Murder In Mesopotamia (A Hercule Poirot Mystery) by Agatha Christie

 

Publication Date: July 6, 1936

Length:  288 pages

My Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK:

Okay so I fully admit this reason is pretty pointless but I loved the title and the cover. That's the honest truth. Having read the first Elizabeth Peters book set in Egypt amid an archaeological dig site and loved it, I figured this book might have that same flavor. I wanted to read another Poirot mystery since my last review was Miss Marple. So when I saw this book for a great price I had to buy it! Some of Christie's books just don't appeal to me due to the setting and I'm pretty picky about which ones I will try. Also, this one doesn't seem to be super well known (at least I'd never heard of it) and I wanted to review a book not as renowned. 

SUMMARY:

Our story begins with a foreword written by a Dr. Reilly, M.D., which is designed to seem like an introduction to the actual story, written by the main character, Nurse Leatheran. At Dr. Reilly's prompting, Miss Leatheran has been asked to recount the events in Iraq on a University archaeological dig that led to the deaths of two people as he believes her to have "professional character of the highest." Amy Leatheran opens her story by explaining how she came to be in Iraq. She is asked by a Dr. Leidner to care for his wife, Louise, who seems to be a nervous sort. As Amy gets to know Louise's story she learns that she was previously married to a man named Frederick Bosner, who supposedly died in World War I and Louise is distraught because she inexplicably seems to be receiving death threats from him. 

We are introduced to the many colorful characters who are residing with the Leidners and are part of the dig. It is observed that they seem to be overly polite and tolerant with one another but as the story develops there is an obvious undercurrent of tension, seemingly caused by their direct relationships with Louise. She is not what she seems at first glance. When Louise turns up dead in her bedroom, struck by a heavy object, all are suspects, including Amy. Enter Poirot, who just happens to be in Iraq and is able to lend his services to investigate the murder. 

He begins with his usual wit and insight, noticing inconsistencies and unusual, behind the scenes details that most would miss. As more information comes to light about the threats to Louise's life and her husband's supposed death in the war, Poirot unravels a strange story of switched identities and and when a second death occurs, he has to find the cause quickly before anyone else falls victim.

WHAT I LIKED:

I enjoyed this mystery because it really kept me guessing. I found myself completely stumped and when I finished the book I realized that the subtle details Christie adds throw you off track. You are steered in one direction only to pull back at the end and see that it wasn't that way at all. I thought the slow reveal of Louise as at first odd, then neurotic, scheming and seductive, and then finally, the victim was good character development. The narration of Amy as the outsider who witnesses it all was an interesting take. And then of course the funny little quips from Poirot are always good for a laugh. The ending was a little far fetched, but then, it is fiction.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

I am getting used to Christie's style a little more. She is all about the detective side of the mystery story, not so much personal stories. So the part I didn't like is what I usually don't care for in her books.....its' very clinical and clues oriented. But now that I realize that I'm expecting it and so going in I knew that it would feel more like a puzzle than a tale. There is no involved plot with historical details and intricate, personal, back stories but that's okay because that is not the kind of novel she writes. So honestly, not a lot to complain about. Good setting, lots of twists, and a satisfying ending. 

RECOMMEND? OR NOT?   Yes, it is a good one. Especially if you are already a Poirot fan. I think the added touch of the location in the Middle East made it unique and different from some of her other books. 

A Caribbean Mystery (Miss Marple) by Agatha Christie

Publication Date: November 16, 1954

Length: 240 pages

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK:

I'm a sucker for covers with palm trees, sun, and cruise ships. It just says summer and relaxation and if you throw in a mystery it makes it even better! This book has sat in my TBR pile on my Kindle for years. I just kept thinking I'd read it on a beach vacation and never did. So I decided I was going to just read it already, beach or no beach. 

This was my first Miss Marple book and some reviews said I shouldn't read this one first, that her earlier ones were better. I don't have anything to compare it with so I plan to read the first Miss Marple book soon to see whether or not I agree. This book was a cute, light fun read and after And Then There Were None, I wasn't sure what to expect. That book freaked me out! Miss Marple is so cute and charming and laid back that I'd classify her as a character more of the cozy mystery genre. 

