On Site with Poirot: Murder in Mesopotamia | 1936

(image from here)

"You would have made a good archaeologist, M. Poirot. You have the gift of re-creating the past." 

- Dr. Leidner, Murder in Mesopotamia, p. 226

The Sum of It:
With Murder in Mesopotamia, we are finally transported into the Middle Eastern world of archeological digs that was such a HUGE part of Agatha Christie's life. Set at a dig site in Hassanieh, Iraq, Murder in Mesopotamia is written from the point of view of straight-forward, but likable, Amy Leatheran, a nurse who has been hired to look after the wife of a famous archeologist, Dr. Eric Leidner. The "Lovely Louise" is beautiful and charming, but also a bit of a tease in every sense of the word: the ladies don't like her hitting on their men and the men don't like her poking fun at their insecurities. Louise also turns out to be a huge nervous wreck owing to the fact that she thinks her first husband (an American spy for the Germans in World War I, who she ended up turning in to the government, which led to him being shot as a traitor, but in fact he actually escaped and then maybe died in a train wreck? #oops) is actually alive and well and, according to the threatening letters he keeps sending her, is trying to track her down and kill her.

Nurse Leatheran has been around the dig site for basically a hot second when Louise is in fact MURDERED in her room during nap time, and it looks like the killer is one of the expedition team. Local law enforcement decide to bring in a big wig to solve the case, and the obvious candidate is our favorite Belgian, Hercule Poirot! Poirot appoints Nurse Leatheran as Hastings-Stand-In and the two of them commence their investigations. Was Louise killed by her first husband or his brother in disguise? Or did one of their group want her dead for a more personal reason?

The YOA Treatment:
A bit of background/Agatha personal life refresher: after divorcing her first husband, Archie (#booarchie #archiesux) Agatha visited a dig site in Ur with some friends and met Max Mallowan (#teammax), who would eventually become her second husband. Over the course of their marriage, Agatha traveled with Max to the Middle East to work together at his dig site. Agatha talks about how much she enjoyed these trips and how she was able to not only assist Max with his excavations, but also spend a good amount of time writing her mystery novels in her book on these excursions, Come, Tell Me How You Live. Her intimate knowledge of the life of an archeologist and ancient cultures clearly shows in the details of her novels Murder in Mesopotamia, Appointment with Death, and Death Comes as the End.

I have always liked this story - the Middle Eastern setting is an interesting change from her normal English Countryside and/or London, and the cast of characters is one of my favorites of all her books. You can see how her extensive stays on dig sites offered excellent ideas for the wide variety of personalities found in Murder in Mesopotamia: the hypochondriac, the jealous girly girl, the brooding hottie, the bumbling intern, the sketchy translator, and the mean girl from town who always has three or four dates to the dance. The female narration from Nurse Leatheran also offers a different perspective from other Agatha books, including the opportunity to wax eloquent about the expedition's resident total babe, Richard Carey:"I could see clearly a little pulse that beat in his temple. He looked simply splendid! So lean and so brown - and that wonderful jaw, hard and square. I don't wonder women fell for that man."

It's great to "see" through her writing how much Agatha was enjoying her new, happy married life and her new, lifelong hobby of Middle Eastern adventure.

-A.

ANNOUNCEMENT: #Readalong! | Peril at End House

(image from here)

Dear Readers,

We are so very excited to be nearing the end of our second month of The Year of Agatha (#timeflies #marchmadness #forgetbasketball #justreadagatha)! Thanks in part to the interest several of you have expressed, one thing we want to sprinkle throughout this year is an opportunity for all of you to join us in reading Agatha. As such, we are so pumped to announce that we are planning to have some read along activities (MORE DETAILS TO COME SO STAY TUNED) as we read Peril at End House [aka P@EH] starting the week of March 20th.

P@EH features, in our opinion, one of Agatha's most clever plot lines (according to agathachristie.com, the 1932 New York Times Book Review called it "diabolically clever"), as well as some of our favorite Agatha characters (Poirot! Hastings! Ladies for Hastings to Fall in Love With!, etc.) So prepare to join in on the fun! Dust off your own copy of P@EH (or pop over to your local bookstore or Amazon) and check back in over the next few weeks for more read along details!

-A. & E.

Rubies and the Riviera: The Mystery of the Blue Train | 1928

"Some day, who knows, you might be in the thick of things," he went on. "It is all chance." "I don't think it is likely," said Katherine. "Nothing of that kind ever happens to me." He leaned forward. "Would you like it to?" 

