Nov 4 - 10, 2018

All by Agatha Christie

Dead Man's Folly - Hercule Poirot is called to a rich man's estate by his old friend Ariadne Oliver. She's there to arrange a murder game and feels she's being manipulated and that there is something wrong. It turns out she's right when the person playing the murder victim is actually murdered. Poirot is very frustrated that he couldn't prevent the murder and has no idea who the perpetrator is. And the rich man's wife has gone missing. I remembered this from past reading or watching the tv series so that took a little away from my enjoyment.

3 stars
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Ordeal by Innocence - several members of a family are at home when the mother is murdered. They would all be suspects if not for the fact that the black sheep of the family if arrested, found guilty, and then dies in prison. But then a man appears who can prove the alibi of the accused. And everyone is a suspect again. A little repetitious as everyone goes over the facts again to each other and the police. And the theories about adoption and mother love were very much of the 1950's.

4 stars
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Cat Among the Pigeons - intrigue in the Middle East and missing jewels converge on a very respected girl's school in England. Murder and kidnapping ensue and it's not until Hercule Poirot appears in the latter portion of the book that all is made clear. Not one of the best although I liked the founder of the school quite a bit.

3 stars
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The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding - six short stories featuring Poirot and Miss Marple. The best was the title.

3 stars
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Double Sin - eight short stories, most of which I've read in other collections. A couple of supernatural ones in this group, including The Dressmaker's Doll which I found pretty creepy.

3 stars
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The Clocks - a stenographer is sent to a client's house where she finds the body of a man behind the sofa. The homeowner, who is blind, denies having sent for her and has no knowledge of the man. Told partly from the viewpoint of Colin Lamb, a spy hunter and friend of Hercule Poirot. Poirot is almost incidental to the story but of course he solves everything from his armchair.

4 stars
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The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side - St Mary Mead is agog with the news that a famous actress and her husband have bought Gossington Hall. When a gala is held, everyone and anyone attends. And there a nondescript woman dies from poison in her drink. Who was really the intended victim? Miss Marple, who has been feeling out of sorts and a little left behind, comes to the rescue with her little insights into human character. I find it almost as disconcerting to be with Christie in the 60's as Miss Marple does.

4 stars