Product Description
Agatha Christie is more than the most popular mystery writer of all time. In a career that spans over half a century, her name is synonymous with brilliant deception, ingenious puzzles, and the surprise denouement. By virtually inventing the modern mystery novel she has earned her title as the Queen of Crime. Curious? Then you're invited to read...SPARKLING CYANIDEIt's been less than a year since beautiful heiress Rosemary Barton took her own life during a birthday dinner in her honor. Her husband George never believed that his fun-loving wife would commit suicide-especially now that he's received two anonymous letters that suggest cold-blooded murder. One implicates even George himself. It's true he long-suffered Rosemary's infidelities. But what about her embittered sister who was left out of the family will? Or any one of Rosemary's secret lovers, not to mention their betrayed wives? Not one of them has ever forgotten Rosemary. Nor has any one of them ever forgiven her. But only one of them killed her... AUTHORBIO: AGATHA CHRISTIE is the world's best known mystery writer. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in 44 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.Her writing career spanned more than half a century, during which she wrote 80 novels and short story collections, as well as 14 plays, one of which, The Mousetrap, is the longest-running play in history. Two of the characters she created, the brilliant little Belgian Hercule Poirot and the irrepressible and relentless Miss Marple, went on to become world-famous detectives. Both have been widely dramatized in feature films and made-for-TV movies.Agatha Christie also wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. As well, she wrote four non-fiction books including an autobiography and an entertaining account of the many expeditions she shared with her archaeologist husband, Sir Max Mallowan.Agatha Christie died in 1976. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Colonel Race is drawn into a poisoning case (details)
This work is also sold under its original U.S. title, Remembered Death(original British Title - Sparkling Cyanide), a fact Christie fans find irritating as publishers have changed titles on a number of her popular books - this unnecessary practice has led to considerable confusion for readers. I'm reviewing the original U.S. title here, a 1964 7th printing Pocket Books paperback edition (first appearing in 1947) which sports the cool black, red, and school bus yellow cover, 214 pages.

I should also mention that some of these publishers have more recently begun editing, redacting, and even (unscrupulously) re-writing some of Christie's actual words which is why I much prefer the older editions. But the one I've cited as reviewing here is terrific if you can find it.

THE STORY: A young heiress of stunning appearance weds an older gentleman, a man blinded by love, who is thus unable to recognize his lovely bride's personal failings as a wife. She soon expands her illicit romantic activities with her enthusiastic, dynamic, and passionate paramours. But she doesn't get to engage in her concupiscent behavior for too long because, during an elaborate birthday supper sponsored by her generous husband at a high-end restaurant, she drops dead of cyanide poisoning. Even though the death is suspicious and likely suspects abound, the coroner ultimately rules the death a suicide, citing the decedent's depression subsequent to her having suffered from the flu.

After a year passes, the husband becomes convinced of two actualities:

1. His wife had been having love affairs behind his back.

2. She was murdered by someone at the dinner table.

These epiphanies were chiefly the result of anonymous letters which he began receiving, advising him directly of the latter thought and strongly implying the former. So the distraught husband calls in his lifelong friend and man-of-the-world, Colonel Race, to aid him in trapping the killer. Unfortunately this widower's meticulous plan, which involved a second celebratory dinner with all the same guests present as before and conducted at the same restaurant, gives rise to a second murder.

That last comment is not a spoiler as all this is revealed by the book's back cover teaser -- Christie wanted us to know all this up front. The resolution is quite clever and most readers will anticipate neither the murderer nor the method.

Christie devotees have previously encountered the fictional Colonel Race, formerly of Great Britain's MI-5 organization, a man who also paired up with the renowned Hercule Poirot in Cards on the Table (Hercule Poirot). Race's role is somewhat unique to Christie mysteries in that he functions as a (semi-private) "helper detective" to the primary investigator who in this case is Scotland Yard Inspector Kemp, (whom, it is further noted, had been mentored by the more well-known and now-retired Inspector Battle, ergo: Towards Zero (St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries).) While it is true that even Hercule Poirot serves as a secondary detective to the Scotland Yard one most of the time, (as does Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, etc.), the reader still knows that it will be Poirot, and not the Scotland Yard sleuth, who actually resolves the case. But here, Colonel Race's role is truly a supplemental and secondary one.

While this mystery is a pretty good read overall, it's not, from my view, Christie's best effort. But since she generated a total of over eighty mysteries, romance novels, and plays it's logical that not every work can rank among "the very best." Of British cozy murder mysteries in general, (all authors), this one easily falls within the top twenty percent because Christie was simply that skilled in the art.

This book was first published in 1945 by Dodd, Mead. For those who are just commencing to explore the plethora of Agatha Christie mysteries there are probably better starting points. I would recommend Agatha Christie's Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Mysteries); Murder at the Vicarage: A Miss Marple Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection), or; By the Pricking of My Thumbs.

Highly recommended for all Christie fans and generally recommended for those who enjoy various authors of the cozy murder genre.

Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie
This book is a must read for mystery lovers. It is a great book with a lot of suspense. The case is very cleverwhat with everybody having a motive. This novel willkeep you on your toes wondering who is the murderer and the reader suspects everybody... except the murdered!

Avid Reader
Does not come across as a legitimate Agatha Christie.I have read most of her books, and this one is "strange".Not exactly her style.A bit disappointed.

Not a (ahem) sparkling achievement
Young and beautiful Rosemary Barton died while dining at a fine restaurant.Her death was purportedly caused by Rosemary's spiking of her own champagne with cyanide.A year having passed, Rosemary's grieving husband and younger sister are coming to believe that Rosemary's death was not by her own hand. There are, as one might expect, several good suspects and little good evidence.Rosemary's husband has a plan to flush out the killer, a recreation of the fatal dinner.Will the killer be given away or will death be again on the menu?

Remembered Death (or Sparkling Cyanide) has lots of the elements that make a Christie novel identifiably a Christie novel.There are the idle rich, a suspicious death with few and vague clues, a group of people all with good reason to want the murdered person dead and a subtle detective plodding to a revelatory denouement.This book, however, is clearly not one of Ms. Christie's better efforts.The plot lacks forward momentum, the characters are flat and non-compelling and, perhaps worst, the solution isn't entirely persuasive.Go ahead and read this if you're a Christie completist.If not, you're best off picking another.

