The Wife Between Us

This book was oh, so good. I've been a mystery fan for years (my obsession with Agatha Christie is obvious if you search my blog!), but I have never read any contemporary mystery novels. I didn't think I would enjoy this, but I was so wrong!

The Wife Between Us leads you on a journey that leaves you amazed, intrigued and amazed again. I didn't know what was happening and before I knew it, I understood it all. The story revolves around two women: Nellie and Vanessa, both entangled in the life of Richard, a handsome and successful man who deeply cares about his wife. Little by little, we begin to see glimpses of their lives, like little puzzle pieces that should fit together, yet don't seem to.

We are first introduced to Nellie - the 'other woman'. She seems to be a young, and slightly naive girl who's been swept off her feet by the much older and stable Richard. He has fallen in love and when he loves someone, there's nothing he won't do.

Next we have Vanessa - the wife. An unstable alcoholic who has ruined Richard's life. Her antics and uncontrollable behavior have cost her her marriage.

Prepare to be blown away!

After the Funeral

It's been sometime since I've read an Agatha Christie mystery. So long in fact that I'm out of the phase where I see similarities in all novels and can appreciate each one separately!
 

Rating: ***

After the Funeral is one of those mysteries that I always fail to appreciate. I can't like it although it is well written, and has a strong plot and character portrayal. It just doesn't sit right with me and I don't know why. Maybe it's the grey atmosphere, the sadness that somehow pervades the novel that I can't like. Whatever it is, After the Funeral is not one of my favorites.

It is a sad day (or is it?) when the family gets together to attend the funeral of Richard Abernethie, the eldest Abernethie. Having been wealthy beyond measure, the remaining relatives: a brother, a sister, two nieces and a nephew have only one thing on their minds - how much has he left them? In this 'solemn' atmosphere, the irrepressible Cora Lansquenet blurts out the revealing phrase "It's been hushed up very nicely ... but he was murdered, wasn't he?" 

So begins a maze of theories and suspicion....was he murdered? was it one of them? who was it? The initial doubt soon evaporates with the brutal murder of Cora herself. With another murder, the faithful old family lawyer, Mr. Entwhistle calls in a trusted friend: Hercule Poirot.

Who needed the money the most? Was it the brother - always inferior to his successful brother? or was it the sister - still resentful about the nonacceptance of her painter husband? It could be any one of the next generation - all in need of money for one reason or another (there is never a lack of motive in an Agatha Christie novel). Hercule Poirot must sift through the various motives to find the real murderer ...... someone who has been very clever, and yet not clever enough.

Endless Night

Rating: ****

The first time I read Endless Night, I had no idea the title was taken from William Blake's Auguries of Innocence; now, a masters in English literature later, I instantly recognized the familiar poem.

Michael Rogers comes to Gipsy's Acre and falls in love with it. But how can a penniless nobody afford to buy an expensive estate? Fate introduces him to Ellie, a rich, young heiress. The young couple fall in love and decide to build the home of their dreams on the site. Unfortunately for them, there is a curse on the land and it won't leave them in peace. Things get from bad to worse until one day..........

So that I don't give it away, I won't say what other Christie novel Endless Night reminds me of. It has altogether an eerie atmosphere to it and one is never sure what it is: a love story? a psychological mystery? a supernatural novel? or just simply what is normal for Agatha Christie? a mystery? The main plot twist comes when you are well past half-way point and the ending comes as a huge surprise; but the story manages to be intriguing even before the twist and turns Agatha is most famous for. The psychological element is introduced so cleverly, so effortlessly that before you know it, you understand it all.

I find myself agreeing with critic Anthony Berkeley's views on Agatha Christie's books. Below is his take on Endless Night.

"The old maestrina of the crime-novel (or whatever is the female of 'maestro') pulls yet another out of her inexhaustible bag with Endless Night, quite different in tone from her usual work. It is impossible to say much about the story without giving away vital secrets: sufficient to warn the reader that if he should think this is a romance he couldn't be more mistaken, and the crashing, not to say horrific suspense at the end is perhaps the most devastating that this surpriseful author has ever brought off."

Definitely one of Agatha Christie's best. A story that you can relish and sink your teeth into.

