::READERS REVIEWS::

standard good time with Poirot, with a couple of elements that set it apart - Poirot and Hastings are lounging around when - once again - there is a murder! In this story we have a hardened husband, a glamorous actress wife, an expert impressionist (i.e., impersonator), and so on. I read this in about 24 hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. It stood out from other encounters I've had with Hercule Poirot (all the novels and stories published previous to this one) in a couple of ways.

1. This is the first Poirot book I've read in which I got to the end and really thought that the twist should have occurred to me.
2. Inspector Japp, Poirot's friend from Scotland Yard, is transformed in this book into a much more arrogant, silly character than he was in earlier Poirot books, always pretending the good ideas are his and consistently insulting Poirot while seeking his help.

And a final thought: I don't know why the ever endearing Hastings (and I do enjoy Poirot more when he walks with Hastings) keeps questioning if Poirot is losing his skills. He's not losing them, Arthur! He's never losing them! Figure it out already!

A Master of the Whodunit - I began reading Ms. Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries in the order in which she wrote them. This was the eighth story in the series. Once again, Ms. Christie shows why she was, arguably, the world's greatest mystery writer. Her tightly written whodunit, told through the eyes of Hercule Poirot's friend, Captain Hastings, allows the befuddled reader to view the famous sleuth with awe. The novel is constantly entertaining with many clues and diversions to keep the reader guessing. If you enjoy a good mystery, you could do no better than this book.

Review of Lord Edgware Dies Courtesy of www.christieinayear.blogspot.com - Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RLEFKT91S81E4

Agatha Christie Is the Best - I love this book, but I love all of her books, so I am biased!

"Listen to me, and you shall know everything...just a simple story...." - When Jane Wilkinson, Lady Edgware, contacts Hercule Poirot to ask him to intercede with her husband so that she can get a divorce and marry another man, Poirot agrees reluctantly. Lord Edgware, it turns out, is surprised by this request since he had written a letter to Jane agreeing to end their marriage three months before. Lord Edgware is soon discovered dead, and a woman identified by witnesses as Jane, his estranged wife, has entered his house late on the night of his death. The problem? Jane Wilkinson has been at a dinner party that night, and twelve other guests have seen her.

In this novel, written in 1933, Hercule Poirot is in his seventh outing as Christie's detective, and, joined by his redoubtable assistant, Capt. Arthur Hastings, he "helps" Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard in the solution to this complicated case. The world of theatre plays an important role--Jane Wilkinson and Carlotta Adams (soon the "late" Carlotta Adams) are actresses, and several other characters, notably Brian Martin, have theatrical careers. The world of art also plays a role in the conclusion, and the lives of aristocrats and would-be aristocrats, such as Jane Wilkinson, along with their servants and staff, keep the action high-toned, but not high-principled.

Poirot rises to the ensuing challenges when two more murders take place. Relying on his "little gray cells" as much as on the clues he finds--in a letter written by a murder victim before death, in an engraved gold case filled with Veronal, in secret loves, and in positive witnesses who may not have witnessed what they think--Poirot provides the reader with much amusement, the result of his affectations, and much suspense, since he does not share his thoughts until the time of his "grand announcement." The clever ending contains a tour de force which adds an extra bit of clever amusement for the reader.

Though the mystery is fun, and the interplay of the characters allows the mystery to develop in a way that keeps the reader off-guard but believing in Poirot, the casual anti-semitism revealed here may undercut the reader's full admiration for the novel. Though this is not a major part of the novel, the fact that it appears at all--in England, just five years before Kristallnacht brought all of Europe to attention--casts a surprising light on English sentiments, at least among the upper classes. n Mary Whipple

The Sittaford Mystery (Agatha Christie Signature Edition)
Dead Man's Mirror (Mystery Masters Series)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)

Typical Christie - This is standard Christie, entertaining stuff, but nothing new. Actually, I'm just writing this review to see if my new settings work.

Note: I listened to this on tape - Short stories do not translate well onto tape. I listened to this book on tape, and it was very hard to keep up with all of the details packed into a short story. Where novels are really "watered-down" as far as plot is concerned (more dialog, details, etc), a short story packs a lot of information into a very small space - miss once sentence and you could be lost, especially in a mini mystery. And, once again, these stories starred my less-than-favorite sleuth, the haughty Miss Marple.

But all of that aside, the storylines and mysteries were well written, cleverly constructed tales that will make you think, if you take the time to do so. Or you can just rush to the end and see "whodunit" and, more importantly, how and why! Agatha Christie remains a must for all mystery lovers, and these short stories are great for someone who doesn't have enough time to read an entire novel at once.