a little misleading.

September was a good and nicely varied reading month. I finished one series and started a new one. I read a fascinating book about the origins of words and customs associated with Christmas, a thriller everybody appears to be raving about, and two Dutch titles. As I said a varied month.

PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY AND OTHER STORIES by Agatha Christie (4*)

Two stories each featuring Parker Pine, Hercule Poirot, and Harley Quin as well as two stand-alone stories that aren’t mysteries. A thoroughly enjoyable collection. Having said that, I would advise dog lovers to steer clear of the story titled Next to a Dog.

 WORDS CHRISTMAS GAVE US by Grace Tierney (5*) NF

More than just a Christmas-themed lexicon, Words Christmas Gave Us is also a well-written, easy-to-read, and captivating work of non-fiction. Some words, such as gizzard and the aforementioned salmangundi, were new to me while I also found myself learning more about words and customs I considered myself familiar with. For a longer review please click on the link: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/09/words-christmas-gave-us-by-grace-tierney.html

 WE SOLVE MURDERS (We Solve Murders #1) by Richard Osman (5+*)

Take one private security officer thriving on danger (Amy Wheeler), a retired cop enjoying a very quiet life (Steve Wheeler), and a best-selling author up for just about anything (Rosie D’Antonio), throw in dead bodies, bags filled with money, and a death-threat or two, and you may well find yourself on a caper taking you from the New Forest to Dubai via South Carolina and Ireland.

Richard Osman has done it again. He’s created another madcap adventure featuring fascinating and captivating MCs and filled it with a lot of heart and some inspiring pearls of wisdom. Now I find myself desperately waiting for both the next Thursday Murder Club book and the sequel to this gem.

 DE COCK IN HET KORT (4 short stories) by A.C. Baantjer (4*)

There are only 46 pages in this bonus publication. What makes them special that they were all written by Baantjer in himself and not by Peter Römer who has taken over de De Cock series twenty titles ago. The four stories are fun and original with the fourth one being extra special since it is a meeting between De Cock and Baantjer, his creator.

 THE COMFORT OF GHOSTS (Maisie Dobbs #18) by Jacqueline Winspear (4+)

The latest and last title in the series set in the immediate aftermath of WW II sees Maisie Dobbs/Scott deal with several of the consequences of that conflict as well as some ghosts from her personal past while also focussing on the future and the way ahead for her and those she loves. Or, to quote the last sentence of the book:

“In that moment, she felt lighter, leaving the past behind, as if Fate had asked her to take one final look across the landscape of years, before turning her head towards the future and the building of a new house.”

 THE ONLY ONE LEFT by Riley Sager (4*)

A severely disabled woman suspected of having murdered her family decades earlier decides to tell her story to her troubled live-in caregiver, one typed letter at a time. As her story and the plot thicken the house where it all happened, Hope’s End, crumbles. A real page-turner but also a reminder of why I’m not a huge fan of thrillers. In order to really enjoy a book, I need to understand the MC(s) and in most thrillers, as in this one, the choices they make and the way in which they behave are too far-fetched for me to become fully invested in the story.

 DE COCK EN DE MOORD OP AFSPRAAK (De Cock #95) by Peter Römer (4*).

The title of this Dutch mystery translates as: De Cock and the Murder By Appointment.

A producer of a popular television programme is murdered in his apartment and a short time later a gossip reporter is strangled in a movie theatre. The two, apparently unconnected, cases bring De Cock face to face with the world of showbiz and for a long time, he’s like a fish out of water. As always a wonderful cozy police procedural set in Amsterdam. What’s not to love?

July Reads

RED SIDE STORY (Shades of Grey #2) by Jasper Fforde (4.5*)

A story set in a dystopian version of Great Britain after the so-called ‘Something that Happened’, where a person’s status is based on the colours they can perceive. The rules and regulations in this world are absurd and at first glance so is the story. Don’t let first impressions fool you though. The more I read, the more sense the nonsense made and the story captivated me from start to finish. I fully agree with the Telegraph’s quote on the cover:

“Forget all the rules of time, space and reality; just sit back and enjoy the adventure.”

 

2.     THE RED HOUSE MYSTERY by A.A. Milne (4*)

It ain’t Winnie the Pooh but this is the most British of stories. In fact, if it had been written one or two decades later, I would have called it a spoof version of a Golden Age of Mystery story. This is by no means a criticism. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the picture it painted of Edwardian Britain. I figured out part of the solution to this locked-room-mystery early on but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the rest of the story. It was a joy to follow Anthony and Bill as they followed the clues and Gillingham’s intuition until they found the answers.

