Devoted Fan Christie Titles Westcott Titles Christie Mallowan Titles Christie's Plays Reviews

 

I am a devoted fan of Agatha Christie. I have been hoarding her books for sometime. I haven't read them all, and am not ready to. I want to savor this unmatched author's mystery treasures a little at a time. Dame Christie's talents as a mystery writer are beyond measure. Her ability to place a puzzle in the middle of storyline is phenomenal. Her talent has yet to be touched.

Her books have been printed and reprinted in many languages over the years. If you are wondering why, and you have never tried a Christie mystery, you should. Then you will understand the phenomenon. As a big fan, I use to take my list to the used bookstore, sit on the floor where her stack of books were kept and go through my list. I always picked the oldest books, not only for a cheaper price, but also because it may have been printed closer to the time in which she had originally written it. I have also been known to surf Ebay in hopes of finding her autobiographies for an affordable price.

My daughter was the one who brought the A&E mysteries to my attention. The Poirot and Miss Marple features were a real treat. Both lead actors were made for their parts. I was saddened to hear we had lost the actress who played Miss Marple this past year or so ago, but was pleasantly surprise to see two new Poirot movies featuring David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson and Pauline Moran back on A&E. The first book that brought us the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, was The Mysterious Affair at Styles; the last was Curtain, and the first Miss Marple book was Murder at the Vicarage.  I hope one-day the older movie channels will replay some of the older Christie movies. I have seen some from the late 50's and 60s, but I do know there are some older than that. The very first one that I am aware of is a silent version of The Passing of Mr. Quin in 1928.

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller Christie Mallowan was born in 1890 in Torquay, Devon, England. She was a fan of detective stories herself, so it more than likely wasn't a surprise to her family, especially her sister, that she became a mystery writer. She married Colonel Archibald Christie in 1914, and had a daughter, Rosalind, in 1919. Her mysterious disappearance in 1926 was possibly brought about by marriage troubles, and in 1928, the Christies divorced. In 1930, she married Max Mallowan, an archeologist. Christie's daughter Rosalind married Major Hubert Prichard who was killed in service in France. Agatha's one and only grandchild, Mathew, was born in 1943. This is the same Mathew who writes the “Afterword” in the 1998 edition of Black Coffee. Christie traveled a lot with her husband. Fans complained that her skill as a mystery author began to fall off in the seventies. Agatha was a writer who set her mysteries in present day situations. My opinion is that the present day situations at that time were not as glamorous as the years before and this may have been one of the reasons - besides her leg injury - that caused a change in her writing.  Agatha Christie became Dame Christie in 1971, and five years later, she passed away at her home in Wallingford, Berkshire.

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THE UNEXPECTED GUEST by Agatha Christie / Charles Osborne
Minotaur Books - October 1999
ISBN: 031224262X - Hardcover

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks
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It’s November in South Wales. A stranded motorist walks up on a house for help, but finds a murder instead. And so Christie’s play, The Unexpected Guest, now novelized by Charles Osborne, begins. The gentleman, Mark Starkwedder, after knocking, walks into an unlocked terrace door in hopes of calling for help, what he stumbles on is Richard Warwick dead in his wheel chair, and the wife, Laura Warwick, standing in the dark with the gun. I don’t want to go any further because the rest is vital to the mystery and how it gets so out of control. Included in the mystery are Mr. Warwick’s mother, a brother, a valet, a housekeeper, a nurse, a neighbor, a Chief Inspector, and a detective. Each character is introduced and each part is vital to the plot. The plot is classic British traditional with 9/10 of the scenes being played out in one room (map included), characters coming and going, a moody Chief Inspector, a mellow detective, and a lot of impressive curves, with the ending being the ultimate curve.

Charles Osborne has done his best to novelize a rare treat, and in my humble opinion, he did a grand job. The scenes and conversation, to me, were true to the play, almost to the point that, while reading, I could envision the characters on stage. Now I’ve heard the complaints-- “It’s to slow.” “It’s to confined.” Well, it was a play, and that is the reasoning for the limited movement and conversation. I think readers should appreciate that Mr. Osborne has brought to life another wonderful Christie mystery. It’s a great Christie fix for those fans that have read or seen all her mysteries.

Charles Osborne is an authority on theater and opera. He is also a writer and has authored The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie and novelized Agatha Christie's other play, Black Coffee.

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BLACK COFFEE by Charles Osborne, Agatha Christie
Minotaur Books - September 1999 (3rd edition already!)
ISBN: 0312970072 – Paperback

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks
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Poirot is back in a play that has been rewritten into a mystery. As in past mysteries, Poirot finds plenty of support. This time it’s in his valet George, who has a rare ability to press trousers just right, although he has no imagination, Hastings who has returned to England on a visit, and Inspector Japp who shows up later in the mystery.