WILL SOMEONE LET THE WOMAN SPEAK?
What "improvements" have been made for the St. Martin's Minotaur edition?There are already major differences in punctuation, word choices, and scene breaks between the original Collins and Dodd Mead (REMEMBERED DEATH) 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 Signet, 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. ... Read more

Product Description
The request sounds simple: solve a crime. Except there are no clues as to what happened, when it occurred, where it was committed, or for that matter, to whom. For Miss Jane Marple, it's the most baffling-and final-case of her illustrious career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Death of a Lover
Agatha Christie pulls out all the stops for Miss Marple in NEMESIS. She reunites my favorite sleuth with Jason Rafiel, a companion in crime solving she commandeered in A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY. Mr. Rafiel is decreased, but solicitous the help of his nemesis to right a grave injustice without leaving any instructions for her to follow.
Miss Marple must make her own case with her own highly developed sense of justice and knowledge of evil.
This one will keep you guess until the final pages and send you back to reread this perfect gem of detective fiction.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.

NEMESIS
A comfortable chair, a cup of tea, a Christie novel narrated by the many voices of Rosalind Ayres. Perfection!

Jason Rafiel has died.We met him in A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY.His London solicitor, Mr. Broad Rib (I love that name, don't you?) summons Jane Marple to receive an offer and a ples from beyond the grave.To Mr. Rafiel Miss Marple is not "a fluffy old pussy."He saw her as "a woman with a fine sense of evil, a natural flair for justice, and, therefore, a natural flair for crime."He begs his friend to solve crimes ultimaely involving his "unsatisfactory son," Michael, who is in prison.He offers a reward of 20,000 pounds if successful and sends her on a luxury bus tour of English homes and gardens.(To me, "luxury" and "bus tour" are contradictory terms.Don't you agree?)On the tour, Miss Marple travels with 14 others, all of whom seem to offer clues to the cleverly plotted, somewhat complicated cozy mystery.

I always look forward to Christie's heart-felt insights into the world of the elderly.As usual, she discusses patent medicines and new physicians with her friends.She carefully stretches her painful hands, rheumatic back, and sore legs before a fire more than once as she contemplates the case.I smiled at her depiction of the spiteful English weather when she noted a "sudden cold spell. which as its habit, can always descend on England at any moment selected by itself." And this time, I was especially touched when she spoke with compassion about epilepsy and spastic paralysis.I was born with cerebral palsy-spastic paralysis.

Rosalind Ayres is masterful in her reading.I am from the American mid-west and her rendition of the accent is amazing.You won't be sorry if you listen to rather than read NEMESIS.

Because I got confused with titles and hope to save you from doing so, I decided to edit this review with a list of MISS MARPLE novels.Jane Marple first appeared in a short story in 1927 entitled THE TUESDAY NIGHT CLUB.And here are the novels:
(1)THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE (1930).(2)THE BODY IN THE LIBRARY(1942).(3)THE MOVING FINGER(1943). (4)A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED(1950).(5)THEY DO IT WITH MIRRORS(1952)Alternate title:MURDER WITH MIRRORS.(6)A POCKET FULL OF RYE(1953).Also narrated by Rosalind Ayres.(7)4:50 FROM PADDINGTON(1957)Alternate title:WHAT MRS. MC GILLICUDDY SAW.(8)THE MIRROR CRACK'D FROM SIDE TO SIDE (1962)Alternate title:THE MIRROR CRACKED.(9)A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY(1964).Also narrated by Rosalind Ayres.(10)AT BERTRAM'S HOTEL(1965).This title is the most recent to be released in CD form.I have it in large print.
(11)NEMESIS (1971).(12)THE SLEEPING MURDER(written in 1940 but published in 1976).

Nemesis: A Miss Marple Mystery
Agatha Christie Audio CD (BOOKS ON TAPE) are absolutely wonderful . I have purchased all of mine from Amazon.com and will be purchasing more in the future from Amazon. Her Mysteries of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot and other characters are absolutely wonderful . When listening on CD with head-phones on and your eyes closed you start an unbelievable journey every time . If you love Great Mysteries you have to buy these , you'll love every exciting minute of these("SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR CHAIR") stories ! If you want the best price , look no furter than Amazon.com as they have the best prices I have ever seen on these wonderful CD series . You can buy with Confidence and Trust from Amazon , there the Best. Sincerely, Pat Simmons

Nemesis
A great recording. You can't go wrong with Agatha and the CDs make it possible to read while you drive. I take long trips so I enjoy the Agatha Christie books on CDs alot. Of course, I have read the book and seen the PBS series on Miss Marple, but listening to the audiobook is still enjoyable and you get to listen more than once to find things you missed before.

Enjoyable, satisfying mystery read
Before "Nemesis", I haven't read an Agatha Christie book in years. I'm glad I started again, as this book reminded me of what a brilliant writer Christie was. "Nemesis" immediately engaged me and I found it difficult to put down. Agatha Christie weaved such a coherent and fascinating tale of murder and mystery without resorting to gore or sensationalism. In Miss Marple, she created a relateable and loveable character reminiscent of one's own nosy but likeable aunt. It took some time for the mystery to develop. Many of the characters weren't fully fleshed out, which was my only problem with this book. Otherwise, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I can't wait to read another of Christie's mystery soon! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Not Christie's finest work, minor spoilers noted in advance (details)
This cozy murder mystery was a re-read for me, once shortly after its initial publication in 1967 and then again just last week. I have the Pocket Books paperback edition which first became available in 1969.

THE STORY: A roustabout and buoyant young man encounters a pretty young girl near a prime, if a bit decrepit, large and aging estate in the English countryside not far from London: Gipsy's [sic] Acre. They soon fall in love and ultimately acquire the property, (by means which you will learn by reading the book), hoping to live there together "happily ever after."

But an old hag of a local Gypsy sternly cautions the pair that the land is cursed and, after having read their fortunes, belligerently warns the two to abandon the area forever; however, the amorous pair rejects the idea of bending to the superstitious rantings of a crank fortune-teller and so they proceed to pursue a life together, tearing down the old mansion and constructing an avant-garde dwelling, siteing it strategically on the iniquitous property.

A number of intriguing characters highlight the story, from my view at the cost of more than a little hyperbole on Christie's part.