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-red-house-mystery-by-aa-milne.html

 

3.     MIDSUMMER MYSTERIES by Agatha Christie (4)

A wonderful collection of stories featuring Poirot (4), Miss Marple (2) Parker Pine (2), Stand Alone (2), and one each of Harley Quin and Tommy and Tuppence.

Some of these stories I was familiar with but not so familiar that the solutions didn’t take me by surprise. I guess that’s one of many reasons why Christie is the queen of crime.

 

4.     THE EXAMINER by Janice Hallett (5)

WOW, the author managed to exceed my very high expectations with this well-plotted and intriguing story. It made for compulsive reading from the start with the tension initially building gradually until, by the time I reached the last quarter, the story suddenly exploded and rushed forward with shocking revelation after shocking revelation. And just when I thought I had all the answers, Hallett had another trick up her sleeve; one that will have me thinking and wondering about this book for some time to come. The writing in this book is excellent. All the main characters have their own, distinctive voices and I was impressed with how the art the candidates create comes to life on the page and becomes visible to the reader. This story hooked me from the start and never released its grip. 

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-examiner-by-janice-hallett.html

 

5.     TO DIE BUT ONCE (Maisie Dobbs #14) by Jacqueline Winspear (4.5).

Set during the spring of 1940 and WWII hasn’t quite reached Britain yet, when Maisie Dobbs is asked to look into the whereabouts of a young apprentice painter. What starts out as an apparently innocent investigation soon turns dark and it isn’t much longer before the realities of the War hit Maisie and those she loves with the evacuation of soldiers from Dunkirk. Very well written if a bit too drawn out at times, this story held my attention from start to finish. I’ve missed quite a few instalments in this series but I may just pick it up again from here.

 

6.     THE CRACKED MIRROR by Chris Brookmyre (5+)

I’m not sure if this book is ‘the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, but it is most certainly in the running for that honour. For me, it is a title to add to my very short list of extra-special books because this book deserves to be called unique, original, and unlike anything I’ve read before. 

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-cracked-mirror-by-chris-brookmyre.html

 

7.     Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers (4)

A collection of 12 short stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey as he solves a wide variety of mysteries. A highly enjoyable read.

 

8.     MURDER AT MALLOWAN HALL (a Phyllida Bright Mystery #1) by Colleen Cambridge (4)

A well-plotted and easy to read mystery featuring Phyllida Bright, Agatha Christie’s housekeeper, as the amateur sleuth when an unexpected guest to a house party thrown by the Mallowan’s ends up dead in the library. Phyllida takes her inspiration from Hercule Poirot and isn’t unlike him in some respects. Although Agatha and Max, her husband, only play a background role in this story, there are references to titles by Agatha Christie throughout the book.

 

9.     THE EXCITEMENTS by C.J. Wray (5)

A (brilliant and witty) drama about two elderly female World War II veterans with secret pasts, who embark on one last adventure to right some historic wrongs. If you enjoy some excitements in your reading, I highly recommend this book.

June reads

THE SECRET LIVES OF BOOKSELLERS & LIBRARIANS by James Patterson & Matt Eversmann (5*) NF/Audio

A fabulous ode to books and reading. I’ve got a suspicion I’ll be revisiting this book several times in the future.

THE PICTURE HOUSE MURDERS (Miss Clara Vale #1) by Fiona Veitch Smith (4*)

Went back to the start of the Clara Vale series since I enjoyed books #2 and 3 so much. Didn’t love this first instalment as much as I did the sequels, but it was still a fun introduction to a captivating character operating in a fascinating historical period (1929). I love the emphasis on female rights and other historical details such as the start of talking movies.

MONA OF THE MANOR (Tales of the City #10) by Armistead Maupin (4.5*) Audio

I can't believe I've reached the end of my Tales of the City journey. Hopefully there's more to come but I fear this may be it. But if it is the last tale of the city, what a perfect way to bow out. This is an action and emotion-packed story that had me captivated from start to finish. I'm going to miss these books and these characters.

CABARET MACABRE (Joseph Spector Locked-Room Mystery #3) by Tom Mead (5*).

A captivating historical mystery filled with impossible murders, victims, and intrigue. I’m in awe of how the author manages to explain that which appears to be impossible. Three books into this series I’m a huge fan and can’t wait for book #4.

