Agatha Christie Crime Collection: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd / They do it with Mirrors / Mrs. McGinty's Dead

by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie Crime Collection (Omnibus edition of three The Murder of Roger Ackroyd; They Do It With Mirrors; Mrs. McGinty's Dead)

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Classics, Novels, Agatha Christie

507 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The overall rating for this omnibus is 4 🌟.

Here began my lifelong love affair with the murder mystery when I was just 10 years old. Agatha Christie's books were my first adult novels and the first time I literally "hoovered up" books by binge reading them. I can remember my Mum getting the Agatha Christie Crime Collection (one book a month by a mail bookclub) and planning devious ways I could snaffle a book without her finding out. I fell in love with Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford under a tent I made of my bedcovers and bedhead with my new reading lamp that clipped to the bedhead. (So cool for the 70's right?)

My Mum gave me the joy of Agatha Christie and my Dad instilled the love of the horror thrills and chills of Stephen King. 😍 I am revisting my first love here by rereading an almost complete vintage set I found on EBay. (And wouldn't you know it - those last three books are a real fucker to find!)


* Mrs McGinty's Dead *

Read: 21st April 2022 - 22nd April 2022.
3.5 🌟 rounded ⬆️ to 4 🌟.

I couldn't remember reading this story as a child, so it was all brand shiny new for me this time. An interesting tale as it shows Poirot at the end of his career when he has retired; but for a good friend Superintendent Spence, who believes the wrong man may have been sentenced to hang, Hercule promises him he will take a look at the case to ease his mind. Apart from the intrigue caused to the "little grey cells" trying to figure out the crime, I was most amused by Poirot suffering the indignities by hiding out with Mrs Summerhayes at Long Meadows. 🤣 Poor Hercule! I doubt I would have been able to hack it.


* The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd *

Read: 22nd April 2022 - 24th April 2022.
5 Magical 🌟.

This was an absolute corker of a read! It looks to have taken place some time before the case of "Mrs McGinty's Dead" as Hercule Poirot has retired to the peaceful country village of King's Abbott to ostensibly "grow the marrows"! The story had me riveted to the pages and not in a million years would I have guessed who the murderer was and what led them to it. The ending left me gobsmacked and this tale earned every one of it's 5 🌟.


* They Do It With Mirrors *

Read: 24th April 2022 - 26th April 2022
3.25 🌟 rounded ⬇️ to 3 🌟.

This story features the indefatigable Miss Marple - god I love her! She does seem a bit scatterbrainy in this though and I'll be honest, this wasn't a favourite of mine. There wasn't a whole lot to like about most of the characters (except the delinquents - they were funny and so earnest) and I'd worked out the "who-dunnit" fairly early in the piece.

[Zoha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd:
I don't have WORDS to describe the sheer brilliance of Agatha Christie's works. This is slowly turning into a Christie fan account and I don't even mind, I just love her.

Roger Ackroyd is found dead in his study, a dagger through his neck. More than one person in Mr. Ackroyd's household possesses the motive to kill him. But who actually did the deed? Hercule Poirot is adamant to find out.

All I'll say is: they don't call her Queen of Crime for nothing. Christie knows how to bring about the twists and turns in exactly the right way and leave you confounded by the time you turn the last page. Damn. I'll forever be thankful to her for giving me the adrenaline rush and escape through her mysteries, especially when I have needed it the most in my life.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is definitely one of my favourites so far!

They Do It With Mirrors:
Next read! Review after I'm done.

Mrs. McGinty's Dead:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jc · Rating 4 out of 5]

[this review for "Mrs McGinty's Dead" only] Mrs McGinty features both Poirot and Agatha’s own humorous avatar, Ariadne Oliver, in her first major role. This "village mystery" is one of the funniest of Christie’s Poirot novels, and possibly because of that one of the most fun to read. Of particular interest are Christie’s comments on the life of a “cozy” mystery writer. We never meet the titular Mrs. McG., but the mysterious mayhem that follows well after her death make this one of Christie’s better novels.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me why Agatha Christie is called the queen of mystery. The unreliable narrator element was so perfectly done—it made me question every word without even realizing it. I thought I was sharp enough to catch the twist, but I was completely fooled. It’s one of those books that makes you want to immediately reread it, just to see all the clues you missed.

Christie tricked me good. I was looking for tiny clues miles away while ignoring the obvious truth right in front of me. A masterclass in deception and one of the smartest mysteries I’ve ever read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant - classic crime fiction!

I slughtly prefered the Poirot stories to the Miss Marple but enjoyed this volume very much, kept me guessing right to the end reveal, highly recommend for all crime fiction fans.

[Emilia Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute classic of detective fiction. The twist at the end is legendary and still shocking even if you've heard about it before. Christie's small-village atmosphere makes you feel both safe and suspicious at the same time - every neighbour could be hiding a dark secret!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' - fabulous!

[Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book. The only thing I didn't like was the ending.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only read Mrs. McGinty‘s Dead.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder of Roger Ackroyd: Ending was so unexpected but magnificent 🤌

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read just Mrs. McGinty's Dead. It was good fun. So many red herrings!

I'm surprised that an inoffensive book from the early 1950s contains the words "bitch" and "pansy." I guess those words weren't shocking then.

I enjoyed the Ariadne Oliver character and her little tantrum about not knowing where her ideas come from.

Also, I am amazed at a suggestion in the book that Ariadne Oliver write a book describing her detective's last case and have it published after her death. If I recall correctly, that's exactly what Christie did in real life.

In the audio version, the newspaper mentioned is called the Sunday Comet, but in the book, it's the Sunday Companion. Perhaps a real newspaper with one of those names complained about being labeled as slipshod?

One of the characters has a Sealyham terrier, which Christie generally shortens to "the Sealyham." As I listened to the audio version, I kept thinking, "Psyllium? Why does this character have psyllium with her on a walk? Is she constipated?"

[Catsalive · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7...

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd : 8/10 : read 2011

They Do It with Mirrors : 9/10 : read 2009, 2014

Mrs. McGinty's Dead : 8/10 : read 2011, 2014

[Geraldine Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good as per normal with Agatha Christie.