Book Review: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
Most of my free reading in January was decidedly light and
uncomplicated, with a focus away from the disappointing political happenings that
occurred at the beginning of the month.
Even if it felt as though 2021 was not off to a positive
start, thank goodness for the reading life! I had several new titles on hold
through the public digital library (Overdrive)
and I was looking forward to reading them one at a time, a delicious escape
from too much negative news in the previous few weeks.
One of the new books I requested was The
Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict. It sparked a lot
of interest when I first read the book
blurb, and I couldn't wait to read it!
I have had a fascination with Agatha Christie in the past
few years, especially after watching documentaries about her life. There was
such writing genius in the way her clever mind worked: devising fascinating
characters, suspenseful plots, twisted endings, and of course, a lot of murder.
I don't think any writer out there doesn't have some sort of reverence for
Agatha Christie.
Because of the documentaries that created a desire to read
this book, I was certainly interested to see how the author would plot out
Christie's famous disappearance for 11 days in December 1926.
No spoilers here, but I can tell you that for me, this book
was . . . satisfying. There was no disappointment in the author's portrayal of
what led up to and the reason for Christie's disappearance. It was just as I
would have wanted it to play out -- with Christie's brilliant mind, she would
definitely have had a specific reason for her disappearance. She, of course, would have
planned it as one of her books: setting up a compelling plot, placing clues,
and providing a surprise ending no one would know but her.
Using the details that are already known about Agatha and
her first marriage to Archie, her daughter's birth, her growing up, and later
her divorce, this book puts together a believable way in which the story
unfolded.
If you would like more background on Agatha Christie, I can recommend these well-done documentaries available on PBS and Amazon Prime (some are free as of this writing):
Even if you have not read her books or know anything about
her life or career, this is one title that you must add to your reading list.
Have you read any Agatha Christie books? If so, tell us your favorite in the comments!
This post includes some affiliate links in addition to other internet links that lead the reader to more information on today's post. Any purchase from these links gives me a small commission and for which I thank you!
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I will look at the website you had this book on hold at as a resource for us to use in Homeschool. As well as the book for my son and I to read in his reading class.
ReplyDeleteOverdrive is available from your local library. They will help you with a login to Overdrive (also called Libby). It's been a lifesaver during the pandemic! A whole, free library at your finger tips . . . . or Kindle. :)
DeleteAngie, I share your love of and fascination with Agatha Christie. I just saw another documentary on her and the environments that she lived in, which became the environments of her stories. I don't have a favorite among her books. But the one that haunts me the most is "And Then There Was One". Don't read it if you're sensitive! :-) Now, what is a hope*writer? Thanks for a fun piece.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I know that story! I think it's one of her creepiest!!
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