34. And Then There Were None (1939)

{also published as Ten Little Indians}

First book I've read in one sitting in... years.

This.

Dear Agatha, I have always thought that The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was my favorite Christie.  Murder on the Orient Express is up, there, too.  But this... this book is different from any of the others I've read.

I'd almost classify it as horror or suspense rather than detective fiction.  Yes, there is a mystery to solve -- who exactly is U. N. Owen? - but it is solved in the context of ten people fighting for their lives.  That definitely brings a horror / suspense element to the normally cerebral cozy mystery that we are so used to from you.

Roger Ackroyd was written early on and certainly established your position as Queen of Deception, but the novels that followed were often formulaic (no criticism intended as I still can never guess the culprit!).  Then, somehow, you manage to do something so creative, so extraordinary with And Then There Were None - in the middle of it all.  It blows my mind simply that you published something like 5 novels in 1938 and 1939 - that alone is a feat of workmanship to be admired - but to come out with ATTWN in the middle? Astounding.

What else can I say?

I love that the mystery is not solved with the final chapter.  Or what you think is the solution is found not to be the solution in the epilogue.  It isn't until the final pages of the novel in one character's confession that everything is wrapped up neatly.  (If it weren't for that confession, we would have no solution!  What if...?)  Even structurally this book transcends norms.

Tonight we get to go see the stage version of the story.  I can't imagine how this will translate into a live production.  And I can't wait!

33. Easy to Kill (1939)

{also published as Murder is Easy}

(I like the American title of Easy to Kill better, dear Agatha.)

I *loved* this book.

It was really outrageous and shocking and twisty and fun.

And while you know I adore Hercule Poirot, it was certainly a nice break from his order and method - in favor of a new sleuth in town (a not very successful one, in the end, mind you) and the lovely heroine (who, as she said, would not die - although it was close!). 

A serial killer with no apparent pattern, no apparent links among the victims... Red herrings and twists and mentions of detective fiction and books and... what is not to love about this book?

And no typos, unlike the previous read. (Forgot to mention that, did I? It *annoys* the heck out of me, Agatha!)

Love!

me

PS:  Oh yeah - I started this book with the British edition on my Kindle.  (1) The title changed - not unusual - but (2) the British version has chapter titles while the American version does not.  Odd.  And (3) one of the main characters' name was changed from Pinkerton to Fullerton.  Hmmm...

PPS:  And... on my cover there is a picture of... someone.  Who?  Not sure, really.  It could be the creeper Ellsworthy (who made me think of Mr. Gold of Once Upon a Time) I guess.  Or maybe Miss Waynflete?  I don't know.  But I *love* the cover art that came up on my Goodreads post.

32. A Holiday for Murder (1939)

{also published as Murder for Christmas}

Dear Agatha,

What if Mrs. Boynton from Appointment with Death had hooked up with Simeon Lee from this book?  Holy cow - talk about dysfunctional families led by a sadistic figure.  This book actually felt very similar to AWD - hated head of the family dies, every member benefits, every family member a potential suspect.  Yet this one went a step further with another common theme of yours - people aren't who they say they are.

It wasn't until a chapter or two in that I realized I'd read this before - and what it was that made me remember was Lydia tending one of her creative garden landscapes.  I am blessed (or cursed, depending on the scenario) with a very bad memory, but it is a blessing when rereading books because I still didn't know the ending, the culprit, or anything!  But yeah - it was part of an anthology I'd picked up a few years ago called Murder for Christmas.

Anyway, dear friend (I would so like to consider you a friend, if I may), thanks again for the fun.  I love to hang out with you and hear your stories.

Always,
Beth

31. Appointment with Death (1938)

Ah, Dame Agatha ~

This novel felt so different to me, at least in the first half.  You really spent that half of the novel in a psychological work-up of the victim that I did find fascinating.  Like Ratchett in Murder on the Orient Express, the "victim" was a despicable human being who, by most accounts deserved to die (although I agree with Poirot - that the despicableness of the person does not warrant our playing God and Judge on their life).

That first half - the psychological study, so to speak, of the Boynton family - is one of the three things I loved about this book.  To be more exact, I'm not really referring to the story so much as the devices I guess.

I love, dear Agatha, when you reference your other works / Poirot's other cases.  Maybe that's not something exclusive to you, but it reinforces this fictitious world as being ... well ... real.  It's like your characters believe (and it makes me grin every time) that *they* are the real world and not fictitious at all.  

Colonel Carbury:  "We might have known he'd be out of it. Being, as in detective stories, the most likely person..." 

   "You read the detective stories, yes?"

   "'Thousands of them,' said Colonel Carbury.  He added, and his tone was that of a wistful schoolboy: "I suppose you couldn't do the things the detective does in books? Write a list of significant facts - things that don't seem to mean anything but are really frightfully important - that sort of thing?"

"Ah, said Poirot kindly. "You like that kind of detective story? But certainly, I will do it for you with pleasure."

I like *that* kind of detective story, too.  * wink *  Also:

"Your position certainly seems impeccable," said Poirot with gravity. "In a work of fiction you would strongly be suspected on that account."

I love your sense of humor, Agatha. Those references to the detective stories make me chuckle, and the references to other cases - the ABC murders, the Orient Express, and Shiatana from Cards on the Table... I just love it.

I'm trying to read these few Christies quickly as I'm seeing And Then There Were None on stage in 9 days and I'm nearly to that book.  I *really* want to read it beforehand and in order.  I've only ever played the video game!  That said, time to get moving on the next...