Agatha Christie

[Roman Clodia]

Yes, I'll always be able to sneak in a Jane Marple, so when would suit you best, Nigeyb?

[Susan]

Had you not read much Christie before, Nigeyb? If not, how wonderful that you have discovered her.

[Nigeyb]

Thanks


I’ll consult the schedule tomorrow

Susan, I read loads of AC as a child but then stopped and have read maybe two or three in the last 20 years. In total I have probably read about 25 of her books but only have very hazy recollections of most of them so am interested in revisiting a few as a mature adult

[Susan]

Wonderful, you will - hopefully - enjoy re-discovering her. I know what you mean though, as I read her immediately after Enid Blyton, Malcolm Saville, etc.

[Nigeyb]

I've scheduled our buddy read of The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side for April 2023


See you there

[Susan]

Good to see - looking forward to it. One of my favourites and a fair amount about how the village of St Mary Mead was changing, as I recall. Christie got quite grumpy as she got older, but this was published in 1961, rather than the late sixties/seventies, when she began to use her writing to have a moan!

[Roman Clodia]

Very true, Susan. I think of Third Girl as one of her sixties novels where she's so busy sneering at men in velvet flares that she forgets about the plot!

It's quite heart-warming in The Mirror Crack'd to see the way Jane Marple adjusts to changes and takes even movie stars in her stride.

[Susan]

Yes, she really objected to those flares! Long hair, dirty fingernails, etc. It's quite endearing in a way - I shall undoubtedly be just as disgruntled as I age.

[Nigeyb]

I finished this last night....



Evil Under the Sun (1941)

by

Agatha Christie


Very enjoyable, I hope to pen a review sometime today


The beautiful bronzed body of Arlena Stuart lay facedown on the beach. But strangely, there was no sun and she was not sunbathing... she had been strangled.

Ever since Arlena's arrival the air had been thick with sexual tension. Each of the guests had a motive to kill her. But Hercule Poirot suspects that this apparent 'crime of passion' conceals something much more evil.

[Susan]

Glad you liked it, Nigeyb. Have just discovered Lucy Worsley will be at the Harrogate festival this year, probably because of her Christie biography, so I must get to that. I might finally need to read Jack Reacher too...

We're thrilled to reveal the Festival Programming Chair and Special Guests for the 2023 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, now in its 20th anniversary year.

Multi award-winning crime novelist Vaseem Khan is this year’s Festival Programming Chair. He'll be in conversation with Festival favourite and author of the much-loved Vera series Ann Cleeves, whilst Festival co-founder Val McDermid will open the 2023 festival with an unmissable conversation event, as well as hosting the highly anticipated showcase of the four debut crime writers to watch in the must-see New Blood event.

They'll be joined by icons of the crime fiction world Lee Child, Andrew Child, Ann Cleeves, S.A. Cosby, Jeffery Deaver, Chris Hammer, Lisa Jewell, Val McDermid, Ruth Ware & Lucy Worsley

[Roman Clodia]

I've read a couple of Jack Reachers - they're slick and gripping thrillers at their best but can get a bit samey as they stick to a tried and tested formula and the quality is uneven. Perfect airport/switch off reading. Mr RC is quite the fan.

[Susan]

I'm quite excited about meeting Lucy Worsley :)

[Jan C]

I tried the first Jack Reacher - couldn't do it. Not sure how far I made it but I know it wasn't very far. Just didn't appeal to me.

[Susan]

No, bit like Bosch. I feel it won't appeal to me either, Jan, but I may be wrong and will give it a try. I do like Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver Val McDermid and Chris Hammer. Of course, these are only the headliners, so there will be lots of other authors announced over the coming months.

[Roman Clodia]

With Lee Child/Jack Reacher, there's no overarching narrative between books so (if you can bear it, Susan!) I'd start with one of the books with the best star rating, rather than the first. Can't remember which one I read but it's where Reacher is a body guard for the US president.

[Woman Reading]

I've read all of the Reacher novels. The earlier ones, especially those featuring his military connections, were among the best for me. The later books by Lee Child had degraded in quality; it was clear that he wanted to stop. But perhaps his publisher and / or his brother persuaded Lee Child to continue the series. The most recent three had been written by Andrew Child and have been erratic in caliber.

[Susan]

You KNOW I would never start a series without reading the first book, RC!

