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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was the first mystery/Agatha Christie book I've read and I enjoyed it immensly. It was witty with great characters and an intriuging plot. A fun short read that many would enjoy!
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
AI Overview
"Black Coffee" is a play written by Agatha Christie, featuring her famous detective Hercule Poirot. The story revolves around a stolen formula for a powerful new explosive, a murder, and a house full of suspects with potential motives. Poirot, along with Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp, must unravel the secrets and lies to find the killer and prevent a global catastrophe.
Key Elements:
- The Stolen Formula:
- Sir Claud Amory, a renowned scientist, has created a revolutionary explosive formula. It is stolen, and he is later found murdered.
- The Locked Room Mystery:
- Sir Claud gathers his household in the library, turns off the lights, and instructs them to return the formula. When the lights come on, he's dead.
- Poirot's Investigation:
- Poirot, Hastings, and Japp investigate the murder, facing a web of family feuds, old flames, and suspicious characters.
- The Play's Success:
- "Black Coffee" was Agatha Christie's first play and marked the beginning of her successful career in playwriting.
Novelization:
- The play was later novelized by Charles Osborne, making it accessible to a wider audience.
- The novelization was published in 1998, years after the play's initial production.
Characters:
- Hercule Poirot: The brilliant Belgian detective, known for his meticulous methods and use of "little grey cells" to solve crimes.
- Captain Hastings: Poirot's close friend and companion, often providing a foil to Poirot's intellect.
- Inspector Japp: A Scotland Yard detective who frequently collaborates with Poirot.
- Sir Claud Amory: The victim, a scientist with a revolutionary invention.
- Lucia Amory: Sir Claud's daughter-in-law, an Italian immigrant with a mysterious past.
- Richard Amory: Sir Claud's son, burdened by debt and possibly resentful of his father.
- Caroline Amory: Sir Claud's sister, who resents his overbearing nature.
- Barbara Amory: Sir Claud's niece, a free spirit who chafes under his control.
- Tredwell: The loyal butler.
- Edward Raynor: Sir Claud's secretary, possibly hiding secrets.
- Dr. Carelli: A house guest, an acquaintance of Lucia's.
The best thing that can be said of this book is that it reminds one what an great prose stylist Agatha Christie actually was. Never flashy or too-clever, she nevertheless always had just the right words to sum up a character or situation, and beautiful eye for the inner lives of the people who populated her novels. Charles Osborne's attempt to imitate her style reads like the effort of an enthusiastic but uninspired university sophomore: leaden, over-written and under observed. Every sentence lands on the ear like a baseball bat. Every transition from Osborne's prose to Christie's dialogue is a train crash. Underneath this mess is a charming, if slightly paint-by-numbers Poirot mystery, but really, I would much rather just read Christie's stage play.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
fast-paced