- Poirot and Katherine Grey in The Mystery of the Blue Train, p. 75

The Sum of It:
Even though this one says "A Hercule Poirot Novel" on the front, I found myself wondering if Poirot was ever going to turn up, because it's about 70 pages before Poirot comes into the tale. The seeming main character of this book, initially, are some rubies that used to belong to Catherine the Great. As the book begins, the glorious stones are purchased from Boris and Natasha (I'm pretty sure) by an American. Our American, Mr. Van Aldin, has bought them for his daughter, Ruth, the apple of his eyeballz. He gives them to her on the eve of her trip via the glamorous Blue Train to the French Riviera, along with a caution (put these priceless jewelz in the bank rather than risk having them stolen and you murdered on the train puh-lease) and a demand (divorce your good-for-nothing, money-grubbing, philandering husband Derek and don't do anything to jeopardize your case). 

We ALSO meet a bunch of other characters, including; 

• Mirelle, the exotic dancer with whom said philandering husband Derek is doing his philandering 
• Lady Katherine Grey (the actual main character, besides the rubies) who is a classy lady with beautiful grey eyes despite being elderly and decrepit at the beyond-her-prime-age of 33 and who has also just inherited loads of money from an actual elderly lady for whom she had hitherto served as companion (her family was apparently nobility of some kind but sans money to this point.) Fun fact: She lives in St. Mary Mead! No mention of Marple though.
• Lady Tamplin, Katherine's cousin, who is wealthy (but not as wealthy as she'd like) and lives on the Riviera with;
• her feisty daughter, Lenox, and Lady Tamplin's fourth husband, the young and dashing (if dense) Charles Evans (aka Chubby) #cougartown
• Major Knighton, who is Mr. Van Aldin's secretary and a war veteran 
• A Greek jewel dealer named Mr. Papopolous and his daughter Zia.

ANYWHO after Lady Katherine inherits the dollars, she goes to London to buy some clothes befitting her new income and to embark on her first world travels, to visit Lady Tamplin, et al, on the French Riviera (via the Blue Train). She keeps bumping into a handsome fella around town, and feels a premonition about him and unbeknownst to her he's also headed to the Riviera #meetcute. On the train, Katherine befriends Ruth over lunch, where Ruth bares her soul due to Katherine's nice eyes and says she's feeling super torn because her dad wants her to file for divorce and made her promise she wouldn't mess that up but also she lied to dad about being engaged in an affair with Le Comte de la Roche, a fancy-man from France who her dad already made her break up with once before she married Derek (dad thinks he's a scoundrel). 

Because it's the early 20th century and Katherine doesn't have headphones she can put it to deter people from telling her their life stories on trains, she listens kindly and gives advice only to not really see Ruth again for the rest of the trip. Once they arrive in the Riviera, it turns out that Ruth is #MURDERED and Katherine and another traveler with whom she has chatted, HERCULE POIROT, are immediately embroiled in the mystery. No more spoilers, but the rest of the book is mostly concerned (obviously) with trying to determine who killed Ruth, where the eff her rubies went, whether Derek is a bad guy or a good guy, and what Katherine is thinking. There's lots of being in love, tennis matches, Poirot bragging about how awesome he is, casinos, and glistening blue waters. 

Agatha & Archie early on (from the Autobiography)

The YOA Treatment:
So, in her autobiography, Agatha said of The Mystery of the Blue Train: "Really, how that wretched book ever came to be written, I don't know...I had no joy in writing, no elan...I assumed the burden of a profession which is to write even when you don't want to, don't much like what you are writing, and aren't writing particularly well. I have always hated The Mystery of the Blue Train, but I got it written."

Aside from her little daughter, Rosalind, being distracting, there's one even bigger reason why writing this one was likely a struggle, and that's because Agatha wrote it in the Canary Islands, where she escaped with Rosalind after horrid Archie made her get a divorce because he was selfish and didn't deserve her #teamMax. Poor Agatha was trying to "go right away from all the things that had wrecked life" for her.

With that context in mind, it's interesting how sympathetically Agatha wrote the character of Derek, the philandering husband. When you read her autobiography, although she had a lot of sadness because Archie broke her heart, she also offers him sympathy and in some ways puts some of the responsibility for the demise of their relationship on herself, talking about how he could be so kind but he was just ruthless about getting what he wanted and that she really believed he hated hurting her #eyeroll. If she and I were friends at that point in time, I would have said to her NO WAY young lady, this jerk is the world's most selfish man and you cannot blame yourself for that (I mean he LITERALLY SAID TO HER as an explanation for why they had to get a divorce against her wishes: "I can't stand not having what I want, and I can't stand not being happy. Everybody can't be happy -- somebody has got to be unhappy." #archiesux #mansplaining #GOODRIDDANCE, it seriously makes me so mad. And Agatha felt like it would have been inappropriate to stand up to him and say "But why should it be me and not you?" #LeanIn). 