SUMMARY:

In this story, our heroine is trying to just relax and bask in the glory of her trip to the tropics, courtesy of her nephew, Raymond.  She is patiently listening to an elderly man, Major Palgrave, tell her about life and drone on with his uninteresting personal stories. He mentions that he possesses a photograph of a murderer and although this is interesting, until he dies suddenly, Miss Marple isn't too concerned. Her suspicions are aroused because she finds his death to be odd considering it happened so unexpectedly. Consulting the local doctor only increases her awareness that things aren't as they seem. And everyone thinks they remember the Major having health issues, such as high blood pressure, but as no one at the hotel enjoyed his company, there weren't many that called him friend enough to be sure. 

When a hotel worker is killed, the patrons begin to reassess their time on the island and some leave. Miss Marple previously befriended several couples at the hotel, the Hillingdons, the Dysons, and the Kendals, who are running the establishment. All colorful guests with their own secrets make for serious sleuthing on the part of Miss Maple to identify whether or not they would have turned on the Major, the hotel worker, or each other. Eventually one of them becomes the third victim. It is obvious to Miss Marple that the deaths are definitely not random events. She sets her mind to carefully examining the clues in order to solve the case. Working through the physical as well as the psychological evidence requires patience and tenacity and she is just the lady for the job.

WHAT I LIKED:

Miss Marple is charming in that grandmotherly way and I really enjoy stories where the character is elderly and sharp as a tack, but others don't realize it. When she solves the riddle and everyone is enlightened as to her true intellect it is satisfying. For this reason alone I will continue reading more of the Miss Marple series starting with the first book. I have a feeling she is going to grow on me!

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

I admit I'm still adjusting to Christie's style. She likes a lot of dialogue it seems and we work through a lot of the internal musings of Miss Marple, the doctor, and some minor characters. The chapters are very short, as is the book, so she does pack a lot into 200 or so pages. Because she is such an icon in the mystery genre I'm still willing to continue trying different selections of hers to see which ones I really enjoy. This one was probably a 6 out 10 on a scale of excitement for me and although it wasn't as good as And Then There Were None, I can appreciate that the character of Jane Marple exudes a different style entirely. It flows a bit slower, more thoughtfully, and isn't given to shock value. Rather the information is revealed bit by bit as we journey with her mind. 

RECOMMEND OR NOT?  Yes, it's worth it. The setting and characters make up for any major flaws and if you like Agatha Christie type books you'll enjoy this one. 

 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

 

Publication Date:  November 6, 1939

Length: 272 pages

In my last Agatha Christie review I said I wasn't sure if I was ever going to like her books. This one changed my mind! It was unique, full of plot twists, and kept me guessing. So I have decided I'll continue to give her another try and see what everyone loves so much about her novels. True, the ending to this book is fantastical and mind bending, but then a lot of the novels I read require suspension of belief in order to appreciate the way the author explains events. And she used all of her imagination for this one. I read somewhere that she said this was her hardest novel to write and that she hoped she'd done a good job. I think she succeeded. 

 When eight people are summoned to a small island off the coast of England for a luxurious summer vacation, they are simultaneously excited and apprehensive. The host of the mansion is mysterious and vague as to who they are and why they are inviting the guests. Calling himself Mr. Owen in his correspondence, he gives little information as to why the people were chosen, only that he invites them to come and stay for rest and relaxation. Selfish and unconcerned, the guests only focus on their privilege at being invited and do not seem to care that the requests are random and odd. 

Upon arrival they meet the caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers who also have not met Mr. Owen. They were employed to care for the guests and after a lovely dinner everyone is contented and visiting, enjoying each other's company. Suddenly, a voice interrupts the pleasantries to announce that each person on the island has been charged with indictments of murder. After the initial shock subsides, the guests investigate and discover that a gramophone in an adjoining room is the source of the voice. They immediately begin arguing as to who might have set up this uncomfortable arrangement. As they continue their musings, one guest collapses and dies. The horror has begun. Over the next few days, one by one, guests of the island begin to die. Those left alive each time are forced to attempt to discover how and why and what is to be done to save themselves. 

It is hard to review this book without giving away too much. I know that is why I had a hard time with the previous Christie book, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, because I'd read way too many thoughts on it before I started and that led me to figuring out the ending prematurely. I hate that. So I won't say much more in my summary. But it is more than worth the wait and I highly recommend you take your time and savor the story. Sometimes I have a tendency to rush through a book like this because I'm just dying (no pun intended) to see whodunit. But this book is already a short read with easy prose and I was able to wait it out. It is creepy, original, and I actually found myself a little disturbed at the end. 

