Peril at End House

First Published: 1932

Setting: St Loo, Cornwall

Starring: Poirot, Hastings, Nick Buckley

Important Other People: Japp, Freddie, Commander Challenger

There are a lot of allusions in this story to some of Poirot's past successes (as well as to his one failure!) The number of references to The Mystery of the Blue Train make me wonder- was she trying to play up the book so we forgot how bad it was? Or maybe it was just to establish a frame of reference in Poirot's life so we know what he's been up to since his last book. Poirot also talks about himself; how he's "not a stage favorite who gives a dozen farewells." Such lies from Poirot.

Nick, as the central figure in the story, continually thought she knew better than Poirot. Although she often got the best of him or made him look foolish, she was never able to predict his reactions, and thus she could not really understand him and get the best of him.

One theme thoroughly explored in this book is that of motives. The main ones mentioned are: homicidal mania (which Poirot dismisses in pretty much every case), hate, temper, gain, jealousy, fear, and the crime passionnel. This is the fullest explanation we've been given so far about motives, and we'll have to watch out for more mention of it.

One thing I noticed: Hastings is always the one to give evidence at the inquest if they need someone; Poirot rarely gives evidence. Hasn't anyone become suspicious of this man who constantly is on the spot when there is a murder?? Has no one thought that Hastings might be a serial killer?? Just a thought.

Interesting facts: The book is dedicated to a friend who first really critiqued Agatha's writing and gave her constructive feedback. As to the story itself, she says, "Peril at End House was another of my books which left so little impression on my mind that I cannot even remember writing it. Possibly I had already thought out the plot some time previously, since this has always been a habit of mine..."

Favorite? Eh. Good twists, for sure. Reinforcement of the idea that we aren't supposed to trust anyone or take anything someone says as true.

Death by: shooting, cocaine overdose

Body Count: 2; Cumulative: 26

The Count: Poirot-6, Miss. Marple-1, Tommy and Tuppence-1, Hastings-4, Japp-3, Colonel Race-1, Superintendent Battle-2, George-1, Goby-1

Agatha's Life Lessons: The sleeping dog can be roused. Anything young is beautiful. There is always something to live for. Evil never goes unpunished, but sometimes it's secret(ly punished). How often the simple explanation is the true one.

Up Next: Thirteen at Dinner

Murder at Hazelmoor

First Published: 1931

Setting: Dartmoor

Starring: Emily Trefusis, Charles Enderby

Important Other People: Inspector Narracott, the Willetts, Major Burnaby

The main story behind the book, that of a man being killed and people miles away hearing about it through some sort of supernatural mischief, would not be nearly as entertaining and interesting if it wasn't for the introduction of Charles and Emily. One thing that really interests me about them is that neither or them is directly connected with the murdered man, but they both come together through an intricate series of events to sleuth this case together (early idea for Towards Zero, perhaps?)

There is also a lot of talk about character and how that impacts relationships. Emily, as a modern woman with strong character, loves her fiance, who has a weak character (and who is the worst, generally). She wants someone she can dominate, who she can exert her character upon. When she meets Charles, who is very similar to her, she is attracted to him, but hesitant to get involved. She wants someone she can take care of, which means that Charles can take care of himself and thus does not need her. So, I guess...everyone likes to feel needed. Thanks, Agatha!

Interesting facts: First use of the supernatural subplot. Has been cited for its similarities to The Hound of the Baskervilles, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is even mentioned by one of the characters.

Favorite? So-so. I like that it's independent (no Miss Marple or Poirot), and I really like the main characters.

Death by: cosh on the head

Body Count: 1; Cumulative: 24

The Count: Poirot-5, Miss. Marple-1, Tommy and Tuppence-1, Hastings-3, Japp-2, Colonel Race-1, Superintendent Battle-2, George-1, Goby-1

Agatha's Life Lessons: It's what you don't expect that happens. Brothers seldom approve of their sister's marriages. A strong-willed woman wants a weak man (to boss around?) One can, if one has the determination, always get something out of life. Never show enthusiasm about one's work. A man who can't drink isn't a man at all. Never part with information unnecessarily. No really strong man needs a woman.

Up Next: Peril at End House

Day 11- The Murder at the Vicarage

First Published: 1930

Setting: St. Mary Mead

Starring: Miss Marple, the Vicar

Important Other People: Dr. Haydock, the Protheroes, Lawrence Redding, Melchett, Slack

One interesting thing about the plot that has not yet been a factor: there is a small and rigid time limit for the murder that is based on the evidence of several witnesses. There are very few people who could have possibly committed the murder, but the police still need to find evidence in order to find the criminal- the statements witnesses make are sometimes untrue, and thus misleading. It takes Miss Marple, and her staunch distrust of anything she doesn't know for herself to be a fact, to find the truth.