Christie often spun her tales in First Person such as she did in here from the perspective of the fictional protagonist/narrator, Mike Rogers. Unfortunately, this account lacks the detailed atmosphere of the story environment as well as that of the people, all of which has previously defined the excellence of Christie's more renowned works such as The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection). These notable voids in wallpaper can often occur throughout this and other genres of prose as a direct caveat of the First Person writing style but there is yet another specific reason for the attenuation of ambiance in this instance which I will discuss momentarily.

The flavor of the story seems a hybrid of a typical Christie cozy murder case blended with one of her sprawling romance yarns which she penned under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott, ergo: Absent in the Spring (Westmacott). I initially saw this element as a positive touch since the work represented something new and different. But sadly, this story goes NOWHERE for about 100 pages -- redundant dialogue and text abounds. There is a specific reason as to why this happened which also accounts for the general lack of atmosphere which we have come to expect from Christie:

(MINOR SPOILER AHEAD!)

If you have read all the Miss Marple stories in either The Regatta Mystery And Other Stories - The Agatha Christie Mystery Collection (originally published in 1939) or in Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories then you will have encountered a brief entry entitled: "The Case of the Caretaker." This abbreviated Miss Marple mystery of only fifteen pages lays out the entire plot of "Endless Night," (which does not include Miss Marple.)

So it would appear that Christie seized upon a previously written story idea and proceeded to engorge it with literary filler to create the book under review here. I have no problem with that except that the enlarged account clearly lacks the author's legendary distinction. Rewriting these shorter mysteries was something that Christie did from time to time. A well-known example was when, among other aspects, she re-penned "The Regatta Mystery" to supplant the more celebrated Detective Hercule Poirot with the lesser Detective Parker Pyne.

In her autobiography, Agatha Christie An Autobiography, Christie comments that during certain difficult periods she wrote stories which she didn't even recall later along in her life. That could indeed be the case here considering that she eventually authored a total of over eighty books and plays -- having read them all I'll certainly give her the benefit of the doubt.

One personal blog website which I encountered during my supplemental research for this review characterized "The Case of the Caretaker" as "irritatingly predictable." To a somewhat lesser degree I would describe "Endless Night" in much the same way.

In summary, if you are a big Christie fan like me you'll of course want to read "Endless Night" -- however, if you're a more casual reader of cozy murder mysteries I would steer you toward some of Christie's superior works. If you wish to take in a good whodunit involving a multiple of Christie's preeminent sleuths, try reading Cards on the Table (Hercule Poirot).

Agatha Christie at her best
If I could use one word to describe the overall tone of this book, it would be...haunting. And in the end, disturbing. But oh so worth the read! I won't bore you with the details of the plot, but trust me. This book will stay with you long after you read it. It's definitely not in the same vein as Christie's other works, but perhaps all the more brilliant for it. A must read, if you are a fan of mystery novels in any sense.

Far from Endless
You need to know that this audio book is ABRIDGED.While it's entertaining and well read, this version has only 3 short CDs, each one only about 45 minutes long.The unabridged version read by Hugh Fraser is a far better value.

A Masterpiece
You must read this book. It is completely unlike any of her other mysteries and will haunt you for days afterwards. It made me reflect about myself like no other novel I've ever read.If you thought Agatha Christie was already a great author before, just wait until you read this.

WILL SOMEONE LET THE WOMAN SPEAK?
What "improvements" have been made for the St. Martin's Minotaur 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 additions still in the Signet, 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.

... Read more

Product Description
Four of Agatha Christie's twelve, celebrated Miss Marple novels in a single volume, bound in the stylish livery of the new series. The Body in the Library It's seven in the morning, and the body of a young woman is found in the Bantry's library. And what's the connection with another dead girl, found in a deserted quarry? Miss Marple is invited to investigate the mystery before tongues start to wag...and another innocent victim is murdered in cold blood. The Moving Finger The quiet inhabitants of Lymstock are unsettled by a sudden outbreak of hate-mail. But when one of the recipients commits suicide, only Miss Marple questions the coroner's verdict. Is this the work of a poison pen...or a poisoner? A Murder is Announced An advertisement in the Chipping Cleghorn Gazette announces the time and place of a forthcoming murder. Many think it's a hoax - but the owner of the house named as the murder site is less than impressed. Especially when half the village turn up at the allotted time and then the lights go out...and the screaming starts. 4.50 from Paddington As two trains run together, side by side, Mrs McGillicuddy watches a murder. Then the other train draws away.With no other witnesses, and not even a body, who will take her story seriously. The she remembers her old friend Miss Marple... ... Read more

Product Description
A bit of adventure and quick cash is all that good-natured drifter Anthony Cade is looking for when he accepts a messenger job from an old friend. It sounds so simple: deliver the provocative memoirs of a recently deceased European count to a London publisher. But the parcel holds ore than scandalous royal secrets. It contains a stash of letters that suggest blackmail--and lead to the murder of a stranger who's been shadowing Anthony's every move. Discovering the dead man's identity means retracing his steps--to the rambling estate of Chimneys where darker secrets, and deadlier threats, await anyone who dares to enter.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

A FUN SUMMER READ!
I really enjoyed reading this book! Its definitely one of my Fav by Agatha Christie! The characters are likable the plot is a bit twisted at the end but in a good way! The end has surprised me though but it was a fun book to read! A fun summer read and winter! I recommend it to all of Agatha Christie's fans! I'm really wondering why this book in particular didn't make it to one of her best, most popular books? Because its really good!

FIVE STARS!!

"There's a Dead Man in the Next Room. He's Been Murdered, and I Don't Know What to do About It..."
As one of the less-common Agatha Christie mysteries, a novel that stars neither Hercule Poirot nor Miss Marple, "The Secret of Chimneys" certainly begins with a compelling hook. Dashing Anthony Cade meets up with old friend Jimmy McGrath, who tells him of a rather odd errand that he's supposed to run. After saving the life of Count Stylptitch of Herzoslovakia, McGrath was sent the man's memoirs, with a substantial reward promised if he successfully delivered them to the publishers in England.

As he's more interested in carrying on to South America, McGrath asks Anthony if he would like to take up the challenge. But there's more. McGrath is also in possession of several letters that he received from a dying man, promising him that there was money to be earned from them. McGrath was disgusted to find out that the letters were rather desperate love-letters by a married woman to her lover, and that the profit to be earned from them would no doubt involve blackmail. The letters are signed Virginia Revel, and McGrath entrusts Anthony with the task of returning the letters to their rightful owner.

