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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
Christie's early books included a lot of organized crime, secret societies, and foreign spies. Some of those novels, like The Big Four, don't work for me, so I always groan a little when I realize that the mystery isn't going to be a lone murder at a country estate with a colorful cast of suspects to sift through. That was the case with The Seven Dials Mystery.
But like The Secret of Chimneys, which it's a sequel to, The Seven Dials Mystery wonderfully ties the larger scheme into a manor mystery (two, actually) with all the flavor I want from a Christie book and twists and revelations that I never saw coming. Delightful.
But like The Secret of Chimneys, which it's a sequel to, The Seven Dials Mystery wonderfully ties the larger scheme into a manor mystery (two, actually) with all the flavor I want from a Christie book and twists and revelations that I never saw coming. Delightful.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
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:
Yes
Not my favourite - the plot dragged a bit in the second half, but the characters were very funny. You can tell it is one of her earlier novels, but it is still definitely worth the read!
Update:Reread 3/17/25 I do like Bundle. She's a fun time
Perhaps 3.5? I liked it better than the first one but I don't enjoy this series nearly as much as Poirot. Nevertheless it was a fun time and she fooled me yet again.
Perhaps 3.5? I liked it better than the first one but I don't enjoy this series nearly as much as Poirot. Nevertheless it was a fun time and she fooled me yet again.
adventurous
dark
funny
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
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Seven Dials was the official choice for May's #ReadChristie2025 readalong.
This was a great, fun read and could legitimately be classed as a "ripping yarn". There's murder, a secret society, state secrets and all sorts of wild shenanigans.
When Gerry Wade is found dead in his bed whilst visiting Chimneys country house with friends, his death is deemed as an accidental overdose of sleeping solution. The suspicious death of another of the group some months later, raises curiosity on the part of Lady Eileen Brent aka "Bundle" and her investigations unveil the existence of a sinister secret society - The Seven Dials.
Superintendent Battle remains mostly in the background while Bundle and her fellow amateur sleuths carry out their enthusiastic investigations.
The dynamic between Bundle and Battle is charming and their contrasting characters offer a gentle tension to the investigations.
I only "just" anticipated the big reveal but thought the solution was suitably unexpected and fun.
Quite a different Christie read but I really enjoyed it -fast paced and fun all round!
This was a great, fun read and could legitimately be classed as a "ripping yarn". There's murder, a secret society, state secrets and all sorts of wild shenanigans.
When Gerry Wade is found dead in his bed whilst visiting Chimneys country house with friends, his death is deemed as an accidental overdose of sleeping solution. The suspicious death of another of the group some months later, raises curiosity on the part of Lady Eileen Brent aka "Bundle" and her investigations unveil the existence of a sinister secret society - The Seven Dials.
Superintendent Battle remains mostly in the background while Bundle and her fellow amateur sleuths carry out their enthusiastic investigations.
The dynamic between Bundle and Battle is charming and their contrasting characters offer a gentle tension to the investigations.
I only "just" anticipated the big reveal but thought the solution was suitably unexpected and fun.
Quite a different Christie read but I really enjoyed it -fast paced and fun all round!
mysterious
medium-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:
No
Not sure how to rate this! It didn't pan out how I thought it would, it's not "just" a murder mystery like a Poirot novel. There's a lot of characters to try to remember, with nicknames like Bundle, Pongo, and Socks as well as their first and last names being used.
Good twist, would benefit from a reread / relisten knowing the ending. And I quite liked Bundle as a proto-feminist amateur detective.
My enduring memory was not the plot but the constant class commentary, and I was trying to figure out if Christie was a snob or being ironic in making her characters discuss their thoughts about a couple with new wealth, and young men moaning about how it is so hard to get to the Foreign Office for 11am. (How did the Empire operate with entitled sons of the gentry working there?!)
Good twist, would benefit from a reread / relisten knowing the ending. And I quite liked Bundle as a proto-feminist amateur detective.
My enduring memory was not the plot but the constant class commentary, and I was trying to figure out if Christie was a snob or being ironic in making her characters discuss their thoughts about a couple with new wealth, and young men moaning about how it is so hard to get to the Foreign Office for 11am. (How did the Empire operate with entitled sons of the gentry working there?!)
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
