A Little Romance from Christie

Many of us are aware that Agatha Christie actually wrote several romance novels under her pseudonym Mary Westmacott, but I am sure you have noticed that her usual whodunits are not all just about murders, too. For my special Christmas post this year, let’s have a look at some of the notable couples in Christie’s works. The usual warning to readers: Spoilers ahead!

1. Tommy & Tuppence Beresford.

First appearance: The Secret Adversary (1922)

Probably the most famous couple to date in Christie’s works. There are altogether four titles dedicated to this pair, and whenever the story involves them we can expect lots of incoming adventure and comedy! Most (if not all) the time they are involved in espionage attempts instead of cold-blooded murder cases, so I guess this is a way for Christie to infuse variety into her work. The couple appeared last in Postern of Fate (1973), the last novel written by Christie before her demise.

2. Arthur Hastings & Dulcie Duveen

First appearance: Murder on the Links (1923)

This is the first Christie book that I read, and judging from my craze for her whodunits today you can say this title really made an impression on me! Poirot and Captain Hastings are off to the south of France to investigate a case of blackmail and subsequently murder. A fated meeting on a train between Hastings and his wife-to-be (whom he calls Cinderella) sets off a chain of events, and love blossoms in the end. They had four children altogether; Hastings appeared last in Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case.

3. Anne Beddingfield & John Eardsley (alias Harry Rayburn)

Appear in: The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)

Here is another of Christie’s “adventure and romance” titles, albeit being a little too dramatic for my tastes, perhaps. Anne Beddingfield has always yearned for adventure in her life. After the passing of her famous archaeologist father, she decides to pursue a clue left at the scene of a murder and books a passage on Kilmorden Castle to Cape Town, where she meets Harry Rayburn. From there on it is non-stop action and drama; a very refreshing read indeed.

4. Major John Despard & Rhoda Dawes

First appearance: Cards on the Table (1936)

Definitely one of Christie’s best years, three of her famous works were published in 1936: The A.B.C. Murders, Murder in Mesopotamia, and Cards on the Table, which has always been one of my personal favourites. Major Despard is one of the suspects in the murder of the illustrious Mr. Shaitana, a famous collector who also happens to collect “murderers who got away with their crimes”. However, it is interesting to note that the ending in the 2005 movie adaptation is significantly different as Major Despard ended up with Anne Meredith instead. Major Despard & Rhoda appeared last in The Pale Horse (1961), being happily married by that time.

5. Jacqueline de Bellefort & Simon Doyle

Appear in: Death on the Nile (1937)

Yet another of Christie’s popular works, albeit one with a tragic ending. But perhaps it was the best way out for both Jacqueline & Simon, who planned the murder of the beautiful heiress Linnet Ridgeway while on a cruise on the Nile River. Poirot solved the mystery in the end, revealing their near flawless plan to kill Linnet Ridgeway to obtain her money; however he allowed Jacqueline to kill herself and Simon to avoid an unpleasant death should they be taken to the court.

6. Raymond Boynton & Dr. Sarah King

Appear in: Appointment with Death (1938)

While on a holiday to Jurusalem and Petra, Poirot gets involved in an exciting murder case but with no way of proving that it was a murder. The Boyntons are a strange family with seemingly dark secrets behind them, and it appears that the members may have been collaborating to get rid of their tyrannical stepmother by injecting her with a lethal dose of digitoxin. However, there are more facts to the case that Poirot will need to solve first before he can decide who the real culprit was. The story ends satisfactorily with two other couples tying the knot; Carol Boynton with Jefferson Cope, and Ginevra Boynton with Dr. Gerard. However, the 2008 movie adaptation is a little awkward to watch, as Ginevra is revealed to be Dr. Gerard’s daughter in the end (but not in the novel though!)

7. Philip Lombard & Vera Elizabeth Claythorne

Appear in: And Then There Were None (1939)

Officially not a couple in the original plot for the book, since both of them died as predicted by the mastermind killer, Justice Wargrave. Philip, the ninth (actually eighth) surviving member of the group, was shot to death by Vera, who then proceeded to hang herself out of her feeling of guilt. However, this ending was deemed too tragic thus it was altered by Christie herself for the stage, where Philip and Vera became the only surviving members and lived happily ever after.

8. Elinor Katherine Carlisle & Dr. Peter Lord

Appear in: Sad Cypress (1940)

I must confess that this is my favourite couple up to today. Poirot takes the centre stage again here, where he successfully defended Elinor Carlisle on the charge of murdering her elderly aunt, Mrs Welshman and Elinor’s love rival, Mary Gerrard. Elinor was sentenced to death for her apparent role in the crimes, but Dr. Lord was in love with her and brought in Hercule Poirot to have her acquitted at all costs. The 2003 movie adaptation ends just as great; altogether a greatly recommended title.