Naturally both these plots converge when Anthony reaches England, and what follows is one of Christie's more convoluted plots involving missing crown jewels, international politics, vying police investigations, diplomacy and espionage, blackmail and secret identities, master criminals and secret goings-on in the night. It's rather difficult to keep track of it all, and may warrant a second read in order to sort out all the intrigue and opposing motivations at work throughout the story. Not even the protagonists are what they seem, and a last minute reveal puts a whole new spin on everything.

What carries the story along are the characters of Anthony Cade and Virgina Reveal, both charismatic and cunning. Anthony is Christie's ideal of a manly man, and Virginia is a young widow who has the ability to charm every man, woman and child who crosses her path. The sparks immediately fly between them, particularly when a man is found dead in Virginia's living room, a man that she had "let" blackmail her (being rich and leisurely, Virginia thought it would be a lark). When Anthony helps her get rid of the body, the two of them meet up again at Chimneys, a historical landmark that is often used to host important guests of the British government. Owned by Lord Caterham and his daughter Lady Eileen (better known as "Bundle"), the house is a wonderfully atmospheric setting for the mystery that follows. Also present is the tacturn Superintendent Battle, one of Christie's favorite police investigators, in fine form here.

I've read "The Secret of Chimneys" twice now, and to be honest, I'm still a little fuzzy on some of the details. It is an immensely complicated plot, much of which is related through dialogue that contains opposing points-of-view, and it is more of a spy-thriller than an old-fashioned whodunit. Still, Christie doesn't spoon-fed the reader. All the clues are there, and you have to be sharp if you're going to keep up with the quick minds of Anthony and Virginia.

It is certainly one of Christie's more humorous novels, particularly due to the long-suffering Lord Caterham, who just wants all these odd foreigners to leave his house, and fans may be pleased to know that Caterham and his daughter turn up again in The Seven Dials Mystery. Certainly worth a read, though the change from Christie's usual formula may mean that it's not to everyone's taste.

A Light-Hearted Romp of an International Intrigue
It seems that the main negative criticism of this Christie yarn is that it is not in keeping with the tone of most of her other books. However, that's one of the things that I most loved about it! I am a dyed-in-the-wool Agatha fan, not encountering many of her books that I have not enjoyed. She is, in my opinion, one of the great masters at creating vivid and spot-on characters (much like Austen). You read her short, surgically precise descriptions of the people who populate her works and even 60, 70, 80 years later, think, "I know that person!"
No difference this time around. Wonderfully drawn characters, intriguing plot, atmospheric setting. Some reviewers seem to be complaining that this book reads "old." That's one of the things I enjoyed so much about it. It is a wonderful product of its time, romantically and enjoyably painting a tableau of British aristocracy in the 20s.
As for the plot, for those who are regular readers of Agatha Christie, it is an early experiment in many of her routine bag of tricks. Consequently, it is not terribly difficult to deduce the solution, but it is still very pleasant, and I do not think the casual reader will easily guess the solution.
If you enjoy this book, I would also recommend "The Seven Dials Mystery." It refeatures one of my favorite Christie characters, Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent, as well as the thoroughly delightful George Lomax (in an amazing, Mr. Collins-like episode that had me laughing out loud) and Bill Eversleigh, along with Lord Caterham and the rest of the Chimneys crew. Both books have the ubiquitious Superintendant Battle at the helm of offical investigations. A warning, however: if you didn't like "The Secret of Chimneys," you will positively loathe "The Seven Dials Mystery." It takes the Wodehousian tone and antics to the next level, to the delight of this reader, but to immense frustration of those who are wedded to the Poirot type of Agatha Christie novel.
Overall, this is a really splendid early Agatha work. Great for a fun read- I always read her on vacation, so since the summer is here, let me recommend this to you for poolside lounging.

A tasty bon bon for seasoned Christie readers
No Agatha Christie book I know of is a waste of time.But this is one of her delightfully light works and not a good introduction for first time readers of hers. This is one of her earlier books and is especially notable for the introduction of Scotland Yard inspector Battle who appears in many later and more serious books. Christie plays with her readers here with more than one twist and will be rewarding for those of her fans who haven't yet discovered this one.

If Walls Could Speak
"The Secret of Chimneys" is one of Agatha Christie's mysteries that does not feature her famous sleuths Hercule Poriot or Miss Marple.Rather the main character, Anthony Cade, works as an amateur sleuth to solve a very confounding mystery.While some elements of the plot are rather improbable, "The Secret of Chimneys" is a thoroughly enjoyable and charming puzzle of a mystery to solve.

The reader first meets Anthony Cade as a tour guide in Africa.By chance he meets up with his old friend, James McGrath, who asks him to carry out a favor for him.Anthony agrees and travels to England, under the guise of being James McGrath, to deliver the memoirs of a dead statesman as well as a packet of letters that had been used to blackmail a married woman.Anthony has no idea how interesting both packages he carries are, and finds himself accosted and ransacked for the packages he has in his possession.His efforts at delivery and to get to the bottom of why everyone seems to want the information in his possession leads him to a house called Chimneys.But just as he arrives, a foreign prince is murdered and Anthony Cade finds himself a likely suspect.He sticks around in an effort to clear his name and finds a murder mystery unlike any other.

"The Secret of Chimneys" abounds with Christie's trademarks - mistaken identities, disguises, more twists than a corkscrew.It is filled with political intrigue, not something Christie always carried off very well but that works in this piece, if one can suspend disbelief and believe in a country called Herzoslovakia."The Secret of Chimneys" will keep readers guessing and re-guessing to the very end.It is a perfect lighthearted, frothy mystery read, even if the descriptions on the back of the book do not match up to the action that unfolds within. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
All aboard Le Train Bleu, bound for the Riviera. Among the passengers is heiress Ruth Kettering, bailing out of a doomed marriage and en route to see her former lover. Pity she's found murdered in her luxury compartment. All Hercule Poirot has for clues is the victim's secret life, and what unfolds is positively scandalous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Locomotive Death
Agatha Christie is undoubtedly the queen of the mystery novel.And as far as mystery writers go, there is no one who can match her in terms of pacing a plot or creating unusual twists of fate.While "The Mystery of the Blue Train" is a thoroughly enjoyable Hercule Poirot mystery, it lacks some of the pep and vigor of other Christie works.

