A practical joke takes a deadly turn with the death of a healthy young Foreign Office worker while he was a house guest at historic ‘Chimneys,’ an English country estate. At first his death seems to have been an accidental overdose or suicide but his friends who are also staying at Chimneys aren’t convinced. Their … Continue reading The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie (1929)
Agatha Christie
Nemesis by Agatha Christie (1971)
Miss Jane Marple was astonished to receive a letter from the solicitors of a Mr Rafiel after his recent death. He and Miss Marple had had a brief but very memorable acquaintance some years back and she thought that perhaps he may have left her some small memento, such as a book from his library. … Continue reading Nemesis by Agatha Christie (1971)
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie (1936)
Murder in Mesopotamia is another book that came out of Christie's first-hand experience of working on archaeological sites with her husband. The setting of this book is the excavation a large Assyrian city about a day and a half’s journey from Baghdad. The book is narrated by Miss Amy Leatheran, a thirty-two year old nurse … Continue reading Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie (1936)
They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (1951)
‘Outside in Bank Street it was sunny and full of swirling dust and the noises were terrific and varied. There was the persistent honking of motor horns, the cries of vendors of various wares. There were hot disputes between small groups of people who seemed ready to murder each other but were really fast friends; … Continue reading They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie (1951)
Crooked House by Agatha Christie (1949)
Crooked House is one of Agatha Christie’s special favourites - she said that writing it was pure pleasure and she considered this book one of her best. “I saved it up for years, thinking about it, working it out, saying to myself: ‘one day, when I’ve plenty of time, and want to really enjoy myself- … Continue reading Crooked House by Agatha Christie (1949)
Come, Tell me How You Live by Agatha Christie Mallowan (1946)
Come, Tell me How You Live, which Christie describes as 'a meandering chronicle' of life on an archaeological dig, is just delightful! I came across this book accidentally when I was looking for some of her crime novels with an archaeological setting. Agatha Christie met the distinguished young archaeologist, Max Mallowan, in 1930 … Continue reading Come, Tell me How You Live by Agatha Christie Mallowan (1946)
Our High School Archaeological Studies
The Ring of Brodgar, Orkney Gods, Graves & Scholars: The Story of Archaeology by C.W. Ceram I’ve used this book in the past with my older ones and it’s very good. Ceram, a journalist and not an archeologist, traces the development of a highly specialised science in a way that the ordinary person can read … Continue reading Our High School Archaeological Studies
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (1930)
Miss Marple makes her debut in this novel which was my first introduction to Agatha Christie’s amateur sleuth. It was a very enjoyable crime mystery although I didn’t find Miss Marple herself very endearing. Maybe I have to get to know her a bit more. She was quite peripheral for most of this story … Continue reading The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (1930)
Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie (1945)
I've been on a crime spree lately: Dorothy L. Sayers, P.D. James, Ngaio Marsh, and now Agatha Christie. This is one of Agatha Christie’s books where Poirot and Miss Marple aren’t involved and I’ve tended to enjoy these books more. (See The Man in the Brown Suit, for example.) A year after … Continue reading Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie (1945)
And There There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)
'Ten little soldier boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were Nine... One little soldier boy left all alone;He went and hanged himself and then there were None.' An old nursery rhyme forms the backdrop to Christie’s murder mystery, And Then There Were None.Ten strangers, … Continue reading And There There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939)
journey & destination 