elizabethcaneday's review against another edition
4.0
This short story collection is an excellent introduction to Agatha Christie. All of her most famous characters appear in here - Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy & Tuppence, Mr. Parker Pyne, Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin, et cet. In each review, I've attempted to briefly catalogue my thoughts, sometimes into as unspoilery a summary as possible, sometimes just a rant. Also, I've rated each story individually, and I believe the average rating is just under four stars. Rounding up because a. the narrator was good and deserves bonus points, and b. it was really fun to listen to this and I am very glad to finally have read some of Christie's work.
Apologies in advance if I spelled names wrong or forgot them entirely; I was listening to the audiobook.
THREE BLIND MICE
This one was really scary. (That sounds so trite...) A snowed-in guest house, operated by a young couple very new to the business, is shocked by the murder of an intimidating lady guest. Will they manage to discover the killer before it’s too late?
Let me tell you, I will never hear that song the same way again.
Anyways, this was my first Agatha Christie story, and I did enjoy it. The ending was shocking but very satisfying, at least for the main characters. However, I was not fond of two of the characters in particular and neither of their arcs were resolved how I'd like. They were both just creeps but they didn't really have any consequences for their general creepiness. A very intriguing introduction to the Queen of Crime. Four stars.
THE CHOCOLATE BOX
Yeah, didn't see that one coming. This was my first Hercule Poirot story, and I had fun listening. I do like Poirot and I must say, the conclusion of this story is great.
Apparently Poirot never fails, so this was his main (though not exactly professional, as he takes it on vacation) botched case. An interesting introduction to an intriguing character. Four stars.
A CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY
The title is correct.
Agatha Christie is rather cynic in this one, at least compared to the former two. Chilling and almost ghastly - but so were the others. Miss Marple features in this one, and like in The Chocolate Box, she is recounting one of her adventures. Lots of outdated (or maybe just British?) slang like "hydro" which I took to mean a watering-place (which is Regency slang, means places like Bath). Three stars because I am just sad for the poor couple who featured prominently in A Christmas Tragedy. I cannot say more for fear of spoiling it.
THE COMING OF MR. QUIN
Very interesting and dramatic. This one centers around a suicide, which in itself is a bit of a red herring - I couldn't help wondering if the suicide was a murder. But the motive is really what's under discussion here. Sort of a suspenseful twist on the "cozy fireside storytelling" aspects of the previous two stories.
I enjoyed it but I had the suspect figured out very quickly. Apparently there's more stories featuring Mr. Satterthwaite (who is rather odd but a dear) and Mr. Quin (who is mysterious but charming). Somewhat more supernatural than the other stories so far, and different in a way that I don't know if I like. Four stars.
THE CLERGYMAN'S DAUGHTER/RED HOUSE
Super fun! I love Tommy and Tuppence already. This one (thank goodness for the reprieve) does not feature a murder at all. In fact, it's a good old-fashioned detective story. Can the couple solve a poltergeist mystery to give Miss Monica Dean a life-changing Christmas present? Four and a half stars. My favorite so far but also my shortest review, apparently!
THE PLYMOUTH EXPRESS
Well. I'm beginning to run out of steam with reviewing these. Also running out of unique descriptions. This one was apparently later extended into the novel The Mystery of the Blue Train. I wasn't quite as invested in this one as the others, which I attribute to being distracted while listening. We return to Poirot for The Plymouth Express, and he solves this one most adroitly. I didn't even try to figure out who did it but I was still suprised. Four stars.
PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY
Ooooh, I already love Mr. Parker Pyne. So fun - and so nice to have a break from gory murder mysteries with this lighter comedy-style mystery. The ending is rather abrupt, in my opinion, but a good reveal and satisfying conclusion for all the characters. I'm also very intrested in Parker Pyne now and I'm excited to read more of Christie's short stories focusing on him. Four stars.
SANCTUARY
I think I cared more about the characters in this one than the actual murder and the victim. Excellent characterization does that, I guess. Bunch Harman is a delightful protagonist and narrator. I wish there were many more novels written about sensible female protagonists of her ilk. Sanctuary is almost Austen-y, but mid-twentieth-century and with a murder. Miss Marple is involved in Sanctuary, and does a great deal of the mystery solving work, but Bunch is smart and helps kickstart the investigation. I must say, even at the ending, I was lowkey confused why the dying man went to the church, and I never really liked him, but I guess I didn't need to. Four stars.
