(Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish: The Broke and the Bookish )
As this Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie week, and today is what would have been Agatha Christie's 125th birthday, I had to talk about ten of my favorite books from my favorite author.
1) And Then There Were None
Mix a terrifying island cut off from the rest of the civilization, ten strangers all accused of various horrific crimes, mysterious deaths that match a nursery rhyme, and the very scary realization that the murderer is somewhere among them, and Agatha Christie had an absolute classic on her hand. This is a book that stands up to repeated re readings. Just writing this makes me want to pick it up again.
2) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Christie sets the precedent here for one of the greatest, most shocking twists to ever be written. This is another one where you want to re read it as soon as you finish it.
3) Endless Night
This is another Christie with an epic twist. Christie also creates an incredibly creepy and haunting atmosphere that you won't soon forget.
4) Peril at End House
This novel has a very colorful cast of characters, plus Hercule Poirot, plus a masterful use of red herrings.
5) A Murder is Announced
This one will always have a special place in my heart, as it was the first Agatha Christie I ever read. I still have the copy my Bubbe gave me. Plus, it is a fascinating concept, where a murder is actually advertised before it occurs.
6) Cards on the Table
What happens when a true crime aficionado decides to collect the acquaintance of people he believes got away with murder?
7) The Tuesday Club Murders
This is a collection of interconnected short stories. The concept is that a group holds meetings where each member is responsible for sharing a true crime that only they know the solution to, and the other members must try to figure out the solution themselves.
8) The A.B.C. Murders
In this novel, Christie truly proves why she is the mistress of misdirection. Plus, the idea of a murderer choosing his victims alphabetically is very creepy.
9) Murder on the Orient Express
A snowbound train is naturally a tense and frightening place, and Christie adds in an expertly done mystery from the past to compound the murder in the present. This novel truly has one of Christie's best endings.
10) The Mysterious Affair at Styles
It's hard to top the original!
You know, I've never read Agatha Christie. I think...maybe one ages ago but not that I can specifically remember. She's an author I have to try. I'll keep your list in mind when I do :)
ReplyDeleteHer books are just so great. For me, they're the kind of book I can read again and again, and love them every time. :)
DeleteI remember reading "Murder on the Orient Express" as a teenager and just being stunned and thrilled by the ending - pure brilliance.
ReplyDeleteSeveral of my favorites are on your list.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! She's such a good writer.
ReplyDeleteI devoured Christie's mysteries in my teens, and I'm not sure I've read any since then (other than Sophie Hannah's recent Hercules Poroit mystery!). I will always remember both Roger Ackroyd and Endless Night for their twists--so very ahead of her time. I think I need to start re-reading these.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Sophie Hannah's new Hercule Poirot-it was such a treat to have a new Poirot to read. One of my favorite things about Agatha Christie books besides the twists are how well they hold up to re-reading.
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