They say of me: That is Hercule Poirot! The Great! the unique! There was never anyone like him, There never will be. Eh Bien I am satisfied. I ask no more. I am modest.
Agatha Christie is a writer for whom many readers will have a soft spot. Along with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, shes perhaps one of the best known mystery writes of our time (or, if youre a young munchkin like me, perhaps slightly before our time). 'Christie was an extremely prolific author whose work spanned novels, short stories, and plays, and while she was best known for her extensive work in the mystery genre, she also wrote a number of romance novels under the name Mary Westmacott. Christie is credited as the best-selling author of all time, and, having just sped through the fabulous'Peril at End House, Im not surprised by this at all.
One of Christies most beloved creations is detective Hercule Poirot, who appears in several dozen of her novels. Peril at End House is the seventh of the Poirot novels, and its a witty and intriguing read. The novel begins with Poirot and his sidekick (and the novels narrator) Hastings arriving for a holiday on the Cornish Riviera. Of course, as with any novel, a holiday cannot simply be an enjoyable and lovely experience, and Poirot almost immediately comes across young Nick Buckley, who begins to describe her soi-disant accidental brushes with death. Poirot, of course, believes that there is a potential killer at large, and he sets out a complicated series of efforts to both protect Nick and identify her would-be killer.
This book has more twists than a moebius strip, and will keep you guessing right up until the last page. I admit that I did the old head-slap when the killer was eventually revealed, as Id been merrily following along, completely in the dark, up until that point. Christie mixes a good deal of humour and wit with her clever plots, and its difficult not to get caught up in the enjoyable tete-a-tete of Hastings and Poirot as they try to sort out exactly whats going on. The pacing is spot-on, pulling the reader along at a quick pace that never lapses into the breathless and then, and then frenzy of current thrillers. A very enjoyable read that makes me glad I have another two unread Christies sitting on my shelf.
Purchase Peril at End House.
Other books by Agatha Christie you might like: 'Miss Marple: the complete short stories; Murder on the Orient Express; And Then There Were None
I am so jealous that you have some Agatha Christies that you havent yet read! I love her books, old-fashioned, cosy and sometimes outright ridiculous as they are. I prefer Hercule Poirot to Miss Marple, and am very fond of Tommy and Tuppence (of The Man in the Brown Suit and Partners in Crime). Absolute classics.
Almost all of the Agatha Christies are ones that I have read! Id been meaning to read for ages, but for some reason had never got around to it. Im certainly looking forward to sitting back with a glass of gin and a few mysteries one of these nights!
I love Agatha and dont care that some look down their noses at her. I heard an interesting point about her and her era which may partly explain why, in these violent times, we love her. Her books came out post-war. The readers of that time knew much more than they ever wanted to about blood and gore and horror. The mannered, amusing, cerebral puzzle mysteries were just what the doctor ordered for a readership who needed to know that order could triumph.
This is the only Christie Ive read, Im afraidalthough I do have two more on my shelf I plan to get to shortly. Great point about the context of Christie, as wellwas that from the commentary at the recent talk at the Melbourne Museum?