I love Agatha Christie. And that is why I’m attempting to read all 66 of her detective novels in a year.
I first started reading her mysteries over 20 years ago at my local library after making my way through Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children and Trixie Belden. I was immediately drawn to Hercule Poirot and his “little grey cells,” and Miss Jane Marple and her unassuming, but sharp-as-a-knife, character.
But most of all, I loved the challenge of the mystery that Agatha presents in each of her books – a colorful cast of characters (each usually with a motive), a brilliant detective who takes you along for the ride but doesn’t show their hand, the clues and hints embedded throughout the narrative and conversations, and the conclusion where the guilty party is found out (usually in a drawing room) and often leaves me saying, “Of course!, Why didn’t I see it?”
So this year, just a few days after my 35th birthday, I am going to dedicate myself to getting to know Agatha Christie a little better. I’m going to enjoy all of her detective novels (short stories and romances written under Mary Westmacott not included) in chronological order of when they were published. I’m going to research the stories behind each story, and learn more about what made Agatha Christie such a beloved and enduring author.
If I pull this off, my husband has promised to take me to England next year for my birthday to visit Greenway and see The Mousetrap. Added incentive!
So join me. Whether you want to take the challenge with me, or weigh in on your favorite Agatha Christie novels, I’d love to have other fans along for the journey.
And with that…let A Year of Mystery begin.
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