As usual, Hercule Poriot becomes involved in a mystery by being in the right place at the right time.While aboard Le Train Bleu, an American heriess named Ruth Kettering is found murdered, a famous and extremely expensive ruby necklace stolen from her possession.Immediate suspicion alights upon two suspects - her husband (a man in desperate need of money, who was having an affair with another woman) and her former lover (a charlatan by any standard, but one whom Ruth had been taken in by).Before her murder, Ruth confided her doubts to Katherine Grey, a young woman aboard the train who finds herself wrapped up in the mystery as well.Ruth's father, Rufus Van Aldin, hires Poirot to get to the bottom of the mystery.Is his son-in-law capable of murder?Is the oily charlatan a thief and a murderer?Or has everyone been looking at the wrong suspects the entire time?

Without a doubt, Hercule Poirot is the one to ferret out all of the facts of the case when the French police are content that they have the murderer in jail."The Mystery of the Blue Train" feels remarkably fresh (unlike some other Christie works that can be bogged down by setting) and is an ingenious if slightly predictable mystery.Sometimes Poirot can be unbearable in a story because of his snobbery, but he is truly the most likable character in this novel - the rest seem mere sketches and somewhat bland ones at that, so the reader is not given much to root for in terms of character.

Ever felt you didn't care who the murderer was?
Yes, thats exactly how I felt after going thru 25 chapters of this book. As some other reviewer mentioned, Christie seems to have stretched out a little murder mystery into a full-blown novel. Probably the best thing Christie does with this novel is that she reveals the murderer at a point when you are in a quandary as to read on or not. Just too much to read to get to a mediocre ending. I've read 3 Christie books now and this is easily the worst.

Trust the Train!
What is your favorite Hercule Poirot mystery? While the classics like "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Death on the Nile" or the "ABC Murders" rate high among possible choices, The Mystery of hte Blue Train is definitely my pick! The story begins on a train bound for the French Riviera. A young heiress on the train is killed and her jewels, priceless rubies, are stolen. Now, Hercule Poirot, who was on the train, must put his "little grey cells" to the task to solve the murder.One of things I love best about this book, besides being such a classic Christie puzzle, is one of the last lines in the novel.A young girl named Lenox despairs in the face of love and loss. But the wise Poirot advises, "You are young, younger than you yourself know. Trust the train, Mademoiselle, for it is le bon Dieu who drives it." "Trust the train," murmurs Poirot, "And trust Hercule Poirot. He knows."

Robbery and Murder on the Blue Train
This 1928 novel describes a world that is gone, no one writes such stories today. An American millionaire buys expensive jewels from a private dealer. When he is threatened by robbers he shoots at them (they had the right to keep and bear arms before WW II). These rubies are given to his daughter Ruth, who has an unhappy marriage to a poor aristocrat with a rich title; both lead separate lives. Ruth will travel on the Blue Train to Nice (and visit an old boy friend). It happens that Hercule Poirot is also on that train, and so is Derek Kettering, Ruth's husband. After leaving Lyons Ruth Kettering is found dead, strangled with her face battered beyond recognition. Her rubies were stolen. Poirot aids the police, and does an investigation for Rufus Van Aldin, Ruth's multimillionaire father. Other characters are introduced; they play a part in this story, and reflect those times.

The police arrest the obvious suspect. Poirot is able to find the real killer by doing a better background investigation. [I had a hunch by Chapter 28 using 'common sense' from reading what was in the text to guess the solution.] Poirot's solution does not depend on physical evidence such as fingerprints, blood spatter, or locating the stolen rubies! It is based on circumstantial evidence, comparing the differences in spoken testimony. This is a clever solution that depends on certain facts (or clues) placed in the earlier chapters. Any victim whose face was battered beyond recognition would have blood spatter around the body, unmentioned here. [What object did the battering?] This battering suggests great hatred of the victim. Poirot solved the crime with a theory that accounted for all the known facts.

Note how the closed compartments of European first class trains allowed crimes that can't occur in an open coach. Readers of true crime stories know that love or money (lust or greed) often lead to murder. Both are in this story. Was the introduction of Katherine Grey just padding, a false clue, or another of Christie's personal statements?

Top Christie Poirot formula mystery
A very rich man-of-the-world acquires a tremendously priceless gem off the Black Market for his somewhat flighty, almost divorced, daughter. But this famous and valuable bauble carries a grim curse which has proved fatal for its previous owners!

The young lady leaves town on The Blue Train to covertly rendezvous with her lover, a man of dubious character and of whom her father does not at all approve. But that turns out to be the least of dad's worries since his pride-and-joy never makes it alive to her destination. And guess what? The jewel is stolen too!

A second young and attractive lady, recently the beneficiary of a notable inheritance, was the last to see this unfortunate gal before she was murdered. She's traveling to visit with relatives who would like to share a chunk of the pecuniary cheese. This gal remains linked to the case, regardless of how much she'd rather not be a principal incidental to the heinous incident.

The number of suspects, who were also secreted on The Blue Train, go far beyond the young lady's swarthy lover -- and since the police appear to be stumped, the father calls in the world's top detective, Hercule Poirot, to investigate and resolve this dark and complicated matter.

Here, Christie weaves a tale of mystery, international intrigue, and a journey into the Black Market in which jewel thieves operate. And typical to Christie's style, the character development is superb and the main story is bulging with interesting and relevant sub-plots. This is one of Christie's best efforts, clearly in the top 10 percent of her writings.

