Technically, this was Agatha Christie’s last book, even though it wasn’t the last one she wrote. According to Wikipedia, it was published after her death. Gwenda Reed comes to England to find a house for her and her husband. She buys a place called Hillside, which feels familiar to her for some reason. She starts renovations, and has a couple of flashback like incidents. She goes to London to visit with family, and meets Miss Marple. They go to see a play, which freaks Gwenda […]
Lord Peter Wimsey book 1
Lord Peter Wimsey gets a call from his mother (the Dowager Duchess of Denver, say that 5 times fast), to tell him of some troubles a man of her acquaintance is having. Seems he found a dead body in his tub. The police think he (Thipps) did it, or maybe his servant. Lord Peter thinks otherwise, and starts poking around. He’s also working on the disappearance of Sir Reuben Levy, a financier. While all this is going on, there’s a bunch of trading in Peruvian oil. […]
Another dead man? C’mon!
Hercule Poirot is summoned by Sir Gervase Chevenix-Gore to join him at the family home. Poirot doesn’t really want to go, but there’s something interesting about the summons, so he heads out to the country. When he gets there, no one is expecting him, and now no one can find Sir Gervase. The house is searched, and Sir Gervase is found dead in his study, apparently having committed suicide. Poirot, of course, has his doubts. There are a few improbable things about the scene, including […]
A Folly Indeed
I think Agatha Christie had some slight yearning to write a buddy comedy, because she has this kind of team thing going with Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver. Mrs. Oliver is a writer of mystery stories, and she and Poirot seem awfully chummy. Anyway, Ms. Oliver is at Nasse House, a beautiful estate on a river. She has been invited to write a “Murder Hunt” for the village fete that’s being held at the estate. She has a funny feeling about everything, and invites Poirot […]
The butler totally didn’t do it
Great name for a classic mystery. We for sure know who didn’t do it, but then who did? Driving out to the countryside, London barrister Frank Amberley stops to help a lady on the side of the road. While he’s doing that, he finds a sports car with a dead man behind the wheel. The girl insists she didn’t do it, but who else could have? They’re in the middle of nowhere! Turns out the dead man was the butler at Norton Manor, an estate […]
Blunt Instrument
Everyone liked Ernest Fletcher, or at least, that’s what everyone thought. Until he was bludgeoned to death in his study. The body is discovered by PC Glass, who happened upon the scene when he was on foot patrol. This particular patrolman is also a very religious sort, spouting bible quotes (at least I assume they’re quotes) – he seems to have one for every occasion. There are quite a few suspects: the gadabout nephew who stands to inherit, the put-upon sister who lives with the […]