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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Haiku
...
Gentleman intrigue
An Anthony Adventure
Love, jewels, manuscripts
.
.
An old monarchy
Former royals unravel
New alliances
.
.
Virginia Revel
So sad when TV adapts
Never got her right
3.5
...
Gentleman intrigue
An Anthony Adventure
Love, jewels, manuscripts
.
.
An old monarchy
Former royals unravel
New alliances
.
.
Virginia Revel
So sad when TV adapts
Never got her right
3.5
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Christie offers whimsical takes on class (a rich woman allows herself to be blackmailed just for fun) and politics in a country house gathering where murders occur.
The solution to the mystery was easy to spot, but the romantic subplot held some surprises.
At one point I couldn’t remember who a certain character was and so I googled him. Turns out, in the original British edition his Jewishness was bothersome and humorous to other characters. Oh hell, Agatha.
The solution to the mystery was easy to spot, but the romantic subplot held some surprises.
At one point I couldn’t remember who a certain character was and so I googled him. Turns out, in the original British edition his Jewishness was bothersome and humorous to other characters. Oh hell, Agatha.
4.5*
I enjoyed revisiting this novel. No sights of Poirot or Marple, but instead the introduction of Superintendent Battle. He appears in 5 books, and I must admit I really like all of them, and absolutely love the last one, [b:Towards Zero|11237421|Towards Zero|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328332692l/11237421._SY75_.jpg|2860210].
Before I dive in all the aspects I did enjoy, a note of caution. There is unfortunately quite a lot of racist and antisemitic comments in this story, and a couple of sexist ones too. Do I believe Agatha shared those views? No, but this is however a novel of its time and the 1920s had views that we find nowadays distasteful (and rightly so).
Now, the good. Christie concocts here such an entertaining story that I couldn’t stop reading it. We have a dangerous memoir, spies, political intrigue, a potentially lost gem, false identities, a world famous thief, all converging at the country estate of Chimneys, to the despair of its owner, Lord Caterham. It is funny and intriguing, a comedy nearly, à la Wodehouse, but with the thrilling elements of the adventure, all in a very English sauce. Even thought this is a Battle story, and he does excel, the limelight is on Anthony Cade, the narrator, and Virginia Revel. They positively steal the show. The hilarious Lord Caterham does appear in the next title, [b:The Seven Dials Mystery|483103|The Seven Dials Mystery (Superintendent Battle, #2)|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1351674470l/483103._SY75_.jpg|516643], where his daughter, the indomitable Bundle, shines.
I enjoyed revisiting this novel. No sights of Poirot or Marple, but instead the introduction of Superintendent Battle. He appears in 5 books, and I must admit I really like all of them, and absolutely love the last one, [b:Towards Zero|11237421|Towards Zero|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328332692l/11237421._SY75_.jpg|2860210].
Before I dive in all the aspects I did enjoy, a note of caution. There is unfortunately quite a lot of racist and antisemitic comments in this story, and a couple of sexist ones too. Do I believe Agatha shared those views? No, but this is however a novel of its time and the 1920s had views that we find nowadays distasteful (and rightly so).
Now, the good. Christie concocts here such an entertaining story that I couldn’t stop reading it. We have a dangerous memoir, spies, political intrigue, a potentially lost gem, false identities, a world famous thief, all converging at the country estate of Chimneys, to the despair of its owner, Lord Caterham. It is funny and intriguing, a comedy nearly, à la Wodehouse, but with the thrilling elements of the adventure, all in a very English sauce. Even thought this is a Battle story, and he does excel, the limelight is on Anthony Cade, the narrator, and Virginia Revel. They positively steal the show. The hilarious Lord Caterham does appear in the next title, [b:The Seven Dials Mystery|483103|The Seven Dials Mystery (Superintendent Battle, #2)|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1351674470l/483103._SY75_.jpg|516643], where his daughter, the indomitable Bundle, shines.
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Enjoyed the writing style and found the story intriguing. Good reed but you have to ignore the blatant racism and xenophobia.
adventurous
medium-paced
Anthony Cade I love you
(the book was a little confusing at times but I enjoyed it)
(the book was a little confusing at times but I enjoyed it)
If you account for the fact that this was 1920s Christie and therefore incredibly racist, this was a nice change of pace from some of her detective-heavy books, still full of suspense and plot twists. Although this is the first book featuring Superintendent Battle, he is not at the book's center, nor does he actually solve the crime in the end. There are a lot of interrelated plot threads happening at the same time, and I admittedly glossed over some of the political drama at times, but I was still able to follow everything and understand the solution (and related reveals). You can see in this early work how Christie already had set ideas about the most "romantic" characters: the devil-may-care rake and the not-like-other-girls, adventurous and also stunningly attractive young woman with multiple suitors. There were definitely parts I rolled my eyes at in this one, but the mystery itself was an enjoyable puzzle (or set of puzzles).
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Murder, Classism
Minor: Alcohol