Product Description
In this "crime puzzle of the first order" (New York Times), an ordinary flight to London turns extraordinary when a female passenger is shot to death with a venom-tipped dart. Even more bizarre is that the murder went unnoticed by everyone on board-- including the brilliant Hercule Poirot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

Disappointing for an Agatha Christie Novel
In 'Death in the Clouds', a woman is found dead while airborne on a plane enroute to London. This places immediate suspicion on the plane's passengers and stewards - including one Hercule Poirot. It appears to be a perfect murder, with Hercule Poirot stumped as to how it was done with none of the passengers noticing anything amiss.

Agatha Christie is as clever as always, peppering this whodunit with multiple red herrings and clues right & left. It starts a bit confusing at first, since we jump from one character's viewpoint to the next, but in just a few pages, we do get a good grasp of the personalities of the plane's passengers (a mix of a dentist, hairdresser, archeologist, mystery book writer, doctor, society ladies, etc) as we try to figure out which of the passengers make good suspects for the murder.

I really liked this mystery, right up until Hercule Poirot solves it. The ending pretty much spoiled the whole book for me - very disappointing & complicated conclusion (involving secret identities for one thing), with many important details brought out that were discovered by Poirot and company away from the narrative. Not very sporting of Agatha Christie, how were we to guess the murderer when not enough info was given to us?

p.s.
I have read a couple of other Agatha Christie books, but I have to say that I don't quite recall her being as funny as she is in this one. Watch out for a lot of really funny one-liners scattered all over the place that will have you going LOL.

terrible
i read and then there were none before this book and loved it. this book has nothing that gabs your attention. it doesnt have that wow factor. the method of murder is stupid and it seems that agatha christie wrote this book just to make some money rather than deliver a quality story that had a lot of potential

"There is an Unknown Factor in This Case..."
Described on the original cover as Agatha Christie's "Greatest Poirot Story," this particular mystery has several unique aspects to it. First published in 1935, Christie wastes no time in setting up the murder. Whereas Christie novels wait until the story is half-way over before a body is found, "Death in the Clouds" provides one within the first chapter.

Whilst aboard the airplane "Prometheus," flying across the English Channel, a woman is found dead. At first a wasp is blamed, but before the plane reaches the ground a dart tipped with poison is found, and the verdict at once falls to murder. And yet the murder weapon is almost too fantastic to be believed, and certainly no one saw anyone else use a blowpipe in order to kill the woman during the flight. Luckily for the investigators abroad, Hercule Poirot himself was aboard the flight - and in fact, is one of the suspects considering a blowpipe is found hidden beneath his seat!

The murder victim is Madame Giselle, a Frenchwoman who was a creditor to several powerful and aristocratic people: a discreet and reliable moneylender, but tough as nails when the time came to collect her debts. It is easy enough for the police to find plenty of motives as to why people might want her dead, particularly since she was very careful in ascertaining material that could be used for blackmail should the need arise.

Somewhat affronted that a murder has occurred right under his nose whilst he was grappling with air-sickness, Poirot ropes in two of the other passengers to help him with his investigation, most notably Jane Grey, a hairdresser who is finding unforeseen advantages to having been aboard a plane upon which a murder took place. Carefully considering all nine passengers and the two stewards who had access to the rear car of the airplane, Hercule sporadically dishes out clues and musings in order to beat the killer (and the reader!) to the next inevitable murder.

"Death in the Clouds" (initially published in America as "Death in the Air") is as entertaining as any Christie mystery, but not an upper-tier Poirot mystery.The characterizations of the central players are not quite as vivid as usual, and a lot of periphery characters seem more interesting: Giselle's secretary and Horbury's husband for example. The presence of a mystery writer provides comic relief as he excitedly plans to adapt the events for his latest book - and thanks to a beautiful coincidence that not even Christie could have foreseen, she names him "Mr Clancy."

A note though: there are some unfortunate throwaway comments that may make the modern reader cringe, such as an anti-Semitic slur, and a passage in which Jane and her date agree that they "don't like negroes." For authenticity's sake, these passages remain in some of the latest publications of the novel - it may depend on what copy you get, and I'm sure such things create quite a few headaches for publishers. Aside from this however, "Death in the Clouds" is one of Poirot's best mysteries. The little Belgian detective at the top of his game, even as he reveals his more fallible side.

Using Those Delightful Little Gray Cells
The late Ms. Christie brings back the colorful and reknowned Belgian, Hercule Poirot, for his 11th murder mystery. The scene is 1934 and, as usual, the author does not disappoint. I began reading the Hercule Poirot stories in the order that they were written. It isn't necessary to do it in this manner, because each book is a stand-alone adventure. However, I find it fun to follow the stories in the same sequence in which audiences of the early 20th century did. Ms. Christie's characters are never developed into such well-rounded people that you can empathize with them, but that was never her objective. Her books are all about sleight of hand in an attempt to confuse the reader. This highly skilled author does not disappoint with "Death in the Clouds." Ms. Christie's tightly-crafted mysteries are fun, a quick read and a great way to exercise your mind.

the solving of an airplane murder soars above the average
When I started this book, I admit that I hoped what would happen is that someone would get killed and then Poirot would somehow solve the mystery before the plane ever touched ground. It would be like Murder on the Orient Express except ... on an airplane. Which was just two Poirot books ago, which is probably one of the reasons Christie didn't do that. (For an author so prolific, I find her wonderfully creative from book to book in her contexts and twists and even the flow of action.)

Instead, the murder takes place on an airplane in plain view of everyone, which narrows quite a bit both the field of potential murderers (tough to have someone stowed away on a plane) and the method. Poirot works through, candidate by candidate, until he reaches a wholly surprising conclusion.

I found it engaging, interesting, and the ending was satisfying. ... Read more

Product Description
With ATOC (active table of contents):

An Historical Mystery Honore De Balzac
The Thirty-Nine Steps John Buchan
The Baron's Quarry Egerton Castle
Trent's Last Case Edmund Clerihew Bentley
Gilbert Keith Chesterton
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Was Thursday
Father Brown:
The Innocence of Father Brown
The Wisdom of Father Brown
Riddle of the Sands Robert Erskine Childers
Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The Secret Adversary
Wilkie Collins
The Dream Woman
The Haunted Hotel
The Moonstone
The Queen of Hearts
The Woman in White
The Mystery of Edwin Drood Charles Dickens
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Mystery of Cloomber
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
A Study in Scarlet
The Sign of the Four
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Valley of Fear
His Last Bow
Anna Katharine Green
Agatha Webb
Initials Only
The Millionaire Baby
The Mill Mystery
The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow
A Strange Disappearance
The Rome Express Arthur Griffiths
The Three Strangers Thomas Hardy
Elusive Isabel Jacques Futrelle
The Mystery of the Yellow Room Gaston Leroux
The Lodger Marie Belloc Lowndes
The Red House Mystery Alan Alexander Milne
Edgar Allan Poe
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Mystery of Marie Roget
The Purloined Letter
The Bittermeads Mystery Ernest Robertson Punshon
Mary Roberts Rinehart
The Bat
The Circular Staircase
The Confession
Dangerous Days
The Man in Lower Ten
The Street of Seven Stars
Sax Rohmer
Bat Wing
The Hand Of Fu-Manchu
The Return of Dr. Fu-Manchu
The Golden Scorpion
The Darrow Enigma Melvin Linwood Severy
The Golf Course Mystery Chester K. Steele
The Pavilion on the Links Robert Louis Stevenson
Under the Andes Rex Stout ... Read more

Product Description
Agatha Christie's most famous murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (217)

For Mystery lovers, This is the book for you! By Ally Fledger

A detective named Poirot on his way back home (in Belgium) suddenly received a telegram calling him for an emergency mystery in London! At the hotel he was staying at for the night, he found himself in the dining hall face to face with a man he had worked with on one of his cases and they exchanged they're going a bouts and Poirot found out that Mr. Bouc was taking the Orient Express to get to his destination and decided he would travel with him to London even though they would get off at different stations.

When they arrived at the station, they found out that strangely the train was full, given that it was the off season and that if Poirot wanted to travel on that train he would have to share a room with one of the passengers. The trip began smoothly and he spent his time talking with his friend and observing the other passengers who were in the same car. Then one night the train gets stuck in a snow drift and after an array of strange moments during the night, in the morning it is discovered that the passenger in the next cabin was murdered!

Trapped on this train, it is up to Poirot and his friend to solve this even bigger mystery than the coming one in London.

This intricate, nose grabbing mystery by Agatha Cristie pulls you into the knowledge of planning, acting and puzzles as you try to solve the puzzling mystery...

Get the paper version instead
This ebook was horrible.

Words ran together, and if that wasn't enough, entire lines of text were missing.How is one supposed to enjoy any book, much less a mystery novel, when parts of it are missing?

The perfect place to start -
This is the perfect place to start if you intend to read murder mystery books with any regularity.The story has been done in plays and movies and on TV for decades but it is only in reading it that you catch the early clues and nuances of the characters.Your knowledge is broadened to the allure of foreign languages and refined mannerisms of different nationalities.

"Murder on the Orient Express" is an easy read.The foreign expressions are brief and easily researched if one wishes to translate them.The descriptions of clothing, appearance, and behavior are easily visualized and not a hindrance to the flow and enjoyment of the narrative.Certainly I would recommend this book to eighth grade readers and up.Murder is a serious crime and in reading this story young readers become acquainted with the deductive and methodical system of reasoning.Education is advanced when "Murder on the Orient Express" is required reading in class.

A classic murder mystery
This is a classic murder mystery, and the details are well known to readers, i.e., a man murdered on a train trapped by a snowstorm.I watched a film adaptation on PBS.It is an excellent story that keeps you guessing to the end about people's identities and motives.The film ended with Poirot facing a moral dilemma, and as he walks off you are not entirely sure what he has done.Well written and well acted.

Mystery of the Sloppy Editing
When I download a free text for my Kindle, and I encounter a typo, I understand that it was proofread by volunteers, and that it's all part of the deal. But I paid for this book, and the number of typos in it was astounding. The most common error I found was in spacing -- words run together -- but I also found errors in punctuation. There was one place where the first half of a sentence was missing altogether.

The publishers would not, presumably, put up with this kind of sloppy editing in a print version. What makes them think it's OK to put out an electronic version with this many errors? ... Read more

Product Description
Linnet Doyle is young, beautiful, and rich. She's the girl who has everything—including the man her best friend loves. Linnet and her new husband take a cruise on the Nile, where they meet the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot. It should be an idyllic trip, yet Poirot has a vague, uneasy feeling that something is dangerously amiss...

... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Has there been a murder ???
It sometimes felt like watching Craig Ferguson's "murder she wrote" - without the scottish humor, the style feels old fashioned (in the bad sense of it), the mystery/murder sequence seem dull compared to the violence we're flooded with these days.
Not the best Agatha Christie in my opinion; despite its "classic among the classics" tag, "And then they were none" would be the one I'd recommend to put in the suitcase heading to that desert island of indispensable books because its plot is so much more revolutionary than this one.

Playing my own devil's advocate though, I gotta say the last Poirot I had read was during my teenage years, some 20 years ago, but, despite the style's simplicity, the heavy impressions the plot made on a - then - young person are still vivid today - I guess Agatha wasn't the queen of crime for nothing, there's something genius in the simplicity, the mathematical, cold analysis of the human dark side.

So all in all, as an adult, it still is a good read to fall asleep onto, you turn the pages (too ?) quickly and before you know it, all is well that ends...ooops. Mysteriously!

This Review Refers to the Audio Version
Though I think that David Suchet does well in his portrayal of Hercule Poirot in the TV show, he does an abominable job as the narrator of Death on the Nile. The voices with which he chose to endow some of the characters were ridiculous and ill-fitting. In particular, Colonel Race comes off sounding like a doofus with a speech impediment, which does not describe him at all. You'd think that Suchet or at least one other person had read The Man in the Brown Suit or Cards on the Table and gotten some idea of Race's character--and therefore what he might sound like when he spoke. Yeesh.