My highest recommendation. ... Read more

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Five of Agatha Christie's best ... Read more

Product Description
On the verge of retirement, Hercule Poirot can't resist the lure of a seemingly unsolvable series of recent crimes--from a lost Pekinese to a man driven mad by love to a gentleman poisoned by gossip. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

The Labor of Hercules is a delightful dozen short cases handled with brilliance by Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot faces retirement as he converses with classic scholar Dr. Burton. Poirot lacks a background in Greek mythology being busy solving murder cases from the Middle East to Mayfair. Poirot accepts the challenge from Burton to solve twelve cases with analogies to the labors of Hercules in myth. This is the premise for Agatha Christie's 1947 novel. The stories are unrealistic but provide hours of escapist reading.The cases are:
The Nemean Lion: No murders involved in this humorous tale. The dogs of rich and despicable old women are disappearing. Who has pilfered the pups? Meet Miss Carnaby a fascinating character who pops up in the last story in this collection.
The Lernean Hydra deals with Dr. Oldfield who is alleged to have poisoned his wife so as to be able to frolic with the fetching assistant who loves him. A solicitous nurse adds to the intrigue. Christie was fascinated and expert
on poisons.
The Arcadian Deer is a sweet story about a mechanic Ted Williamson in love with the maid of a famous Russian dancer. The maid has disappeared but we discover who she is as Poirot tracks her down in a faraway locale.
The Erymanthian Boar is set in a remote Swiss resort where a desperate murderer is hiding. Poiret is in the area due to the tremendous snow fall blocking exit.
The Augean Stables reminds readers of how Hercules cleaned out a huge stable with the flow of a river. This is a politcal tale of scandal dealing with the noble wife of the Prime Minister of Great Britain. This reviewer thought this was one of the best stories in this collection.Perhaps Prime Minister David Cameron should peruse this one!
The Stymphalean Birds finds Poiort in an Eastern European water hole. He meets aspiring British politician the callow Harold Waring. He is seduced and betrayed by two clever criminals but is rescued by Poirot with his reputation intact and his future among the femmes of Britian secure. This story has a superb and unexpected twist!
The Cretan Bull-The bull in this labyrinth is the wealthy Hugh Grant. Grant fears he has inherited the strain of insanity in his family because he fears he has cut the throats of sheep on a farm. Is in insane? Will he lose the love of a fetching neighbor madly in love with him? Read the tale as Hercule Poirot wins this bullfight!
The Horses of Diomedes refers to an odious group of cocaine smugglers wont to inhabit wild parties. One of the lesser tales.
The Girdle of Hyppolita is the name of a famous painting by Peter Paul Reubens (1577-1641) which is stolen. Poirot takes the case because it has gotten his little white cells busy in his eggshaped noggin. Linked to the art theft is the story of a young 15 year old English schoolgirl who has disappeared from a train speeding through France.
How are the crimes linked? Will the girl be found? Are imposters abroad in the land? Only Poirot knows for sure!
The Flock of Geryon: The fascinating former dog theif Amy Carnaby has a kooky friend who has joined a religious cult led by a cruel expert on drugs. Amy infiltrates the group helping Poirot save the day. Shades of Jim Jones and his Kool-Aid sipping cult.
The Apple of the Hesperides is the yarn of a rich man who has a golden goblet stolen. The cup belonged to the corrupt and murderous Borgia Pope Alexander VI. This story leads Poirot to of all places a nunnery where the story is resolved.
The Capture of Cerebus (the huge dog guarding the gates of hell). The story concerns the Hell nightclub in London operated by the older but still flamboyant Countess Rossakoff. She has been a jewel thief but the little Belgian is enamored of her. Is she involved in a gang of cocaine dealers?
I enjoy Christie's short stories because they have fewer characters to keep straight as Poiort unweaves the web of crime. While highly unrealistic this is a fine book! Enjoy!

Reading with Tequila
I love short stories by Agatha Christie. While I enjoy her full length books, she tended to be pretty loose with Poirot's Belgian language which is confusing to this ignorant American. It's French, right? The short stories give me all the mystery I crave without trying to decipher what phrases such as a bientot and depechez vous mean. Most of the stories were entertaining, but a few you could really tell the outcome a well before the story ended.

Peroit
It's Hercule Poirot!Need I say anything more?Any of Christie's books featuring Poirot are worth owning, reading, and rereading.

A Clever Change of Pace from Agatha Christie
Although presented in the format of a novel, "The Labors of Hercules" is really a collection of 12 short stories, each story corresponding to one of the classical 12 labors of the Greek hero Hercules.It is a clever idea, and the parallels are neatly done.The copyright dates indicate that Miss Christie wrote these stories over an 9-year span, 1939-1947.Perhaps this is a cause for the uneven quality of the stories; most are excellent, but few are just so-so.

Miss Christie's detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple in particular, are at their best in talking, listening, and picking out the vital information needed to reach a conclusion.The short story format does not allow for this kind of detection process; so we do not see Poirot in his usual modus operandi.Instead these stories are more reminiscent of the Sherlock Holmes stories - faster pace, more emphasis on clues, and an almost magical solution.

Agatha Christie is the greatest."The Labors of Hercules", although not among her best works, is very good indeed.

Gripping
Poirot, nearing the end of his career, dreams of retirement, but an old friend reminds him of his namesake--Hercules.Hercule Poirot decides to take on his own set of twelve tasks.Each task ties into one of Hercules, and the way that the takes of Poirot are tied to the tasks of Hercules is quite clever.Each task will keep you guessing as to who is the real criminal.I was surprised almost every time.If you're looking for a good mystery novel, this is definitely one worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
The unabridged tales in this Mystery Masters audiobook include all the ones in the print book first published in 1974. With each case, Poirot further proves his reputation as the greatest mind in detective fiction. In "The Plymouth Express," the body of the daughter of a wealthy American industrialist is found stuffed under a train seat. "Problem at Sea" finds a disliked rich woman murdered in a locked room on a ship. "The King of Clubs" involves a prince, his dancer fiancée, and a fiendish bit of blackmail. These gems are alternately read by David Suchet and Hugh Fraser, whose roles as, respectively, Poirot and his sidekick, Captain Hugh Hastings, in PBS’s Mystery! series and the Arts and Entertainment’s Poirot series are considered definitive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Poirot's Early Cases
Loved the programs and were easy to follow along with. Wish more Poirot stories were made.

Poirot's Early Cases

Agatha Christie Audio CD (BOOKS ON TAPE) are absolutely wonderful . I have purchased all of mine from Amazon.com and will be purchasing more in the future from Amazon. Her Mysteries of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot and other characters are absolutely wonderful . When listning on CD with head-phones on and your eyes closed you start an unbelievable journey every time . If you love Great Mysteries you have to try these , you'll love every exciting minute of these("SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR CHAIR") stories ! If you want the best price , look no furter than Amazon.com as they have the best prices I have ever seen on these wonderful CD series . You can buy with Confidence and Trust from Amazon , there the Best. Sincerely, Pat Simmons

Great
The voices are from accomplished actors who make it seem like there is a room full of people and make it very easy to visualize the story.Always love Poirot's adventures and these are no exception. Great entertainment while taking long trips.