Derek, the philanderer in Blue Train, not only gets described more like a bad little boy who can't be blamed for running around on his wife because she didn't really love him that much, there's a decent amount of sympathy sent his way by various characters including Poirot, and lots of ladies who love him seemingly regardless of the fact that it is well known he's been stepping out with a money-grubbing exotic dancer who pitches fits in public. This book kind of makes me a little sad for Agatha because she was having such a rough go of it and beating herself up a bit, but it's comforting to know that eventually dearest Max came along and Agatha got her confidence and her groove back. 

-E.

A Tale of Egg & Mugg: Three Act Tragedy | 1934

(image from here)

"My friend, do not ask me to do anything of an active nature. It is my lifelong conviction that any problem is best solved by thought." - Hercule Poirot, Three Act Tragedy, p. 139.

The Sum of It:
Hercule Poirot is still in retirement, and yet, murder cannot help but follow him wherever he goes. In this case, Poirot has gone to dine at Crow's Nest: the home of aging actor, Sir Charles Cartwright. What seems like fairly straightforward dinner party turns into a tragic evening when unassuming Reverend Stephen Babbington takes a sip of his first cocktail in years, and promptly drops dead. Who could possibly have a reason to kill an adorable old cleric?!, says Poirot and just about everyone else. But when nearly all the same guests get together a few weeks later and their host, Dr. Bartholomew Strange, dies under similar circumstances, Poirot is forced to eat his words and agree to look into the case. Poirot joins a merry band of crime solvers, namely Sir Charles, his crush Hermione "Egg" Lytton Gore (this has to go in the books as one of Agatha's best character names), and Mr. Satterthwaite, a character Agatha fans will know from his work with Mr. Harley Quin in The Mysterious Mr. Quin.

Three Act Tragedy (also published as Murder in Three Acts) features some very mysterious elements INDEED including, but not limited to people poisoned from glasses with NO TRACES OF POISON, a disappearing blackmailing butler, and an intriguing new arrival at a local mental institution.

The YOA Treatment:
I'm going to be honest - this read is probably not going to go on my favorites list. The main reason being: not enough Poirot. The book is categorized as A Hercule Poirot Mystery, and yet most of the detective grunt work is done by Sir Charles, Egg, and Mr. Satterthwaite, with the latter giving the majority of the perspective of the story. Poirot pops into the story about halfway through and offers up his little grey cells to ruminate over all the clues the other three have gathered and give his customary dramatic reveal speech to stun his audience with the killer's identity.

In her Autobiography, Agatha says that Mr. Quin was one of her favorite characters, as well as his "emissary," Mr. Satterthwaite. It is obvious in Three Act Tragedy that Agatha is fond of Satterthwaite, giving him quirky little observations about the other characters, such as "Merciless, these modern young women, and terrifyingly alive" as well as making him very nearly the central character of this book. I admire Agatha for trying out different characters, and for paying special attention to those she liked the most, but I also applaud her for, in the end, sticking with the sleuth that her readers loved so much: M. Poirot.

I leave you with this funny observance between Mr. Satterthwaite and Poirot, which answers a question I have always had about Poirot:
"Why do you sometimes speak perfectly good English and at other times not?"
Poirot laughed.
"Ah, I will explain. It is true that I can speak the exact, the idiomatic English. But, my friend, to speak the broken English is an enormous asset. It leads people to despise you. They say, 'A foreigner; he can't even speak English properly.' It is not my policy to terrify people; instead, I invite their gentle ridicule. Also I boast! An Englishman he says often, 'A fellow who thinks as much of himself as that cannot be worth much.' That is the English point of view. It is not at all true. And so, you see, I put people off their guard. Besides," he added, "it has become a habit."
"Dear me," said Mr. Satterthwaite. "Quite the cunning of the serpent, M. Poirot."

Quite cunning, indeed.

-A.

Le Train Bleu | A Global Legend

This week I am reading The Mystery of the Blue Train (which I claimed because I love the movie version, in spite of Monica and Ross's dad from Friends doing a ridiculous impression of a rich American, and in spite of the fact that Agatha apparently hated this one), so I was moved to see if Le Train Bleu, or the Calais-Mediterranee Express, was still running the route from Calais to the glamorous French Riviera #vacay #lifestylesoftherichandfamous.