Peaceful Holiday
Hercule Poirot plans a case free holiday voyage down the Nile, but the shooting death of a beautiful young heiress on her honeymoon calls him from relaxation to work. The appearance of his friend Inspector Race who is following another case is an unexpected pleasure as the two men work well together.
Agatha Christie once refers to her work with her husband in archaeology during the course of the investigation. The boat is loaded with suspects who would gain from the girl's death, but her arch enemy could not have committed the murder.
Two other passengers who saw a killer are killed before Poirot can concluded his investigation. Several subplots play around in the shadows and are resolved before the final climax.
I've never known why Hollywood must rewrite Christie, but the movie by the same name only uses the names of characters with a tiny thread of the story. The book is much richer.
Nash Black, author whose books are available as Kindle editions.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County Novel

The Thrill of Being Teased
I picked up this book a few days ago and it is the first Agatha Christie novel I have read. On the back cover, there is a commentary that reads, "She [Agatha] places her characters face downwards like playing cards, shuffles them with cunning hands, and time after time we point to the wrong card." I didn't realize how true this was until every one of my stabs at identifying the murderer in the novel proved to be untrue. The character development in the novel is splendid, and the plethora of suspects makes the "guessing game" quite intriguing. The first half of the book sets the stage for the murder of Linnet Ridgeway, heir to a multi-millionaire's estate. Linnet marries her best friend's fiance, Simon Doyle, and pays the price as her old friend shows up on her honeymoon cruise to exact her revenge. From this troubled friend to various other passengers aboard the ship, Poirot has to pick the murderer. This is the point in the novel when you start to develop your own theories, and find yourself in awe as Poirot investigates each and every possible theory, makes you almost certain of your initial guess, and then taunts you by telling you your guess is wrong. The search for the culprit becomes increasingly fascinating as several other sub-plots serve to complicate the events on the night of the murder; a fellow investigator, for instance, joins Poirot in search of a serial killer aboard the ship.

Various anomalies in the description of the events preceding and following the murder of Linnet, as given by the passengers on board, prompts Poirot to probe into their secret lives, and leave you thirsty for the ultimate answer as you find yourself helpless in putting the book down.

All in all, this is one enjoyable read.

Classic Mystery
This was my first Hercule Poirot novel and I found it to be quite a good read. The story follows a wealthy American heiress on her honeymoon. It seems she stole her husband from a good friend of hers and that friend is now stalking the two of them as they travel through Egypt. Before too long, the heiress is murdered and Hercule Poirot is called upon to find the culprit. It turns out that the jilted lover is only the most obvious suspect.But virtually everyone around them had a motive and Poirot must sift through all the pieces to find his killer.

The characters are interesting and we definitely learn more about them and their motivations as the story unfolds.Relatively little is what it seems to be on the surface and it is up to the vacationing Poirot to untangle this complex web.Poirot himself is filled with charm and idiosyncrasies as he goes about his work.Reading this book, it is very easy to understand his popularity.The story moves along at a strong pace and is peppered with dialogue that remains witty and charming even after so many decades have passed since this book was written.

Even though my suspicion about the solution to the crime proved to be true, there were more than enough details that I had not worked out that I was still very interested in the reveal at the end.Based on my enjoyment of "Death on the Nile" I have already ordered more novels starring the inimitable Poirot and look forward to reading them. ... Read more

Product Description
A Gothic mansion, a band of delinquent boys, a squandered family fortune, and a brutal murder. Who can tie all this together? Miss Jane Marple and Agatha Christie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

No Detail Left Dangling
As in all her books, Agatha Christie leaves no detail dangling.Carrie Louise, one of Jane Marple's old schoolchums, seems a little out of touch with reality.What is perfectly obvious to everyone else is totally untrue to her.At the end Dame Christie explains how Jane figured out the crime by paying attention to Carrie Louise's supposed nonsense.Also, as usual the book is sprinkled with wise insights into human character.
The story is about a couple of do-gooders (Carrie Louise and her third husband Lewis) who believe that young criminals can be rehabilitated with the right opportunity and set up a hospital to do just that.One of the members of the Board of Directors shows up unexpectedly and is shot to death that night.The prime suspect is the American outsider, who is married to Carrie Louise's granddaugher (by adoption).Of course, everyone present -- lots of relatives -- is suspected.Lewis finally reveals that the Director came to warn them that someone was trying to poison Carrie Louise with arsenic and was unfortunately murdered before he could identify the culprit.Carrie Louise is very rich, having benefitted from her two prior marriages, and from her natural birth.So any of her children, stepchildren, grandchildren, etc., would have a reason to murder her.Everyone is sure Lewis did not do it because he loves her too much.
Christie's plots are always wonderful, but her comment on society make her books a cut above all others.For me, she's the best writer who ever lived.

More like 3.5 stars...
Sisters Carrie and Ruth are two of Miss Marple's oldest friends - and it's at the behest of Ruth that Jane accepts an invitation to visit Carrie, because of Ruth's worries that something is not quite right in that household. When she arrives, she discovers any number of potential reasons for Ruth's unease - the delinquents Carrie and and her husband Lewis are attempting to rehabilitate, the flirtatious granddaughter and her sullen husband, and the controlling housekeeper who may or may not have Carrie's best interest at heart - just to name a few of the potential suspects. When Carrie's stepson is murdered with little apparent reason, it becomes frighteningly apparent that the universally loved Carrie's life might be threatened. The entire situation is a shell game, and Miss Marple and the local Inspector must work to unravel the truth from the lies before Carrie becomes a victim of her own benevolent, trusting nature.

They Do It With Mirrors has many of the elements of a classic Christie mystery. The setting is tightly contained to a well-off family home - a family where everything *should* be perfect, but everyone has their secrets. Everything's very genteel, but that veneer of proper English respectability masks some pretty passionate familial discord. In the best Dame Agatha Christie fashion, this cast of characters gives her plenty of opportunity to pack the story with red herrings and misdirection. As far as the actual mystery goes - this story falls a bit short when compared to some of Christie's other gems. The culprit becomes apparent rather early on, which is kind of surprising, but it allows Christie to take a look at their motivations and how exactly this "conjuring trick" of a murder was seemingly so flawlessly executed. What's more interesting for me than the actual case is the analysis of Carrie's character, and how this woman who never seemed to have a good grasp of reality sees situations and people much clearer than others. Enjoyable (aren't all Christies?), but not a runaway favorite.

Murder with Mirrors
Something about Carrie Louise seemed peculiar to Ruth Van Rydock. Ruth could not, however, figure out just what was wrong.Who better to turn to than Jane Marple, a mutual friend, keen observer and amateur sleuth.On Ruth's request Miss Marple travels to Stonygates, Carrie Louise's home and a reformatory for delinquent boys.Here she finds an odd collection of people, strange behavior and, ultimately, a mysterious death.Miss Marple will need to think quickly if she intends to find the killer before Carrie becomes the next victim.

Much of the setting of this mystery will be familiar to readers of Agatha Christie's other works.Our players are set in large mansion, nearly all in a room together, apart from the room in which the murder actually occurred.Several persons have reason to kill, the others are probably even more suspicious.Christie succeeds, as usual, in keeping the reader scratching his head until very near the final reveal.

The "flair" here is the boys reformatory, which provides a backdrop and a potential source of alternate perpetrators.Very little about the setting, however, appears complete.Indeed, not only the setting, but nearly everything about this book lacks the depth of characterization one expects from a Christie novel.The characters are flat, the scenes are underutilized and the investigation plods.Eminently readable, but not one of Christie's best efforts.

WILL SOMEONE LET THE WOMAN SPEAK?
What "improvements" have been made for the Signet edition?There are already major differences in punctuation, word choices, and scene breaks between the original Collins and Dodd Mead (MURDER WITH MIRRORS) editions of this novel. There are further differences between the Dodd Mead editions republished by Random House/Avenel and the Dodd Mead editions republished by Simon & Shuster/Pocket.There are further additions still in the Bantam, Berkley, and Black Dog & Leventhal editions.For every publishing house putting out her works, there seem to be a new batch of editors altering Agatha Christie's words and the sound of her voice.What's the matter with these publishers? Whose voice do they think we want to hear when we sit down to a novel by Agatha Christie? And what will she sound like twenty years from now? It's frightening that her estate has failed to see the importance of guarding her words as she wrote them.Please tell me I'm not the only one here who senses that a crime has been committed.

Complex Yet Simple
Miss Jane Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the quaint village of St. Mary Mead. However, unlike most of her peers, murder seems to follow her wherever she goes! In "Murder with Mirrors" (also published under the title "They Do It with Mirrors"), Miss Marple is approached by childhood friend Ruth Van Rydock. It seems that something is wrong with Ruth's sister, Carrie Louise.

Under the pretense of being poor, Miss Marple visits Carrie Louise at her home. Stonygates is more than a house, however; it is a rehabilitation facility for juvenile offenders, run by Carrie's husband Lewis. Just as Miss Marple settles in and begins to unravel what is wrong with Carrie, Lewis is taken hostage by one of the "patients" and Carrie's step-son is murdered.

In typical Agatha Christie fashion, the mystery is complex yet simple. And while the novel is definitely not her best, it still surpasses most work published today. ... Read more

Product Description
Sure, actress Jane Wilkinson wants out of a miserable marriage, but is she guilty of stabbing her way out of it? She claims she's innocent. Hercule Poirot wonders if she's giving the performance of a lifetime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Books like "Lord Edgware Dies" illustrates the genius of Agatha Christie and her Belgian detective Poirot
Lord Edgware Dies (aka" Thirteen at Dinner") was first published in the U.K. in 1933 by William Collins. The novel is intricate and puzzling requiring the genius of Belgian detective Hercule Poirot to solve. During the course of the short work there are three gruesome murders.
The plot: Captain Hastings (who narrates the story serving as Dr. Watson to Poirot's Sherlock Holmes) and retired Belgian police detective the inimitable Hercule Poirot attend a London performance of American entertainer Carlotta Adams. Adams is adept at imitations and does a wonderful impersonation of popular actress Jane Wilkinson. Following the performance, Jane tells Poirot during a meal that she would do anything to divorce her wealthy and despicable husband the elderly Lord Edgware. Jane is in love with the Durke of Merton. Wilkinson tells Poirot she would resort to murder in her desire to escape from marital captivity to Edgware. Jane is egocentric, man made and concerned only about her theatrical and motion picture career. She is anything but likeable!
Poirot has a meeting with the eccentric Edgware who confides to the detective that he would grant a divorce to Jane. Later that night the unfortunate Edgware is murdered. Jane was attending a dinner party where 13 guests are present. She, therefore, seems to have a full proof alibi!However, Edgware's secretary tells Poirot she saw Jane
dressed in black on the night of the foul deed. Whodunit? Along the way two of the victims are stabbed by a corn knife at the base of the skull while another person is murdered by the use of the drug veronal.
The nettlesome case involves love gone awry, greed and serial murder. It was written in the early 1930s when Agatha Christie was at the height of her considerable powers to weave a mystery tale. Enjoy this excellent Hercule Poirot novel!

Many Motives for Murder
"Lord Edgware Dies" is a somewhat baffling case, even for the genius that is Hercule Poirot.When the actress Jane Wilkinson, also known as Lady Edgware, declares that she must get rid of her husband, she is automatically suspect number one when her husband turns up dead.Yet Poirot believes her unconnected with the crime and turns his grey cells to the myraid other characters who could also have wanted this cold and uncaring man dead.

