Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Agatha Christie, in the parlor, with poison

A Mind of Her Own: The Story of Mystery Writer Agatha Christie by Robyn McGrath

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I was never a “OMG AGATHA CHRISTIE IS THE BEST!” but have appreciated what I have read. There were a few things I knew about her style, such as she was not going to be an easy read for someone used to contemporary writing and she would have references not really “okay” for today’s mindset. But what I didn’t know was how she got to be considered one of the greatest writers of mystery ever. This picture book by Robyn McGrath does a fantastic job […]

True to the Literary Source but not the Cover Vibe

Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

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When I saw the cover of Murder on the Christmas Express, I had two thoughts: ooh, cozy, and Agatha Christie homage. One of those two impressions was correct. This is so very not a cozy mystery; rape and partner abuse, past and present, features prominently. The trauma is given some respectful attention, but it’s all over most of the book, making it distinctly not cozy. Similarly, the main investigator is also awaiting the imminent birth of her first grandchild, and that’s not going well medically […]

A Mysterious Introduction to Agatha Christie

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

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Having never read an Agagtha Christie book before, I decided it was only appropriate to begin with her first Poirot mystery, rather than a more well known title like Murder on the Orient Express. The reader follows narrator Arthur Hastings, a soldier recently released on sick leave from the Western Front during WW2. He runs into an old friend, John Cavendish, who invites him to stay at his families sprawling estate, Styles Court. There, Hastings is reintroduced to several characters: Emily Inglethorp, John’s stepmother Mary […]

A great time, unless you’re on the death list!

The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie

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“All life is dangerous. We forget that, we who have been reared in one of the small pockets of civilization. For that is all that civilization really is…small pockets of men here and there for who have gathered together for mutual protection…They have beaten the jungle – but that victory is only temporary. At any moment, the jungle will once more take command. Proud cities that were, are now mere mounds of earth, overgrown…Life is always dangerous – never forget that.” Those lines from a […]

Most influential murder mystery of all time?

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

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CBR15 BINGO: You Are Here, because I got this book from my local library I have long been a fan of Agatha Christie, and of Hercule Poirot in particular. I’m certain I read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd when I was a young teen, but I didn’t remember anything about it. Granted, it was a long time ago, but given that Roger Ackroyd is considered one of the most influential mystery novels of all time, I was surprised I couldn’t recall any of the details. […]

“you underestimate the detective instinct of village life”

The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) by Agatha Christie

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Bingo row 2, dwelling–the titular vicarage/crime scene. The vicarage in England is where the pastor of the Anglican Church lives–it’s usually associated with teas with the church ladies and sermon-composing and parish administration, rather than murder–especially the murder of a church warden. The cover of my edition is annoyingly irrelevant–the vicarage is far more important than the graveyard. We find out far more about the vicarage as a crime scene than as a dwelling here; Christie tends to sketch rather than paint a background. We […]



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