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The Unexpected Guest
by
When a stranger runs his car into a ditch in dense fog near the South Wales coast, and makes his way to an isolated house, he discovers a woman standing over the dead body of her wheel-chair bound husband, gun in her hand. She admits to murder, and the unexpected guest offers to help her concoct a cover story.
But is it possible that Laura Warwick did not commit the murder ...more
But is it possible that Laura Warwick did not commit the murder ...more
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Paperback, 287 pages
Published
September 15th 2000
by St. Martin's Paperbacks
(first published September 6th 1999)
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The Unexpected Guest began life as a play by Agatha Christie. This is the novelized version written by Charles Osborne.
As you read it is obvious that it is derived from a play because the entire novel takes place in one room. Characters arrive and depart from this room, individually or in groups, from one door or another, just as actors would come and go on stage. This does not detract at all from the quality of the writing or the story itself.
Like many Christie novels the mystery is spun out an ...more
As you read it is obvious that it is derived from a play because the entire novel takes place in one room. Characters arrive and depart from this room, individually or in groups, from one door or another, just as actors would come and go on stage. This does not detract at all from the quality of the writing or the story itself.
Like many Christie novels the mystery is spun out an ...more
4✨
FEBRUARY 2020- book 18
(I don't review her books, never could because honestly I will be bias because I love her. )
For all who don't know , I am in love with Agatha Christie ever since I started reading her books( 5 years ago) and I planned to read a book of her each month so that I don't run out of her books ! ...more
FEBRUARY 2020- book 18
(I don't review her books, never could because honestly I will be bias because I love her. )
For all who don't know , I am in love with Agatha Christie ever since I started reading her books( 5 years ago) and I planned to read a book of her each month so that I don't run out of her books ! ...more
Having read every full length novel by the queen of crime I came across this play that has been adapted into a novel. I started to read this book and very soon I knew I had picked a good book to read, I could easily picture this been played out on a stage and it had the usual twists and turns that any Agatha Christie reader would expect. As with most Christie novels the finger of suspicion moved from character to character as more facts were told.
The novel starts with a stranger running his car ...more
The novel starts with a stranger running his car ...more
Nov 26, 2016
Ivonne Rovira
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone!
Like Spider's Web, The Unexpected Guest is yet another play of Dame Agatha Christie’s that was turned into a novel by Charles Osborne. Both of the plays-turned-novels were originally published in 2000 and recently turned into audiobooks; while neither feature Christie’s usual characters of Miss Jane Marple, Hercule Poirot, or Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, both are equally fabulous.
Due to a pea fog, Michael Starkwedder runs his car off the road and arrives at a house, only to find the wheelchair ...more
Due to a pea fog, Michael Starkwedder runs his car off the road and arrives at a house, only to find the wheelchair ...more
The book is based on Agatha Christie play. Charles Osborne has done a wonderful job in bringing alive the play in a typical Christie fashion. The end as in almost all her novels is great and as a reader makes you wonder at the brilliant climax. A Bollywood flick- Dhund is based on this play. Though true to the story line most of he time, the ending in the film is weal compared to the book. One of the best plots by Christie. Awesome read.
The Unexpected Guest is another play by Agatha Christie that was adapted as a novel Charles Osborne - so in short, it is not that great.
Of course I am peeved that I ended up with this book because it was advertised as an Agatha Christie novel, and it is not, but I am also astounded Osborne got to write several novelisations at all, and all of them on commission by Christie's estate!
He has no feel for Christie's characters.
While I can see that the setting in this novel is a typical Christie co ...more
Of course I am peeved that I ended up with this book because it was advertised as an Agatha Christie novel, and it is not, but I am also astounded Osborne got to write several novelisations at all, and all of them on commission by Christie's estate!
He has no feel for Christie's characters.
While I can see that the setting in this novel is a typical Christie co ...more
This was originally a play by Agatha Christie, which has now been turned into a novel by another author.
I can easily imagine it as a play, and I think it would probably be better in that form, as, although there are some clever twists and turns, it seemed a little flat and lifeless, and was, for me, just, an ok read.
I can easily imagine it as a play, and I think it would probably be better in that form, as, although there are some clever twists and turns, it seemed a little flat and lifeless, and was, for me, just, an ok read.
'Men are really the sensitive sex.
Women are tough.
Men can't take murder in their stride.
Women apparently can.'
A pacy thriller! ...more
Women are tough.
Men can't take murder in their stride.
Women apparently can.'
A pacy thriller! ...more
I commend Charles Osborne for his work on the play The Unexpected Guest, because I can imagine it must be a daunting task to turn the play which entirely occurs in one setting - a study room- into an Agatha Christie novel, who is a master of her work. The book, though understandably rushed, manages to capture all the mystery and surprise which, I’m guessing, the Dame wanted the attendees of the play to experience. Her craftiness was clearly shown in the clever setting and as always she managed t
...more
wow wow wow this book is good at giving me blow job mouth because in the last 15 pages my mouth dropped so much so hard i literally thought the book was starting to end when another bomb dropped and it ALL came together and WOW okay very good easy read enjoyed the connection between the characters enjoyed the simplicity and the complexity All in all a goodread
Michael Starkwedder, whose run his car into a ditch on a foggy night, walks up to a house where he intends to get assistance but instead finds the body of the home's owner, a man in a wheelchair. He also finds a woman standing in a corner of the room, holding the weapon.