Some of the fabulous night trains upon which Agatha sets her stories are still running their routes [more on those in later posts!], but this one does not appear to be. However, in searching for information about Le Train Bleu, I found that there are a few interesting stories keeping the legend of the famous transport alive. A couple of my favorites:

• Beating the Blue Train This story from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine tells the tales of two different racing drivers who undertook the mission of racing the famous Blue Train either from Calais to its glamorous destination, a 750 mile journey, or on the return trip (in a Rover in 1928 and a Bentley in 1930). The drivers braved thick fog, off-road mishaps, and interrupted cocktail hours (quelle horreur!) to successfully beat the train.

• Secret Manhattan eatery Le Train Bleu Manhattan's well-known Bloomingdale's flagship store is home to a much less widely known eatery, Le Train Bleu. A hidden sign in the housewares department and a winding path down a narrow hallway lead to a replica train car, decorated in period style and replete with French cafe music and white table cloths. If any of you make a trip to NYC any time soon, follow the tips in the linked Business Insider article to find this hidden gem! Agatha certainly would. 

Photo from another story from inhabitat.com about the restaurant with lots of images, found here

Stay tuned for an upcoming post about Agatha's contribution to the historic myth of the glamorous Blue Train later this week! 

-E. 

Truth Will Out: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | 1925

(image from here)

"What one does not tell to Papa Poirot he finds out." -The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, p. 217

Dear Readers. Please hold on to your hats this week, because we read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and we have a lot to talk about.

First, a quick note, you may notice that we have been jumping around a bit chronologically with our reads. In an effort to split up Agatha's books (and pick out a few for the two of us to read at the same time), we have gotten ourselves a bit out of order, strictly speaking. However, rest assured we do have a plan to read them all, and we shouldn't get too far ahead of ourselves.

Alright - back to business.

The Sum of It:

Hercule Poirot is back! But he is not here to swoop in and save the day, no. Flush with cash from a recent case (perhaps solving a "baffling murder mystery" involving a Russian Grand Duchess disguised as a commoner mentioned in chapter 11?), Poirot has RETIRED to the country to engage in the relaxing task (?) of growing vegetable marrows (yes.) But where Poirot is, murder cannot be far behind. Devoid of his usual Hastings for company (#Argentineorbust #wishyouwerehere), Poirot teams up with his neighbor and local physician (and this book's narrator!), Dr. James Sheppard, to find out just WHO KILLED ROGER ACKROYD?!

Ackroyd was a local richie big wig, eligible bachelor, and step dad to total hottie Ralph Paton, who is about to (reluctantly) announce his engagement to his (no blood relation!) cousin, Flora Ackroyd. Of course, before his death, Roger Ackroyd is overheard arguing with someone about money, nearly everyone who benefits from his will got that money just in the nick of time, and just as the police move in to investigate, Ralph Paton goes missing. Let's add to this the fact that Roger Ackroyd was just about to find out who blackmailed his lady love, Mrs. Ferrars, literally to death. It's essential that Poirot and the police determine who saw Roger Ackroyd last, when exactly the crime was committed, who a mysterious Canadian stranger is, and what color someone's boots are.

Poirot enlists everyone's help in attempting to solve the murder, but senses reluctance.

"'Each of you has something to hide. Come now, am I right?' His glance, challenging and accusing, swept around the table. And every pair of eyes dropped before his. Yes, mine as well. 'I am answered,' said Poirot, with a curious laugh. He got up from his seat. 'I appeal to you all. Tell me the truth -- the whole truth.' There was silence. 'Will no one speak?' He gave the same short laugh again. 'C`est dommage,' he said, and went out."

Little do these people realize that it is nooooo good keeping secrets from Papa Poirot, because he'll just find out anyways. We really cannot say more here without spoilers, but suffice it to say, you're going to be guessing and guessing until the end of this one!

The YOA Treatment:

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is considered a turning point for Agatha. This plot of this book (and, in particular, it's conclusion) is markedly spectacular and a step up from previous novels. Before we get into the meat of our thoughts, here are a few sparkling details that we found particularly wonderful:

• Without his usual pal, Hastings, Poirot adorably becomes besties with Dr. Sheppard, who proves to be a worthy understudy, having (just like Hastings) back luck in speculation choices (Porcupine Oilfields? I mean, come on...) and perhaps a "penchant for auburn hair?"
• Chapter 16 has us longing for a night of Mah Jong partying (or maybe mostly the coffee, cake, sandwiches, and tea that come with it #hearteyesemoji).
• In looking for clues, Poirot goes all Idris-Elba-as-Luther and identifies a goose quill which is used in North America for "sniffing snow," i.e., cocaine, without batting an eye because he's just that urbane. 
• Agatha's writing in this one feels more mature and confident than in some of her other, earlier books. It kind of seems like this is the point where she started taking herself a bit more seriously as a writer. 
• Though there are lovely ladies in this book, they are much less the focus of the story than in others. That might be one reason why this one feels a little less romantic and a little more mysterious (though we love the romantic ones too!)
• We know that despite being a crime writer, Agatha wasn't crazy about gory violence, hence the very common use of poison or strangling in her books. In this book, though, she went with stabbing via a fancy dagger, so that's a bit out of the ordinary.
• This book is also more about the crime and less about Poirot himself, in part because the narrator doesn't know Poirot as well as Hastings did, which keeps your attention more locked on the mystery at hand. 
• Obvi in this one Poirot is retired, and he talks a lot about how old he is and how this might be his last case, etc. etc. While Papa Poirot is given to hyperbole, this could also just be a sign that Agatha had no idea at this point just how many more Poirot stories the world would demand!

And here is where we are going to have some spoilers so PLEASE BE ADVISED SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT (until the very end, where there are mild spoilers in quiz answers!)

The idea of a novel's narrator being much more involved in a crime than they initially let on is one that, when done well, is so very effective. The absolute brilliance of Roger Ackroyd is darling Dr. Sheppard doing just that throughout the book, and yet, as a reader, you are never explicitly lied to. Going into this read knowing the outcome, both of us watched the narration like a hawk (as Emily said) just to see if we could catch Agatha in a fib. In the Apologia that is chapter 27, Dr. Sheppard touts (as we imagine Agatha was as well) his lack of outright lying, using clever language like "I did what little had to be done" to blind the reader to his actual role in the story. Despite never giving away the actual solution to the crime, Agatha wasn't afraid to hint at the truth throughout the book, even though the hints might stare you right in the face before disappearing in your mind.

One thing that struck us as a bit odd/grim is Poirot's advice to the murderer after he has notified him that his identity is known. Without giving literally everything away, Poirot suggests to the murderer that there might be another way to handle his guilt, besides going to jail. In future stories, Agatha and Poirot both demonstrate a pretty strong value for life, especially given his Catholicism. This conclusion seems a bit out of character for both, though that could have more to do with the fact that Agatha hadn't realized yet fully who Poirot was than anything else. It could also, however, be more of an insight into Poirot's character and world view. While he is often sweet and compassionate, he also pulls no punches when it comes to his understanding of human nature, and no rose colored glasses shield his view of what people are capable of.

Most of the books we've read and written about so far have been, despite the general topic of murder, rather light and chock full of banter, love stories, and capers. This story is a first glimpse into a darker type of tale, perhaps influenced by Agatha's own growth through life experience, and further revealing Agatha's depth and talent as a writer.

______________________

AS PROMISED! Here are the answers to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd quiz from last week:

(*Mild spoilers below, when put together with questions from last week*)

Characters:

1.) Inspector Raglan

2.) Flora Ackroyd

3.) Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson

4.) The motto of the mongoose family, "Go and find out," from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

5.) Major Blunt was a big game hunter.

6.) Roger Ackroyd discovered that Mrs. Ferrars killed her first husband.

7.) The person who murdered Roger Ackroyd

8.) Captain Ralph Paton

9.) Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd

10.) Major Blunt

Circumstances:

1.) Fernly Park

2.) Mah Jong

3.) King's Abbot

4.) Three Boars

5.) Larches

6.) A hairdresser

7.) At a mental hospital in Cranchester

8.) Until the next morning

9.) Blue

10.) Dog and Whistle

Leave us a comment below and let us know how you did on the quiz! AND, of course, about all your Roger Ackroyd thoughts and feelings.

-A. & E.

How Well Do You Know Roger Ackroyd? | A QUIZ!

(image from here)

Hello readers! We are busy finishing our book of the week, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and since we are both reading it we are skipping our Saturday post and instead will have just one thrilling recap for you on Monday. HOWEVER, since we know many of you may have read this classic before,  to tide you over until Monday, we wanted to give you an opportunity to test your own Roger Ackroyd skills in a little quiz from the AMAZING book What's Your Agatha Christie I.Q.? by Kathleen Kaska. I (Audrey) picked this treasure up years ago at a used bookstore and it's been one of my favorite Agatha companion books.

We will be providing the answers to these questions in our recap post on Monday!