THE MYSTERY OF HUNTER'S LODGE
Hastings gets to solve a murder by himself! Ha, just kidding. Poirot does all the brainwork in this one, but from afar - he's recovering from the flu and sends Hastings to gather clues. Somehow, Poirot solves the mystery and gets everything right - without laying eyes on a single suspect, let alone the scene of the crime. Not to downplay Hastings' role! He collects clues and evidence and takes photos (not artistic enough for Poirot, though). I really enjoyed this one. Four stars.
THE WORLD'S END
Another Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin story, this time featuring a depressed young artist, a most un-Duchess-like Duchess, and a disillusioning voice actor, all chilling (really, they're warming up and sheltering from the weather) in some sort of mountain chalet thing. With Mr. Quin present, of course things shall be revealed, but I was surprised at his slightly quieter role than in his previous story, The Coming of Mr. Quin. Agatha Christie is excellent at characterization, which shines through plenty in this story. A very satisfying conclusion for the mystery (heads up, it's not a murder mystery) wrapped things up well. Four stars.
THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON
The beginning of this one scared me. Not in the creepy way, but in the "what am I getting in to?!" way. Thankfully, it got a little bit better. But still, I wasn't a huge fan. I didn't love the main character - I thought he made quite a few wrong choices. (Perhaps I'm too much like Maud to have much sympathy for Edward.) Particularly concealing what he was doing from Maud, poor girl, on Christmas Eve! I had a bad taste in my mouth while listening to this story. However, he learned confidence through his adventure and I think he and Maud will be happier for it. The Manhood of Edward Robinson is also not a murder mystery. Three stars.
CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE
I really enjoyed this one. Poirot takes the stage as both actor and director for Christmas Adventure, which leads to many surprising twists and reveals. As I'm not British, I don't know what Christmas pudding tastes like, but I've heard of it. Maybe like fruitcake but better? Anyways, this was a nice conclusion/final short story for the book. I liked all the (not villain) characters and the setting was fun - a Christmas party at a large country house. Not technically a murder mystery. Four stars.
Apologies in advance if I spelled names wrong or forgot them entirely; I was listening to the audiobook.
THREE BLIND MICE
This one was really scary. (That sounds so trite...) A snowed-in guest house, operated by a young couple very new to the business, is shocked by the murder of an intimidating lady guest. Will they manage to discover the killer before it’s too late?
Let me tell you, I will never hear that song the same way again.
Anyways, this was my first Agatha Christie story, and I did enjoy it. The ending was shocking but very satisfying, at least for the main characters. However, I was not fond of two of the characters in particular and neither of their arcs were resolved how I'd like. They were both just creeps but they didn't really have any consequences for their general creepiness. A very intriguing introduction to the Queen of Crime. Four stars.
THE CHOCOLATE BOX
Yeah, didn't see that one coming. This was my first Hercule Poirot story, and I had fun listening. I do like Poirot and I must say, the conclusion of this story is great.
Apparently Poirot never fails, so this was his main (though not exactly professional, as he takes it on vacation) botched case. An interesting introduction to an intriguing character. Four stars.
Spoiler
Totally thought the girl murdered him, though I couldn't figure out what her motive was - I just wanted to think like Agatha Christie, who is really good at the whole shock factor thing. Totally not laughing at myself right now.A CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY
The title is correct.
Agatha Christie is rather cynic in this one, at least compared to the former two. Chilling and almost ghastly - but so were the others. Miss Marple features in this one, and like in The Chocolate Box, she is recounting one of her adventures. Lots of outdated (or maybe just British?) slang like "hydro" which I took to mean a watering-place (which is Regency slang, means places like Bath). Three stars because I am just sad for the poor couple who featured prominently in A Christmas Tragedy. I cannot say more for fear of spoiling it.
THE COMING OF MR. QUIN
Very interesting and dramatic. This one centers around a suicide, which in itself is a bit of a red herring - I couldn't help wondering if the suicide was a murder. But the motive is really what's under discussion here. Sort of a suspenseful twist on the "cozy fireside storytelling" aspects of the previous two stories.
I enjoyed it but I had the suspect figured out very quickly.
