Agatha Christie?

Hello readers!

I recently introduced myself to the gripping world of Agatha Christie. Some of you are probably thinking "You're just now reading her? WHAT???" And with good reason. Agatha Christie is one of the best British authors of the 20th century. She earned the title of Dame of Great Britain just by writing her stories. Both books that I have read I found at this wonderful store called 2nd and Charles. Perhaps you've heard of it? I had some time to kill, and some store credit to use, so I picked up a few books that I thought it was high time that I read. Besides the two Agatha books, I picked up a beautiful copy of Thousand and One Nights for a very good price. (That's my commercial for the bookstore ;-) ) Anyway, on to my experience of exploring the world of this British Dame.

The first book of hers for me to read was Murder on the Orient Express. I picked this one up because I had seen a lot about it (there's even a video game based on it) and wanted to see what it was all about. Now, if you've paid any attention to my first post and the previous post, you would know that I enjoy mysteries. I knew Agatha Christie wrote murder mysteries, so I figured I'd give her a whirl. Granted, her stories are very different from Carolyn Keene's heroine, but they are still very well written. Murder on the Orient Express, obviously, takes place on a train. One passenger is mysteriously murdered while the train is stopped for weather. An inspector, M. Poirot, who just so happens to be traveling in the compartment next door to the victim, accepts the challenge to find the killer. I won't give too much away in case you have not read this story yet, so I shan't tell you who the murderer is. I can tell you that Agatha Christie gives a very surprising twist to the story. The direction the story takes as Poirot solves the case is so surprising, it almost made my head hurt! But, in the end, Poirot solves the case and finds his culprit. If you are looking for a good read for a beach trip or a road trip, or are just looking for something to keep handy just in case you have a few minutes to read, then this is the book for you. Depending on your reading style, you can read this book in a few hours or a few days. It all depends on how entranced by the story you become.

The second book, And Then There Were None, is shorter, but equally gripping. Ten people, each with a dark secret of their own, are invited to an island off the coast of the town of Devon. None in the party have met their host and hostess, but are eager to enjoy a holiday by the sea. However, once they arrive, they find only the groundskeeper and his wife. Their host and hostess are said to have been detained unexpectedly. The visitors enjoy their evening, speculating as to what could possibly be keeping their host away, and what his identity truly is. Then, after supper, the last thing anyone expects to happen, happens. One of their party suddenly drops dead while sipping his brandy. It is an apparent suicide, but the rest of the guests wonder why such a person would do such a horrendous thing to himself. Later that night, another occupant of the island is found dead in their bed, an obvious murder. Now the guests, among whom are a judge and a doctor, begin to wonder what, or whom, could have caused this person's death. The only problem is, they are the only ones on the island. Throughout the next days, they all begin dropping like flies, narrowing the list of suspects. The story continues in this manner until the last of the island's occupants dies, leaving the mystery unsolved. Agatha Christie takes a darker turn in this novel than she did with Murder. The story presents itself almost like a ghost story. She weaves a tale that is just creepy enough to set you on the edge of your seat and jump at any sudden noise or touch. But that is what makes this story so thrilling. It is only 200 pages, but you won't want to put it down. I managed to read it in an afternoon, and I regret nothing. I will say this about the book: it is not for the weak at heart or stomach. This is a story for the reader who wants to find a gripping tale that is a quick read and can provide a temporary escape from reality.

Well, that's it for now. I hope I have either reminded you of why you love to read Agatha Christie, inspired you to once again try her stories, or introduced you to a whole new story world. Either way, I feel I have done what I have set out to accomplish.

Have you had any experiences with Dame Christie? If you have, tell me! I would love to hear from you!

Until the next time!

Happy reading!