Agatha Christie — #100FavouriteAuthors
The Mistress of Suspense
I started reading her books at the age of 12. I am also the proud owner of her entire crime fiction collection — all 73 books.
While she may seem dated as a crime writer for the new age, her style of writing is something I’ll definitely recommend till the end of time. The way she sets up an environment, how she lovingly dresses her red herrings, and the way she arrives at the denouement — it’s probably the template on which even modern crime novels are written.
Here are some of my favourite books of hers.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: I consider this to be one of the finest novels to be written in this genre. At the time it was written, it created an outcry among fellow writers, and that’s what makes this such an exciting book to read. It’s bold, it’s progressive (for it’s time) and shows the brilliant mind of Hercule Poirot in all its glory. Sadly, if I reveal too much, it will take away from the glory of the book. I suggest you read it, mon ami.
The Thirteen Problems: The only Miss Marple stories in my list — I like this even more than The Labours of Hercules, a series of short stories featuring Poirot. I was never a big fan of Miss Marple, but this series sort of endeared me to her as the old grandmother who could knit her way through murder mysteries, solving them with a mind as sharp as a razor. After all, my dear, the key to solving a murder is to observe and listen.
Curtain: Again, a Hercule Poirot mystery — and his last. Curtain left me sad, sad that it was to be Poirot’s last case. In this, the great detective is wheelchair bound, suffering from arthritis — but his brain is still as sharp as ever. At various points, Hastings (Poirot’s partner in several cases, the Watson to his Sherlock) wonders whether the once great detective has gone senile. It also takes us back to Styles Court — the venue for Poirot’s first ever case, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. So you could say Poirot’s life came full circle. Although it’s not her best work, it is possibly her most emotional. And one of my favourites.
And Then There Were None: One of Christie’s books that doesn’t feature a detective — but also one of her more evocative books, one that almost teeters on psychological horror to a certain extent. It was originally published as ‘Ten Little Niggers’ — I’m sure the title changed over the years for obvious reasons. In this story, ten strangers are invited to a secluded island under various pretexts. Once on the island, each guest starts getting killed, one-by-one. But who is this killer? And what could possibly connect these ten guests? Read the book to find out!
That’s it for my favourite author #2. I’ll be back with another author tomorrow. Till then, good night!
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Neil Gaiman | Agatha Christie