This is due to the fact that Jane Wilkinson has an alibi that is unshakeable, having been present at a dinner party on the night of the murder.But Poirot has an explanation for this: there is no way Jane Wilkinson would've announced her presence so grandly when going to kill her husband, but someone impersonating her might have, like a fellow actress.When that actress turns up dead, Poirot knows he is on the right track, but too many signs point to the wrong people, at least according to Poirot.The other suspects include the nephew of the late Lord Edgware who has a seemingly iron proof alibi for the night of the murder, but a dire need for funds that make him a perfect suspect.Lord Edgware's daughter, Geraldine, did not love her father and may have finally carried out her hate through the ultimate act.And could it be possible that the only motive was that someone merely wanted to see Jane Wilkinson framed for the murder of her husband so that she could suffer?With time running out, Poirot knows he must find the answers to all these questions.

Narrated by Poirot's companion Captain Hastings, "Lord Edgware Dies" is a mystery that will keep readers turning the page.It may be easy for readers to figure out who the murderer is, but not for them to figure out the entire story behind the murder."Lord Edgware Dies" shows its time more than some of Christie's other works, especially with some very dated stereotyping of other races, but the mystery at the heart of the story holds up in any time period.

Typical Christie
This is standard Christie, entertaining stuff, but nothing new. Actually, I'm just writing this review to see if my new settings work.

standard good time with Poirot, with a couple of elements that set it apart
Poirot and Hastings are lounging around when - once again - there is a murder!In this story we have a hardened husband, a glamorous actress wife, an expert impressionist (i.e., impersonator), and so on.I read this in about 24 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.It stood out from other encounters I've had with Hercule Poirot (all the novels and stories published previous to this one) in a couple of ways.

1. This is the first Poirot book I've read in which I got to the end and really thought that the twist should have occurred to me.
2. Inspector Japp, Poirot's friend from Scotland Yard, is transformed in this book into a much more arrogant, silly character than he was in earlier Poirot books, always pretending the good ideas are his and consistently insulting Poirot while seeking his help.

And a final thought:I don't know why the ever endearing Hastings (and I do enjoy Poirot more when he walks with Hastings) keeps questioning if Poirot is losing his skills.He's not losing them, Arthur!He's never losing them!Figure it out already!

A Master of the Whodunit
I began reading Ms. Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries in the order in which she wrote them. This was the eighth story in the series. Once again, Ms. Christie shows why she was, arguably, the world's greatest mystery writer. Her tightly written whodunit, told through the eyes of Hercule Poirot's friend, Captain Hastings, allows the befuddled reader to view the famous sleuth with awe. The novel is constantly entertaining with many clues and diversions to keep the reader guessing. If you enjoy a good mystery, you could do no better than this book. ... Read more

Product Description
When an old lady with no enemies is bludgeoned to death, suspicion falls on her lodger who has no alibi. With every piece of evidence working against him, he has only one hope: Hercule Poirot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Fast delivery and good story.
Package arrived quickly and in good shape.I am a big Agatha Christie fan and this story is a good one.Hugh Fraser reads it beautifully.

"Where Are These Women Now?"
Hercule Poirot should be enjoying his retirement; but both boredom and the inability to have more than three meals per day mean that he's somewhat discontent. Then he gets a visit from Superintendent Spence, who has some troubling news to present to Poirot. Almost a year ago an elderly charwoman named Mrs McGinty was found dead in her home, and her gloomy, introverted lodger has just been found guilty of her murder. But Spence is not entirely convinced of his guilt, based on nothing more than the man's passive temperament. He simply doesn't *seem* the sort of man to kill an elderly woman.

Poirot agrees to look into the case, and travels to the small village of Broadhinny to investigate, choosing to be open and candid about his actions (and more confident than he really feels) in the hopes that it will stir the murderer into giving themselves away. And yet, there seems to be absolutely nothing worth investigating. Mrs McGinty was a thoroughly uninteresting woman who worked in several houses as a cleaning lady. Nobody seemed to gain anything from her death, and she herself was a somewhat reclusive figure. It seems a hopeless case.

And yet this only spurs Poirot on. As he points out, the fact that the victim and the crime are so painfully ordinary points to one logical conclusion: that the murderer must be quite extraordinary. And so it is when he goes through the dead woman's belongings that he discovers something interesting...evidence that perhaps Mrs McGinty knew something about one of her employers that they had hoped was buried deep in the past.

About halfway through, Poirot is joined by the familiar face of Ariadne Oliver, the novelist who has come to oversee the adaptation of one of her novels into a play. As always, Christie manages to insert a bit of her own attitudes toward authorship into this reoccurring character. In this case, Ariadne is in agony over the changes a playwright wants to make over her characters and situations, as well as frustration at how much she dislikes her own protagonist (reflecting Christie's own feelings toward the somewhat pompous, fastidious Poirot). She also alludes to a gaff Christie made in an earlier book Death in the Clouds (Hercule Poirot), in which she made a blowpipe one foot long, instead of six (and the reader who wrote to inform her especially of this).

Named after a children's game, "Mrs McGinty's Dead" is a village mystery, usually reserved for Christie's other famous detective, Miss Marple. By putting Poirot in this setting, Christie makes this a more comedic effort thanks to the Belgian's rather miserable stay in a guest house. As with all of Christie's novels, this is an entertaining read throughout, with plenty of suspicious characters, intriguing relationships and plenty of red herrings. Perhaps not her best or most memorable work, but as always, a great read for a wintry night.

One of the best of Christie's 50s work
More re-reading of Christie continues. I'm reading the original 1st edition. (I'm tending to avoid paperback reprints since I just learned many of them have been edited, re-punctuated and expurgated, esp. the versions published from 1990 to the present.) Agatha was quite funny in this one.I laughed out loud several times. Of course Mrs. oliver is in this one and she's meant to be a parody of Agatha herself.So there's bound to be a few laughs at the outset.And in the subplot Ariadne Oliver is collaborating with Robin Upward, the insufferable egotistical playwright, who wants to re-write one of her novels as a marketable action-oriented entertainment with a matinee idol playing her middle-aged Finnish detective.Hysterical scenes.Also, Poirot must stay in a chaotic guesthouse run by a scatterbrained woman who serves up inedible meals.She bleeds into a bowl of green beans and says, "Still it won't matter... Things are always all right if you boil them, aren't they?"Poirot replies: "I think that I shall not be in for lunch."LOL!This also has the insanely constructed mixed metaphor of Poirot's that concludes Chapter 6. As far as the mystery story goes it's intricately plotted with lots of shifting between suspects and uses as a framework Christie's trademark motif of the nearly forgotten crime in the past. In this case, actually several crimes committed by several women. For a novel writtten in 1951 with the bulk of her work behind her and only 22 more books left to go this one is a nice throwback to the masterful and devious plots she concocted in her heyday of the late 20s - mid 40s.I think it's one of the best Poirot books from her middle period.People who crab about the "unfairness" of the solution simply weren't paying attention.More than 30 years after I first read this book as a teen I clearly saw the two main clues pointed out very early in the book that would lead anyone to the correct identity of the murderer.

WILL SOMEONE LET THE WOMAN SPEAK?
What "improvements" have been made for the Berkley edition?There are already major differences in punctuation, word choices, and scene breaks between the original Collins and Dodd Mead editions of this novel. There are further differences between the Dodd Mead editions republished by Random House/Avenel and the Dodd Mead editions republished by Simon & Shuster/Pocket.There are further differences still in the Signet, Bantam, and Black Dog & Leventhal editions.For every publishing house putting out her works, there seem to be a new batch of editors altering Agatha Christie's words and the sound of her voice.What's the matter with these publishers? Whose voice do they think we want to hear when we sit down to a novel by Agatha Christie? And what will she sound like twenty years from now? It's frightening that her estate has failed to see the importance of guarding her words as she wrote them.Please tell me I'm not the only one here who senses that a crime has been committed.

FILIAL LOVE
Written in 1950, MRS. MCGINTY'S DEAD was published for the first time in 1951. I like a lot this novel because Hercule Poirot appears at last as a human being in it. So we learn that the illustrious detective feels very old and that he appreciates the haute cuisine, particularly cooked snails. Look also for the character of Ariadne Oliver, Agatha Christie's literary double. The thoughts she formulates about Sven Hjerson, the detective appearing in her own novels, leave a bitter taste in the mouth considering the fact that Agatha Christie could say the same words speaking of Hercule Poirot. ... Read more

Product Description
Hercule Poirot is vacationing on the Cornish coast when he meets Nick Buckly. Nick is the young and reckless mistress of End House, an imposing structure perched on the rocky cliffs of St. Loo.

Customer Reviews (24)

Escaping Death
Agatha Christie's sleuth, Hercule Poirot is a singular creation.Often conceited by his great intelligence, Poirot is stumped for the longest time in "Peril at End House".Even though he has retired, again, he finds himself caught up in the case of the beautiful Miss Nick Buckley, who has escaped three near-fatal "accidents" in three days."Peril at End House" reunites Poirot with his friend Captain Hastings, and is filled with Christie's usual twists and turns as Poirot tries to stop a murderer before it is too late.

Knowing that Nick Buckley's brushes with death were no accident, Poirot takes it upon himself to protect her and find out who may really want her dead.He knows immediately that it cannot be a stranger, so he looks into the intimate circle of friends surrounding Nick.There is her friend, Frederica Rice, who stands to gain from the will Nick had drawn up earlier in the year.There is Frederica's lover, Jim Lazarus, whose business may be in a shabby state of affairs.Also, there is her cousin, Charles Vyse, a lawyer who will surely inherit the family home.And then there is also Commander Challenger, a Navy officer in love with Nick, but it is a love that is unrequited.Yet Nick Buckley lives in the heavily mortgaged End House and has very little money of her own - why would anyone want to see her dead to gain money if there was no money to gain?When murder does occur at End House, Poirot begins to wonder if there is more to the matter of inheritance than he at first considered.

All of these characters and all of the questions concerning them stump the great Hercule Poirot (and the reader) until the very end.The conclusion is a clever and surprising finish."Peril at End House" is a delightful mystery, one that will have readers guessing for the longest time and gasping when the truth is finally revealed.After all, appearances can be deceiving.

Oh My!
As the author of Peril on the Katy Trail I was curious to find out more about Peril at End House.This book was showing up at the top of the search list whenever I typed Peril.Who else had used the word Peril in a title and who was so popular?

Oh My!Imagine my surprise quickly followed by a smile.Peril at End House was written by Agatha Christie!I immediately understood the attraction.So I obtained a copy and began to read.I am glad I did.

Peril at End House is a classic Hercule Poirot mystery.The primary strengths are in the plotting and mystery.From the very beginning the reader is intrigued and captivatedby wondering the who and why.

Another strength is the description of the location.I found myself wanting to travel there to enjoy the ambiance.Perhaps to enjoy high tea.

For me, the use of occasional phrases in French slowed the reading.Many of the obvious were quickly translated.However, a few references to a French dictionary were necessitated for a complete comprehension.

I enjoyed reading Peril at End House and now understand why it is usually first on the search list when typing the word Peril.

Hercule Poirot Stumbles Across a Difficult Challenge
This book is exactly what you come to expect from an Agatha Christie mystery, but with a change in Hercule Poirot, the famous detective and star of this mystery series. He has just retired and is slowly settling into a quiet, calm life of leisure and is refusing to be called back into duty. His mind, he thinks, is made up. However, a new mystery finds him, small and subtle at first, then shows itself to have a sinister meaning. He can't help but observe that which is right in front of him, and without meaning to, he is drawn into its web, and begins to apply his detective skills.