9. Victoria Jones & Richard Baker

Appear in: They Came to Baghdad (1951)

This story is often compared to The Man in the Brown Suit due to their similar settings and themes; most action takes place in the Middle East with the main themes being adventure and romance. Not to forget espionage and British secret agents too, of course. The heroine here is a young lady with the name of Victoria Jones; recently out of her job, she decides to follow a man whom she falls in love with to Baghdad. Nothing much is known about this mysterious stranger other than his first name, Edward. Once there, things start going out of hand when another mystery man drops dead in Victoria’s room. Her exciting adventure concludes when Victoria finds love in the unlikely hero of the story; the archaeologist Richard Baker.

10. Dr. Arthur Calgary & Hester Argyle

Appear in: Ordeal by Innocence (1958)

One of Christie’s personal favourites, Ordeal has one of the best psychological plots she has ever written, rivalled only by the likes of And Then There Were None and Crooked House. Arthur Calgary plays the hero of the story, unmasking the real culprit in a murder committed two years ago. In the process he saves Hester Argyle, whom others believed to be guilty of the crime.

And that concludes my Christie reviews for 2011. I would like to thank all readers for your time to read my posts, and have a very Merry Christmas among your loved ones!

Celebrating my eight-year love for Poirot and Christie

It was a little more than eight years ago when I randomly picked up my first Christie title from the school library. It was called “Murder on the Links”, and had a few missing pages towards the end. I was thirteen at that time, and my English wasn’t that good so I had problems understanding what the whole book was about, not to mention I had absolutely no idea who Poirot and Captain Hastings were. Those are the fond memories of my first encounter with a Christie whodunit, and now I can happily say that I’m totally addicted to… yes, murders!!!

To celebrate my eighth year into Agatha Christie, here is a review of three Poirot books that I read in this month:

1. Cards on the Table

Published: 1936

One of Christie’s finer works. Mr. Shaitana was a collector, and he had a very bizarre collection; murderers who got away with their crimes. He invited Poirot to a dinner party in his house to meet his “collection”, and ended up being murdered by one of his own exhibits. The murder itself was simple and straightforward enough; the victim was stabbed to death by one of the four people playing bridge in a room, and each of them had equal motive and opportunity to do it. Carrying out a murder in full view of three other witnesses needs an incredible amount of nerve and luck, and it is up to Poirot to discover who it was. I can see that this title is actually one of Christie’s own personal favourites; Poirot made a reference of it in The A.B.C. Murders and mentioned it as being an “ideal crime” for the sheer simplicity of it. Highly recommended; I find both the plot and settings exceptionally good as compared to the standard “locked-room murders” where the list of suspects is endlessly long and the motive often ridiculous.

My ratings: 4.5/5.0

2. The Mystery of the Blue Train

Published: 1928

Asked to describe the plot, I would probably say it’s like “The Man in the Brown Suit” meets “Murder on the Orient Express”. The heroine, Katherine Grey, boards the Blue Train bound for the Riviera. There, she meets two men who may change her life forever; throw in a murder, and we have all the ingredients for a Poirot case. It’s regrettable to say that this title is definitely not one of my favourites; the settings are unoriginal when compared to her other works and there is a little too much romance rather than a good murder investigation. However, credits to Christie for the unexpected solution; that makes it still a decent read so some of you may find it enjoyable.

My ratings: 3.0/5.0

3. Murder on the Links

Published: 1923

One of the earliest whodunits written by Christie. The plot is really slow-paced in the first few chapters; the only source of amusement to readers may be our beloved Captain Hastings who shows a soft spot for every pretty girl in the story! In fact, this book is the one that introduces Hastings’ wife-to-be (I shall not spoil it for you) so you may expect lots of romance in it. The plot does speed up incredibly in the last few chapters so be ready for another of Poirot’s amazing revelations; once again I remind readers that the murderer is always the one least suspected in the story!

Overall, this title is not one of Christie’s best and yet we can see how she improved progressively as a crime novelist through her later works; three years later, she published her masterpiece “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”, followed by another bestseller “Murder on the Orient Express” in 1934.

My ratings: 3.5/5.0

As of today, I have completed 68 out of 80 crime novels and short story collections under Christie’s name. As it is hard to find the original books in my country, sometimes I buy the translated versions (there are less than ten of them, actually) and for the hard-to-find, less popular titles, I have to read the electronic version. I have completed most of the games, too, but I find them inferior as compared to the books. Nevertheless, I would encourage you to try out some of them; “And Then There Were None” is one of my favourites, which introduces some new characters as well as a different ending to it.