Theme in the book: If a thing reminds you of something else, it's probably the same kind of thing. This, of course, comes from Miss Marple, and makes sense inherently, although oftentimes her connections are way over my head.

Throughout the book we hear about the fact that ever since the War, there has been a loosening of moral fiber. This book is the first (in my opinion) in which Agatha gives us an example of that (the affair). After this book, we get more scandals, and of course some that are decidedly more scandalous, but this book is the first portrayal of that aspect of the changing society.

Agatha's own opinion of Miss Marple: "One thing she did have in common with [her grandmother]- though a cheerful person, she always expected the worst of everyone and everything, and was, with almost frightening accuracy, usually proved right...There was no unkindness in Miss Marple, she just did not trust people...Miss Marple was born at the age of sixty-five to seventy-which, as with Poirot, proved unfortunate, because she was going to have to last a long time in my life. If I had had any second sight, I would have provided myself with a precocious schoolboy as my first detective; then he could have grown old with me."

Interesting facts: First appearance of Miss Marple. Also, the version of the book that I read was published in 1930, so that's pretty awesome.

Favorite? No, but I like it because it introduces Miss Marple, who is at her spiciest in this book, and because it gives us the picture of typical English village life...clouded by murder, of course. From Agatha, "I am not so pleased with it as I was at the time. It has, I think, far too many characters, and too many subplots" (which is so true).

Death by: shooting

Body Count: 1; Cumulative: 24

The Count: Poirot-5, Miss. Marple-1, Tommy and Tuppence-1, Hastings-3, Japp-2, Colonel Race-1, Superintendent Battle-2, George-1, Goby-1

Agatha's Life Lessons: Marriage is a serious affair (tell that to the ex). The worst is usually true. Inestimable harm may be done by gossip (foreshadowing to The Moving Finger, perhaps?) Better to let things develop on their own. One can never be quite sure about anyone. If a thing reminds you of something else, it's probably the same kind of thing. In the case of an irate middle aged lady, one thing can be done- listen to her. A refined lady is naturally unaquainted with bad language. Most men are out for their own hand. What is past is past and cannot be undone. One's own troubles sharpen one's eyes sometimes. Zeal can't really take the place of brains (Slack). Clever young men know so little of life. Life is very much the same everywhere. No one can fail to be interested in a murder. We all like to be liked. And the best: The young people think the old people are fools- but the old people know the young people are fools.

Up Next: Murder at Hazelmoor

Day 10- The Seven Dials Mystery

First Published: 1929

Setting: England

Starring: Bundle, Battle

Important Other People: Bill, Melrose, Lord Caterham

Agatha uses The Seven Dials Mystery to mock the luxurious working life of the upper class- they all seem to have "jobs," but they are able to ditch them at a moment's notice to go chasing secret societies and whatnot. Agatha perhaps felt some scorn towards the upper class at their leisure and need to save face. People throughout the book are just tooling around, relying on their titles to get by.

Bundle's former footman from Chimneys, Alfred, must be a distant relative of Tommy and Tuppence's Albert. Although not as cool at all.

It's hard to read the word "alarum" over and over without pronouncing it like that in your head. Apparently, that's the Shakespearean spelling of the word.

I love Lord Caterham. He really makes the book so much better. I'm sad he doesn't appear in any of Agatha's future books.

Interesting facts: Sequel to Chimneys, though not as well liked by critics.

Favorite? Not really. I like Bundle, though, and I am glad she finds happiness in the end!

Death by: chloral, shooting

Body Count: 2; Cumulative: 23

The Count: Poirot-5, Miss. Marple-0, Tommy and Tuppence-1, Hastings-3, Japp-2, Colonel Race-1, Superintendent Battle-2, George-1, Goby-1

Agatha's Life Lessons: People must die somewhere. Nobody tells everything. Unfortunate love affairs are highly beneficial to young girls- makes them take their lives seriously. In this life, one never stops learning. Gentlemen who have no sense of humor get to taking themselves too seriously, which leads to mischief. Your children can make life damned unpleasant if you don't give in to them in every way (talking about Rosalind, perhaps?) Never say too much. "What a fatal thing it is to pretend to take an interest in a man's pet subject." Different kinds of danger suit different kinds of people. My personal favorite, from Lord Caterham, "Every child should be brought up to be ambidextrous."