Characters:
1.) What cunning character helped Hercule Poirot investigate the crime?
2.) Who engaged Hercule Poirot to take the case?
3.) To which fictional characters did Dr. Sheppard compare himself and Poirot?
4.) What motto did James Sheppard use to describe the character of his sister, Caroline?
5.) What did Major Blunt do for a living?
6.) Now that Mrs. Ferrars was free to marry Roger Ackroyd, why did the couple not proceed with the wedding?
7.) Who was blackmailing Mrs. Ferrars?
8.) To whom was Ursula Bourne secretly married?
9.) Who left the silver table open in Roger Ackroyd's study?
10.) Whom did Flora Ackroyd ultimately choose as her husband?

Circumstances:
1.) What was the name of Roger Ackroyd's house?
2.) Which parlor game was popular among the characters?
3.) What was the name of the village in which the murder occurred?
4.) What was the name of the local inn where Ralph Paton stayed?
5.) What was the name of Hercule Poirot's house?
6.) What did Dr. Sheppard believe Hercule Poirot's profession was from his appearance and manner when they first met?
7.) Where was Ralph Paton hiding during the investigation?
8.) How long did Poirot give the murderer to do the right thing before Poirot went to the police with the incriminating evidence?
9.) What was the color of the mysterious letter Roger Ackroyd received before he was murdered?
10.) What was the name of the pub that Charles Kent used in his alibi?

-A. & E.

In Your Eyes: The Secret of Chimneys | 1925

"He was still some distance from the house. Not a sound could be heard anywhere. Some fast yellowing leaves detached themselves from one of the trees overhead and fell with a soft rustling sound that was almost sinister in the stillness. Anthony started; then smiled. 'Nerves,' he murmured to himself. 'Never knew I had such things before.'" - The Secret of Chimneys, p. 226

I had seen the movie version of The Secret of Chimneys before, which is altered into being a Miss Marple story, (the book is not). It's also altered in a number of other ways including one of the central plot points, the main character-ness of more than one of the main characters, the identity of the killer, the addition of a ton of melodrama, a really dramatic real estate issue, and the establishment of a completely fictional Eastern European country [Hail Herzoslovakia! A whole new world. Or at least a whole new Eastern block.] All that to say, basically this was a whole new story for me, which was great because I was definitely wondering who-dunnit. 

The Sum of It All:

Before attempting to summarize, I will say that I understand why the people who made the movie version felt that they needed to simplify the story. There is A LOT going on here, and there are A LOT of characters, several of whom have sinister sounding Russian-style names mainly composed of consonants (one of them gets nicknamed Baron Lollipop because his name is just too complicated. That's Agatha's joke, that's not even mine!). 

This one doesn't include any of Agatha's familiar detectives, and it's written in the third person, which is also not super typical (at least so far). There is, however, a main character who borders on a narrator role: the handsome, daring, and charming Anthony Cade. We meet Anthony in South Africa, where he's bored and flirting with the biddies on the tourist bus for which he's responsible. When his friend proposes an adventure that involves delivering a mysterious manuscript to some publishers back in jolly old England, Anthony is intrigued. His curiosity grows when he finds out that the manuscript is linked to the legendary Herzoslovakian Count Stylptitch and he soon sets off to England. The pal also has a secondary mission for him: to return a packet of love letters to a lady named Virginia Revel that some dude was using to blackmail the poor woman. 

Once he gets to England, Anthony quickly realizes that the manuscript he's carrying is a valuable document to a few different people, including representatives of the Herzoslovakian nobility, the British government, and a socialist revolutionary group. When a sneaky Italian waiter sneaks sneakily into his hotel room at night to rifle through his bag and steals the letters (but can't find the manuscript), Anthony goes to find the lady associated with them, Virginia Revel, and develops a big ol' crush on her. Naturally, almost directly after that, she finds a dead guy in her house and Anthony agrees to help her deal with it. 

Gawd, this is so complicated to summarize but ANYHOW, Virginia's cousin George is a mamby-pamby government minister who is on the lookout for Anthony and the manuscript, which could have dire political consequences, so he invites Anthony to a country house, Chimneys, for a bit of a summit. Also attending will be a Herzoslovakian prince in disguise, a famous financier, and some British government officials who would be backing said prince in a bid to regain the throne of the imaginary and oil-rich country. They are also trying to keep secret a missing diamond that was lost at Chimneys during the last diplomatic get-together there. The home's owner, the grumbly but loveable Lord Caterham, has also invited his daughter Bundle (ohh British people) and some of his friends, including Virginia and an American sporting Agatha's favorite last name -- Fish. 

Confused yet? I'm trying here, people. Anyhow, then comes MURDER #deadprince. Anthony and Virginia start working with the Scotland Yard detective team that shows up and gradually piece together the mystery both of the dead prince and the missing diamond. There are a couple surprise twists related to the crimes, but also a surprise twist or two about our almost narrator, Anthony, which are worth hanging around for. 