I've always seen Christie as old fashioned and a bit innocent, the cozy mystery type. Not this book. It was not one I enjoyed reading in the dark before bed. Something about the helplessness of the characters, even though most are morally corrupt enough that you don't feel much pity for them, made me desperate for them to find a solution and get off that island alive. It stayed with me long after I finished and that typically doesn't happen with these types of stories. 

I didn't care for some of the style of the story. The short, choppy sentences, the way she continually writes "she said:" and "he said:" over and over again, with the character's name inserted instead of she or he. It was very distracting and unnecessary to keep repeating it. I also was a bit annoyed by some of the sections being so short that they really didn't require Roman numerals to separate them. These were just some odd thoughts and annoyances I had as I read. 

If you haven't read anything by this author yet I think starting here is a good idea. This book focuses heavily on the mystery and the psychological aspect of the characters rather than setting up the detective as the central focus. Her Poirot and Marple series are obviously going to be more about them and how they solve their cases and if you don't like their personalities you aren't going to enjoy the books much. And Then There Were None is a stand alone novel as far as I know and so you don't commit to a certain character throughout.  I am excited and relieved that I have found a Christie book I liked and will continue to try others. I just knew all these millions of readers had to be on to something, I think I just had to get used to her way of writing. Miss Marple's Caribbean mystery is waiting in my Kindle so I'm going to get going on it soon. 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (A Hercule Poirot Mystery)

 

Publication Date:   June 1926

Length: 312 pages

I finished this book last week but it's taken me several days to get up the courage to write this review. I'm afraid I'm going to stir up a hornet's nest with the Agatha Christie lovers but I'm going to be honest.....I keep trying and I don't know if she's my cup of tea. I read somewhere recently that if you don't like this book, you won't like anything by her. That is discouraging because I really, really want to like Christie's books. I mean, c'mon...her books are only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare according to the stats. Maybe what made it worse with this book was that I'd read other reviews about the ending and while they didn't give it away, it was too much hinting so that I figured it out way before I'd finished reading. That's a bummer with a murder mystery!

Our story begins with our first person narrator, Dr. James Sheppard. He discusses the sudden suicide of Mrs. Ferrars, a local widow in his hometown, Kings Abbot. She was recently engaged to widower Roger Ackroyd, who is of course, very upset by this recent turn of events. That evening, Sheppard is invited to dinner at Fenley Park, Ackroyd's home, along with Ackroyd's sister in law, her daughter, and other friends and business acquaintances.  Ackroyd confides in Dr. Sheppard that Mrs. Ferrars was being blackmailed and that is the reason he believes she took her life. Later, when Sheppard returns home, he receives a call from Ackroyd's butler who tells him that his employer has been murdered. Sheppard goes to Fenley Park and indeed finds Ackroyd has been stabbed to death. Sheppard, along with his very inquisitive sister, Caroline, becomes entangled in a search for his killer. 

When retired detective Hercule Poirot moves in next door to the Sheppards, he is recruited to assist in the hunt. Poirot is witty and stubborn as well as self assured and immediately tackles the list of viable suspects, including Ackroyd's niece Flora, her fiance Ralph Paton and game hunter and friend Major Blunt. He sifts through each new clue patiently, weaving a tale of his thought process to Dr. Sheppard. The two work to puzzle out the truth and the picture slowly falls into place. But it is not the picture anyone expects and the final reveal is in fact quite original and shocking.

I give this book a gold star for it's surprise element. And I'm sure that's why people frequently refer to it as such a great murder mystery. Poirot is an intriguing character and love him or hate him he is definitely unique. Dr. Sheppard's exasperation with his sister is written humorously and Christie is good about letting us see Poirot's reasoning unfold step by step as he confides his thoughts with James and Caroline. It is a well written novel with plenty of suspense. 

Where I get bogged down is often the constant repeating of the facts and the way things are recapped again and again. This is common in mysteries I know but in this book sometimes it seemed like filler. The chapters read like little blocks of interrogation instead of a story. There is no historical angle to speak of which I admit I'm partial to in any book and it felt sometimes more like a police report than literature. But maybe I'm in the minority because clearly it is a popular book. 

I'm going to try a Miss Marple mystery if I read another Christie book. Sometimes a character change can evoke an entirely different feel with the same author. I'd love to hear from the Christie fans out there who think I'm crazy! And recommendations of your favorite choices of her novels.