cozy mystery
Book Review: The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories
by Agatha Christie
Kailey (Luminous Libro)‘s reviewSep 26, 2021 · edit
really liked itbookshelves: owned-books, books-read-in-2021, favorite-mystery
This collection of short stories includes stories with Miss Marple, Poirot, and Parker Pyne. I enjoyed these so much! It’s amazing to me how Agatha Christie can create this little puzzle in just a few pages, and lay out all the clues and a few red herrings, then cleverly reveal the solution in an entertaining way.
Continue readingBook Review: Sad Cypress
Sad Cypress (Hercule Poirot, #22)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars
Elinor has been accused of murder. Young Mary Gerrard was poisoned with morphine, and Elinor was the only one who had access to the sandwiches that Mary ate. Only Hercule Poirot can sift through the evidence and find the truth. There are various suspects: Elinor’s ex-fiancée who was fascinated with the dead girl, the doctor who attended Mary’s last moments, and two nurses who love to gossip. Who had the motive to kill an innocent young woman just turned twenty-one?
I loved this mystery! The clues really had me guessing, and I had no idea who the murderer could be until close to the end. I guessed that something was amiss with the nurses, but I also suspected the ex-fiancée, and I couldn’t figure out what the doctor was up to. They are all so slippery and everybody lies to Poirot.
Continue readingBook Review: Pocketful of Rye
A Pocket Full of Rye
by Agatha Christie
4 out of 5 stars
A businessman collapses in his office, poisoned by a rare substance. His widow has been hiding an affair, and the police inspector sees her smiling behind her fake tears. Miss Marple comes into the case to investigate the involvement of her former maid, and notices that the murdered man had rye grain in his pocket. Several other facets of the case seem to mimic the nursery rhyme about a king in his counting house, the queen eating bread and honey, and the maid in the garden hanging out the clothes. Inspector Neele will need Miss Marple’s help to unravel the clues!
I liked the way this murder mystery followed the nursery rhyme, “Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye, four and twenty blackbirds baked into a pie…” There were so many red herrings and each of them were memorable and interesting! The plot really had me guessing, and I was fascinated by the way Miss Marple figured it all out.
Continue readingThe Man in the Brown Suit Video Review
Book Review: Twelve Girls in the Garden
Twelve Girls in the Garden
by Shane Martin
3 out of 5 stars
Professor Challis is invited into a garden with statues of twelve girls, and is intrigued by the mysterious disappearance of the sculptor. He meets one of the models, a Greek girl named Polly, and he begins to inquire into the mystery. Challis is plunged into the world of art dealers, audacious fake art, blackmail, and murder. But the mystery always goes back to the twelve girls who modeled for the statues in the garden.
I liked this murder mystery! It was interesting and kept my attention. I liked the writing style and the way the author paints this picture of sultry models, glamorous artists, and shady art deals in Paris or Athens. With just one paragraph, the reader is plunged into a world of glamor and deceit.
Continue readingAgatha Christie: The Hollow
The Hollow: A Play (Acting Edition)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars
A group of people get together for a weekend in the country, and one of them is murdered. Everyone is a suspect, and they all are hiding something from the police. One man is known for having various affairs, while his poor wife is clueless that his mistress is in the same house. Edward worries that his relatives resent him for inheriting the estate where they all grew up. Midge is tired of being seen a child, and tries to attract Edward’s attention. Lady Angkatell is so scatter-brained that no one can follow her silly conversations. They all have a motive for murder, but which one of them actually did it?
I loved this amazing mystery! I was surprised at every plot twist, and I had no idea who the murderer really was until the very end. It was wonderful to see how every clue was laid out, bringing speculation and suspicion on each character in turn.
Continue readingMystery Review: Peril at End House
Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot, #8)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars
Hercule Poirot begins to investigate the murderous attempts on the life of Nick Buckley, a pretty young lady living at End House by the seaside. A heavy picture falls, the brakes in her car are cut, a bullet makes a hole in her hat, but she miraculously escapes death each time. All around her are family and friends with a possible motive to kill her, but only Hercule Poirot can unravel the clues to find the truth.
I loved this mystery! So many twists and turns in the plot. I had no idea until the very end who could possibly be the killer. I was completely fooled. Every clue comes together perfectly at the end. Each character is hiding a secret, and it was so interesting to gradually discover their backstories, and speculate about who is lying and who is telling the truth.
I adore Poirot and Hastings. They are such a great team, and I love their merry friendship. The dialogue between them is priceless! I really love the mysteries that are told from Hastings point of view. He’s such a great narrator and sidekick for Poirot.
Book Review: Jane and the Genius of the Place
Jane and the Genius of the Place (Jane Austen Mysteries, #4)
by Stephanie Barron
by Stephanie Barron
3 out of 5 stars
Jane Austen is visiting her brother and sister-in-law at Godmersham Park, when a mysterious lady is murdered at the Canterbury Races. As Justice of the Peace, Jane’s brother, Edward, must investigate the murder, and Jane is all eagerness to help solve the puzzle.
I really liked this story and the history behind it. There is quite a lot of real history woven into the story with Jane’s family and her acquaintances, but of course the murder mystery and Jane’s involvement in the investigation are entirely fictional.
The best part of this book is the close look at Jane’s day to day interactions with her family, her nieces and nephews, and especially her sister Cassandra. It’s fun to imagine what their family dynamic might have been like. Continue reading
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