Fangirling Forever Over The Queen Of Crime

Murder On The Orient Express. Agatha Christie. This first ever crime fiction that I stumbled upon also paved the way to what would soon become a lovable addiction, thanks to Christie who turned my world of books around with this genre! 

My life, for all through my late middle-school and high-school, revolved around the charming, strong gossip-detective Jane Marple, and the Belgian genius with his egg-shaped head and brilliant grey cells, not to forget the accented mon ami. The curious Harley Quinn, and the coolest espionage and detective sleuths Tommy and Tuppence were enough to send me spinning into a world of genteel detectives uncovering the poisonings, stabbings, and the other ravenously executed murders- all without the unnecessary jumps, kicks, punches of your standard, average thriller hero. What a beauty! I was instantly sold on this genre. 

The exact same thing happened with my brother too. I cannot describe to you what an absolute pleasure it is to have an ally for an author in the house. When my brother came on board, I realized for the first time that we had enjoyable, slightly bifurcated niche fandom inside the vast spectrum of Christie's crimes. We loved all her books, but to some- we were partial and lent absolute loyalty. While my brother is an all-time Poirot guy, I lean impishly towards my Jane Marple crimes. While my brother loved the elite, eerie ones with the silent killings of a poison, I loved the ones where there is brutal murder with contradicting possibilities. A suicide like murder, or a murder like suicide? One wound suggests a man, and the other suggests a woman- who did it?

For the longest time, my dad was genuinely concerned on my replies that I want to become like Tuppence when asked about what I was interested to pursue. Hahaha, can't blame him. And, for the longest time, I was so into Christie's world of crime and these mind-boggling detectives, that I forgot there was Christie who actually wrote them. The realization kind of hit me that all the brilliance of Poirot, Marple, Quinn, Tommy, Tuppence- put together was the brilliance of one. And, since that day I am an ardent fangirl of her, and shall be forever. 

Recently, I saw CrimeRead's article "The Binge-Read: 10 Iconic Crime Fiction Series of The 1960s" that obviously caught my attention, and also demanded an almost click-bait presence with immediate reading. It dawned upon me, that I had rarely read much crime outside Christie, except a few stray ones like The Mystery Of The Yellow Room. I was triggered when I saw the first book of the article: From Doon With Death by Ruth Rendell! I had heard so much about this book, and still never got to read it. 

Now, having purchased a copy immediately, this classic piece awaits me, and I am already caught on an irresistible start of 30 pages into it. If you have never tried one, I bet you start with the same thing I did- Murder On The Orient Express by Agatha Christie. 

Also, don't you think women crime authors give an extra wow-factor?

Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Title: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas

Author: Agatha Christie

Old Simeon Lee behaves strangely. He suddenly feels that all his scattered sons, and their wives, and even his late daughter’s daughter must come together on the occasion of Christmas. He sends out letters inviting them, and surprisingly, all of them accept the offer. Even Harry, the black-sheep of the family arrives home for Christmas.

There is a tension in the place because the family has united after many years. The members are not comfortable, except Harry and Pilar (Simeon’s granddaughter). That day another unexpected visitor comes to meet Simeon Lee, claiming that he was Stephen Farr, the son of Ebenezer Farr, partner of Simeon Lee when he was in South Africa. Simeon Lee immediately persuades that Stephen stays for Christmas with the Lees.

Suddenly, on the day of Christmas Eve, they hear a horrible scream from Simeon Lee’s room. They rush up and find the door locked. So, Stephen and Harry break the door down. There they see old Simeon Lee on the floor- his throat slit. But things seem very odd. There is too much blood everywhere.

Superintendent Sugden, Colonel Johnson and Hercule Poirot investigate the case. While doing so, the family members describe the scream they heard in many ways.

David, describes that it was like a soul in hell. Hilda describes it as a scream by a person without a soul, inhuman, like a beast. But it was Harry who came nearest to the truth. He said it sounded like killing a pig.

