Today is the birth anniversary of Agatha Christie so I thought I would showcase Christie-esque mysteries. Born in 1890, many consider her the grand dame of mysteries because of her clever and complex plots. She is also known for ‘fair play’ mysteries where no clues are hidden from the reader; with careful attention the mystery can be solved. The Chatham Area Public Library has most of her books, but here are some other others that might pique your interest.
Adults might enjoy these mysteries by currently writing authors. Sujata Massey’s The Widows of Malabar Hill is set in 1920s India and Perveen Mistry is Bombay’s first female lawyer. She investigates a suspicious will on behalf of three Muslim widows living in full purdah when the case takes a turn toward the murderous. In The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. This book is Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day. Nine Lives by Peter Swanson follows FBI agent Jessica Winslow. She receives a list with her and eight other names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke - until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list.
Want to watch one of the many movies and Tv adaptations of Christie’s work, check out Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile or Murder on the Orient Express available to checkout on DVD. Available on Kanopy, the Library’s free video streaming service, are Agatha Christie’s Endless Night staring Hayley Mills and And Then There Were None.
Interested in learning more about Christie herself, including her 11-day disappearance in 1926, try Agatha Christie: a Mysterious Life by Laura Thompson or Duchess of Death by Richard Hack.
Enjoy these timeless mysteries and many more from the Chatham Area Public Library.