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/06/cabaret-macabre-by-tom-mead.html

MURDER AT GREYSBRIDGE (Inishowen Mystery #4) by Andrea Carter. (4.5*)

Two suspicious deaths at a summer wedding keep solicitor Ben O'Keeffe on her toes as she tries to figure out what exactly happened and more importantly why. Throw in two potential love interests, and a somewhat gothic setting, and you end up with a fascinating page-turner in which everything is somehow connected. This well-plotted and expertly told mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish.

THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY (Miss Marple #3) by Agatha Christie (5*)

“When there’s anything fishy about, I never believe anyone at all!

What’s not to love about a Miss Marple mystery by the fabulous Agatha Christie. Even the fact that I more or less knew who dunnit and expected the major twist didn’t spoil my fun.

A MAN LAY DEAD (Roderick Alleyn #1) by Ngaio Marsh

Strictly speaking a re-read but considering that it is 40+ years since I read this book for the first time it might as well have been a new-to-me story. And now that I've reconnected with Roderick Alleyn I am pretty sure I'll revisit other books in the series even if I'm not 100% sure that Ngaio Marsh plays completely fair with the reader when it comes to clues and the resolution of the mystery.

A VERY BRITISH MURDER by Lucy Worsley (4*) NF

Blurb: In A Very British Murder, Lucy Worsley explores this phenomenon in forensic detail, revisiting notorious crimes like the Ratcliff Highway Murders, which caused a nation-wide panic in the early nineteenth century, and the case of Frederick and Maria Manning, the suburban couple who were hanged after killing Maria's lover and burying him under their kitchen floor. Fascination with crimes like these became a form of national entertainment, inspiring novels and plays, puppet shows and paintings, poetry and true-crime journalism. At a point during the birth of modern Britain, murder entered the national psyche, and it's been a part of that ever since.

Interesting and easy to read. While the book covers 200 years of crime writing and all of it was fascinating, I much preferred the section dealing with the golden age of crime. My one concern is that I f Lucy Worsley can get a fact like the number of children Agatha Christie had wrong, I can’t help wondering if there are other mistakes in this book. Thankfully Mrs Worsley didn’t repeat her mistake when she wrote Agatha Christie’s biography. A Very British Murder was based on a three-part TV documentary with the same title and in what came as a huge surprise to me, I preferred the series over the book.

The IT Girl by Ruth Ware (4*)

An intriguing mystery in which Hannah, a young, pregnant woman revisits the murder of her best friend and roommate when the man convicted for the crime dies after a decade in prison. He claimed to be innocent until the day he died. But if he didn’t do it, who did? Can Hannah uncover the truth without putting herself and her unborn child in danger? I enjoyed this story although I do feel it could probably have been about 100 pages shorter without losing any vital plot points.

GUILTY BY DEFINITION by Susie Dent (5+*)

Guilty by Definition is a fascinating, original, and well-plotted mystery as well as an ode to words set in the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary. This title will almost certainly make it into my top 10 reads for 2024.

Full review: https://helenasheat.blogspot.com/2024/06/guilty-by-definition-by-suzie-dent.html

The Pyramid Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith

#3 Miss Clara Vale Mysteries

 Pages: 300

Publisher: Embla Books

Release Date: June 13, 2024

 

Blurb

A night at the museum, a dead body and a trail to Cairo. Sounds like a case for Miss Clara Vale!

1930: Miss Clara Vale, chemistry major turned detective, is taking a night off from sleuthing to attend the launch party of a new exhibition at the Hancock Museum in Newcastle. But when the piece de resistance, a rare ornate sarcophagus, is finally opened and it turns out the mummy inside it is a fake it looks like there is no rest for Clara after all...

Later that night, she is summoned back to the museum and asked to investigate a series of stolen Egyptian artefacts. Using her scientific and forensic prowess, Clara, with her trusted assistant Bella in tow, embarks on a trail that will lead from Newcastle to London and along the river Nile to Cairo.

But she is not the only person hunting for stolen antiquities and when she uncovers an international smuggling ring with a penchant for murder, it becomes clear that Clara's own life is in danger too.

Can Clara catch the smugglers before they get away with another murder among the pyramids?

Review

This is my second Miss Clara Vale Mystery. Last year I read and reviewed The Pantomime Murders. I ended that review with the words: ‘I’ve got a feeling I’ll be spending more time with Miss Clara Vale in the future’, and what do you know, just over six months later I find myself solving mysteries with the spunky lady investigator once again.