Yes Yes and Yes
Quite a nice collection of short stories from Christie. She calls them early cases, but Poirot is not stumbling around making mistakes. He's still Poirot, just not the famous, arrogant, self-promoting Poirot of later years. Very fun collection. I can't wait to listen again.

cd mystries
I JUST LOVE THIS CD I LOVE TO LISTEN TO MYSTERIES ON CD OR TAPE

... Read more

Product Description
This spellbinding collection of short stories features three of Christie's top sleuths: her two favorites, Harley Quin and Mr. Parker Pyne, and of course, her most famous creation, Hercule Poirot. Stories include "The Love Detectives," featuring a murder in a library and not one but two confessed killers; "Yellow Iris," in which a murder threatens to duplicate itself four years later; and six more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Problem at Pollensa Bay and 7 Other Mysteries
Agatha Christie is in my opinion , one of the "GREATEST" mystery writers bar-non. Her tales keep you at the edge and they are especially pleasing with the British readers that narrate the stories. Agatha is the BEST !!! Pat Simmons

A good collection which showcases Christie's range
While the Poirot and Parker Pyne stories are good, the highlights of this collection are a couple of stories that don't fit the mold of the typical murder mystery generally associated with Christie's name:

"The Harlequin Tea Set"--I can't say much about the plot without giving away the ending (which has an almost surreal quality to it), but this is a brilliant and beautifully crafted tale with a strong emphasis on visual description and color which both enables (almost forces!) the reader to envision the scene in vivid detail and plays an important role in the story;

and

"Next to a Dog"--it's obvious from this heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful story of love, loss and redemption that Christie was a pet lover who deeply felt the loss of her own beloved furry friends, and she communicates that exquisitely, as well as (and perhaps better than) any other writer ever has, and though it's a story focused on a dog, it is perhaps her most human story.

Worth the price for these two gems alone, but the other stories nicely round out the set with the kind of fun, intriguing mysteries one expects from Christie.

these stories are not her best work--she's really a novelist
Buy nearly any of the other Christie audiobooks created within the past few years rather than spend your money on this one.

It's not nice to be harsh, but I nearly couldn't finish listening to this set, because so few of the stories were compelling enough to even take my mind off the traffic during my commute. Although I like nearly all of Christie's novels, this collection of short stories seems to indicate that Christie really didn't understand short story-writing, or was churning out stories without much heart for it or perhaps much good editing-- at least at the time.

At the end of each story, I sat there feeling cheated--as if the ending had been rushed to fit into a set number of pages. It's more like reading one of those 2-Minute Mysteries than the bit of nice, warm, chewy Agatha Christie brownie of a mystery I was hoping for.

Christie normally excells at creating delightful (either good or bad) characters, whose quirks and social interactions we anticipate and enjoy. Her normally keen sense of social wit is rather lackluster here. These short stories suffer greatly from her inability or lack of time to develop the characters and the social setting within so few pages.

Also, there probably is a following for this character, but I find Harley Quinn stories simply silly, and will never read them again. In a short story format there is simply no scope for a novelist, who isn't trained to have the discipline, to get us to suspend disbelief at the ooh-aah supernatural Mr. Quinn. I enjoy a good fantasy or what have you, but these stories simply fail to build into anything and seem terribly impressed with themselves.

If you'd like to explore Christie's little known "non-star" characters to try something of hers you haven't read, I enjoyed Ordeal by Innocence and Elephants Can Remember (which features "Ms. Oliver", who represents Christie herself). ... Read more

Product Description
Raymond West and his friends each tell a mystery story, without revealing the answer so that the others can try to guess the outcome. They feel that with their combined skills and individual experience, they will be able to solve the problems presented. Raymond's Aunt Jane is one of the party. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Crazy!
I took this off of my list because the price is listed as $999.99 - if that's not the price please let me know.Thanks. ... Read more

Product Description
All 12 stories contained in this collection feature a most unusual mystery-solving team: the mercurialMr. Quin uses carefully worded questions and observations to provide Mr. Satterthwaite — a bachelor in his sixties — with the insight needed to solve the case. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Agatha Christie Audio CD Mysteries
Agatha Christie Audio CD (BOOKS ON TAPE) are absolutely wonderful . I have purchased all of mine from Amazon.com and will be purchasing more in the future from Amazon. Her Mysteries of Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot and other characters are absolutely wonderful . When listning on CD with head-phones on and your eyes closed you start an unbelievable journey every time . If you love Great Mysteries you have to try these , you'll love every exciting minute of these("SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR CHAIR") stories ! If you want the best price , look no furter than Amazon.com as they have the best prices I have ever seen on these wonderful CD series . You can buy with Confidence and Trust from Amazon , there the Best. Sincerely, Pat Simmons

Fascinatingly different mysteries
Dame Agatha Christie is best remembered for her wonderful detectives Miss Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot. However, two other memorable Christie characters were the crime solving (and sometimes crime preventing!) duo of Harley Quin and Mr. Satterthwaite. Mr. Satterthwaite is an elderly bachelor and student of the human personality. Harley Quin is an almost magical character who pops up in strange circumstances and challenges Mr. Satterthwaite to review what he thinks he knows about a situation and see just what happened that he didn't originally see.

This wonderful audiobook contains a neat dozen of the Harley Quin stories, each of which are quite interesting, in a different sort of way. Hugh Fraser (who plays Captain Hastings in the excellent television productions of the Hercule Poirot mysteries) does an excellent job of reading for all of the characters. Now, if you are looking for Sherlock Holmes and neat logic, then you will be disappointed. But, if you are looking for some fascinatingly different mysteries, then this just might be the book for you. I highly recommend it!

Christie short stories
This is a wonderful collection of stories with a recurring theme.Mr Quin comes into every story, but in a different way each time.It's fun to get a whole mystery in a short time.The reading is done well, with mostly good voices, though the portrayal of an American accent is terrible!

My favorite Agatha Detective--and underrated
Lots of fun.He is clearly a writer's character and would not do well on TV as Hercule and Ms. Marple do.But a lovely change of pace.

Who else but Agatha could have 3 so different--and marvelous detectives! ... Read more

Product Description
The heiress of Styles has been murdered, dying in agony from strychnine slipped into her coffee. And there are plenty who would gain from her death: the financially strapped stepson, the gold digging younger husband, and an embittered daughter-in-law.