The YOA Treatment: 

This one really didn't have a theme to tease out, though some of the now-old-standbys are there: a flirty, crime solving relationship, mysterious foreigners, Americans who say "sonny" in every sentence, a plucky, captivating lady, etc. etc. I'm not saying it wasn't enjoyable, because honestly I really liked it and had no trouble devouring it in two days.

One thing about this story that really kept the intrigue going was the narrator situation. Even though the story wasn't written in the first person, we mostly see things through Anthony's perspective. We filter the red herrings, the scary home invasions, the mysterious gunshots, and the tense situations through his lens. But all the while, Agatha drops hints that there's something Anthony knows that he isn't telling us. Why is he so uncomfortable when the dead prince's loyal valet declares his new allegiance is Anthony's? Why is he still nervous around the Scotland Yard detective even after we think he's confessed all his secrets? You think you know what's going on, and then in the end when Agatha ties everything up in a nice bow you're like OH RIGHT THAT is why I had a little nagging feeling that I was missing something, like the mom in Home Alone before she realizes they forgot Kevin #iforgotmyreadingglasses. This clever little device is yet another way Agatha figured out to keep things fresh while she adjusted to her new status as a genuine lady of mystery, can't wait to see what else she's got in store for us!

-E.

Halloween in February: The Hound of Death | 1933

(image from here)

"The first night of Witness for the Prosecution was not misery. It was one of my plays that I liked best myself." -Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, p. 532

The Sum of It:

Today marks the end of three sets of short stories in a row for The Year of Agatha. I had never read The Hound of Death before, so it was fun to have 12 new Agatha stories to digest. HOWEVER, I must be honest about the fact that I didn't exactly love this set...

I'll provide a brief pros and cons list to give you some more insight into my feelings:

PROS:

-This collection is the first time we are introduced to what is considered one of Agatha's most clever stories, The Witness for the Prosecution. I had actually never read this story (which was famously adapted into a successful play and films...see below for more deets), so this was easily my favorite from the book.

-Wireless, The Mystery of the Blue Jar, and SOS are three of my other favorites from this collection. I found the criminals (and their comeuppances!) very clever. I shall not give any other sort of spoilers, but be sure to check these ones out. 

- Agatha writes these stories without a central Poirot or Miss Marple-esque character throughout, but does a good job of writing new, mostly interesting "sleuths," who are often psychiatrists, but sometimes just everyday dudes in the right place at the right time.

CONS:

-This book is primarily focused on stories dealing with supernatural events. As a result, most of them read like very average ghost-ish stories to me. I appreciate Agatha doing something different, but I would not say it is her strong point. (#wewantPoirot)

-Since some of the stories do have a logical ending ("Oh we thought it was a ghost haunting the place, but it might have actually been a person tricking us!", etc. [This is me trying to not spoil anything]), the ones that end more ambiguously feel like a bit of a let down, because I was often waiting for a clever twist at the end.

The YOA Treatment:

Sidenote for some interesting tidbits on The Hound of Death collection: 

1.) This book was the first Agatha book to be available in the UK, but not the US.

2.) It was at first not even available to purchase with cash monies in stores, but instead had to be bought with coupons from a magazine called The Passing Show. 

3.) As with many of her short story collections, many of these stories were first published in magazines prior to the book collection. 

4.) It is believed that one of the stories, The Call of Wings, is one of Agatha's earliest writings - maybe even from 1910.

#agathafacts

(image from the 1957 film adaptation of Witness for the Prosecution found here)

Let us turn our attention to the most successful story from this book: The Witness for the Prosecution. Living in a day and age where legal dramas are very popular (The Good Wife, Suits, Law & Order, Serial, Making a Murderer, I'm looking at you), Agatha shows a fairly mature understanding of the value of star witnesses in this short story-turned-play. The short story is a pretty condensed look at the case proceedings of Leonard Vole, a handsome, charismatic young man who has recently become romantic-ish besties with a much older lady who has died under mysterious circumstances...and left him quite a bit of cash in her will. With the case not looking good for old Leonard, his lawyer Mr. Mayherne needs an alibi witness real bad. But Mayherne gets more than he bargained for when he puts Leonard's "wife" Romaine on the stand...