The year is 1930 and Clara, our heroine, has donated some of her deceased uncle’s Egyptian artifacts and papers to a local museum. But what should have been a joyous occasion soon turns sour when she discovers a mummy that is very recent as well as a selection of Egyptian jewels that shouldn’t even be in England, never mind in her local museum.

When she’s asked to investigate it isn’t long before she finds herself on a journey to Egypt where she soon encounters danger as the plot thickens.

There is so much to enjoy in this book. The mystery is intriguing, Clara Vale is a wonderful MC, as is Bessie her assistant and there isn’t a dull moment in the story. This story is properly set in 1930. For example, there is mention of Dr. Fleming and penicillin, the start of (commercial) air travel, and most delightfully, Agatha Christie makes an appearance when Clara is in Egypt. The author’s biography states that Fiona Veitch Smith is a huge fan of the Golden Age of Mystery stories, and her books show that clearly.

I love Clara Vale’s independence which was still rare and mostly unheard of in the early decades of the 20^th century.

The Pyramid Murders was well written and filled with detail without ever dragging. The characters are vivid, and the mystery is very well-plotted. Which means I’ll end this review as I did my review of The Pantomime Murders. I will be spending more time with Miss Clara Vale in the future. And while I wait for book #4 to be published, I'll go back and read The Picture House Murders, the first title in this series. 

Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night by Sophie Hannah

 

New Hercule Poirot Mysteries #5

348 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release date: October 26, 2023

Netgalley

 

Blurb

 CAN HERCULE POIROT SOLVE A BAFFLING MURDER MYSTERY IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS?

It’s 19 December 1931. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are called to investigate the murder of a man in the apparent safe haven of a Norfolk hospital ward. Catchpool’s mother, the irrepressible Cynthia, insists that Poirot stays in a crumbling mansion by the coast, so that they can all be together for the festive period while Poirot solves the case. Cynthia’s friend Arnold is soon to be admitted to that same hospital and his wife is convinced he will be the killer’s next victim, though she refuses to explain why.

Poirot has less than a week to solve the crime and prevent more murders, if he is to escape from this nightmare scenario and get home in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, someone else – someone utterly ruthless – also has ideas about what ought to happen to Hercule Poirot . . .

 

Review

For decades, a Christie for Christmas was a given and something readers looked forward to. How delightful that this year we are once again given a seasonal Poirot mystery. Strictly speaking, this title isn’t a Christie, of course. But it is safe to say that without Christie, this book wouldn’t be available to us, so I’ll happily take it.

This is the fifth Hercule Poirot book by Sophie Hannah and it is as good and captivating as the prequels. What I like best about these new Poirot stories is that while Hercule Poirot is his irritatingly charming self, just as Christie created him, and the mysteries are as mystifying as Agatha’s were, Sophie Hannah didn’t attempt to copy or reproduce what has gone before. The most obvious sign of this is Poirot’s new sidekick, Edward Catchpool. I don’t know if he was created to be a combination of Inspector Japp and Captain Hastings, but that is certainly how he comes across to me, and it adds to the sense of continuation I get when I read these stories.

As for this story, the set-up was rather inspired and even after finishing the book I’m still not sure whether Catchpool’s mother asked Poirot to investigate a crime she was only marginally involved with because she wanted it solved for her friend’s sake or because she wanted to spend Christmas with her son. Unsurprisingly, we are faced with what appears to be an impossible murder which, to add to the confusion, is followed by a rather illogical reaction to it.

Reluctantly Poirot and Catchpool travel to the doomed mansion, determined to solve the crime as quickly as possible so that they may return to London in time for their planned Christmas celebrations. Once they arrive at their destination, our two investigators encounter a rather unusual household set-up, as well as an apparently motiveless murder.

I’m not convinced that Sophie Hannah plays as fairly with her readers as Agatha Christie herself did. Whereas with Christie, I often find myself slapping my forehead once the solution is explained, wondering how I could possibly have missed the clues given how (retrospectively) obvious they were, that didn’t really happen while reading Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night. While the guilty party could definitely be determined based on the information shared with the reader, the motive was (mostly) opaque (to me?).

I had one other minor quibble with something that was mentioned in this story. Google, unfortunately, wasn’t able to tell me how aware people in 1931 were of genetics in connection to longevity, but I would have thought ideas like that didn’t become common knowledge until a few decades later. I stand to be corrected.