The great Hercule Poirot, who is known far and wide for his unmatched detective skills, can't resist asking one question, then another, then another. A perplexing and potentially deadly set of circumstances takes shape, and his concern for the wellbeing of a young woman he happens to meet, leads him to investigate. However, the motives and players behind this mystery prove themselves difficult for him to ascertain. Where he was always bursting with confidence and assuredness in his perceptions, skills, and outcomes, he is now struggling with something unfamiliar to him - a shaky self-confidence that worsens and lingering uncertainty. He finds himself bumbling about without meaning to. As events unfold, he feels powerless to stop them. His once sharp and nearly infallible intellect and investigative skills seem to be outmatched. His frustration grows and so do his mistakes, missteps, and incorrect assumptions.

With its intriguing twists and turns, Peril at End House is a very engaging and rewarding mystery tale and will be sure to please die-hard Agatha Christie fans as well as those new to the stories.

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

not one of my favorites but STILL worth reading
I love Agatha Christie's books and think they are all worth reading.It's very difficult to even come up with my top 10, but I can say this one is not in contention...the story itself was terrific and captivating (I want to go on vacation to these places), but the ending had pieces that weren't tied into the story as well as she normally pulls it off.With that said, it's a great read.

Great reading fun
It is always such great fun to read a Dame Agatha. This one had a nice twist! I am pleased to be able to get hardbacks for such a low price. They seem to be well-made. ... Read more

Product Description
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford adopt the methods and manners of every major literary detective from Hercule Poirot to Sherlock Holmes to piece together an increasingly complex series of delightfully different-and deadly-misdeeds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Tommy and Tuppence are young marrieds in this flapper era froth from the pen of the prolific Agatha Christie
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford have been married for six years. They first met as blackmailers in the 1922 Christie novel "The Secret Adversary.' The two have been involved in secret service work and have survived World War I. They live in Bloomsbury in London as the book begins. Tommy is employed in a mundane desk job for the British Intelligence Agency. Tuppence (nee Prudence Cowley) is a bright young socialite who is bored with daily life longing for excitement and danger.
The British Intelligence Agency asks the Bersefords to assume aliases as they take over the Blunt Detective Agency. Mr. Blunt was arrested for engaging in espionage for the Russian Communist regime. The Bersefords begin their work with gusto taking on several knotty criminal cases. They imitate the techniques of famous detectives such as Christie's Hercule Poirot and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
There are several cases which the twosome solve during the course of the 215 page book. This is very lightweight Christie but her ingenious mind does use her "little grey cells" enough to keep her inquisitive readers guessing
"whodunit?". Light! Entertaining! Fun! Enjoy yourselves with a few hours with Tommy and Tuppence!

Not up to snuff.
I love the Tommy and Tuppence stories by Agatha Christie but this particular book was disappointing.They take over a detective agency for Mr Carter and solve cases while working on the spy case.It is like a series of short stories and not up to Agatha Christie's usual expertise.

Partners in Fiction and Life
Agatha Christie's team of detectives, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, return in their second mystery "Partners in Crime" a collection of short stories featuring the young sleuths.Although happily married for several years, Tuppence still craves adventure and Christie offers plenty of it in this collection of generally lighthearted stories.

Tuppence's craving for adventure meets its satisfaction when a superior from Scotland Yard asks them to front the Blunt Detective Agency, pretending to be Blunt and his associate in an effort to capture a criminal gang from Russia.The Beresfords jump at the opportunity, with Tommy augmenting his sleuthing abilities by studying the great fictional masters, like Sherlock Holmes and even Hercule Poirot.Many of the stories are interconnected, such as "The Clergyman's Daughter" which begins with a tale about a possible poltergeist forcing a poor young woman to sell the house she inherited, that then ends in The Red House" when Tommy and Tuppence discover the natural reason behind the supernatural events.Other standouts include "Finessing the King"/"The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper" where a murder at a costume party has all fingers pointing in the wrong direction, and "The Man in the Mist" where Tommy and Tuppence encounter a possible ghost in connection with a strange murder.

"Partners in Crime" is an enjoyable and easy read.Tommy and Tuppence are definitely likable characters, and while the stories are rather dated, the wordplay and sheer fun that these two characters have is infectious.It is not by far Christie's best work, but it is an enjoyable departure from her regular sleuths, Poirot and Miss Marple.

A book of short mysteries
This is a collection of short mysteries in which Tommy and Tuppence work their way through posing as detectives owning their own agency, as asked by Scotland Yard, to catch a mean suspect.Tommy and Tuppence are wonderful characters.They have great humor and love to pick on each other.I really enjoyed the teasing of each other.And this lovely couple act out different detectives for each case, based on what they know of the case.You really get a small glimps of how they see other detectives in the books.

Easy raeding for entertainment
I love Agatha Christie books but had never read the Tommy and Tuppence series. I read Thje Secret Adversary first and then ordered the rest of the series. Partners in Crime is really a bunch of short stories featuring Tommy and Tuppence and their various adventures. The two sleuths remind me of Mr and Mrs Peale from the old TV series. Very entertaining and fun to read. I especially like that the stories are short ---- I read every night to relax into sleep.
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. ... Read more

Product Description
An emaciated stranger approaches Hercule Poirot, shouts a warning about "the big four" and drops dead. Who knew Poirot's inquiry into the man's odd behavior would lead to an underground laboratory, an insane asylum, and rumors of a secret weapon? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (65)

More like 007 than Hercule Poirot
Of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot novels, "The Big Four" is one of the easiest reads, probably due to the fact that it's really an action/adventure story rather than the usual mystery. The storytelling, for that is what it truly is, is simple and straight-forward. There are no real clues to follow as there is no real mystery: the evil-doers are revealed early in the narrative. All that's left is to hang on for the ride as Poirot and Hastings embark on an adventure worthy of a James Bond movie. If you're looking for entertainmet, you've found it. If it's a Poirot mystery you want, look elsewhere.

Murder by Numbers
While Agatha Christie is certainly the queen of mystery writers, her puzzles involving international political intrigues are not the strongest novels in her repertoire.Such is the case with "The Big Four" a disjointed Hercule Poirot novel that finds the famed Belgian sleuth trying to identify and defeat the nefarious schemes of an international group that calls itself the Big Four.Narrated by Captain Hastings, this Agatha Christie mystery is a quick and pleasant read, but definitely not one of her best.

The novel begins with Captain Hastings, Poirot's former sidekick who has been living in South America, returning to England to pay a surprise visit to his friend.Imagine his surprise when he discovers that Poirot is on his way to South American for an investigation, but before he leaves Poirot realizes that the trip is merely a ruse to get him out of the country.What follows is a prolonged game of cat and mouse as Hastings and Poirot try to uncover the identities and plots of the Big Four.Each side trades victories before everything comes to a unique climax that sees Hercule Poirot a changed man.

In her autobiography Christie mentioned that "The Big Four" originally began as a series of short stores and that she refashioned them to work as a novel.It is still very easy to see the short story element in each chapter, its own little puzzle that is solved but always connected to the Big Four, which accounts for its disjointed nature.While a pleasant read with some intriguing solutions to the many problems that Hastings and Poirot face, "The Big Four" is definitely not up to Christie's usual par.

Square Peg in a Round Hole
Agatha Christie is generally a truly excellent writer, but I think she made a mistake when she sent Poirot on this tale on international intrigue. The story seems to take place over too long a period of time, snaking all over the world in loosely linked (but well-solved) cases. Generally, Poirot goes better "armchair detecting", solving a local small mystery in a week or so. The plot seemed a little too snaky, and the ending seemed forced and a little awkward. Perhaps a little more backstory, especially with Countess Vera Rossakoff, would improve this one. I also got rather tired of hearing about vile Oriental fiends, which seemed to feature prominently in the story, even for 1930...

Quite possibly the worst Poirot book ever.
As a mystery writer Agatha Christie has her fans and her detractors. Many people love her cleverness and attention to detail taking readers back to by gone ages in England. And some, to be fair, get frustrated at what seem all to often to be her `cheats' that make it impossible for the reader to figure out the criminal ahead of time, the `Murder of Roger Ackroyd' springs to mind at that.However with her creation of Hercule Poirot she certainly brought to life one of the great literary detectives of all time, and then promptly wasted him in this clap trap.

The problem is that for some reason Christie broke Poirot out of his usual comfort zone and while for some characters this can be invigorating, for Poirot it is a shambles. Most of the stories of Poirot, either full length novels or short stories are either about murder, kidnapping or the theft of gems or stocks or plans. In "The Big Four" he is pitted against a group of criminal masterminds who are "out to rule the world."

What follows is a series of mini-adventures as Poirot and his redoubtable companion, Captain Hastings, confront and foil the plans of the Big Four building to a final conflict. Murder, kidnapping and such all prevented or at least lessened by the agile mind of the little Belgian. Unfortunately it all feels rushed and lacks the charm of the other Poirot stories which carefully sets the unfolding scene for the resolution. This seems more like a harsh version of the Amazing Race where the task is completed and off to the next. indeed a careful attention to the dates related will show that in some cases the villain is in different places at the same time.

Overall is the sense of wrongness to the whole idea of the book. Poirot usually solves what another literary detective's brother called "the petty cases of the police courts." To be suddenly in an almost Lovecraftian conspiracy of global proportions is so jarring a separation from the usual stories that it just doesn't work. You aren't captivated by the tale because you are over come with a sense of wrongness, not of the evil Poirot faces but of the contest he is caught up in that doesn't fit with his world.

In the end this is quite probably the worst Poirot story Christie penned, not because of `cheats' or little tricks but because it is so very different from it's brethren that it hardly seems to be from the same author. If you like this, it will bare little resemblance to the other stories and reading them you will feel cheated. If you like the other sotries then this will just feel...wrong.

Less Usual but Just as Reliable
Published in 1927, this is a relatively early mystery involving Poirot and Hastings.It's the jazz age and when a visiting American is offered a drink in England, he regards it and says, "Your English customs are sound."

I haven't quite finished it but so far it's left a few impressions worth noting -- not that I am an Agatha Christie completist.

In this one, Poirot smacks a little of Sherlock Holmes.He traces footprints back and forth from the cottage that is a murder scene to the road and deduces that one pair of boots made two trips back and forth because one bloodyfootstep going towards the cottage is imprinted OVER a bloody footstep leading away from the cottage.That sort of thing.And Poirot has an equally intelligent but indolent brother, Achilles.

Here, the murders aren't committed for the usual reasons -- hatred or greed.There is an international conspiracy of masterminds -- Professor Moriarty, except that this is four people wrapped up in one all-powerful organization.

It's somewhat more physical than most other Christies.Hercule Poirot is jumped upon, gagged, and tied up in a garden.Hastings is too -- twice.And somebody uses martial arts on poor Hastings!And his wife is kidnapped and threatened by a "Chink."The two are gassed into unconsciousness.Hastins is blown up by an exploding matchbox.(Why, oh why, did Hastings stick around?)

The structure is relatively new.The usual pattern is that one or two murders are committed and by the end of the story Poirot has exercised his little gray cells to solve the mystery.Here there are several murders, robberies, and solutions antecedent to the Big One.At at any rate, I'm presuming he disposes of the whole complicated scheme in a climactic explanation.

Poirot's English isn't as evolved as it would be ten years later and he throws in more French expressions.

I don't feel exactly enthralled by it, but I'm engaged and I look forward to getting back to it and finishing it.So far, it's been several discontinuous dots and I'm waiting for them to be connected.

... Read more

Product Description
Famous painter Amyas Crale's wife was sentenced to life in prison for murdering him. Now, after sixteen years, their daughter has presented Hercule Poirot with a challenge: clear her mother's name by returning to the scene of the murder to find out the shocking truth behind the perfect crime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Fantastic Poirot mystery!
Ranking as one of the best Hercule Poirot novels, "Five Little Pigs" takes the reader on a true psychological adventure worthy of the great detective. Following Poirot's favorite dictum, Christie methodically walks the reader through the events of a nearly two decade old murder through the eyes of the five principle witnesses... and suspects. The unconventional presentation of the facts of the case help cast the reader into Poirot's shoes, and Christie's marvelous character development leaves you wondering until the very end what actually happened that fateful September day. Truly one of Agatha Christie's finest literary works!