Agatha Christie's eccentric and hugely popular detective, Hercule Poirot, was introduced to the world in this book, which launched her career as the most famous and best loved of all mystery writers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

"The Mysterious Affair At Styles" Book Review
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
By: Agatha Christie
A. Guittard
Book Review


The story, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, is based in World War I. The story introduces Hercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective. In the beginning of the book, the main character, Mr. Arthur Hastings, goes to visit an old friend and his family. Whiles he stays there, the housemistress, Mrs. Cavendish, dies. It is a fortunate coincidence that Poirot is in a nearby village. The assemblage of suspects are mostly from Mrs. Cavendish's family. Poirot is given many clues and racks his brains to find out who is the murderer.

Since this is the first Poirot novel, I expected it to be inferior to other novels Agatha Christie has written.I found myself perplexed at some points in the story because of Poirot, his witty comments and how he finds clues. It seemed that some clues were not really relative at the time, but then turn out to get more related to the story. I loved how Poirot was meticulous about everything, and also how he was so immaculate. So, in conclusion, this is a book I would recommend. Although it is not one of Christie's best, it is still a very humorous, motivating and intriguing book!

The Little Gray Cells Begin

Agatha Christie's Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) by Agatha Christie
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie's first mystery novel, introduced Belgian detective Hercules Poirot to what has grown to be legions of readers in the intervening years since its publication in 1920.Poirot springs onto the pages fully formed. The retired Belgian police detective is quirky, not to say eccentric, but brilliant. He is that "odd little man" who uses "the little gray cells" to solve cunningly hidden crimes.

Christie's typically complicated plot keeps the reader guessing along with Poirot's friend and narrator Lieutenant Hastings. Clue after clue leads us down one blind alley after another. Reading tip: If Hastings thinks he has figured something out, you can be sure he has it backwards. Christie adheres to this rule without exception - almost.

By the way, I highly recommend the TV series in which David Suchet captures Hercules Poirot perfectly For example: (Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection). Albert Finney and Peter Ustinov have also given entertaining portrayals. Christie's Miss Marple, on the other hand, has been tackled by numerous actresses, but none has succeeded like Suchet has with Poirot. My favorite Marple is Margaret Rutherford who played the role in four movies made in the 1960s (The Agatha Christie Miss Marple Movie Collection (Murder at the Gallop / Murder Ahoy / Murder Most Foul / Murder She Said)).

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a delightfully entertaining mystery and a `must read' for any fan of the mystery genre. Christie's books, while they give a peak at sordid doings, are reliably comfortable and satisfying reads and as far from unsettling or noirish as one can imagine.

So this is what all the hype is about!
I'm embarrassed to admit that, prior to reading this book, I had never read anything by Agatha Christie. Last week, PBS featured one of her books on their Masterpiece Mystery show, and I thought it was very well done. My interest was piqued as to whether the books were as good as the show. I decided to start with her very first book published, rather than start with a later book and run the risk of encountering spoilers. So, I requested The Mysterious Affair at Styles from my library, and hoped for the best.

I was not disappointed! One big plus to The Mysterious Affair at Styles is that the culprit is not obvious. At the end of the book, I was just as surprised as the characters to learn who the murderer was, and what had happened. It was refreshing not to have it be predictable. I also like that the reader is given lots of clues along the way, to try and piece things together. The book moves quick enough that you don't get bored, yet provides plenty of details and complex characters. I definitely plan on reading more by Christie, if this book is any indication to what the rest of her mysteries are like.

wonderful travel reading, a great start to an incredible career (for both Christie and Poirot)
It's exciting to read the first published novel of the world's best selling author of all time.After reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, I decided to read all of the Hercule Poirot mysteries, and this is a natural beginning.We meet the detective Poirot, a Belgian refugee in England, and his future traveling companion, Arthur Hastings.

The powerful matron of a wealthy family is poisoned in her sleep!Whodunnit?

I felt the book started a wee bit slow (as always with the first in a series, no?), but once the poisoning happened, it was difficult to put down.Perfect reading for a long flight to Brazil.

Highly recommended as travel reading (or whenever else you may need a diversion).For the rest of my trip, I've brought Murder on the Orient Express and Hallowe'en Party.Poirot to the rescue!

[Note on content: No objectionable content, unless you count poisoning an elderly woman or the general idea of murder as entertainment.]

You have to love Hercule Poirot
The plucky little Belgian is in fine form in this old-fashioned whodunit, gleaning clues where there seem to be none.Unlike other Agatha Christie mysteries, I'm not sure the reader is really given all of the information to be able to deduce the solution themselves.You could guess, true, (though I did not) but there weren't the concrete clues left lying about for the reader to grasp and assemble into a coherent scenario.Still, it was an enjoyable old-fashioned mystery, and I would recommend the Poirot stories to all mystery fans (Miss Marple, on the other hand, grates on my nerves). ... Read more

Product Description
Linnet Rideway is a young woman who has it all: wealth and beauty. Her best friend Jackie is penniless, but when it comes to beauty she is Linnet s equal. When Jackie brings her handsome fiancee Simon Doyle to visit Linnet and asks her to give him a job, the love story changes and Simon ends up marrying Linnet. The newlywed couple embarks on a idyllic cruise of the Nile that turns out to be deadly: Linnet is found murdered. Hercule Poirot, who happens to be aboard the Karnak, investigates her murder and those that follow.

Spanish Description:
Linnet Rideway es una joven agraciada y millonaria que lo posee todo. Su amiga, Jacqueline de Bellefort, no menos hermosa aunque pobre, solo tiene amor de su prometido Simon Doyle. Sin embargo, Simon acaba casandose con Linnet. El nuevo matrimonio inicia un crucero por el Nilo a bordo de Karnak y durante el viaje, que habria de haber sido el mejor viaje de su vida, Linnet muere asesinada. Tras su asesinato se suceden otros que seran investigados por Hercule Poirot, que viaja en el mismo crucero. ... Read more

Product Description
The very first collection of superb short stories featuring Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings...First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond! then came the 'suicide' that was murder! the mystery of the absurdly chaep flat! a suspicious death in a locked gun-room! a million dollar bond robbery! the curse of a pharoah's tomb! a jewel robbery by the sea! the abduction of a Prime Minister! the disappearance of a banker! a phone call from a dying man! and, finally, the mystery of the missing willl.What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot! ... Read more