Up Next: The Murder at the Vicarage

The Mystery of the Blue Train- Day 9

First Published: 1928

Setting: Riviera, St. Mary Mead

Starring: Hercule Poirot, Katherine Grey

Important Other People: the Marquis, Van Aldin, Knighton, Comte de la Roche

Agatha had just gotten divorced from her husband. This book sucks as a result. In it, we can see a lot of lessons she seemed to learn from her experience, as well as little jibes she might be giving to her ex-husband. She touts divorce as giving up, which is apparent in all the dealings between Ruth and Derek as they try to work out their situation. There is a lot of talk of rats deserting a sinking ship- which is an obvious allusion to her marriage and how she did not wish to desert it. (Definite flashes of her first husband in Derek, although I don't think Agatha ever saw herself in her portrayal of Ruth).

I don't like this book because it is ridiculously complicated and everyone has crazy names (The Marquis? Comte de la Roche? I don't even know what those names mean). There's the whole subplot about the jewel and the Greeks, and it getting stolen but it was only paste and blah blah blah. I feel bad for Agatha during this time in her life, but I like to think the humor she got out of how much she hated this book helped her through.

One question, though: Can you still send telegrams?

Interesting facts: The first appearance of George! Japp is mentioned, and it's the first appearance of the enigmatic Goby!

Favorite? NO. Least favorite, actually, and Agatha quite agrees with me. She says, "I have always hated The Mystery of the Blue Train, but I got it written...it sold just as well as my last book had done. So I had to content myself with that- though I cannot say I have ever been proud of it." She also says it is the only book she thought was really bad and maybe should not have published it. She adds, "Each time I read it again, I think it commonplace, full of cliches, with an uninteresting plot." Cliches it may have, but they are still rather informative as to her state of mind at the time.

Death by: Strangulation (Ruth)

Body Count: 1; Cumulative: 21

The Count: Poirot-5, Miss. Marple-0, Tommy and Tuppence-1, Hastings-3, Japp-2, Colonel Race-1, Superintendent Battle-1, George-1, Goby-1

Agatha's Life Lessons: You can't bear to let go- there are times when it's the only way. The world is extraordinarily alike everywhere. Hearts are pretty tough. All one wants, one gets. Things get found out by coincidence. Rats desert a sinking ship. It is well to be off with the old love before being on with the new love. Moral worth is not romantic but is appreciated by widows. A good man may be ruined by his love for a bad woman (and vice versa). To make a success of humanity, we must profit by the lessons of those below us in the animal kingdom. 3 things can't be hurried: le bon Dieu, nature, and old people. When a man is really in love he can't help looking like a sheep. Women should be calm, sympathetic, and a good cook. And my two favorites: Life is like a train- it goes on. A mirror shows the truth, but everyone stands in a different place and looks in.

Up Next: The Seven Dials Mystery

The Big Four- Day 8

First Published: 1927

Setting: England, Paris, Belgium, Italy

Starring: Hercule Poirot, Hastings

Important Other People: Japp, Countess Vera Rosakoff, The Big Four, Achille Poirot

One thing I do appreciate about this particular book is that, because it is a novel about spies, secret societies, and an international mystery, there should be plenty of dead bodies lying around. Many accidents are mentioned (like the submarines sinking), so we know that the Big Four is at work outside of what we read, but Hercule and Hastings also become directly involved in a number of deaths. I count 11 for sure deaths in this book- the most, I think, of any of her novels.

One main annoyance: Poirot goes on about what a wonderful actor Number Four must be that he is able to assume all of these different characters. We see him as an asylum worker, a butcher, a doctor, a manservant, a chess master, and idiot son, a man who plays with salt on Hastings' plate, and a tourist. Out of all of these different disguises, I find it hard to believe that there are barely any similarities Poirot and Hastings notice about the man (aside from the one tell). His appearance is said to be medium and fair, which means it's easy for him to change what he looks like, but I can't imagine there are no physical features that they can recognize about him.

At the end of the adventure, Poirot tells Hastings that he will retire now that he has solved this most illustrious case, and that he will go grow vegetable marrows in the country (a vegetable marrow, by the way, is a squash). Something is out of sequence here then, since he went and grew marrows in Roger Ackroyd.

Interesting facts: This book came out right after Agatha's husband had ditched her for another woman, her mother had passed away, and she had mysteriously disappeared for a few days. So, a rough time in her life, but she still made it through!