As Unexpected As Always
Once again, Agatha Christie has succeeded in giving me all the facts I needed, yet completely blindsiding me with the solution. A brilliant tale from a brilliant author. The only (very slight) problem I could see was a strange progression of the story - you got bits and pieces and it was at times hard to keep things straight. However, this only happened once or twice. On the whole, it's a worthwhile read for any Christie fan.

A Little Slow, But A Nice Deduction by Poirot
I have always been a bit torn over this book. The underlying plot and the solution and reasoning the Poirot comes up with is rather fascinating, but the retrospective format of the book makes it a tough read at times. I am a Christie fan, but this is certainly not one of her better books.

In this book Poirot is engaged by a young lady whose mother was convicted of murdering her father some years ago. The child grew up with relatives, and was too young to remember the incident at the time. When she comes of age, she finds out the "truth" and wants Poirot to clear her mothers name before she gets married. The reminder of the book is mostly composed of either written accounts of the murder, or interviews with the principal characters. The problem is that much of the information is almost given twice, in that Poirot interviews the subjects, and then has them provide a written account. The book moves slowly, and is really not very interesting even when Christie throws out some obvious clues. The one thing about this book is that the mystery is very solvable by the reader. I head guessed at least some of the major points before the classic Poirot wrap-up. I did, however, still find the final solution interesting and Poirot's reasoning interesting as well.

Overall, not a great Poirot book, but not a waste of time!

A lesser entry in the Poirot canon
Five Little Pigs follows Hercule Poirot as he tries to solve a murder from sixteen years in the past. A young woman comes to him and tells him the story of her parents. It seems that her mother was convicted of the murder of her father and died in prison a year later. The young lady was just a little girl at the time but she strongly believes that her mother was innocent and wants Poirot to prove it. Poirot then approaches the five key witnesses one at a time and interviews them about the events surrounding the murder to piece together what happened.

In some respects, this is a very typical Poirot novel. The murder occurs at an estate, there are a relative handful of people who could have done it, etc. But Christies attempted a major change in structure by setting the murder sixteen years in the past. I wish I could say that this was more effective but there were some very negative ramifications of this choice. First, readers must read descriptions of the same events, almost word for word, several times over as Poirot hears from each witness in turn. These conversations and events are not sufficiently fascinating to make this enjoyable. Second, in many of these interviews, there is a definite detachment to the narrative due to the amount of time that has passed. Despite the tempestuous nature of the husband/wife relationship this makes for a story that has no real emotional core. Third, a lot of the natural interplay between characters is lost and the worst casualty in this regard in Poirot himself. I always love his little observations and interjections during a case. These often come in moments of high tension and his humor is all the more effective at those times. But in these formal interviews, most of the opportunities for his little asides are lost and what is here lacks the usual bite.

Overall, I didn't find Five Little Pigs to be one of Agatha Christie's better efforts. The decision to place the murder sixteen years in the past was an interesting one but it robbed the story of a lot of its impact. This book also sports one of her weaker casts. The two most interesting characters (the victim and murderess) are present only in narrative provided by others and lose a great deal of their vitality in the process. Granted, this is not Christie's worst novel and it is still an adequate read. But I would recommend this book to true fans and not to first time readers. Hercule Poirot appeared in some truly great novels, but this is not one of them.

Poirot on the way to find out the inevitable (3.5 stars)...
... but it's almost guaranteed that, as always with Dame Agatha, you just can't see the inevitable soon enough but only in the last pages. The story is partly told in retrospect, in letters from those involved in the drama. The Great Detective is motivated to investigate a suspicious death of painter Amyas Crale, apparently a womanizer. At the beginning everything looks clear. But Amyas' daughter, although years have passed since the death of her father, is not so sure about the guilt of her mother, who was sentenced for the crime, and asks Poirot to help. This is one of the more psychologically-based Poirot novels, not too suspensful, but the ending is as surprising as ever and sheds a whole new light on the seemingly clear drama. And, as the title indicates, it's one of those Christie speciality novels where a murder takes place according to a nursery rhyme (And Then There Were None and One, Two, Buckle My Shoe are two other good examples of this). ... Read more

Product Description
Hercule Poirot was invited to the Hollow to tea, but found a murder waiting for him instead.

Customer Reviews (4)

"I Cannot Grieve For My Dead..."
As with many of Agatha Christie's later books, her famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot has a minor part to play in "The Hollow". He does not appear until over halfway through the book, and even his methods of detection are considerably downplayed. There is no baffled Hastings in tow, no enigmatic comments sprinkled to onlookers, no triumphant denouncement; here it's as though he's so confident of reaching a solution that he doesn't even need to lift a finger, and Poirot is content to sit back and let the suspects come to him.

Instead of a straight-forward whodunit, "The Hollow" ends up being one of Christie's most in-depth character studies. There is no jealous mistress, lecherous doctor, bitter wife, but rather several of the most finely-nuanced individuals of any Christie mystery, who interact in realistic and complex ways. The effect is a mystery that is rather sobering, simply because the lives and personalities of the characters deepen the reader's investment, and the stakes are that much higher as the conclusion looms closer. Rather than looking forward to the solution, it is a sense of dread that permeates the proceedings.

The Hollow is the grand, but rather cold, estate of upright Sir Henry and his wife Lady Angkatell. For a weekend visit they gather together various family members: John Cristow, a brilliant, charismatic doctor and his submissive, meek little wife Gerda, as well as Henrietta Savernake, a talented sculptress who is John's secret mistress, Midge Hardcastle, who hates working in a cheap dress shop, and the hapless Edward Angkatell, who is all set to inherit Ainswick, the country house that means so much to so many of those gathered at the Hollow.

Their quiet family gathering is interrupted by the sudden appearance of the actress Veronica Crale, as beautiful as she is egotistical, who spirits away John into the night after a request for matches and a demand for an escort home again. John does not return until three the following morning.

I doubt it can be considered a spoiler to say that John is found dead the next morning. After an altercation with his one-night-stand, he is found bleeding into the swimming pool. Standing over him is Gerda, the gun in her hand and a stunned expression on her face. Around the body are several of the weekend guests, horror-struck and helpless, but John manages to utter one last word before he dies. It is this scene that Poirot is ushered to, and he is immediately stuck by the staged atmosphere.

The mystery unfolds at a slow but careful pace, with each character's alibi considered less important than their motivation. Many have reason to kill John Cristow, none more obviously than his wife, but as clues and leads continue to lead the police on a merry dance, Poirot's patient investigation inevitably begins to shed light on the proceedings. As Christie explains: "That was how he saw it: a pattern. A design of intermingled emotions and the clash of personalities. A strange involved design, with dark threads of hate and desire running through it."

Altogether, "The Hollow" is one of my favorite Christie mysteries, precisely because of the richness of the characters and their lives. Though they are not necessarily likable, Christie makes them fascinatingly understandable. The dissatisfaction each has with their lives, bordering on despair in some cases (and alleviated only by the fairy-like, though rather unsettling Lady Angkatell) and their tangled array of relationships and emotions makes this a mystery that is carried very much by human psychology rather than convoluted plans to lay hands on the family fortune.

Likewise, there is a cold, eerie atmosphere at work that gets under your skin: the only real point of light in the proceedings is everyone's fond regard for Ainswick. Yet even as it is regarded as a warm, peaceful reminder from each character's childhood, the reader never sees it for themselves. The style and pacing is slower than usual; dreamy and pensive, quiet and subtle.

It's not perfect (I'm not sure what the point of David Angkatell was), but as others have said, this is more than a novel than a mystery, and is carried wonderfully by four intriguing female characters. "The Hollow" is a must for anyone trying to experience the wide range of Christie's work.

Always interesting and amazing!
Loved it!At the end of the 7th chapter I thought I knew who committed the murder; a couple chapters later, I was sure; but then every chapter after made me question my intuition and look at every single character!!! I will say my first impression was right, which is very very rare with Christie's books.I've read between 30 and 40 of her books and never cease to be fascinated by how intricate she weaves her webs.

A Fan
I love Agatha Christie books. I am working on replacing books lost in a flood.

Pretty good Poirot mystery from near the end of Christie's great period
Most Christie fans think that her books from the late 1920s through the mid-1940s were her best.This book was first published in 1946 when Christie was 56 years old and starting to flag a bit, although she still had another 25 years worth of writing in her!I think of the Poirot novels as falling into two categories:Those where Poirot is involved from the beginning -- often accompanied by Colonel Hastings -- and those where a good part of the story has been told -- often including the murder -- before Poirot makes his appearance (sans Hastings).This novel is of the second type.In fact, Poirot makes very little effort to solve the case by carrying out an investigation, waiting instead for the various suspects to come to see him.He is so passive that his sudden trip at the end of the novel from the countryside where the mystery is set into London to confront the murderer seems rather abrupt.Although the mystery is satisfying and the story is interesting, the resolution is not the best.In addition to Poirot's somewhat under motivated appearance at the crucial moment, it seems odd that [QUASI-SPOILER ALERT] the murderer would both have poison available and have the presence of mind to slip it into the tea of the person who is confronting the murderer.Nevetheless, this is certaintly a very good, if not quite great, Christie and these Black Dog editions are terrific bargains at less than $10 on Amazon. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

For Aficionados of Christie, South England, and Stately Manors
As others have noted, "home" carried peculiar resonance for Agatha Christie, and Greenway was, by her own account, the best loved of her many homes. This book takes you inside her favorite retreat, but it does more: It locates the mansion both within the glories of Devon, past and present, and within the arc of her life and work. Obviously produced with love and affection, with the cooperation of Christie's survivors, this is a coffee-table book that both informs and enriches with beauty. At Amazon's price, it is excellent value for money.

A look into Agatha Christie's homes and domestic life
It has been a great pleasure to read "Agatha Christie at Home" by Hilary Macaskill.Many books focus on Agatha's writings, but very few that tell us how she lived.Ms. Macaskill gives us a different Agatha Clarissa Miller than we're used to.We see Agatha not as an author, but the lover of homes, comfort, her country, and her family.Ms. Macaskill accomplishes this with great success!Ms. Macaskill received invaluable assistance from Agatha's grandson, Mathew Prichard, and she interviewed others who knew Agatha and her family.

The book is organized in a logical manner, first starting with an overview of Agatha's life and career.Ms. Macaskill's research is thorough and she presents us new information.She reveals such facts as Agatha making her own mayonnaise and how she planned her next book's plot.However, this is not a biography--it is a tour of Agatha's homes and of the country that she loved so much.

The author takes us on a journey through Agatha's various residences and their influence on her.We visit twelve homes (before WWII, she owned eight of them!), plus a few more whilst she lived in the Middle East.With careful detail, we learn about her love of houses--from her doll houses of her childhood to her favorite--Greenway on the River Dart in Devon.Agatha had always loved houses we learn; says she: "I have gone over innumerable houses, furnished houses, decorated houses, made structural alterations to houses.Houses!God bless houses!"

The main focus of the book, however, is how her homes and the home county of Devon affected her as a person as well as a mystery writer.There is a direct tie between her homes and the settings of her books.Her home Greenway has featured in a few of her books and the various locales in Devon transform themselves into great fictional towns.Much emphasis is on the "well-appointed family mansion" that is Greenway.The photographs of its gardens, boathouse, and interiors are in stunning color.Britain's National Trust restored the home to the way it was when Agatha lived in it; this past spring 2009, Greenway was opened to the public.This book does not miss the opportunity to give you a personal tour by the National Trust volunteers and Agatha's only grandchild, Mathew Prichard.