The woman says that she did the killing, but the reader soon discovers that a whole lot of the tale is gray. Did Laura Warwick kill her husband — or is she covering for someone else? Because nearly everyone involved in this twist ...more
The woman says that she did the killing, but the reader soon discovers that a whole lot of the tale is gray. Did Laura Warwick kill her husband — or is she covering for someone else? Because nearly everyone involved in this twist ...more
This is the second play after ''Mousetrap'' from the queen of crime Agatha Christie. The unexpected guest was so perfect and haunted and it gave me ''Mousetrap'' feels. The fact that you literally find the killer in the last page made it for me a page-turner.
...more
The Unexpected Guest
is an entertaining mystery.
It will keep you guessing and
hold your attention to the end.
Narrator Hugh Fraser
does a very nice job.
Clean except for mild Foul Language.
is an entertaining mystery.
It will keep you guessing and
hold your attention to the end.
Narrator Hugh Fraser
does a very nice job.
Clean except for mild Foul Language.
Aug 20, 2019
Lou
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook,
read-in-2019,
these-books-are-really-good-btw,
short,
adult,
reviewed,
3-stars,
unsure-of,
mystery,
dark
Hmmmmm, not too sure with this one, but the plot twists were great as usual.
Jan 28, 2020
TraceyL
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
mystery
I've seen a theater performance of this book which was great. The book is pretty much exactly the same, but seeing it live added something which the book lacked. Meh.
...more
The plot is incorrect: it's the one for Spider's Web. I guess you could say I read "The Unexpected Guest" as an accident, as I thought I would be reading Spider's Web. However, The Unexpected Guest was a very good accident, mind you. The story was fast-paced, had simple and easy-to-read language, and a jaw-dropping ending.
It didn't feature the usual recurring detectives, like Poirot or Marple or Tommy and Tuppence, yet perhaps that's what made this book so intriguing because the inspectors were ...more
It didn't feature the usual recurring detectives, like Poirot or Marple or Tommy and Tuppence, yet perhaps that's what made this book so intriguing because the inspectors were ...more
The Queen of Crime did it again.
Quick read, fast paced, intriguing, with lots of enjoyable dialogue(due to the fact that it was adapted from a play). Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
The unexpected guest is Michael Starkwedder who has come to Wales to visit the country of his mother's youth and perhaps buy a house. The night is foggy and he runs his car into a muddy ditch. When he goes for help at the nearest house, he finds that he's not the only unexpected guest there--death has visited the home of Richard and Laura Warwick. The master of the house, Richard, lies dead of a gunshot wound and Laura stands nearby with the gun in her hand. She swears that she has killed her hu
...more
Great twist ending, although this book's depiction of mental illness has aged horribly.
...more
What a thriller of a book. Agatha Christie she is the queen of crime in true sense. Loved the plot of book. Simply stunning !!
Jan 17, 2020
Fadoua ϟ
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
christie-finished
I was hooked from beginning to end !
A fair tale, but although well constructed, is remarkably predictable.
Well, I'll be damned !!
THIS BOOK CRASHED INTO MY LIFE WITH NOT EVEN A RED ALARM BEFOREHAND!!
I went to the store, saw it, read the first two or so pages and DANG that was it I couldn't put it down until I was done with it.
I'm now definitely a HUGE Agatha Christie fan; I can tell I'll be reading a lot of her books soon. ...more
THIS BOOK CRASHED INTO MY LIFE WITH NOT EVEN A RED ALARM BEFOREHAND!!
I went to the store, saw it, read the first two or so pages and DANG that was it I couldn't put it down until I was done with it.
I'm now definitely a HUGE Agatha Christie fan; I can tell I'll be reading a lot of her books soon. ...more
Mar 22, 2019
Sarah-Grace (Fully Booked)
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
2019-ha-abc-challenge,
scribd
Good story with an unexpected twist, unexpected to me at least.
The story is a novel adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's plays. I enjoy reading plays and this novalization still has a play feel about it more than a novel. I enjoyed it very much as a quick read. ...more
The story is a novel adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's plays. I enjoy reading plays and this novalization still has a play feel about it more than a novel. I enjoyed it very much as a quick read. ...more
Agatha Christie is sooo good, I can't get enough of her
...more
Fast paced; ending had a good twist; really enjoyed this book.
So this was originally a play and adapted to a novel format. I did notice that the writing was a bit "off" and didn't feel quite right for an Agatha Christie book. The plot and characters were pretty interesting, as usual, starting off with pretty-clear case of wife being caught red-handed and holding the smoking gun. And in typical Christie style all is not what it appears to be. Not sure if it is because I've read so many of her books, but it didn't take me too long to figure out what the plot
...more
Decent plot though I could tell what the twist would be a mile away. While this is a decent novelisation, it feels very much like a play and I think would work better as such. Still, it contains Christie's excellent characterisation and understanding of psychology.
...more
4.75 stars.Keeps you guessing. Never read a mystery with so many suspects. Unputdownable. Highly recommend this if you love mystery/crime/thriller.
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Charles Thomas Osborne is a journalist, theatre and opera critic, poet and novelist. He was assistant editor of The London Magazine from 1958 until 1966, literature director of the Arts Council of Great Britain from 1971 until 1986, and chief theatre critic of Daily Telegraph (London) from 1986 to 1991. He is the only author the Agatha Christie Estate has ever allowed to produce adapted works in h
...more
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