Spoiler
I was wavering between the girl and the deceased, as to who actually poisoned him, but had the rest figured out.THE CLERGYMAN'S DAUGHTER/RED HOUSE
Super fun! I love Tommy and Tuppence already. This one (thank goodness for the reprieve) does not feature a murder at all. In fact, it's a good old-fashioned detective story. Can the couple solve a poltergeist mystery to give Miss Monica Dean a life-changing Christmas present? Four and a half stars. My favorite so far but also my shortest review, apparently!
THE PLYMOUTH EXPRESS
Well. I'm beginning to run out of steam with reviewing these. Also running out of unique descriptions. This one was apparently later extended into the novel The Mystery of the Blue Train. I wasn't quite as invested in this one as the others, which I attribute to being distracted while listening. We return to Poirot for The Plymouth Express, and he solves this one most adroitly. I didn't even try to figure out who did it but I was still suprised. Four stars.
PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY
Ooooh, I already love Mr. Parker Pyne. So fun - and so nice to have a break from gory murder mysteries with this lighter comedy-style mystery. The ending is rather abrupt, in my opinion, but a good reveal and satisfying conclusion for all the characters. I'm also very intrested in Parker Pyne now and I'm excited to read more of Christie's short stories focusing on him. Four stars.
SANCTUARY
I think I cared more about the characters in this one than the actual murder and the victim. Excellent characterization does that, I guess. Bunch Harman is a delightful protagonist and narrator. I wish there were many more novels written about sensible female protagonists of her ilk. Sanctuary is almost Austen-y, but mid-twentieth-century and with a murder. Miss Marple is involved in Sanctuary, and does a great deal of the mystery solving work, but Bunch is smart and helps kickstart the investigation. I must say, even at the ending, I was lowkey confused why the dying man went to the church, and I never really liked him, but I guess I didn't need to. Four stars.
THE MYSTERY OF HUNTER'S LODGE
Hastings gets to solve a murder by himself! Ha, just kidding. Poirot does all the brainwork in this one, but from afar - he's recovering from the flu and sends Hastings to gather clues. Somehow, Poirot solves the mystery and gets everything right - without laying eyes on a single suspect, let alone the scene of the crime. Not to downplay Hastings' role! He collects clues and evidence and takes photos (not artistic enough for Poirot, though). I really enjoyed this one. Four stars.
THE WORLD'S END
Another Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin story, this time featuring a depressed young artist, a most un-Duchess-like Duchess, and a disillusioning voice actor, all chilling (really, they're warming up and sheltering from the weather) in some sort of mountain chalet thing. With Mr. Quin present, of course things shall be revealed, but I was surprised at his slightly quieter role than in his previous story, The Coming of Mr. Quin. Agatha Christie is excellent at characterization, which shines through plenty in this story. A very satisfying conclusion for the mystery (heads up, it's not a murder mystery) wrapped things up well. Four stars.
THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON
The beginning of this one scared me. Not in the creepy way, but in the "what am I getting in to?!" way. Thankfully, it got a little bit better. But still, I wasn't a huge fan. I didn't love the main character - I thought he made quite a few wrong choices. (Perhaps I'm too much like Maud to have much sympathy for Edward.) Particularly concealing what he was doing from Maud, poor girl, on Christmas Eve! I had a bad taste in my mouth while listening to this story. However, he learned confidence through his adventure and I think he and Maud will be happier for it. The Manhood of Edward Robinson is also not a murder mystery. Three stars.
CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE
I really enjoyed this one. Poirot takes the stage as both actor and director for Christmas Adventure, which leads to many surprising twists and reveals. As I'm not British, I don't know what Christmas pudding tastes like, but I've heard of it. Maybe like fruitcake but better? Anyways, this was a nice conclusion/final short story for the book. I liked all the (not villain) characters and the setting was fun - a Christmas party at a large country house.
Spoiler
The main thing I didn't like about this one was how Poirot basically drugged Nancy (sure, she did agree to it - but I think she's a minor, anyways). And in doing so, he scared all the kids so badly. I understand that it was important for the plot but also... how traumatizing for those other kids!colbymama08's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
whiskasinajar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
erna_reads's review against another edition
5.0
A marvelous collection of short stories by Agatha Christie. It made my winter. I especially loved that it ends with a Christmas adventure that involves pudding.
pandafan7's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
3.0
minibookchats's review against another edition
4.0
Join us this Sunday to talk about this book on YouTube! https://youtu.be/1IJJRo_fkbM
silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? No
3.0
mafionn's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.0
bessies_books's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5