Appointment With Death

Rating: ****

Another one of Christie's psychological mysteries, Appointment with Death deals with the dynamics of the Boynton family. At the head of this dysfunctional group is Mrs. Boynton, a woman who takes pleasure in psychologically controlling and torturing her victims - and who better as experiments than her own family? her own daughter? Travelling through Jerusalem, the Boyntons make their way through the tourism sites. But even a cornered rat may strike back when pushed to the limit and soon Mrs. Boynton is found dead at Petra.

I always enjoy the more psychological of Christie's detective novels and this one was right up my alley. I enjoyed the characterization, the portrayal of people under psychological duress, and the hopelessness of those who feel they are beyond all aid - it was all expertly drawn. How many of us have seen in films the effect of prolonged torture which inevitably ends in a numb, broken acquiescence to all requests? The whole process of mental control and what it does to those subjected to it was subtly shown in the Boyntons. While the images were not brutal like those in the movies (!) it was a truthful representation. Definitely one of my favorites.

Crooked House

Rating: *****

Agatha Christie was fond of nursery rhymes. Read the list of her novels and you will see many featuring as the title of her mysteries. The title Crooked House was taken from the nursery rhyme "There Was a Crooked Man".

Charles Hayward is in love with Sophia Leonides. After coming back from the war, he hopes to ask her to marry him. But fate has some trials in store before the young man can win the girl he loves. Sophia's grandfather, Aristide Leonides, has been murdered; she tells Charles that she can never marry him, unless the "right person killed him."

Who is the right person? The whole family lives together in the crooked house and Sophia is afraid - all of them are afraid. They hope to pin the murder on Brenda, Aristide's much younger wife. As long as no one in the family is implicated, they feel safe. But Charles realizes that they themselves suspect one of their own. Is it one of the family? What if they never find out? Can Charles live with the suspicion that Sophia could be the murderer? Sophia, a realist, realizes that the truth must be found at all costs - but when it is found, the reality is more horrible than anyone could have imagined.

Some thoughts
I absolutely LOVED this novel. The inner psychology of the murderer and the portrayal of the family's characteristics was fascinating. The Leonides and the Havilands both have their odd traits, but did their ruthlessness and unscrupulousness combine in a horrible mixture in one of their descendants? Sophia fears the worst. Again, in Crooked House, Agatha Christie confronts the issue of heredity and the resulting "kinks" in people. More than anything, Sophia fears what her family is capable of, and whether Charles can accept her if someone from her family is responsible.

The drama was similar to that in Ordeal By Innocence in which the inmates of one house fall under suspicion for the murder. In Crooked House, the Leonides desperately hope that the guilt falls on an outsider, but know deep down that it's one of them.

I intended to include this book in my feature Why Haven't They Made the Movie?! until I read on Wikipedia that American filmmaker Neil La Bute has decided to make a film based on this book. I can't wait!!

Cards on the Table

Rating: ****

Mr. Shaitana is no ordinary personality. He is a collector. Approaching Poirot one day, the Mephistopheles-like character invites him to a dinner party in which he will show case his unique collection - a collection of murderers; those murderers who have gotten away with their crimes.

Four crime experts; four supposed criminals; that is Mr. Shaitana's idea of a dinner party. Hercule Poirot meets Mrs. Oliver, the celebrated detective writer, Colonel Race, a Secret Service Agent, and Superintendent Battle from the Scotland Yard, all representatives of law and order. The other mysterious guests include murderers Dr. Roberts, Mrs. Lorrimer, Miss Anne Meredith, and Major Despard. At the end of a game of bridge, the crime experts come to take their leave of Mr. Shaitana, only to find him murdered. The only four in the room with Mr. Shaitana were the other four guests playing bridge. It is up to the others to find the murderer from within the murderers.

Some thoughts
The interesting thing about this case was that the authorities had absolutely no evidence to go upon. The deduction had to be purely psychological and Hercule Poirot is the king of psychology. The motive is obviously a previous murder that one of the guests thought Mr. Shaitana had discovered. Poirot reveals the purpose of the party to his law-enforcement friends and now they must discover the guests' previous murders as well as Mr. Shaitana's murderer.

This case also has the interesting feature of including four of Agatha Christie's most famous characters: Colonel Race, Superintendent Battle, Ariadne Oliver and of course Hercule Poirot. Each have starred in other novels but this is the only time when they all come together.

I was so tempted to rate this five stars. The only reason I didn't, was, that although the case was one of the best (even better than some five stars), none of the characters really moved me. It was psychologically intriguing but the story was not as touching as it was in Murder on the Orient Express or Death Comes as the End. But as I said, I'm tempted........