Two things helped Poirot solve the case: One, Lydia’s quoting from the Lady Macbeth “Who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him?” And, the second, Pilar seeing Sugden and saying that he looked like old Mr. Lee.

Now, now, can't wait to know what the hell happened to what should have been a Merry Christmas? Read the book to find out.

It's a really amazing, full-blown suspense that only a Christie novel could give you!

Spider’s Web

Title: Spider’s Web

Author: Agatha Christie

Main Characters: Clarissa Hailsham–Brown, Henry Hailsham–Brown, Hugo Birch, Sir Rowland Delahaye, Jermy Warrender, Pippa, Eglin, Miss Peake (Mrs. Brown), Oliver Costello, Miranda, Inspector Lord, Constable Jones, Sir John, Mr. Jones (Kalendorff).

Description of one of the main characters: Sir Rowland Delahaye is a distinguished looking man in his early fifties with a charming and cultivated manner. He is highly intelligent. He helps the policemen find out what the truth is.

Whom I like and why: I like Clarissa Hailsham–Brown. She is very imaginative. She does not sulk saying that it’s boring. She makes her environment cheerful and enjoyable. She is very good at creating stories and situations.

Whom I dislike and why: I dislike Jermy Warrender. He is the one who murdred Oliver Costello and Mr. Sellon. He also tries to kill Pippa and Clarissa but the police catch him before he could.

Setting/theme of the story: Clarissa lives in Copplestone Court with her husband, Henry Hailsham-Brown and her step daughter, Pippa. After living in London she is actually bored to be in the countryside. But she always thinks of situations like “what if I find a dead body in the library?” and also tries to think out that she would do in those situations. One day while she is cleaning up the hall, as a main visitor was joining her husband shortly, she finds a dead body behind the sofa. Not knowing what to do and with the help of Uncle Roly (Sir Rowland Delahaye), Hugo Birch and Jermy, she transfers it to a secret passage. They find the dead body to be Oliver Costello’s. Suddenly the police arrive saying that they had got information about a dead body in Copplestone Court. They discover the dead body in the secret passage and start investigating. Clarissia lies to the police, though she did not commit the murder. At last, they all find out that Jermy was the culprit. Clarissa finds out this when Jermy tries to kill Pippa as Pippa had seen Jermy kill Oliver by hitting Oliver with his golf culb. They also find out that Miss Peeke is actually Mrs. Brown. All ends well.

Part I Enjoyed The Most: I enjoyed the part when Clarissa and the three men hide the corpse of Oliver Costello in the secret passage.

Cat Among The Pigeons

Cat Among the Pigeons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Cat Among the Pigeons

Author: Agatha Chirstie

Main Characters: Miss Vanisttart, Miss Bulstrode, Miss Chadwick, Miss Rich, Ann Shapland (Angelica de Toredo), Miss Johnson, Miss Rowan, Miss Blake, Adam Goodman (Ronnie), Colonel Pikeaway, Derek, Inspetor Kelsey, Prince Ali Yusuf, Bob Rawlinson, Mrs. Upjohn, Julia Upjohn and Joan Sutcliffe (Mrs. Sutcliffe), Jennifer Sutcliffe, Briggs, Mr. Robinson, M. Hercule Poirot, Shaista and Madmoiselle Blanche.

Description of one of the main characters : Mrs. Upjohn is the mother of Julia Upjohn. She is an extremely intelligent and clever woman. She has been a secret agent herself and has worked for the 'Intelligence'. She has the talent to identify criminals in a crowd. She is a very strange woman. She exhibits her strangeness by travelling to Anatolia from England in a bus. She is not very rich. She is a cheerful person. She is a keen observer and a quick learner. 

Whom I like and why: I like Julia Upjohn very much. She is just as smart and clever as her mother, Mrs. Upjohn. She has alot of common sense and presence of mind when it comes to a problem. Though everybody knew, including Inspector Kelsey, that somebody tried to exchange Jennnifer's bat and that the first murder happened at the sports pavilion, nobody could put two and two together and arrive at the conclusion, that there must be something hidden in Jennifer’s tennis racquet which was kept in the sport's pavillion, except Julia Upjohn. She is the one of to discover the lost jewels of Prince Ali Yusuf and bring it to the notice of M. Hercule Poirot. These support the fact that Julia Upjohn is the only person, excluding M. Poirot, who pushed the cases of the murders and burglary forward.

