The Mysterious Affair at Styles... Agatha Christie Challenge.

For as long as I can remember I've love a good murder mystery.  I decided to join the Agatha Christie Challenge, so I could start from the beginning and really get a good idea of the growth of this wonderful author.  I was lucky enough to also find The Agatha Christie Companion, The Complete Guide to Agatha Christie's Life and Work. 

The first book on my list is The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Poirot's first case.  I enjoyed this book as you must know I'd say.  The scene is set in a small village outside of London.  Britain is at war with the Germans.  Hastings had been injured and is in need of a place to recuperate, when he meets an old friend, who invites him to stay with him at the house at Styles.  The house is run by the matriarch of the Cavendish Family, Emily.  Emily is the stepmother of John and Lawrence.  John is married to Mary,  Cynthia is an orphaned young woman who has been taken in my the Cavendish family.  Miss Howard is the personal assistant to Emily.  Emily is the money bags.  Emily re marries Alfred.  Mr. & Mrs. Raikes are minor characters, although Mrs. Raikes is the reason at least one of the suspects has an alibi, as there is some infidelity happening.  Emily is poisoned.   Poirot is grateful to Mrs. Emily Inglethorp for her charitable assistance to the Belgian's who are war refugees, one of which he is.   After a number of twists and turns as is Ms. Christies' style Poirot assists Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard to solve the case.   

I think my favorite parts would include Hasting, who is portrayed as a somewhat boob, he is easily enchanted by a pretty girl.  Cannot imagine any pretty being guilty of anything, not murder, not lying.  He's forever trying to rescue them.  In this particular case, he offers to marry young Cynthia, to secure her future.  Of coarse she is bold enough to laugh at him.  I think his response is hilarious "right, well that's that then".  So British!  

I also love Poirot characteristic,  the neatness freak, (boy would he have a good time at my house, or a nervous breakdown).   If you had read other books where Poirot was featured you'll notice the slow evolution of this character.  During the early stage of Agatha's career it was speculated that Hercules was a copy of another character in Mrs. Lowndes, Hercules Popeau.  And yet, Christie makes incredible character differences, and he continues to develop throughout his career.

I'm reading the Christie Books as part of the Agatha Christie on going challenge.  Thanks to our hostess at Mysteries in Paradisehttp://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.ca/. 

Giants Bread... a quick review

I still feel I suck at a book review, I'm like that guy who said he didn't know anything about art, he just knew what he liked.  So with that in mind I thought I'd resort to the old Show me 5 way.

1. The Book I Read: was Giant's Bread, by Mary Westmacott, better known as Agatha Christie.

2. Two words to describe it: Historical Fiction

3. Characters you met and places they were.

The main character of this novel is Vernon, an only child.  His parents were not a happy couple, quite weird.  Vernon's father died in the Boer War leaving his mother Myra to raise him.  Myra is a drama queen.

Joe, Josephine was Vernon's cousin, Vernon's father's sisters daughter.  She comes to live with Vernon after the divorce and subsequent death of her mother.  A diamond in the rough.  Up until Joe's arrival Vernon was a very lonely child.

Sebastian Levine, moved next door to Vernon's family estate. (The estate figures prominently in  the story line.)

Nell a girl from the town where Vernon lives.  She comes to tea with her mother and imposes herself on Joe, Vernon and Sebastian.

Jane a Opera singer/actress with whom Vernon becomes involved.

The story line takes place in England sometime before the WWI.  We meet Vernon and his dysfunctional parents when he is very young.  It baffled me to think children were really raised in this manner, but nonetheless nanny's were responsible for the children and parents seemed to be very distant.  After Vernon's father goes off to war and dies, life changes considerably.  I thought Vernon was somewhat a clueless young man.  Didn't really like him, and was not so sure why everyone dotted on him. Did they see the genius in him?  Anyway, as life would have it, he, after many years of being away from Nell suddenly sees her again and falls head over heels in love, only to be not good enough.  Well a series of unfortunate events occur and in the end he see his true love in another...

What |I loved:  Well everything.  I love this authors work and quite honestly if she had written the phone book I think I'd find it interesting.
What I didn't like:  as this is an older publication, it was combined with 5 other novels and the book weighed more than Musashi, thought I'd have a concussion if I fell asleep while reading it. I ended up having to wear a wrist brace some days.

Five stars or ?  You know I'm going to have to say 5 stars, nothing else would do for Ms. Christie.

I read this book to complete my What's in a Name Challenge and to get my fix in on The Agatha Christie Challenge.  I never seem to meet the deadline for that one but...

Teaser Tuesday

• Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
•  

I followed John's example, and went out into the hall, where Miss Howard was endeavouring to extricate herself from the voluminous mass of veils that enveloped her head.  As her eyes fell on me, a sudden pang of guilt shot through me.  This was the woman who had warned me so earnestly, and to whose warning I had, alas, paid no heed!

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie from my own collection. (pg. 61)
After Annexed and Faithful Place I needed a comfort read, and it's perfect.