Quibbles aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. I loved the interactions between Poirot and Catchpool. The behaviour and conversations of the other characters were delightfully weird and over the top, with Catchpool’s mother being in a league of her own when it comes to the lengths she’s willing to go to to get her way. Captivating from start to finish, this story kept me on my toes and provided me with two days of pure reading enjoyment.

When exactly can I have the next New Hercule Poirot mystery?

 

 

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

#25 Hercule Poirot

287 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

 

Blurb

Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, yet there were five other suspects: Philip Blake (the stockbroker) who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist) who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcee) who had roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess) who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister) who cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home.

It is sixteen years later, but Hercule Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his mind…

 

Review

When I started Five Little Pigs, I was convinced I’d never read it before. As the story progressed, I realised that I probably had, be it a long, very long, time ago. I remembered just about enough to figure most of the solution out before Poirot revealed all in the final chapter. And, as always, it didn’t matter.

This wasn’t the only time Agatha Christie used a nursery rhyme as a title for one of her mysteries and in Five Little Pigs worked very well for this story. The five surviving suspects all fit their designated little pig very well. At the same time, The Things We Do for Love would have been an equally fitting title for this story.

In this book, the same story is basically told (at least) five times and then repeated five more times in written statements. It should be boring but, no doubt due to Agatha Christie’s genius as a storyteller, it is actually fascinating. Especially since there are minor yet revealing differences between what the five narrators relate.

As always, I don’t want to expand on the blurb for this story. Spoilers are always a no-no, but never more so than in a mystery. Suffice it to say that for me this story ranks among the best mysteries Christie ever published. It was a joy to read and I lost myself in this very clever mystery. It won’t be long until I dive into the Christy-verse again.

 

Nemesis by Agatha Christie

Miss Marple #12

Publisher: Harper Collins

305 pages

Own/Kindle

 

Blurb

 

A letter from beyond the grave

One last request

An unsolvable crime

When Miss Marple receives a letter from the recently deceased millionaire Jason Rafiel, she’s not sure what to make of it.

Knowing her deductive skills, he challenges her to solve a crime. If she does so, she will inherit £20,000.

The only problem is that he has failed to mention who was involved, or where, and when the crime was committed. Jane Marple is intrigued.

Never underestimate Miss Marple

 

Review

I must be honest and admit that I feel a little conflicted about Nemesis. Let’s start with the positives because they are many.

For me, this was one of Christie’s more ingenious plots. I loved how Marple was spoon-fed information, first to make her intrigued and subsequently to keep her nose pointed in the right direction. This setup did make me wonder if Mr. Rafiel had figured all the answers out for himself before he died and needed Miss Marple to set the record straight because he wouldn’t be around to do so. As much as I like that idea, this is probably a me-thing because no such suggestion is made in the story.

The characters in this story were vivid and the plot intrigued me as much as it fascinated Miss Marple. I couldn’t help rolling my eyes a little when Archdeacon Brabazon declares that he just knew Variety and Michael Rafiel had truly loved each other, but as a plot device and a further step towards the ultimate solution it worked charmingly. On the other hand, I adored descriptions like the following:

 

‘…a big man with square shoulders and a clumsy-looking body, looking as though he had been carelessly assembled by an ambitious child out of chunky bricks.’

 

I truly appreciated how Christie portrayed love as a dark force in this story. We are so used to love in books being the answer to problems, the thing that saves characters that it made a nice change to have love used as the driving force behind evil.

As I mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of the All About Agatha podcast. One of the two original podcasters, Catherine Brobeck had this theory about what she called ‘Dark Marple’. What a shame she didn’t live long enough to discuss this book. Not only does Marple’s darkness ‘shine’ in this story but it is also acknowledged by several other characters.

 

‘So gentle—and so ruthless.”’

And

‘The most frightening woman I have ever met.’

Statements by the Assistant Commissioner and the Home Secretary respectively.

What’s more, even Miss Marple herself considers the concept:

“‘D’you know, said Miss Marple to herself, ‘it’s extraordinary, I never thought about it before. I believe, you know, I could be ruthless’”

Finally, on the positive side, I want to give a huge shout-out to Miss Marple’s attitude towards the money she receives as her reward for solving the case. I love that she has no intention of saving it or using it for investments. Given the stage of life she has reached, spending her earnings on enjoying herself is just about perfect. I can’t help wondering what sort of adventures her plans might have brought Marple. Seems the opportunities would have been endless; if only Christie had written those stories.

But… I did have two issues with this story.