Whom I Dislike and Why: I dislike Inspector Kelsey. He is of no use. Although he was telling others that he was trying to solve the mysterious cases, he did nothing but roam around the school questioning everyone uselessly. Only after M. Poirot entered the scene, the cases got cleared up one by one in Poirot’s own way.

Setting/Theme of the story: Prince Ali Yusuf, sensing that he would soon die, entrusts a bag full of precious jewel stones, which the Sheiks have had for centuries, to his personal pilot and best friend, Bob Rowlinson, asking him to somehow transport it to a new and safe place. Bob Rowlinson after racking his brains on how to send it safely somewhere, decides that London is the safest place for it as no one would suspect. Without his sister’s knowledge, he packs it in her bag and sends his sister, Mrs. Sutcliffe, off to London. During the revolution, when Ali Yousuf, the Prince of Ramat, tries to escape with Bob Rawlinson, they hit the mountains of Ramat. The plane crashes and they die. Mrs. Sutcliff hears the news and gets highly upset. She decides to send Jennifer, her daughter, to Meadowbank, a residential school, after a theft attempt in her house.

Meanwhile, Mr. Pikeaway sends a lad named Ronnie to Meadowbawk as Princess Shaita, the neice of Emir Ibrahim and the cousin of late Prince Ali Yusuf, comes to studyat Meadowbank. Ronnie comes with the name of Adam Goodman. He employs himself as the assistant gardener of Meadowbank. 

The summer term begins normally at Meadowbank. There are two new teachers in Meadowbank - Mademoiselle Blanche, a french teacher and Mrs. Springer, the sports incharge. One day, Mrs. Springer gets murdered in the sports pavilion. The police investigate and Inspector Kelsey takes up the ease. During the 1^st week and when all the girls could go out with their parents, the Emir plans to pick up Princess Shaista. Shaista get into her Royal Car and speeds off. But later did Meadowbank discover that, that car was not Emir Ibrahim’s and that Shaista has been kidnapped. Most of the parents, afraid to leave their children in Meadowbank any further, take them home. Mrs. Sutcliffe picks up Jennifer. Just before that, Jennifer plays tennis. Jennifer's old racquet did not have correct balance and it, as a whole, was a little misshaped. Knowing this, a woman comes with a new bat, stating that it is a gift from Jennifer’s Aunt, and exchanges the new bat for the old one. Fortunately Jennifer and Julia, who were best friends, had swapped their bats. So, the woman had actually taken off Julia’s bat and Julia still had Jennifer’s. Then after a few weeks Miss Vanisttart gets murdered in the sports pavilion. All of them are puzzled. Why the SPORTS PAVILIAN again? Inspector Kelsey doesn’t understand anything. Smart Julia finds out that there must be something valuable in one of the tennis rackets. She remembered that somebody tried to rob Jennifer’s tennis bat. So, she concludes that there must be something in Jennifer’s tennis racket which was kept in the sport's pavilion. She removes the bottom of the grip of the raquet and finds rich jewels. Realising that she would be the next victim for the murder if she does not go to a private detective she goes to M. Hercule Poirot and hands over the jewels to him, who deposits them safely in a bank.

After a few days Mademoiselle Blanche gets murdered in her room. Miss.Chadwick dies of shock seeing Meadowbank at this state. After all this, Poirot solves these mysterious crimes in his own mysterious way. He finds out that Ann Shapland was the culprit and that she was none other than Angelica de Toreda, a person who has committed many other crimes. Miss.Bulstrode thanks Poirot for solving the cases. She appoints Miss Rich as the next headmistress. 