I am going to go back to Jeffry Deaver first, as I know I liked his series. However, I will try Reacher - I did read the first Bosch before last year and also the first John Connolly, which was a series that I have continued with.

[Roman Clodia]

Haha, I do know, thought I'd just float the idea😉

Jack Reacher is a kind of cowboy/wild west hero but in a modern urban setting, the loner who comes to town, sorts out the baddies, then drifts off again and can't be tied down.

Interesting you've read them all, WR.

[Susan]

It really doesn't sound like my sort of thing, but you never know.

[Roman Clodia]

The couple I've read are more thrillers than crime or police procedurals, but WR sounds like the expert here.

[Nigeyb]

Evil Under the Sun (1941) reviewed...


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jan C]

Susan wrote: "No, bit like Bosch. I feel it won't appeal to me either, Jan, but I may be wrong and will give it a try. I do like Ann Cleeves, Jeffery Deaver Val McDermid and Chris Hammer. Of course, these are on..."

I like Bosch. Went to a couple of readings by Connelly when I lived in the Chicago area. Harder to find readings in western North Carolina.

[Roman Clodia]

Delighted you enjoyed this, Nigeyb. I think AC is such an under-rated author - she may not be elegant in style but she has the best plots, her sleight of hand with clues is unsurpassed, and she's so deft in delineating character and setting, so that her books just flow beautifully without getting bogged down.

Looking forward to our buddy Christie.

[Roman Clodia]

We set up a work book group on Zoom during lockdown and amidst all the litfic, we read Christie's 4:50 from Paddington - and one of my colleagues still talks about it as one of the worst books he's ever read. It's become quite the in-joke :)

[Nigeyb]

I think all book groups develop a folklore around worst books, heated debates etc. Mine certainly does. Our "worst book", often cited was Mythago Wood, although I didn't dislike it.

Yes, bring on the Christie buddy read, looking forward to being the company of (at least) two seasoned and well informed Christie fans

[Roman Clodia]

That's true about book groups. We had one of our best sessions this week discussing Mantel's Beyond Black - not so much heated differences in view but just because we were all impressed by her craft yet also hated the grubbiness of the environment. There was just so much to talk about.

I know you enjoyed the humour but while I could see the wit in the writing on the sentence level, I was floored by the amount of trauma Al was carrying around and just how damaged all the characters were. Great matter for discussion.

[Nigeyb]

This is 99 pence on Kindle at the moment....



Marple: Twelve New Stories (2022)




A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors

This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.

· Naomi Alderman
· Leigh Bardugo
· Alyssa Cole
· Lucy Foley
· Elly Griffiths
· Natalie Haynes
· Jean Kwok
· Val McDermid
· Karen M. McManus
· Dreda Say Mitchell
· Kate Mosse
· Ruth Ware

Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.

[Susan]

Yes, I think it popped up in the kindle deals.

Not at all keen on modern takes of Christie's work, but I downloaded just for Elly Griffiths and Val McDermid. Can't face reading it yet though!

[Nigeyb]

Be interested in your conclusions Susan


Our very own RC, in her three star review mentions Val M's tale...


The standout story is by Val McDermid which recounts a second murder at the vicarage, recalling the first Marple novel, The Murder at the Vicarage. Here it's huge fun to see the younger and nosier Jane Marple as narrated via put-upon vicar, Len Clement, and it's fun to be back in the company of his wife Griselda, nephew Duncan, Inspector Slack, and the gossipy women of the village.

An entertaining tube or holiday read but also a reminder that Christie is incomparable.

[Roman Clodia]

Yes, I couldn't resist an ARC and that is a tremendous line-up of female writers for one collection... just a shame it appears some of them have never read a Jane Marple before!

But 3 stars means that I did enjoy it in parts. The Murder at the Vicarage is one of my favourites so Val McD must have done a fine job for me to praise her ;)

[Nigeyb]

This is Audible's deal of the day and is a bargain £1.99....




The ABC Murders (1936)



Narrated by: Hugh Fraser
Series: Hercule Poirot Mysteries, Book 13
Length: 6 hrs
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 25-08-06
Language: English
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited
4.7 out of 5 stars 4.7 (570 ratings)


Needless to say I've snapped it up



Agatha Christie’s beloved classic The A.B.C. Murders sets Hercule Poirot on the trail of a serial killer.