The highlights of this book are many.The color photographs are spectacular, whether of the beautiful Greenway, Agatha's hometown of Torquay, or the various towns in her home county.Many photographs come courtesy of Mr. Prichard himself--some of which have never been seen before.I love the little insights of Agatha's domestic life.Ms. Macaskill talked about how Agatha loved to entertain her guests by reading aloud her own stories and playing the piano for her guests.I loved the inclusion of the book's final chapter, in which Ms. Macaskill discusses Agatha's legacy.She describes the events held in Torquay to celebrate Agatha Christie, the Torquay Museum and its exhibit on Agatha, and the various film/television adaptations of her writings.The only complaint I have on "Agatha Christie at Home" is the lack of detail of Agatha's living arrangements in the Middle East.However, the book's focus is on her native land.

This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to follow Agatha's footsteps.For anyone who might not travel to Devonshire, this book is invaluable.How I wish I can make the trip to Devon, but I now can with this book.Hilary Macaskill has done an excellent job in giving us a tour of southern England and a look into Dame Agatha Christie's domestic life.In his forward, Mr. Prichard describes Devon as magical.The wonderful photographs show the magic Agatha felt.You will also when you look through this book.

pictorial guide to Agatha Christie's mysteries
AGATHA CHRISTIE AT HOME by Hilary Macaskill. Frances Lincoln Limited, London; [...]. 2009. 144 pages. $40.00 hardcover, 10" x 10", ISBN 978-0-7112-3029-3. color/black-and-white photographs, bibliography, index.

The top best-selling author of all time (rivaling Shakespeare), Agatha Christie (1890-1976) had as many as eight homes at one time. Some were in London, and one was in Baghdad. Her favorite however--the one she felt was her true home for her and her husband, gave her the most inspiration, and is most associated with her mysteries--was Greenway in the county of Devon. A series of previous homes beginning with her childhood home and including rentals and changing homes as her career grew leads up to the stately Greenway. Though not a grand English estate which Christie could have lived in, Greenway was a small mansion. The presence of servants seemed natural; and Christie furnished and decorated the home with all types of Victorian objects. Her sensibility was always more Victorian than modern. She called one modernist building where she rented an apartment at one time "an ocean liner."

Though Greenway was the center of Christie's life, sensibilities, and ideas for her mysteries, this was so because it was situated in the midst of a traditionally English country environment (which to a large degree survives today). The book is organized so circles of this are seen as both extending from and enclosing Greenway. Each circle of the larger surrounding environment--town, county, parish--is perused as if enriching the atmosphere of Greenway--thus casting a light into the sources of Christie's works and her particular creativity.

In citing physical features such as rivers and hills and man-made parts such as shops and roads in delving into the widening circles of town, etc., Macaskill notes these as they appeared in different Christie mysteries. Even when names or some details have been changed for the sake of fictionalizing them, they are nonetheless apparent; for despite her bottomless imagination and numerous mystery novels, Christie never did stray far from the ideas and materials she found at Greenway and its environs.

The color photographs on nearly every page (80 of the total of 110 photos) are pleasing photos of Devon known for its Mediterannean-like climate. That they are connected with the popular author Agatha Christie adds immeasurable interest to them however. Devotees of her mysteries will enjoy matching photos to aspects of the books with author Macaskill's help as a guide. Readers interested in literature and writing find a window onto the connection between biography--and with Christie particularly, place--and an author's books. The photographs range from panoramas to nature scenes to shops and train depots and such to interiors of Greenway, now a public site under the direction of England's National Trust.

The Roots of Agatha Christie's Novels
Agatha Christie at Home by Hilary Macaskell
Frances Lincoln, Publisher
ISBN 978-0-7112-3029-3

I was expecting a coffee table book but what I got instead was a lovely companion to her writings. By her, I refer to Agatha Christie who, along with Shakespeare, is the best selling fiction writer of all times. The book chronicles her life from childhood until her death in 1976. It is an enjoyable excursion through some of her homes and into the beautiful country side where she grew up and spent her leisure time as an accomplished writer.

The publication focuses on the importance of dwellings to the private Agatha Christie who owned eight houses, all of which were used as settings for her work.
This is not a biography of a celebrity author. It is instead a "documentary" about where this author lived and the influences these locations had upon her writings. Of all of her properties, Greenway was the most important home, purchased in 1938 on 300 acres in Devon, on the southwest coast of England. In the early years of ownership, it was her primary residence and later became her summer refuge, a place to enjoy with family and friends
.
Essentially, this book demonstrates how personal place played a paramount role in the life and writing of this famous mystery author. Beyond her love of her homes, there are links between her home county and her works. The villages, homes and the people who inhabited them supplied plots and backdrops for her stories. Furthermore, we learn that the ingenious plotting of her mysteries was the result of her love of mathematics and problem solving. We also learn that during World War One, as part of her training as a Red Cross nurse, Agatha Christie acquires a knowledge of poisons which she used repeatedly as murder weapons in most of her books.

Of special interest to this reviewer are the illustrations of beautiful landscapes surrounded the homes and countryside where Ms Christie lived. Her own garden at Greenway, which was converted into a commercial market garden during her lifetime, became famous for its Camellias. Previous owners of this property had planted Chilean Myrtle, a Chinese Fringe Tree, a Tulip tree, and Black Bamboo. After her death, her son-in-law added Passionflowers, Orchids and Lapazinea Rosea.

There is a surprise in this publication. The author chose to include examples of the art work used on some of the covers of Agatha Christie's books. These reproductions can now be appreciated for the extraordinary talent of the graphic designers that created them. Although they are unobtrusively inserted, they serve to underscore the pleasure of discovery that we sometimes experience when we open up a book for the very first time.

Allan Becker reviews books for [...]
and for [...]

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Mystery ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Loved this Tommy and Tuppence story!
I remember watching the shows on PBS from time to time, but nothing beats reading Christie!This is the first T&T mystery, and it does not start small, its about missing documents that could lead to a communist take over of England!Not a bad first case for the pair of adventures!

Totally loved this mystery, I'm sure you will find it delightful as well!

A charming edition, and well recommended!
Christie's popular detective team Tommy and Tuppence make their first appearance in this book in which the duo is hired to find a woman who disappears with sensitive government documents.Set in 1919, young couple in need of money and in need of some excitement; Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley join together- hiring themselves out as "young adventurers." Their first case is much more of an adventure than they expected - they are involved in an international communist conspiracy to bring a communist government to England!Undercover agents Tommy and Tuppence don't know is that a killer is targeting them and they are ingrave danger.

Great stuff from Christie!If you have not read it, enjoy this charming edition!

Brilliant, fun and thrilling
Fighting off boredom, poverty, and unemployment at the end of the first World War, two young friends, Tommy Beresford and Prudence Cowley -- we're told "their united ages would certainly not have totaled forty-five" -- decide over a lunch of tea and cheap biscuits to hang a shingle as the Young Adventurers, LTD.From that point on, the two are entangled in an enjoyably comic, suspenseful search for a surviving passenger from the doomed ocean liner, Lusitania.The whole adventure is, of course, more dangerous than the two initially realize, but the characters never falter, or lose their unflappable charm.

A great, and fun, introduction to Agatha Christie (that I enjoyed reading a second time) ready for perhaps a new generation of readers.

Poor format fot the Kindle
This version for some reason does not properly fit the Kindle. There are far too many spaces where non should exist and sentences are seperated for several lines inbetween. You constantly have to advance to the next page as very few sentences fit on the screen.

Try another version of this classic.

Introducing T & T
"The Secret Adversary" is the very first adventure of Tommy and Tuppence, Agatha Christie's pair of amateur sleuths, and what an adventure they have.Tommy Beresford and Prudence 'Tuppence' Cowley manage to solve a threatening international crisis, by luck and intuition it would seem, rather than more ordinary methods of detection.As an introduction to the pair, who would have further adventures after their marriage, "The Secret Adversary" is fast-paced and intriguing.

Having met each other once again by chance, Tommy and Tuppence, old childhood friends, decide to advertise themselves as "Young Adventurers" who will take any charge that's well paid, no matter the danger.But before they can even post their ad, they are drawn into a mysterious web of intrigue regarding a missing draft of a peace treaty and a young girl named Jane Finn.By what seems like sheer coincidence and luck, Tommy and Tuppence, together or apart, are able to come across clues as to where Jane Finn may be, and what knowledge she has about the missing treaty.As they uncover clues, they also uncover danger that threatens their lives and friends who may just turn out to be the very adversary they are searching for.

As usual with an Agatha Christie mystery, just when you think you've figured out the final twist, she throws even more at you."The Secret Adversary" is a smart, well-plotted thriller, a testament to Christie's brillance, as this was only her second published novel.While the book may seem dated in language and certain expressions, it is only at a surface level due to the very real nature of the modern intrigue that moves the plot. ... Read more

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Unpleasant things are going on in an exclusive school for girls - things like murder!Late one night, two teachers investigate a mysterious flashing light in the sports pavilion, while the rest of the school sleeps. There, among the lacrosse sticks, they stumble upon the body of the unpopular games mistress -- shot through the heart from point blank range.The school is thrown into chaos when the 'cat' strikes again. Unfortunately, schoolgirl Julia Upjohn knows too much. In particular, she knows that without Hercule Poirot's help, she will be the next victim! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (37)

Overwhelming list of characters but interesting mystery
Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie
Black Dog & Leventhal, 1959
297 pages
Hercule Poirot Mystery
4/5 stars

Summary: Meadowbank School is an outstanding school for young girls which is suddenly rocked by the murder of the new games mistress.Was she too curious for her own good?Does it have some connection to the recent revolution in a Near East country? (Hint: yes)Never fear: Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells are on the case.

Thoughts: The book opens with a four page list of the characters, which I read hoping to get set for reading this.Instead it overwhelmed me and I had to just keep reading in order to be able to follow it.There are a lot of characters, mostly female because the actions takes place at a fine girls' school.The opening is very confusing as it shifts from Meadowbank to that Near East country to two females who connect both places. Headmistress Miss Bulstrode of course made me think of Millicent Bulstrode of Slytherin but luckily she's a much nicer person and Eileen Rich is consistently described as ugly although I cannot fathom why that's relevant to the story.

There seem to be long passages where nothing is really happening.I found it easy to read and I was motivated to finish it.Interestingly Poirot doesn't show up until basically two-thirds of the way through the book.Yet he solves it fairly easily by picking up on a few strands.I didn't solve the murder (er murders) but I don't mind.I should have noticed something was up about that person but I didn't connect it fast enough. I also thought there was going to be a romance (I like the little romances Christie sometimes throws in) but I was wrong.

Overall: A fine outing although somewhat confusing and less engaging than Christie's best.Do not begin your exploration of Christie with this.

Belgian detective Hercule Poiret uses his little white cells to stop the murder, kidnapping and suspense at an exclusive school
Cat Among the Pigeons is an Agatha Christie murder mystery. The novel opens in the Royal Palace of Ramat. A politcal coup is in place against Prince Ali Yusef. Ali is a young and democratic leader of the land. His aide
Englishman Bob Rawlinson and Ali plan to flee the country in a plane. Prior to this flight, Bob hides a bag containing priceless jewels in his sister Joan Sutcliffe's room in the hotel. Joan and her daughter Jennifer were visiting Ramat as tourists. Bob and Yusef are killed when their plane crashes. Where are the jewels?
The plot then revolves around the events at the exclusive Meadowbank School for young ladies. The school was founded by the formidable Miss Bulstrode. Three persons are murdered at the school as the murderer wishes to locate the hidden jewels. The police are unable to solve the crimes until Hercule Poiret steps in to unweave all the strings in this complex thriller.
A fun read as Agatha Christie's brilliant mind leads her readers through a complicated maze until the solution of the mystery is made manifest by Poiret. An excellent Christie!

First one is great
This is the first Agatha Christie I have read after my class was required to read a mystery novel written by one of the authors during the Golden Age of Mystery. I have to say, I was impressed. It was a little slow at the start, but it is to be expected in most of her books. Once the first murder occurs, though, things pick up pretty fast. This takes place in one of the best girls' schools. But what happens when the best girls' school has a murder? Is it the best?
See if you can find out who the killer is!

