Jessica-sim’s Comments (group member since Jan 01, 2016)

Jessica-sim’s comments from the Reading the Detectives group.

A fun video to watch with some analysis, yes spoiler free, https://youtu.be/yzAVgAueawQ

I like her explanation of Caroline. I've read in several places that she was like an early model of Miss Marple. Personally, I didn't really like her. Caroline is a proper gossip, obtaining and distributing both important and irrelevant bits of information whether actually correct or not. Though Caroline makes interesting conclusions and thinks very fast, Miss Marple does not actually work that way. Miss Marple schemes and collects her bits of information unobtrusively. Just like Poirot, she hints at the truth but doesn't really take us through her thought steps.

What do you think?

Tracey wrote: ".... I didn't spot the twist at all. And the moment it happened, I kicked myself..."

I had the exact same experience! It just suddenly was the only thing that could possibly have made sense and I was seriously doubting my own grey cells for having completely neglected this possibility!

Having just freshly finished the book, one thing struck me as very weird. Why in the second-last chapter is dr. Sheppard so frequently jawning in response to Poirot's accusations? First I considered he had perhaps already taken a sleeping-draught, but that is not the case, maybe he just completely deflates after losing his hope of getting away with it? What do you think?

Oh my, I enjoyed this Poirot so much! And even though I knew it was famous for its great spoiler twist, and I was not happy with any suspect presented to us, I was not prepared for the big reveal.

Now, I have a lot of questions left... I am happy to have avoided the spoiler thread for this ride, but am heading over there RIGHT NOW ;-)

Yes, that is strange isn't it! I also was confused about that based on publication dates (murder on the links 1923, and the short stories (1923-1935). But these early cases, though published later, do refer to times before Murder on the Links. These short stories are meant to be cases from Hercule Poirot's early career before he was internationally renowned as a detective. Though I think even in these short stories his fame is already often alluded to.

Welcome to the Poirot read for May. I am sure many of you are as happy as I am that we get a full-blown book this month! Though I absolutely loved the short stories, I am looking forward to a "real" long arched Poirot again.

Poirot retires to a village near the home of a friend he met in London, Roger Ackroyd, who agrees to keep him anonymous, as he pursues his retirement project of perfecting vegetable marrows. He is not long at this pursuit when his friend is murdered. Ackroyd's niece calls Poirot in to ensure that the guilt does not fall on Ackroyd's son; Poirot promises to find the truth, which she accepts.

This book is renowned for its plot twist, so who saw it coming?

Welcome to the Poirot read for May. I am sure many of you are as happy as I am that we get a full-blown book this month! Though I absolutely loved the short stories, I am looking forward to a "real" long arched Poirot again.

Poirot retires to a village near the home of a friend he met in London, Roger Ackroyd, who agrees to keep him anonymous, as he pursues his retirement project of perfecting vegetable marrows. He is not long at this pursuit when his friend is murdered. Ackroyd's niece calls Poirot in to ensure that the guilt does not fall on Ackroyd's son; Poirot promises to find the truth, which she accepts.

Tara wrote: "Luckily I was able to get a digital copy of this from my library, and I had to race to finish before it was due back in a few days. When you are actively reading 6-7 books, it can be difficult to j..."

I have the same problem! It's a bit weird I really enjoy reading them but due to their short size they get passed over for longer books that are on the schedule for this month... ALSO highly problematic is that I get to watch so many Poirot episodes, which interferes with my reading time hahaha before starting on this Poirot spree I hadn't watched many Poirot episodes, now I'm well on my way in series 4, I finally get why the series has such loyal fans.

Jill wrote: "I liked this first story and thought it quite cleverly done. The second one I had guessed that it was the tin trunk that the robber of the bank was after,rather than the cook. The third one was als..."

I also really liked the first one! A nice little puzzle there and one based on fact: the death by drug overdose of Billie Cartleton, appearantly it was all over the news at the time. (http://www.nickelinthemachine.com/200...)

I enjoyed the second one, because I recently saw the Poirot episode and my mind's eye could still see (and hear) David Suchet say some of the lines word for word.

And that's where I'm at right now.

Jill wrote: "I have read these and think I got more into them than the previous book. Maybe it is that I have got used to the fact that they will end quickly."

It also took me a while to get into the pace and length of these stories, despite their short length they did grown on me ;-)

Susan wrote: "I hope that I will get time to read these. If not, I will rejoin you for the next month. Jessica, for two months, you have just one short story listed as the read - can you confirm that this is cor..."