Agatha gives some insight into the court-scene-writing process in her Autobiography. She admits that she was initially terrified of adapting the story into a play because of her limited knowledge of court proceedings. In the end, she did a lot of research, got a barrister to come in and check her facts, and was pleased with the result: "I was happy, radiantly happy, and made even more so by the applause of the audience." Witness for the Prosecution checks all the boxes in what people love in legal dramas: shady love affairs, emotional cross-examination, legal loopholes, and surprising jury manipulation. Even her pre-barrister-approved, magazine short story version from 1925 shows that Agatha was the queen of crime -- and the law -- all along.

-A.

#sidekicks | Our Six Faves

Hello dear readers! Today we wanted to share a little graphic about our favorite side characters in Agatha Christie books. 

(from top left, Bobby & Frances, Joanna, Luke, Dolly, Lucy, and Lenox)

See any names you know and love? Let us know if we missed some of your favorites!

-A. & E.

Quick Draw: Poirot Investigates | 1925

"I rather wished Poirot had been there. Some times I have the feeling that he rather underestimates my capabilities."
- Poirot Investigates, p. 40

The Sum of it All:
Poirot Investigates is the second in our current series of short story collections, but it is not short on auburn-haired ladies in distress, snappy telegrams from Poirot ("Of course black bearded man was not Havering only you or Japp would have such an idea"), and lightening fast mystery solving. The stories in this set are the first short stories featuring the dynamic duo of Poirot and Hastings, published in 1925 (in America, came out in 1924 in the UK #firstandfinest). Unlike The Thirteen Problems, these stories are not unified by a linked plot, but rather a simple set of quick cases.

The short-story format means super quick plot build up and resolution, which can provide for a nice, fast read while one is waiting through a bizarrely lengthy debate in a House Education Committee about whether or not college students should have to have records proving they've been inoculated against meningitis (I mean, I wasn't fully paying attention due to reading said book but I'm not really sure what there is to debate there...) ANYHOW BUT also the super short format can (#nooffenseagatha) mean kind of rote and less interesting plots. REGARDLESS, there are some majorly classic Agatha hits in this set. Two of my favorites include:

• The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge: A classic set-up (murdered monied uncle, discovered dead by the maid, just after a mysterious stranger called on him in the GUN ROOM [srsly]) is made a bit more complicated by Poirot being bedridden due to the flu. Hastings volunteers for a chance to show off his mystery-solving prowess on his own and joins Inspector Japp at the remote hunting lodge where the crime took place. There are DISGUISES, Poirot in a dressing gown, and twin revolvers. There's also a grisly demise for the real criminals #justdesserts #yikes

• The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb: Full disclosure, I was already familiar with this plot on account of it being one of my fave David Suchet Poirot stories. I always like the ones that take place in the Middle East because they provide a cool change of scenery and Agatha's experiences traveling in that part of the country provide for great visuals. This one involves Poirot's strong belief in the power of superstition, a potentially cursed tomb, and a series of deaths connected to an archaeological dig. Poirot soon learns that the deaths, seemingly only linked by their connection to the tomb of King Men-her-Ra, have another important thing in common. PLUS, Poirot rides a camel and is disappointed in the Sphinx ("It has not the air happy," he declared, "How could it, half-buried in sand in that untidy fashion.")!

The YOA Treatment: 
While there's not a thematic link between the short stories in this set, there is a reoccurring bit that links the stories: mocking Hastings.

Agatha wrote that while Poirot sometimes aggravated her with his fussy ways and disregard for others, she always loved Hastings. However, it's a little hard to tell that based on this set of stories because Hastings really gets called out A LOT, and it always provokes a chuckle. There are many incidences where Hastings' bragging on his own brilliant detective skills gives a solid wink at the reader because we all know that he has either missed a major detail or is just 100% off base. There's also a solid sprinkling of Poirot-to-Hastings digs. A sampling:

"Poirot," I said. "Am I quite demented?"
"No, mon ami, but you are, as always, in a mental fog."

"It's all very well," I said, my anger rising, "but you've made a perfect fool of me! From beginning to end! No, it's all very well to try to explain it away afterwards. There really is a limit!"
"But you were so enjoying yourself, my friend. I had not the heart to shatter your illusions."

"Your judgments of character are always profound, my friend."
I glanced at him uneasily, but he seemed perfectly serious. A twinkle, however, came into his eye, and he added slyly: "That is to say, when there is no question of a beautiful woman!"
I looked at him coldly.

"He's not [Japanese]," I ejaculated in a whisper to Poirot. [Edited for a more appropriate level of cultural sensitivity #1925]
"Observation was always your strong point, Hastings! Nothing escapes you. No, the man is not [Japanese]. He is an Italian."

While these quick reads are lighter fare than the more complex plots found in Agatha's novels, they're a fun set of vignettes that allow Agatha to flex her mystery muscles. Enjoy!

-E.