69. The Clocks (1963)

 Oh dear Agatha,

This one had me from the very first pages - from the prologue.  What a puzzle you created from the very start and that needed 200 pages more to resolve.  There is so much going on here and yet it doesn't feel overdone or too cluttered.  Fun book that I definitely want to read again.

Catching up,

b.

59. Destination Unknown (1954)

 {also published as So Many Steps to Death}

Ah, Agatha ~

This book... hmmm...

I loved Hilary and her story, and the book was interesting enough for me to keep on because I wanted to see how that all would turn out, but... this one... this one I'm not sure stands the test of time.  Or perhaps it does, but I am just not a fan of whatever genre this is.  A mystery, yes - and even a murder thrown in at the end - but the politics / conspiracy / spy / take-over-the-world genre... not really my favorite.

But no worries... I have many more to go.

Respectfully,

b.

53. They Came to Baghdad (1951)

Agatha!

This book really, really exemplified the word adventure!  And Victoria Jones - what a badass!  (Sorry if that's inappropriate, but really!!)  She starts out mildly annoying and immature and transforms over the next two hundred pages into a clever, brave badass!  She reminded me of Anne Beddingfied in The Man in the Brown Suit (although honestly it took me a bit to remember her name and story.)

When I saw this title came up, I honestly wasn't too excited about it.  Baghdad.  Middle East.  Dust.  Not really my thing.  And the politics of spying and such - over my head.  But you managed to pull me in within a few lines and I loved the craziness of it all.

Fun characters, twists and turns, an exotic setting... thanks again for the ride.

Always,
Beth

39. N or M? (1941)

Good morning, dear Agatha.

I finished this book a few days ago.  A nice ho-hum, uneventful, even pleasantly dull little book - until chapter 7.  I felt like you went from zero to 60 in that one chapter.  Suddenly things were moving.

War novels aren't my favorite, but funny enough I'm now reading All the Light We Cannot See for Loveland Loves to Read; the author is speaking here in town in a couple of weeks.  That said, the fact that there's a war in the background is about the only thing they have in common. :)

I love Tommy and Tuppence, and I've missed them.  I thought it was very creative and well done to bring them back, later in life, in a different chapter in history.  It felt right, if that makes sense.

And I love (although I'm worried about them because of their age) that at the end of the novel, these two people decided to adopt this little baby... essentially adopting from foster care, a system we've learned well in these last two years.

But, Agatha, what of this?

"No, if it isn't an accident, it must be loss of memory.  I believe that is far more common than is generally known, especially at times of stress like those we are living through now."

Uh huh.

A week until your birthday, Dame Agatha.  Mine was a few days ago.  Maybe next year we can do something together.  :)

b.

11. Partners in Crime (1929)

Dear Agatha,

What a ride!  THIS is the reason I love your works so much.  THIS is the reason why I want to read them all in publication order and blog about how wonderful you are.  THIS!

The first mystery surrounding this read occurred before I even opened the book.  It took me nearly 30 minutes to figure out what the next book was for me to read!  I was trying to access the info on my phone - wasn't working well - and I was further confused by the fact that I had Underdog sitting at the top of my book pile next to my bed.  (I later remembered I had picked it up at a used bookstore over Christmas break.)

ANYWAY, once I figured out that the next read was Partners in Crime, it took me another ten minutes to be sure it was the right book, because I felt like I'd read it before.  Eventually I checked Goodreads and learned that I'd read it back in 2013 for part of the ACRC... Ahhh, finally things began to click.  These little gray cells certainly weren't functioning at a very high capacity.

What's funny to me is, based on the Goodreads review a few years back, I didn't seem to like this book all that much.  This time, however, I absolutely LOVED it.  It is so brilliant to have Tommy and Tuppence channel their inner fictional detectives to solve mysteries, culminating with Poirot himself!  I love it SO much! 

If and when I ever finish reading all your books, I want to go back to this one and read all the mysteries that inspired Tommy and Tuppence.

As much as I love Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence are vying to be my favorites.

THIS:

He picked up a violin which lay on the table, and drew the bow once or twice across the strings.  Tuppence ground her teeth and even the explorer blenched.  The performer laid the instrument down again.
     "A few chords from Mosgovskensky," he murmured.  "Leave me your address, Mr. Stavansson, and I will report progress to you."
     As the visitor left the office, Tuppence grabbed the violin and putting it in the cupboard turned the key in the lock.
     "If you must be Sherlock Holmes," she observed, "I'll get you a nice little syringe and a bottle labelled Cocaine, but for God's sake leave that violin alone..."

And this:

"It is a great advantage to be intelligent and not to look it."

Oh, Agatha - these mysteries... they make me think and puzzle; at times they are truly suspenseful; but what I love best is your subtle sense of humor that makes me both smile at times and laugh out loud at others.  I just love you.

Beth

8. The Big Four (1927)

Oh, dear Agatha,

After being completely entertained by The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, I really hesitated to start The Big Four.  I wasn't sure anything would compare, and I really didn't want to end up disappointed, you know.  But since we had this reading competition going and it's my quest to read all your works anyway, I picked it up while we were in California and got going on it.

And... I loved it!  This was so much fun!  I wonder of the theme of people trying to take over the world is really a thing in the past in literature and movies these days.  I don't recall much current work like that.  I'm trying to think, even among superhero movies and such that are set in present day... Well anyway, because of that (and some of your descriptions that today would be considered very politically incorrect and even racist), I felt like this was very old-fashioned - but still, totally fun.

You make me really love to read again, Dame Agatha.  I don't know why I don't do it more.  I'm lazy to the core.  While we were in California, I made it a point to go down to bed early every night, specifically so I could read.  Now that we're home and back into our routine, I find myself going to bed every night and playing on my stupid phone!  What the heck, Agatha?  Ridiculous.  I'm going to start tonight getting back into the habit I had in California.

Can't wait,
Beth