Favorite? So-so. It is entirely different from almost all of her other books- international intrigue abounds.

Death by: Prussic acid (Mayerling), Stabbing (Whalley, Ingles' servant), Poison (Paynter), Electrocution (Wilson), Run over (Flossie), Drowning (Ingles), Explosions (The Big Four)

Body Count: 11 (that we know of for sure); Cumulative: 20

The Count: Poirot-4, Miss. Marple-0, Tommy and Tuppence-1, Hastings-3, Japp-2, Colonel Race-1, Superintendent Battle-1

Agatha's Life Lessons: What you think is always so important to yourself (Poirot to Hastings). One must not permit oneself to be obsessed by one idea. Forecast the probable result of the deal. If one is prepared in advance all is simple. It is the greatest mistake to underestimate your adversary. A man who keeps calm has always a great advantage. Everyone has his price.

Up Next: The Mystery of the Blue Train

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Day 7

First Published: 1926

Setting: King's Abbot, England

Starring: Hercule Poirot, Dr. James Sheppard

Important Other People: Caroline Sheppard, Inspector Raglan, Ralph Paton, various Ackroyds

First and foremost, this book totally changed the way detective stories are written and reinforced the idea that we should always suspect everybody. It is completely unnecessary for me to say that Agatha was ahead of her time and is an absolute genius, but then again, I just said that. And now we all know it's true.

Weakness of character is the major theme throughout the book. We see weakness as a motive for the actions of many people- the one who stole the money, the marriages and engagements that abound, and of course, the blackmail and murder that occur. Weakness tends to be the downfall of most of the people in King's Abbot, and it takes the genius of Poirot to unravel the various ways this trait shows in different individuals throughout this story. The one person whose weakness is never explicitly mentioned in Caroline's. Her particular weakness lies in her fierce loyalty and compassion for her brother. Because of this weakness where he is concerned, she is often blinded to some of his actions and decisions. Thus, she never confronts him about some of the curious points in the narrative that he glosses over or chooses not to focus on. He says at the end of the book that he feared her the entire time and that it is curious she did not guess what actually happened. In fact, it is not curious at all, once we recognize that she chose not to draw the (obscurely) obvious conclusions regarding James because she could not allow herself to attribute these actions to him. Thus, weakness once again becomes a character flaw for nearly everyone in the village. Her not jumping to conclusions where the murderer is concerned is completely uncharacteristic- meaning that it is done deliberately, albeit unconsciously. I also am confused when he says that she will never know what happened. The truth will have to come out at the end, won't it?

There is much talk about Caroline as the inspiration for Miss Marple. I would like to first share what Agatha has to say on that point: "I think it is possible that Miss Marple arose from the pleasure I had taken in portraying Dr. Sheppard's sister...she had been my favorite character in the book- an acidulated spinster, full of curiosity, knowing everything, hearing everything: the complete detective service in the home." She says it is possible. I believe that she only got that idea once people starting saying it, because really, they are extremely dissimilar. I've already talked about Caroline's weakness. That characteristic is not at all apparent in Miss Marple. She's much too elderly and badass. More realistically though, Caroline is known throughout the village as a gossip and someone who jumps to conclusions that are usually correct. Miss Marple is not a gossip- she is a seer. She knows everything, plain and simple, and doesn't need to jump to conclusions because she already knows the facts. Also, Caroline seems much more sprightly and dependent on others (what would she do without James in her life?), while Miss Marple is OLD and can take care of herself very well, thank you.

One last thing: it all depends on what is sufficient to break a man. The whole story is about relativity.

Interesting facts: Colonel Melrose is in this book as well. Superintendent Hayes makes a brief appearance. Japp is mentioned again!

Favorite? For sure. Of Agatha as well. She should be proud of herself, seeing as it completely rewrote the typical detective story.

Death by: Veronal (suicide x 2), Stabbing

Body Count: 3; Cumulative: 9

The Count: Poirot-3, Miss. Marple-0, Tommy and Tuppence-1, Hastings-2, Japp-1, Colonel Race-1, Superintendent Battle-1

Agatha's Life Lessons: All the troubles in the world can be put down to money- or the lack of it. Many crimes have been committed for the sake of less than 500 pounds- it all depends on what is sufficient to break a man. "Never worry about what you say to a man. They're so conceited they never believe you mean it if it's unflattering." And lastly, and most importantly... Everyone always has something to hide.

Up Next: The Big Four