I recently reviewed Laura Thompson’s biography of Agatha Christie which I had mixed feelings about, but after finishing it I wanted to tackle some of her books again. I have read all of her output several times and it is always interesting to see what other readers think are her best books, or their favourite books with which I quite often disagree.
There seem to be two camps of Agatha readers - you either love/hate Poirot or you are a Miss Marple fan. I like both. Though perhaps Miss M has a slight edge.
The first book in which Miss Marple appears is The Murder at the Vicarage. This is a classic village setting. A vicar, his young and lovely wife, an overbearing local magistrate Colonel Protheroe, and a collection of gossips including Miss M. The vicar returns after being sent off on a wild goose chase to find Colonel Protheroe murdered in his study. Within twenty four hours two people confess to the crime, the Colonel’s second wife who happens to be having an affair with a handsome artist, who also confesses, and who is painting her portrait.
The story is seen through the eyes of the narrator, the vicar, and he is witty and insightful and, at the same time, rather endearing as he is madly in love with his young wife while realising that she is really not the right material for the wife of a vicar. Miss Marple is slightly sharper edged in this book and is seen as being more of a “nasty old pussy” that in the following books in which she features. Dame A softened her slightly while keeping her investigative edge.
I had not read this title for some time and had forgotten just how good it was.
I then turned to At Bertram’s Hotel, another Miss Marple, which is not one of Dame A’s best, with a slightly unbelievable motive for murder, but the description of the hotel and its afternoon tea is simply superb. Miss Marple, on a visit there, is amazed that it hasn’t changed since she was a girl. It does not seem quite real. And of course, it isn’t......
Five Little Pigs - I regard this as her finest book. The depth, the characterisation and the narrative trick of having five people involved in a murder some 25 years earlier and asked to describe it - with the resultant differing viewpoints - is masterly. I remember reading this for the first time as a thirteen year old and finding it absolutely riveting. I still do.
I have also re-read Sparkling Cyanide, Sad Cypress (one of my favourites), Why didn’t they ask Evans (one of her earlier stand along ones set in the 1920/30s and huge fun), Destination Unknown, scientists keep disappearing and it is clear that a world wide conspiracy is behind it - or is it? One of my favourite Christies.
And then of course her titles set in Egypt - Death on the Nile, Appointment with Death, Murder in Mesopotamia. I read all these again with huge enjoyment.
And The Man in the Brown Suit which I LOVE and here is an earlier review of this particular book. Sir Eustace Pedlar is one of my favourite characters in Christie which shows off her with and humour.
Finally, I turned to the Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I am not sure that there is anybody left who does not know the twist to this one but just in case I will not mention it. This is mentioned along with the Man in the Brown Suit in the link above.
I have not read any Tommy and Tuppence again - I do find these two acutely irritating. A few years back the BBC had a crack at a series starring David Walliams and A N Other. It was truly abysmal and it died a death and quite rightly too.
PS - I have been hunting images of her books on the internet. Many of them are wonderful and I have chosen two old ones that I love