Not One of Her Best
A longer novel than usual for Christie, "Cat Among the Pigeons" deals with international intrigue at an exclusive English girls' school. A coup in the Middle East triggers off a deadly search for missing jewels. Action converges on the school. The Special Branch and local police try to solve the string of murders among the schoolmistresses, but it takes Hercule Poirot's little grey cells to see through the disguises and subterfuge and bring all the loose ends together. The plot seemed flimsy at times and some of the attitudes expressed in the novel made it appear dated in the extreme. For a better Agatha Christie set partly in the Middle East, I would recommend They Came To Bagdad.

Great Book
I absolutly loved this book.Although Hercule Poirot doesn't come in untill closer to the end of the book, this is in my oppinion one of the best Agatha Cristie's and it will keep you guessing to the last page. ... Read more

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The tranquility of a cruise along the Nile was shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway had been shot through the head. She was young, stylish and beautiful. A girl who had everything - until she lost her life.Amazon.com Review
Hercule Poirot is perhaps Agatha Christie's most interestingand endearing character; short, round, and slightly comical, Poirothas a razor-sharp mind and puts unlimited trust in his "littlegrey cells." Those little cells come through for him every time,enabling Poirot to solve some of the most baffling mysteries everconceived. In Death on the Nile, Poirot, on vacation in Africa,meets the rich, beautiful Linnet Doyle and her new husband, Simon. Asusual, all is not as it seems between the newlyweds, and when Linnetis found murdered, Poirot must sort through a boatload of suspects tofind the killer before he (or she) strikes again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (78)

The Quintessential Agatha Christie Novel
About a decade ago, when I was in high school, I went through an Agatha Christie stage, but I hadn't read another of her novels again until this summer. But something clicked this summer. I guess I was looking for some of the surety--in the face of human tragedy--that comes out in Christie's plots, the way some sort of cosmos assembles itself out of chaos. Anyway, I read one, and then another, and eventually devoured a dozen or so novels that I'd missed.

I especially focused on the mini-canon of novels that are considered to be Christie's best. Among these, I would say with little doubt (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is still a favorite) that Death on the Nile is my favorite. It offers everything that is best about the Dame's novels. With this setting, as a traveling party journeys down the Nile, she has created an exotic and volatile atmosphere. The cast of characters is compellingly written, an eccentric bunch, each of whom is driven by a complex set of motives. In truth, Death on the Nile seems to me to possess one of Christie's most cogent examinations of human foibles. The prose is especially crisp and the novel's pace is fast. Christie moves deftly between moments of action, romance, mystery, and humor.

And added to this, Poirot is at the top of his game. He is at his most compassionate and humane. Moreover, the plot to the novel is especially plausible and complex, and Poirot performs his special magic in tying all of the pieces together.

All-in-all, it's a tremendously satisfying read, containing all of the components of the typical Christie novel, with those elements written at the highest quality. This is certainly one of, if not, Christie's best.

Mystery at its finest!
There is really nothing much to say except that this book is a very good mystery book! Probably one of Agatha's most memorable books to be published! I really enjoyed the murder and the twist in the story line it makes you hooked to the story wondering who the murderer is?? I always enjoyed the books that surprises you at the end and this book does it! If you love Mystery you'll love this book!

FIVE STARS!

"I would like it to be said that I was a good writer of detective and thriller stories."- Agatha Christie
Death on the Nile is placed as one of my top five favorite Agatha Christie novels and its one of the worlds much loved. First read in my teens and read countless times since, this review was brought on from a recent question to myself,"Has any book ever inspired you to travel?" This book was it: Egypt for the history and to see the sights with my own eyes. Death on the Nile this wonderful little facsimile first edition hardback a perfect way to experience Agatha Christie with the original typesetting, format, book cover only two hundred and eighty-four pages it sets out to capture our imagination.

Its the 1930s from the opening pages Christie wastes no time by introducing us briefly to an array of eccentric characters but our first main focus would be on heiress Linnet Ridgeway. Linnet has it all beauty, brains and plenty of money, a deadly combination, others would say what she couldn't buy with cash she could buy with a smile. Twenty years old with both parents deceased her Inheritance of the Hartz millions came from her mothers side, from her father Melhuish Ridgeway his ruthless attitude on business matters. Linnet had charm and was the sensation of the moment, at the heart of all the gossip columns she'd been purposed to by Lord Windlesham and had recently arrived in the little village of Malton-under-Wode paying a steal of sixty-thousand for her new toy Wode Hall. Villagers speculated she'd bring more money to the area. In celebration of her own happiness Linnet had even bought a set of Pearls worth around another fifty-thousand.

The arrival of best friend Jacqueline (Jackie) de Bellefort who came from money but was now penniless was gushing about her true love, marriage plans and throws everything into a different perspective. Smart and country boyish Simon Doyle also broke after being laid off from the city but Jackie knew they would find a way to be together. Wode Hall was the answer, the idea was for Linnet to give him a job as lands agent, and if all went well in months to come they could get married and honeymoon in Egypt. Linnet makes a slight change to Jackie's plans and out of the blue Linnet marries penniless Simon Doyle then adds insult to Jackie's wounds they are to honeymoon in Egypt.

Belgian Detective Monsieur Hercule Poirot was taking his own vacation in Egypt, no ulterior motive but just to see the sights. A few days before the Nile trip on board the S.S. Karnak he meets all fellow passengers at the Cataract Hotel. Extraordinary bunch; an American socialite Miss Van Schuyler and her niece Cornelia Robson; Miss Schuyler's nurse Miss Bowers; a curious man named Mr. Ferguson; the archeologist Signor Richetti; the silent James Fanthorp; the Austrian Dr. Bessner; passionate novelist Salome Otterbourne and her daughter, Rosalie; Mrs. Allerton and her son, Tim; Linnet's American lawyer and trustee Andrew Pennington; Linnet's maid Louise Bourget and none other than Jacqueline de Bellefort who had been stalking the new honeymoon couple since they left England. By the time the trip begins Poirot realizes evil is everywhere and death is only the beginning!

Death on the Nile a marvellous book. What I love most the character building, this is where Christie plays, the characters supply comedy throughout and would make up the lighter part of the book. The English class system is firmly in place, again Christie shows form by her usage of language, over the course of the book these extraordinary characters grow with that language, the bold statements, showing the inner workings of their superficial worlds. On the darker side all the humor is balanced against a more serious element, Murder and here's where our minds are tested as she plots ever so tightly. Let us not forget Christie last ingredients a fantastic location, Egypt, a trip down the Nile, Christie captures the moment, almost everywhere you turn; there is a reference to death and the afterlife in Egyptian cultures, its history, its fascination, this book for me certainly has that winning combination.

So for the first time readers here's your chance to play Christie's psychology game, pitting your wits against the man with the little gray cells M. Hercule Poirot, for those all aboard we have now arrived at page 133. A plan is given of S.S Karnak Promenade Deck, diagram one shows the top deck with Saloon and numbered rooms, the second diagram shows numbered rooms and characters names who occupy them. For clues and extra information we continue to read on but watch those Red herrings, remember: any crime can be solved by simply placing the puzzle pieces correctly. Any moment before the end might be the important one, but to win you must answer all questions to all three murders before it is revealed; " Who commited it?" "How it was done?" "Motive/Why?" how us Christie fans envy you lot, Good Luck!

First published in 1937, its a classic that still works in modern day. Highly recommended.

Andrea Bowhill

This author certainly knows what a reader wants...and gives it in spades.
Feels like the Orient Express all over again. But instead of being a shallow copy of the plot - a horrible thing for an author to do, yes? -- Death on the Nile is more than able to stand up on its own in terms of its share of thrills, its healthy dose of the whodunit among a motley crew of characters, and even its sprinkling of romance.

It's Poirot again at his finest.

No, really.

(And, may I say, so far as I have been able to tread among the Poirot Mysteries, the one at his most introspective and sympathetic yet.)

There's really a lot going on in here. Murder, theft, hidden identities, and so on. A most interesting contrast to the placid progress of the boat along the Nile where events take place. So the temptation to guess who onboard killed Linnet Doyle, the beautiful English heiress, is all the more compelling.

There's the hot-blooded jealous ex-bestfriend, the unscrupulous American trustee, the sullen miss whose mother is difficult to live with, the mulish young man who spouts anti-capitalist ideals, the archaeologist with a strange telegram concerning, of all things, potatoes, the snobbish elderly woman with all the trappings of prestige, and so forth.

One of the entertaining aspects of the novel are the levels of exposition Poirot deigned to make to whoever constituted his rapt audience at the moment. By dishing out in increments who might have done the deed in so-and-so way, and then practically turning to the reader and saying, "Eh bien, it was a good try, no?", Poirot is a master in keeping those about him intenterhooks. And a fair share of those who listen come out genuinely outraged by the lengths with which he stretches his conjectures, just for the sake of teasing the morbid thirst of those around him. A detective first, but a performer second.

I can understand why Christie eventually felt a little fed up with her most famous character - Poirot is really a force to be reckoned with. And he attacks in the most subtle, unexpected, but maddeningly unreservedly ingenious ways. His `clearing away' of the `extraneous matter' in order to get at the heart of the crime/s is nothing short of impressive. And such brilliance of course cannot help but go into his head. In the meantime, however, I cannot but marvel at his skill. I'm afraid it might be a long time before I tire of him.

As things stand, this is my second favorite after Orient Express. Very fast-paced.Verging on dramatic, even, at some points. And, throughout, a very respectful novel...in the sense that it doesn't waste with the reader's time, and is in keeping with delivering its promised goods.

Kudos again to ms Christie.

Classic Christie
I read AC's as a teenager 30 years ago. I revisited this one because we finally made it to Egypt. Always a good read with period English dialogue and lots of suspects to keep you guessing although I remembered the solution.Makes me want to find excuses to sit and read during the day instead of waiting till bedtime.Some may find it a little politically incorrect for our time. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

One of the better free Kindle titles
I found this little novel to be a real page-turner and a heck of a fun Kindle read (especially for a freebie--at least as of this review).Tommy and Tuppence are a fun pair and the story virtually never drags.I am a fan of Christie's Poirot and like the genre, but found this book to be a refreshing change of pace and tone.Go ahead and download it--you won't be disappointed.

Great read for Christie fans!
I love Agatha Christie, and I had never read any of the Tommy & Tuppence series, so I decided that if I was going to try one, it ought to be the first (it also didn't hurt that it was free).I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although I felt that the "brown book" reading at the end was superfluous, and decided to read the remaining 4 books in the series.

Imagine my dismay to find that only one more book (the second in the series) is currently available for Kindle.Ah, well, I'll wait...

The Debut of Tommy & Tuppence
It was a real treat to come across this Kindle edition of the first Tommy & Tuppence adventure. They're so young in this story -- "Their united ages certainly would not have totaled forty-five." But their experiences in World War I had made them more mature than average twenty-two year olds.

I've read a lot of Agatha Christie's works, most of it back when I was about twelve or thirteen. For a summer when Nancy Drew suddenly seemed too childish, but I wasn't ready for adult books yet, Agatha Christie came to the rescue. At a rate of nearly a book a day, I went through all the Agatha Christie the public library and used bookstores had to offer. I liked the Miss Marple stories, maybe because Marple stayed in the background for the most part. Hercule Poirot seemed silly and cartoonish to me even then. I loved Tommy and Tuppence, but there weren't many stories that featured them.

The Secret Adversary is a spy story rather than a murder mystery. It's not bad, twisting back and forth, but I particularly enjoyed the glimpse at the young Tommy and Tuppence, before they were a couple, and for the authentic descriptions of post World War I London. I thought I knew Central London fairly well, but I was stumped when Tuppence left the Dover Street Tube Station and walked toward Piccadilly. I found out that used to be the name of what is now the Green Park Station.