There’s a serial killer on the loose, working his way through the alphabet and the whole country is in a state of panic.

A is for Mrs. Ascher in Andover, B is for Betty Barnard in Bexhill, C is for Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston. With each murder, the killer is getting more confident—but leaving a trail of deliberate clues to taunt the proud Hercule Poirot might just prove to be the first, and fatal, mistake.

[Roman Clodia]

It's definitely worth checking your library for Christie audiobooks - mine has loads, though they're so popular I rarely manage to get them. And you can borrow directly to your phone.

I watched And Then There Were None on iPlayer at the weekend and thought it was excellent - very tense with some great acting.

[Nigeyb]

Top tips RC 👌🏻


Then There Were None sounds good

My library has a few AC audiobooks, mainly short stories and BBC dramatisations

[Nigeyb]

The latest Backlisted, released today, is (drum roll please)....


Endless Night (1967)


I think Susan was in the audience for the recording of this one 🙌🏻


I don't recall ever reading Endless Night so will not listen until I put that right. As they explain below the episode contains a few spoilers....


At long last, it's our Agatha Christie show! We are joined by Caroline Crampton, writer and host of the Shedunnit podcast, and Laura Thompson, author and Christie biographer, for an investigation of Endless Night (1967), a late entry in the Queen of Crime's extensive catalogue and perhaps her last truly great novel of suspense and surprise.

NB. Whilst we refrain from revealing the killer's identity (just about), there are enough clues sprinkled throughout the podcast that listeners may be advised to read the book first; you don't need to be Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple to work out whodunnit.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Foyles in Charing Cross Road, London, on 17th July 2024. If you would like to hear more, including some excellent contributions from members of the audience, subscribe to our Patreon at the Locklistener level or above; we will be making this part of our conversation available next weekend as a bonus podcast.

https://www.backlisted.fm/episodes/21...


The blurb...

Gipsy’s Acre was a truly beautiful upland site with views out to sea – and in Michael Rogers it stirred a child-like fantasy. There, amongst the dark fir trees, he planned to build a house, find a girl and live happily ever after. Yet, as he left the village, a shadow of menace hung over the land. For this was the place where accidents happened. Perhaps Michael should have heeded the locals’ warnings: ‘There’s no luck for them as meddles with Gipsy’s Acre.’ Michael Rogers is a man who is about to learn the true meaning of the old saying ‘In my end is my beginning.’

The title Endless Night was taken from William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence and describes Christie’s favourite theme in the novel: a “twisted” character, who always chooses evil over good.

Christie finished Endless Night in six weeks, as opposed to the three-four months that most of her other novels took. Despite being in her seventies while writing it, she told an interviewer that being Michael, the twenty-something narrator, “wasn’t difficult. After all, you hear people like him talking all the time.”

The book is dedicated to Christie's relative "Nora Prichard from whom I first heard the legend of Gipsy's Acre." Gipsy's Acre was a field on the Welsh moors.

[Susan]

I was indeed in the audience for this one. Great fun and an interesting Christie to choose. Not sure if you can access the Locklisted episodes, but they did the Q&A as the Locklisted part of the show directly after this.

[Nigeyb]

I don't pay for Locklisted so, alas for now, cannot listen to the Q&A


I look forward to the discussion. I'm aiming to read the book before listening though. I do like the sound of this Christie stand-alone so am keen to give it a go, I just have a few higher priorities right now before I can get to it.

[Susan]

It's a Sixties Christie and quite an unusual one for her. Hope you enjoy it when you get around to reading.

[Nigeyb]

Susan wrote:


"It's a Sixties Christie and quite an unusual one for her. Hope you enjoy it when you get around to reading."

Yes, so I noticed

It looks very enticing and intriguing, and, just based on the description, I can see why it was chosen by Backlisted

[Roman Clodia]

It's perhaps somewhere between the classic mysteries and the dramas written as Mary Westmacott.

[Susan]

As they point out, it was published when Dennis Wheatley was popular and she was canny and did keep her eye on the market.

[Nigeyb]

That makes it sound even better

[Sonia]

It is a lot more unhinged than her Marple and Poirot. ITV dramatised it by bringing in Miss Marple.

[Nigeyb]

Unhinged?


You are really selling it to me now Sonia