Take a secret formula, an eclectic group of people, one well-trafficked room, a Belgian investigator, his best friend and aid, a Scotland Yard investigator, and you have the makings for one of Agatha Christie’s brilliant mysteries. Premier physicist, Sir Claud Amory has decided to create a formula for his company, but he is doing so at home without any protection. Sure enough, the worst happens, and Poirot is the one he turns to. Poirot invites Hastings to join him on the train trip to the country. By the time Poirot and Hastings arrive, a murder has occurred, and no one has any sympathy for the victim, making the circumstances worse for those involved. What starts as a simple case of thievery, ends in murder, lies, and espionage.

Author Charles Osborne, who helps with this story, includes a map of the room where the crime takes place. The camaraderie of Poirot, Hastings and Japp is charming. The mystery seems simple at first, then the usual Christie twists and turns lead the reader down another more complicated path or two.  Poirot finds the mystery to be far more than a sordid crime – it is a poignant, human drama. I found it to be an enjoyable, traditional British mystery, and highly recommend it.

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THE HARLEQUIN TEA SET and other stories by Agatha Christie
Berkley - 1998
ISBN: 0425165159 – Paperback

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks
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Any Christie fan that needs a quick fix, but doesn’t have time to read a complete novel, will enjoy this anthology. The short stories in this anthology have been discovered more than twenty years after Dame Christie’s passing.  I enjoyed each one of them, but I did find a couple darker than usually, The House of Dreams being one. Manx Gold was too detailed for me; I just couldn’t stay with it.  Mystery of the Spanish Chest has Poirot examining the motives of a killer. The Edge, another slightly dark one, has a woman deciding whether to follow her heart or her conscience. In the last story, The Harlequin Tea Set, a gentleman runs in to Mr. Harley Quin, who helps him save a family from harm.

I carried this one around for a long time. It kept me company when I found myself stuck somewhere with nothing to do.  In essence, I feel I discovered something new in Ms. Christie’s work and was thrilled to have the opportunity. I recommend to her fans.

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AGATHA CHRISTIE MYSTERIES
PHILOMEL COTTAGE AND OTHER STORIES
Read by Tim Pigott-Smith
Durkin Hayes Audio 2 Cassettes
ISBN: 5794361707

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks
Buy It Here

Philomel Cottage: Alix Marin, in love with a man for 11 years, suddenly falls for a stranger and marries him instead. After moving to the country things begin to become curious. Her new husband stories don't seem to add up. She decides to investigate and finds out she is the one in danger...

The Red Signal: Dermot West joins his best friend and others for dinner and a little entertainment with a psychic. Dermont mentions a sixth sense he has as a sign of danger. He calls it the red signal. He doesn't mention he has only experienced it twice, once long ago and tonight at dinner. The message from the psychic during the entertainment is "Don't go home. Danger awaits you." Who is she speaking to? Does it go with the red signal Dermont senses?

The Spanish Shawl: A writer is looking for a story idea to write a mystery. He comes up with, THE MYSTERY OF THE SECOND CUCUMBER, a garden mystery. But before he could begin to write the story, he receives a phone call from a foreign woman who says... "Cucumber." In going to meet her he finds himself wrapped up in a "real" cucumber mystery...

Of course Agatha Christie is a favorite of mine. The audio of these short stories are wonderful! I stumbled across this one at my local library. It had a cast of  voices and sound effects.You can't go wrong listening to, or reading anything by Christie.

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SAD CYPRESS by Agatha Christie
Bantam Audio
Audio Tapes - 130 minutes
ISBN 0-55347132-5

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks
Buy It Here

Sad Cypress
Come Away, come away, death,
And in sad cypress let me be laid;
Fly away, fly away, breath;
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.

The words above are sung on the tape, giving it an eerie old fashion feel. It also had an actor for each part, along with sound effects.

It begins with Elinor and Roddy receiving an anonymous letter telling them another person has moved in on their aunt's affections and they could lose their inheritance if they don't come visit soon. First auntie comes up dead while they are visiting. And later another person is murdered when Elinor comes to visit a second time. Elinor is charged with murder. And Hercule Poirt is hired to find out the truth. With a little investigating and even some courtroom drama, Hercule solves the case of whodunit. I have always enjoyed how Poirt explains the solved mystery at the end. It has helped me as a reader to pay more attention when reading a mystery.

The BBC is known for their ability to produce a good audio mystery. I would recommend any you should come across as entertaining. They can break the monotony of those long walks or drives.

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