Ghosts of Painters Past: Five Little Pigs | 1942

(image from here) "It's psychology that interests you, isn't it? Well, that doesn't change with time. The tangible things are gone—the cigarette end and the footprints and the bent blades of grass. You can't look for those any more. But you can go over all the facts of the case, and perhaps talk to the people who were there at the time—they're all alive still—and then—and then, as you said just now, you can lie back in your chair and think. And...

First Quarter Faves | Top picks since we began our mission in January!

(image from our instagram!) We started this project right after New Years 2016, and we cannot believe that we've already read almost 30 #GASP of Dame Agatha's iconic mysteries! So today we wanted to go ahead and report on our quarterly favorites (though there's no telling how many more favorites we might develop as the year goes on). For those of you who are just getting started with your foray into Agatha-dom, this could be a good starting list! EMILY'S...

Energetic Amateur Detectives + Love: Why Didn't They Ask Evans? | 1934

from agathachristie.com " 'Why didn't they ask Evans?' " Bobby repeated the phrase thoughtfully. 'You know, I can't see what on earth there can be in that to put the wind up anybody.' 'Ah! That's because you don't know. It's like making crossword puzzles. You write down a clue and you think it's too idiotically simple and that everyone will guess it straight off, and you're frightfully surprised when they simply can't get it in the least. 'Why...

Death by Fish Paste?: Sad Cypress | 1940

(image from here) "One does not practice detection with a textbook! One uses one's natural intelligence." -Hercule Poirot, Sad Cypress, p. 166 The Sum of It: We begin this week's first book, Sad Cypress, in the company engaged-to-be-married cousins (#cousinlove #ohlala) Elinor Carlisle and Roddy Welman. The pair is slightly distressed because they have received an anonymous letter indicating a mysterious someone is nosing their way into their...

In Which We Learn Some History of Agatha on TV

Aloha all! This week Emily is reading the Agatha classic (which ones aren't?) Why Didn't They Ask Evans? She insisted on reading this one because it is one of her favorite Agatha TV adaptations, though in TV land, Miss Marple is in the story, while in book land she is NOT #poeticlicense #orsomethinglikethat. While snooping about on the internets to learn more about Evans and why Miss Marple got roped into it on the televisions (basically just...

Are You Happy?: Parker Pyne Investigates | 1934

"Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street." - Mr. Parker Pyne's newspaper advertisement The Sum of It: Our most faithful readers are by now well aware of my disinclination towards short stories, so I was kind of bummed when I realized this book was yet another short story set. HOWEVER, once again due to my brief period of book-ordering-and-shipping-mixups-on-Amazon, I didn't have a hard copy of this one and listened...

Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: Murder is Easy | 1939

(image from here) "No, no, my dear boy, that's where you're wrong. It's very easy to kill, so long as no one suspects you." -Lavinia Pinkerton, Murder is Easy, p. 10 The Sum of It: We take a break this week from #DameAgatha's usual protagonists (i.e., Poirot, Miss Marple) and venture into Other Detective Options Land! First this week is Murder is Easy (also known as Easy to Kill). This novel begins with ex-policeman Luke Fitzwilliam returning...

100 Years of Poirot!

(image from agathachristie.com) Happy Thursday, readers! Did you know that the world's favorite Belgian detective (#HerculePoirot) is turning 100 this year!? Neither did we! Thank goodness the good people at Agatha Christie Limited are on top of things and have a fantastic collection of information on this beloved #DameAgatha character on their website. Of particular note is Hercule Poirot's Autobiography which is a for real thing that...

Conferences! Stockings! Fox Hunts!: The ABC Murders | 1936

(image from here) "A madman, mon ami, is to be taken seriously. A madman is a very dangerous thing." -Hercule Poirot, The ABC Murders, p. 5 The Sum of It: This week, we present to you, dear readers, our recap of what has become one of our favorite #DameAgatha novels: The ABC Murders. We begin with the dynamic duo of Poirot and Hastings reunited again (it seems like Agatha decided these two just weren't as great without each other and has decided...

#AgathaFacts (Part 1 of, we assume, Many)

(image from here) Hello dear readers! We assume that many if not most of you are fairly avid Agatha fans, and not only enjoy reading her novels, but learning more about the Queen of Crime herself as well! We have loved getting to know her more and more over the past few months and have compiled a few of our favorite #AgathaFacts for you below: >In 1922 Agatha travelled around the world. >Her first book waited five years before publication...

Cruella de Boynton: Appointment with Death | 1938

(image from here) "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?"  - Unknown Whisperer (until the end of the book...), Appointment with Death, p. 1 The Sum of It: We turn, dear readers, once again to the Middle East for our second book of this week: Appointment with Death. Set first in Jerusalem, this story focuses on the most depressing family of all time: The Boyntons. The Boyntons are a rag-tag group of emotionally abused, American...

Psycho Killer, qu'est-ce que c'est: Lord Edgware Dies | 1933

(Image from original UK cover) “One cannot be interested in crime without being interested in psychology. It is not the mere act of killing, it is what lies behind it that appeals to the expert.”  - Hercule Poirot, Lord Edgware Dies The Sum of It: Audrey and I are both reading books this week written after 1932, and both of us have agreed that Agatha has really hit her stride by this point. This book is a Poirot mystery, published in...