Postern of Fate

Postern of Fate (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Postern of Fate

Author: Agatha Christie

Main Characters: Tommy (Thomas Bresford), Tuppence (Prudence Bresford), Mr.Robinson, Mr.Pikeaway, Clarence, Issac, Mrs. Griffin, Mr. Crispin, Miss.Mullins and Hannibal.

Description of one of the main characters: Issac is an old gardener. He works for Mr. & Mrs. Bresford who had come new to the house – The Laurels. He knows so much about the house and its strange secrets. He is murdered by someone as he knew something about ‘Mary Jordan’ and was about to tell the Bresfords.

Whom I like and why: I like Mr.Robinson very much. He is a very kind man. He knows many things about the submarine case and Mary Jordan which happened before 60 years.

Whom I dislike and why: I dislike Miss. Mullins. She is the great niece of the granddaughter of the original criminal doctor who killed Mary Jordan. Miss. Mullins tries to kill Tuppence by adding poison to her drink. But Crispin and Hannibal save Tuppence from Miss. Mullins. Miss. Mullins introduces herself as a gardener, in the first, to Tommy and Tuppence.

Setting/theme of the story: Tommy and Tuppence shift to a new house called the Laurels. They get many books and they settle down in the new house. In one of the books called The Black Arrow, Tuppence finds random underlining. When she writes them out in a paper, she sees a very disturbing message: M-a-r-y  J-o-r-d-a-n  d-i-d  n-o-t  d-i-e  n-a-t-u-r-a-l-l-y. I-t  w-a-s  o-n-e  o-f  u-s. The book belonged to a boy called Alexander Parkinson. They decided to find out more about the girl Mary Jordan though they suspect that the whole thing might be a fun game or trick done by the boy, Alexander Parkinson. Tuppence gathers from her neighbours that a lot of Parkinsons had lived in the Swallow’s Nest – the old name of the Laurels. Mrs. Griffin, one of the oldest ladies says that she remembered a nursery girl who lived amidst the Parkinson family named Mary Jordan. Mrs. Giffrin also says that she knew a boy called Alexander Parkinson who died when he was eleven. Tommy and Tuppence, driven by the idea that there might be some evidence in the house, do a surgery on Mathilde, the wooden horse which was there in the house since the time of the Parkinsons. They also examine Oxford and Cambridge in the KK, a place in the garden. Then suddenly one day, Tuppence finds Issac, their gardened lying dead, coshed in the head, in the garden. The Bresfords figure out that he must have known something about Mary Jordan. After that Tommy and Tuppence start trying to find out the person responsible for Issac’s death. Tommy meets Mr. Robinson and Mr. Pikeaway who help them. One day a woman named Miss. Mullins comes and offers to be the gardener for the Laurels. Hannibal, the dog, does not like Miss. Mullins. Miss. Mullins tries to poison Tuppence but Hannibal tackles her down and Mr. Crispin alias Horsham captures Miss. Mullins. They find her to be guilty of coshing Issac. Mr. Robinson and Mr. Pikeaway explain to Tuppence and Tommy how all these thing are interconnected. Mr. Robinson also gives Hannibal the title ‘Count’ for capturing Miss.Mullins. It all ends happily.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Tuppence writes out the random underlining to find the sentence: Mary-Jordan-did-not-die-naturally. It-was-one-of-us.

That’s when the whole thing starts. 

Murder In Mesopotamia

Murder in Mesopotamia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Murder In Mesopotamia

Author: Agatha Chistie

Main Characters: Amy Leatheran, Mr.Mercado, Mrs.Mercado, Hercule Poirot, Dr.Leidner, Miss Johnson, Mr.Reiter, Mr.Emmot, Father Lavigny, Richard Carey, Federick Bonser, William, Mrs.Leidner.

Description of one of the main characters: Father Lavigny is actually Raoul Menier, one of the cleverest thieves known to the French police. He specializes in thefts from museums of objects, art and such like. He steals Dr.Leidner's gold dagger and several other things and replaces them with clever electrotypes.

