From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Dead Man's Folly

Agatha Christie

Start date: August 1, 2020

Finish date: August 31, 2020

Discussion: Archive: Poirot Buddy Reads

Why we're reading this: Next in our series of Poirot buddy reads.
[close] Next in our series of Poirot buddy reads.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 71 topics — 1,981 comments total

Archive: Poirot Buddy Reads

* Reading Order for the Unofficial Poirot Buddy Reads
By Jessica-sim · 54 posts · 155 views

last updated Dec 27, 2020 08:20AM

Poirot Buddy Read 40: SPOILER THREAD Curtain
By Jessica-sim · 20 posts · 35 views

last updated Feb 05, 2021 06:12PM

What Members Thought

Jul 28, 2020 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: christie, want-to-reread

Great fun, I kept remembering seeing the David Suchet dramatization of this one, which really brought it to life. I listened to the audiobook while reading the ebook, always enjoyable - this one was narrated by Suchet himself. He is a very good narrator, but I actually prefer Hugh Fraser; Suchet gives some of his characters annoying accents - probably authentic to a British listener, but rather unintelligible at times unless I slow the speed way down. Fraser is always clear as a bell, and humoro Great fun, I kept remembering seeing the David Suchet dramatization of this one, which really brought it to life. I listened to the audiobook while reading the ebook, always enjoyable - this one was narrated by Suchet himself. He is a very good narrator, but I actually prefer Hugh Fraser; Suchet gives some of his characters annoying accents - probably authentic to a British listener, but rather unintelligible at times unless I slow the speed way down. Fraser is always clear as a bell, and humorous, too!

Poirot is summoned to Nasse House in Devonshire by Ariadne Oliver, a mystery writer who has worked with him in the past to solve crimes. She has been invited there to design a “murder hunt” for a summer fete on the grounds, but she suspects something is wrong; she can’t put her finger on it, but she feels she’s somehow being subtly manipulated, and there may be an actual murder in the offing. Poirot visits under the guise of giving away the prizes; meanwhile, he observes, walks around the lovely grounds, chats with the interesting, well-drawn denizens of the house party as they finish planning and executing the fete.

There are several intriguing characters for both victim and killer - a blustery, self-made man (and self-styled “sir”) who has made his money and in the post-war devastation of families and fortunes, gotten a beautiful estate and come to play the country squire, but spreads enough money around to be acceptable; his exotic, much younger, rather vacant (possibly mentally unstable) bride; a hyper-efficient, yet jealous secretary; a bossy, bulldog-like county lady who runs her political husband, his staff and the district with an iron hand, etc.

Plenty of delicious possibilities - did I mention the frustrated, pretty former artist with a war-weary husband (shell-shocked? We’re never exactly sure, but they’ve got issues), who’ve taken a lease on a cottage so he can rest? And the youth hostel on the converted estate next door full of foreign students forever trespassing unknowingly through the woods? All sorts of angles for a Cold War era murder-thriller...

The planning for the fete goes on, Poirot keeps observing - a lovely device allowing the reader a peek into the intrigues and personalities - he witnesses some interesting scenes among the guests, but nothing else. During the fete, he and Ariadne go down to check on the local Girl Guide who is supposed to play the murder victim in the boathouse, and tragedy has struck. Ariadne is crushed; this, of course, was not at all part of her plan, but she feels terribly guilty, how could this have happened?

What follows is a mystifying but clever puzzle going deep into the past of the old estate. There are a couple more murders, which seems like quite a body count, but it all makes sense in the end. I wouldn’t say it’s totally fair play, but after I finished the book last night and I was thinking about it I realized that Christie did put the clues out there, you just have to pay attention and know what you’re looking for – which of course as a reader we have no way of knowing!

But as a regular reader of her books, I realize you have to approach every conversation, every confrontation overheard, as Poirot or Marple or another of her detectives would - with an open mind and a retentive memory, because every murder is a puzzle, and everything counts as a clue. You can’t be sure what reminiscence or chance comment is the vital point, you just have to listen, store it all away, and try and make incongruous bits fit - like life, actually. Christie even has Poirot working on a jigsaw puzzle after a visit from the frustrated Inspector Strand, the local detective on the case. It seems to have come to a standstill, no new clues, and Poirot muses how working a puzzle helps him think, since clues are the same, strands and bits he must sift through, trying to fit them together into a coherent whole. I really enjoyed that little scene, very insightful - as were the scenes with Ariadne describing her writing process, and how she hates being asked about it! Again, I felt Christie was talking directly to her readers, and I enjoyed the insights - both into how she devised her intricate mysteries (which usually made sense once all is revealed), and how she actually wrote them. I enjoy these later mysteries for that glimpse of the humanity of Christie and her creation.

There have been a few disappointing mysteries in these last few Poirot books we’ve read in the Reading the Detectives group, but I thought this one showed her back on her game. It may not be her country house best, but I enjoyed it very much, and felt she made the most of the Devonshire location and the tragedies from the past, and to tease the reader and give us possibilities and clues. ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Mar 01, 2018 Teri-K rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-golden-age, senior-citizen-mcs

This is a very entertaining mystery, set in a large estate complete with a village fete and young people popping in and out from a neighboring youth hostel. Poirot is invited to visit by the writer Ariadne Oliver, who is arranging a murder game for the fete. She's uncomfortable about events and feels that somehow she's being manipulating for nefarious ends. Despite being forewarned Poirot is unable to keep someone from being murdered and another woman from disappearing.

I really like this book, ...more

2 likes · Like · see review