One thing that stands out is how independent Tuppence is. She seems to have little trouble finding work (even as Tommy is having a hard time finding a job even a year after the War) and even turns down a proposal from a rich American, much to her own surprise.

Recommended!

great freebie- fun book!
This is the first book in the Tommy and Tuppence series by Agatha Christie.This book is still a good read, even if some of the characters may be a little dated or painted broadly (Julius, for instance).I have read this book a few times and even watched the TV adaption of this particular episode, but I notice something new every time I read it.If you are a Christie fan, give this one a try!

Crime before technology
I've recently become addicted to crime shows and books.In the age of "24" and CSI and all these hyper-tech worlds, there's a novelty in going back to the 1920s when people left telegrams and couldn't track the bad guy on satellite-powered traffic cameras.

This version for Kindle doesn't have an active table of contents.However, I just make a bookmark at the beginning of each chapter, so I don't see what the big deal is.Thanks whoever made it available to us for free! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent collection
Love having these on hand between long novels.Its always there to pick up and enjoy when I don't want to invest a long period of time, but craving a good read.

Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie
Lord Edgware Dies: first published as Thirteen At Dinner in the U.S. in 1933


Stage actress, Jane Wilkinson, no longer wants to be married to her cruel husband, Lord Edgware.In fact, she has made it known publicaly that maybe she should take steps to kill him so she can marry again.Furthermore, she goes to Hercule Poirot to ask for his assistance.Naturally, M. Poirot cannot and will not accomodate her wishes but when shortly thereafter Lord Edgware is discovered murdered in his library all eyes look to Lady Edgware--except she has a rock solid alibi.Or does she?

This case was one of the most difficult for Hercule Poirot, and almost went unsolved except for an overheard passing remark in the street.one evening.Everyone it seems, has a motive for doing away with the despicable Lord Edgware and everyone has an alibi.Who did it?And how?

I really liked this particular story.Just when I thought I had solved the case for M. Poirot--an unexpected discovery would throw me off track.It kept my interest throughout.

A must read!

okay
Very suspenseful in some parts, boring in other ... Read more

Product Description
A young, blond woman is found dead on the floor of Colonel and Mrs. Bantry’s library. Nobody seems to know who the woman is, let alone how she wound up murdered in the Bantry’s home. Jane Marple is called in and the chase is on. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

My First Agatha Christie Book
I got this title free through Amazon. It was a very easy read and a nice low-key, fluffy book. Miss Marple is cute. I wish she had been in the story more. She popped in the scenes here and there and was the person who eventually solved the crime (of course) but other characters dominated.

The reason I gave this story a three is there was very little description of the surroundings. It's nice to get a feel for the characters by reading of their setting. Very little of this was done. Christie also repeated - a lot. 'The old many is fragile and could die at any moment.' was talked about repeatedly in the story.

I didn't hate it, just had hopes for something better.

The Body in the Library is a convoluted and mesmerizing murder mystery by the Queen of Crime at the height of her powers
The Body in the Library is an Agatha Christie murder mystery. The short novel was published in 1942. It is the second of the full length Miss Marple novels.
The plot involves the finding of the corpse of Ruby Keene a young dancer in a British resort.Ruby is found in the library of Gossington Hall the tony estate home of Colonel and Mrs. Dolly Bantry. The Bantrys are old, conservative and well respected in their neighborhood. How in the world cold a dead body show up in their home?
The possible murderers interviewed by the local constabulary and Miss Marple include:
Colonel and Mrs Bantry. Was the Colonel carrying on an affair with Ruby?
Basil Blake-A rich and amorous actor who is filming nearby and has rented a cottage in St. Mary's Meade.
Conway Jefferson-A wealthy invalid who who wanted to adopt Ruby Keene.
Mark Gaskell and Adelaide Jefferson: The spouses of Conway Jefferson's children who were killed in an accident several years before the action in the book occurs. Did they murder Ruby to inherit all the money in Conway Jefferson's will? Did they suppose that Conway had given Ruby the bulk of his extensive fortune?
Josephine Turner-A relative of Ruby's who has a forceful personality. She got Ruby the dancing job at the Majestic Hotel. She is a worldly and forceful woman.
Raymond Starr-a good looking fortune hunter who danced with Ruby Keene prior to her disappearance and murder.
Pamela Reeves-a star struck teenager who wants to break into the flickers. She is a member of the Girl Guides
George Bartlett He lends Pam Reeves his car on the night the Girl Guide goes missing. He does not report the vehicle's disappearance unto the police until the following morning.
Miss Marple's sharp eyes and sleuthing genius solve the case. This is one of Agatha's Christie's finest mysteries. Enjoy it and see if you can guess whodunit!

Short Read with a Tight Plot
Agatha Christie novel's always seem to just fly by, not matter their length. I am fairly certain, though, that The Body in the Library is Christie's shortest novel. As a result, it's an especially quick and quickly-paced read, with the plot taking whip-sharp turns in each chapter. But despite the novel's tortuousness, it does not lack at all for neat logic and a satisfying denouement. In fact, this is an extremely satisfying mystery, complete with a complex crime, acute psychological observations and characterizations, and a creative crime solving from Miss Marple. This novel served as sort of an introduction to Agatha Christie's mysteries, and I'm sure that it would be an excellent read for any of her readers, new or old.

Reading with Tequila
I had no idea who the killer was in The Body in the Library. The reveal was a complete surprise, but made sense when thinking back. Still, I never would have considered the possibility of the mystery ending this way.

Miss Marple truly shines in The Body in the Library. I loved the village life comparisons she used to point out possible reasons why a suspect may be behaving as they were. And of course, she outwits everyone in the end. Luckily the police know to take this little old lady seriously.

The victim works in a resort as a dancer. Some of the suspects are staying at the resort on a long term holiday. I found it almost impossible to relate to and it was a bit hard to grasp their situation. The characters didn't seem extremely rich, but I suppose it does fit in with what I know of the time Christie was writing about.

The Body in the Library was a fantastic mystery. Miss Marple was the most interesting character, by far. She and the unforeseeable conclusion were the major high points of the book. I loved the time spent at the resort, but some of the time spent in the village where the body was found was a little dull. Overall, it's safe to say that The Body in the Library has become one of my favorite Marple mysteries.

Average audio book
This may be more engaging as a 'real read' than as an audio listen, so I will add my 2-cents: fine for commuting, but somewhat dissatisfying audio book - average with Stephanie Cole.As to the story, (1) predictability is really quite tenuous, and (2) character development provides few whom the listener can 'love.'Reason to care about the body in the library?A sweet young thing pretty much covers it. A bit of fun is had when Miss Marple unravels the case in closing, showing all the pert signs of a sweet, perceptive and well-grounded English villager. ... Read more

Product Description
Alice Ascher, a shopkeeper in Andover, is bludgeoned to death at her place of work. Next to die is Miss Bernard in Bexhill, then Mr. Clarke in Churston. More disturbing than the alphabetic sequence of the killings or the ABC Railway guide that the killer leaves at the scene of each crime are the taunting notes Hercule Poirot receives each time the killer is about to strike again. It is one of Poirot’s most challenging cases yet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (95)

Fair condition
This book was listed in "Good condition", but actually arrived in "Fair condition".However, it did arrive within the expected time period.

An Alphabet Soup of serial murders dished up by the crime chef Agatha Christie and her Belgian detective Poirot
The A.B.C.Murders is a vintage Agatha Christie crime novel. The book was published in 1936 when Christie and her Belgian police genius Hercule Poirot were at the top of their incredible careers! This is a clever book which will keep the pages flying through your hands as you peruse a very intriguing novel!
The title is taken from the ABC Railroad Guide published in Great Britain. The guide contains an alphabetical listing of all the railroad stations in the kingdom. The serial killer takes the guide as his compass in his gruesome journey through the alphabet. The first murder is of Mrs. Ascher whose name begins with A. She is killed in Andover. The woman is a lower class store owner who is bludgeoned to death. The second murder is that of the fetching and amorous waiteress Betty Barnard of the seaside resort town of Be-on-the-Sea. The third murder is that of Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston. This reviewer found it interesting that the first victim was poor; the second middle class and the third was wealty. Barnard and Clarke were both strangled. A fourth murder occurs in Doncaster on the day of a big horse race. The victim is George Earlsfield. Why does the killer publicize his murders by sending Hercule Poirot letters? The case becomes the most famous in Britain. Why didn't the killer kill someone with the first letter of his/her last name beginning with a "D"? Why is a typewrite and womens' silk hosiery important clues in solving the nettlesome case?
Whodunit? Only the genius of Hercule Poirot can solve the case. Helping Poirot is the narrator of many of the chapters the stolid Captain Arthur Hastings of Scotland Yard.
Is it the traveling salesman Alexander Bonaparte Cust? Did Cust kill all the victims? What was the motive for the murders? This is one of the finest of the Poirot novels which will give readers hours of fun and fascination as the see Poirot use the logic found in his little grey cells to solve a diffcult murder investigation! Christie's prose was prosaic and there is nothing profound in her novels. They are, however, a pure delight to read and use your own rationing powers to help solve the case before you on the printed page!

This is for the BBC CD Version Specifically! John Moffatt is a GREAT Poirot!
It is frustrating the way you look at a review for a product and there are reviews for other products of the same title. It is the equivalent of looking for a review of a pizza at one restaurant and being listed prominently is the review of a pizza from another restaurant. Anyway...

I find Agatha Christie interpretations to be the same way. Some (especially newer productions) totally miss the mark in terms of the classic cozy mystery feel. Not so with this version.

If you like Poirot, and have never heard John Moffatt in the part, give this a try.

Moffatt personifies Poirot as well as anyone else can. He does as well in Audio as Suchet does on video (not to take away from either).

I have enjoyed many of Christies stories with Moffatt staring as the main character, even going back to before the internet and the limited availability in the 90's on cassette.

These radio interpretations through BBC Radio are top notch, and are great to listen to while doing chores.

I would also suggest if you like this to try the BBC Ian Carmichael Dorothy Sayers Mystery Dramatizations.

Agatha Christie Does a Serial Killer Mystery?
In "The A.B.C. Murders", Hercule Poirot receives a letter from a Mr ABC who taunts Poirot with the claim that he will be committing a murder at a certain place & date. Police think it is a hoax, until Alice Asher in Andover turns up dead with a copy of an ABC timetable nearby. This becomes the mark of the serial killer, with copies of ABC turning up with more dead bodies (all of which were pre-announced by letters addressed to Hercule Poirot).The whole things turns into a media sensation, with Poirot puzzled and seemingly balked by the mysterious ABC.

Meanwhile, we the readers, are apparently spared from being puzzled, since we are introduced early on to the so-called killer, Mr. Alexander Bonaparte Cust. There are several segments in the book that breakaway from Colonel Hasting's narrative where we see Mr Cust's viewpoint. I found that very odd, since Mr Cust just seemed to me to be a terried poor old man and not at all like what Mr ABC should be. I pretty much just felt sorry for him all throughout the book.

Since this is an Agatha Christie novel, there is a twist in the end that I never expected, and to be honest, I couldn't make myself believe how Poirot was able to figure it out. Ms Christie was being a bit too clever again, thus, losing me at the end.

There are other way better Agatha Christie novels out there that a new reader should check out first. This is more for the fan who is on a mission to read all the Christie novels (like me).

Her best
I'm am Agatha Christie Read-it-all.I have recently found 3 or 4 recently published AGatha Christie books to read.However none of them top The ABC Murders. It kept me up all night reading and after putting together all the clues, I still struggled to figure out who did it. Excellent.Ms Christie entertains and works your mind in this book. It is my favorite. ... Read more