I had the delightful experience of reading an Agatha Christie novel recently. I’d picked up the book a while ago. I thought at first I got it from a library sale, but at this point, I can’t remember when or where I got it from. A mystery of its own! But When I sat down to read it for real, I determined that I must finish it in one day, both for continuity’s sake and for the sheer pleasure of it. And what a pleasure it was! I felt like a kid again, entranced by a novel for the first time in a while.

Until the last couple of years, I never read mystery novels. It wasn’t my genre. But after The Dresen Files and Another Kingdom, which contain elements of mystery and suspense, I can honestly say that I am enjoying the genre. Christie is no different. Her writing is phenomenal. It took me a moment to catch her style, with most chapters split up between the perspectives of multiple characters (quite the feat for how short the book is). But once I found my pace, I was hooked. In a way, I feel that she incorporated the best elements of stream of consciousness into her novel in order to best enliven the experience and capture character. And truly, she does capture human nature and character well. Few authors can truly capture people and put them onto a page in an experiential way. I found this especially true in her foils for each of the characters of her book. Furthermore, the way she set her book up was truly an experience. At the very beginning, she included a poem. Without spoiling much, it sets up the book. Not only does she fool her characters, she anticipates them and the reader, knowing how both will respond to events and the poem itself. It was truly genius, and I was not sure how it would end until the last.

I know I am quite late to this game, but I can honestly say that Christie is a masterful author. And if you enjoy a mystery that can be read in one sitting, pulling you page after page until you find the answer, then this is the book for you.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Madelyn Rose Craig