Until now I’ve been mostly able to ignore the parts of the story that the All About Agatha podcast calls, ‘stuck in their time’. In this story, I found myself less able to breeze over the descriptions of young girls and women. Somehow the fact that Christie would write so condescendingly about members of her own gender makes the sentiments voiced more painful.

Apparently, by this stage in her career, Christie dictated her books rather than typing them. And at times, it shows. Especially in the chapter where she explains what has happened and how she reached her conclusions, there are numerous repetitions, almost literal repetitions (😊), and it, unfortunately, stood out.

As much as those two things bothered me, they didn’t ‘kill’ my enjoyment and admiration for this story. The plot was very clever and the way the solution was reached was intriguing and surprising but overall plausible.

The above is more a collection of statements than a review, so I’ll end with a summary of my feelings about this story. Despite the dark theme, Nemesis was for me a delightful and intriguing mystery. As always it was an easy read with far more going on than is apparent at first glance. The solution was satisfying, and the final confrontational scene was nothing short of spectacular.

I do love me some Agatha Christie.

 

At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie

Miss Marple #11

272 pages

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publishing Date: January 1, 1965

Kindle edition

 

Blurb

A grand old London hotel

A series of alarming coincidences

Danger lurking down every corridor

Impeccable service. Luxurious rooms. Eccentric guests. There are worse places for Canon Pennyfather to find himself stranded than Bertram’s Hotel.

But when he gets his dates in a muddle and attempts to travel to Lucerne a day too late, he unwittingly sets off a violent chain of events.

And Miss Marple is convinced there is more going on than meets the eye.

Never underestimate Miss Marple

 

Review

This was a weird one. For starters, there isn’t all that much Miss Marple in this story. Almost all investigating is done by Scotland Yard, by Chief Detective- Inspector ‘Father’ Davy to be precise. What’s more, until the very end of the story, there is no murder. On the surface, there doesn’t appear to be any sign of crime being committed at all. If it wasn’t for a perspective shift to Scotland Yard, some way into the story, I would have been willing to believe that this was a story about Miss Marple enjoying a well-deserved holiday in London while staying in what appears to be a perfect hotel.

Since I mentioned Scotland Yard, this is what I wrote when they were first introduced: ‘Going out on a limb here (at 14%) but if Miss Marple is staying in Bertram’s Hotel and the police are looking for a criminal operational headquarters somewhere, the odds are, it’s right where good old Jane is.’

Back to the story. We’re introduced to a large cast of characters all staying in the hotel or connected to people staying there. The list is too long to mention everybody and for a very long time, it is unclear how everybody and everything ties together, if at all. In fact, for the longest time, this story appears to be not a whodunnit but instead a ‘whatonearthisgoingonit’. How do a train robbery, Bertram’s Hotel, Canon Pennyfather, a racing driver named Ladislaus Malinowski, Mr. Justice Ludgrove, Bess Sedgwick, and her estranged daughter Elvira tie together?

Fun fact while I’m mentioning the train robbery. It is interesting to note that this book was published about 16 months after the (in)famous great train robbery in the UK happened (August 1963).

I’m not going to try and relate everything that happened in the story. There is simply too much going on and if there is a way of summarizing it all without confusing others, it is beyond what I’m capable of. To be honest, I’m not convinced I totally got everything that was going on here, which is another reason this is a less satisfying Marple story.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this read. What we did get from Marple’s point of view was as delightful as always. I thoroughly enjoyed her trips into London and the accompanying descriptions of shows and parks. She is also still as sharp as she’s always been. Even as she recognises how ‘perfect’ Bertram’s Hotel is—shortly after arriving courtesy of Raymond West and his wife Joan—and how well it matches memories from her childhood, she picks up on an unmistakable atmosphere of danger.

While I was disappointed Miss Marple was more or less on the sidelines of this investigation, Chief Detective-Inspector ‘Father’ Davy almost made up for that deficiency. If anything, he reminded me a little of Columbo from the TV series and was a very refreshing break away from Christie’s usual bumbling Scotland Yard characters.

This was by no means a bad book. I’m not sure Agatha Christie was capable of writing a bad or boring story. It simply wasn’t quite what I hope to find in a Miss Marple book.

Finally, because I apparently can’t write these Agatha Christie reviews without mentioning the All About Agatha podcast, I couldn’t help thinking about their ‘stuck in its time’ feature when the hotel was described. Not because there was anything offensive about it, but because the appeal of the hotel is very much that it is stuck in a time otherwise long past.