Whom I like and why: I like Hercule Poirot very much. He is a private detective. He is very clever and smart. He has the talent to recreate the past. He sees things which most of them miss to look at. He always worries about the smallest problems while solving a case. He  has his own style of finding solutions to cases.

Whom I dislike and Why: I dislike Dr.Leidner, alias Frederick Bosner. He is a foolish man. Frederick Bosner changes his name, after pretending he was dead, to Dr.Leidner. He killed Mrs.Leidner his own wife and also Miss. Jhonson as she found out that it was Dr.Leidner who killed his wife.

Setting/Theme of the Story: Mrs.Leidner sees strange things and is constantly troubled by the letters from her old, dead husband, Frederick Bonser. So, Dr.Leidner, an archaeologist and husband of Mrs.Zeidner, calls Amy Leatheran, a nurse, to look after his wife. Soon Amy Leatheran finds out that Mrs.Leidner is afraid of someone. That day, Mrs. Leidner shows her nurse the letters from Bosner, which threatened to kill her if she married anyone else except Bosner. She is afraid because she had already married Leidner after Bosner died. She also confides to nurse Leatheran that she suspects Bosner to be still alive. That day, she is murdered. Hercule Pirot, a private detective is called to investigate on the murder. Poirot questions everybody and starts investigating. The next day Miss.Johnson is murdered. Her last words according to Amy Leatheran were ‘window’. With this single clue Poirot finds the murderer of Mrs.Leidner and Miss.Johnson. the solution was that Mr.Leidner was actually Frederick Bosner. When he escaped, he changed his name into Dr.Leidner and became an archaeologist. He married his old wife, who did not recognise him. He sent her threatening letters. When Mrs. Leidner married Dr.Leidner even after the letters came, he was true to his word and he killed her. He killed her through the ‘window’. He could do so because his office and his wife’s room were on the same line. Miss.Johnson came to know about this, so he killed her also. Poirot declares that this is what he thinks happened, but he says he has no proof. Dr.Leidner accepts and feels sorry for both the murders done by him.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Amy Leatheran, the nurse, comes to Mr.Zeidner’s house to take care of Mrs.Leidner.

Murder On The Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Murder On The Orient Express

Author: Agatha Christie

Main Characters: Hercule Poirot, M.Bouc, Dr.Constantine, Wagon Lit Conductor, Hector MacQueen, the Valet (Edward Henry Masterman), Mrs. Hubbard, Greta Ohlsson (the Swedish Lady), Princess Dragomiroff, Count and Countess Andrenyi, Colonel Arbuthnot, Mr.Hardman, Antonio Foscarelli, Mary Defenham, Schmidt, M.Rachett(Cassetti).

Description of one of the characters: M.Rachett, alias Cassetti, is the man who murdered Daisy Armstrong, the child of Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong. He is murdered on the Orient Express. He is a wicked man. He had kidnapped and killed many children before. He escaped from America and went to Europe and became a traveller. He changed his name from Cassetti to Rachett.

Whom I like and why: I like Hercule Poirot. He is a Belgian detective. He is so smart and shrewd. He makes right guesses because he has experience. He arrives at two possible solutions for the case of the murder on the Orient Express.

Whom I dislike and why: I dislike no one in the story. All of them are very good characters except Cassetti who too left kidnapping and became a traveller.

Setting/theme of the story: Hercule Poirot travels in the Orient Express with the other passengers. A man named M.Rachett, a passenger, comes to M.Poirot for help. M.Rachett asks M.Poirot to guard his life and also offers a huge amount but M.Poirot declines the offer. That night Rachett is murdered. M.Poirot takes up the case and starts investigating. He finds evidences, interviews passengers and at last arrives at two solutions. M.Bouc and Dr. Constantine, who act as judges decide to tell the Yugo Slavan police officers, the first solution.

Part I enjoyed the most: I enjoyed the part when Poirot starts finding out, by guessing, that everybody in the Orient Express are related to the Armstrong family. In the book, Hercule Poirot says-

“If you confront anyone who has lied with the truth, they usually admit it – often out of sheer surprise. It is only necessary to guess right to produce your effect.”