Hi Susan, it is correct that I overlooked that, and I stand by my opinion that we hardcore Poirot readers can surely handle two short stories in one month! So, new amended plan:

April - Poirot's Early Cases (short stories) 1974
May - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd 1926 (my favourite)
June - The Big Four 1927
July - The Mystery of the Blue Train 1928
August - Black Coffee (play novelisation by Charles Osborne) 1997
September - Peril at End House 1932
October - The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (short story) 1932
and Second Gong (short story) 1932
November - Lord Edgware Dies 1933
December - Murder on the Orient Express 1934
and optional reading of Christmas Adventure (short story) 1923

Yay! Murder on the Orient Express now made the list for this year :-)

Judy wrote: "I enjoyed The Case of the Missing Will, just didn't understand it. ;)"

I see your point! It was fun, and I don't agree with Hastings that it is kind of cheating by the niece hiring an "expert" here, if she were a man she would have inherited unconditionally.
I guess the smudgy envelope is the biggest clue in this story, though I also don't totally get it. Especially not why it seems like the male servant was lying when confirming the handwriting on it was his master's...

Overall, I really enjoyed these stories! I'm happy next month we'll have even more jolly shorts to go ;-)

1. The Affair at the Victory Ball
2. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
3. The Cornish Mystery
4. The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
5. The Double Clue
6. The King of Clubs
7. The Lemesurier Inheritance
8. The Lost Mine
9. The Plymouth Express
10. The Chocolate Box
11. The Submarine Plans
12. The Third Floor Flat
13. Double Sin
14. The Market Basing Mystery
15. Wasps' Nest
16. The Veiled Lady
17. Problem at Sea
18. How Does Your Garden Grow?

Let's say, 6 stories per week and a week for overall discussion? Have fun reading!

This book contains no less than 18 short stories:

1. The Affair at the Victory Ball
2. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
3. The Cornish Mystery
4. The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
5. The Double Clue
6. The King of Clubs
7. The Lemesurier Inheritance
8. The Lost Mine
9. The Plymouth Express
10. The Chocolate Box
11. The Submarine Plans
12. The Third Floor Flat
13. Double Sin
14. The Market Basing Mystery
15. Wasps' Nest
16. The Veiled Lady
17. Problem at Sea
18. How Does Your Garden Grow?

I think I liked the "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" least so far. Still one story to go, so I'll see how it compares to the case of the missing will soon.

Well here we are, it's three days in to April already!

Because I'm so late, I'm opening this thread on my mobile phone in a train... Not something I would recommend to do haha I hope to be home tomorrow evening and will then edit the thread so that it neatly resembled the others and sort out the confusion regarding the short stories planned for later this year that I appearently mistook for full blown books.

For now: Know that this month is dedicated to yet another short story collection: Poirot's early cases. I did read these before, so it will be fun to reread and compare the experience. It took me a while to get used go the tone and pace of the short stories we read last month, but they did grow on me.

Let's again try and pace the discussion a bit so that we discuss the first stories in the beginning of the month and save the later ones for next week or so.

Enjoy! :-)

Well here we are, it's three days in to April already!

Because I'm so late, I'm opening this thread on my mobile phone in a train... Not something I would recommend to do haha I hope to be home tomorrow evening and will then edit the thread so that it neatly resembled the others and sort out the confusion regarding the short stories planned for later this year that I appearently mistook for full blown books.

For now: Know that this month is dedicated to yet another short story collection: Poirot's early cases. I did read these before, so it will be fun to reread and compare the experience. It took me a while to get used go the tone and pace of the short stories we read last month, but they did grow on me.

Enjoy! :-)

Jill wrote..."
Thanks! I really enjoy the company and you all keep me accountable and on track with my reading too!

Yes, Tara, I also really enjoyed the Egyption Tomb. Did you also fall for Poirot's mystical tendencies or did you see through it immediatly? I thought it was fishy but did not see his hand in the appearance of Anubis at all!

Tara wrote: "I had to wait to read until the ebook/audiobook was available at my library, so I am getting to these rather late. I've never read these before, but I have seen the David Suchet adaptions, so unfor..."

After watching more of the David Suchet adaptions there are moments when I do hear his voice in my head whilst reading. It does make it more fun and reading these shorter stories more slowely to hear the voices makes them come alive more for me too.

The stories develop a bit too fast for me. But I do love their short format to read on public transport. I think so far I like the million dollar bond robbery most, a mystery that really needed the little grey cells.