Book Club

Non-Series Novels & Stories

For those of you wanting to discuss Agatha Christie's standalone books, such as And Then There Were None. 

Beware spoilers and remember we'll be able to add the most insightful comments to the stories section. 

If you can't find your favourite one, don't worry, we'll be adding them in the coming weeks.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

Murder is Easy

Moderator1 10 Nov 09 at 4:05 p.m. GMT

When Luke Fitzwilliam is told by Miss Pinkerton that a multiple murderer is at large in the quiet village of Wychwood he dismisses it as fanciful.  But when Miss Pinkerton is killed by a hit-and-run driver within hours and then Luke reads that Dr Humbleby, whom Miss Pinkerton said would be next to die, is also dead it simply cannot be coincidence.  Can Luke unmask the killer before more bodies are found?

Did Christie supass herself here: are there just too many bodies in this book?  Who is really the sleuth in this story: is it Luke, Superintendent Battle or Bridget?

Login or register to add posts and reply

21 replies

Reverse order

murder_is_easy123 16 Oct 11 at 10:19 a.m. GMT

Every character in this book is amazing.  Luke is a classic 'hero', Bridget is a cool and feisty young 'witch', and Miss Waynflete reminds me of my gran!  I loved the character of Mr Ellsworthy, as a creepy, effeminate, spoiled, vain young man who is clearly the prime suspect!

The killer is ultimately a surprise, and turns out to be completely insane.  Enjoy!

Mr_Battle_Brent 25 Apr 11 at 1:38 p.m. GMT

I think ''Murder Is Easy'' is excellent and very enjoyable. I don't focus on the character descriptions much,though descriptions often hold keys to the solution. The book is quite gloomy and shocking. Big like.

skull 07 Mar 11 at 6:53 p.m. GMT

Two novels by Agatha Christie are really badly written in my opinion: Crooked House and Murder is Easy. I mean...the mistery case could be ok, but the way characters are described, with no psychological depth, but just "names" without any interest, and the ridicolous dialogues, definately let these two novels down. Please, excuse my english!

Roger_Ackroyd1926 04 Mar 11 at 4:23 p.m. GMT

Enjoyed my re-read of this 1939 Christie Classic very much - another mystery with a 'village' setting and peopled with some colorful village-types.  Remembering 'whodunnit' did not detract from my enjoyment; rather, I simply paid more attention to anything relating to a certain character!  This is another Christie that was apparently altered from the original for pre-publication serialization in the US - Lavinia Pinkerton became Lavinia Fullerton (to avoid confusion with famous detective agency?) and Lord Whitfield became, inexplicably, Lord Easterfield!  There were modifications to the text: the first page or so of the UK edition was whittled down to a mere paragraph for the US edition (EASY TO KILL)!  I'm making it a point now when re-reading Christies from this era to read the undiluted UK editions!

A_N_Omynous 29 Dec 10 at 6:02 p.m. GMT

I loved this book because of the tense feel to it, because you are continually wondering who is going to be murdered next. Slightly frightening, but that just added to the atmosphere of the book. I liked the characters in this book because any one of them could be the murderer. 

MaryMya 28 Dec 10 at 6:39 p.m. GMT

I simply love this book. The atmosphere,all that crimes and the way Agatha is presenting Miss Waynflete's dark and crazy mind are amazing.One of my favourite books ever.

MissQuin 04 Dec 10 at 12:45 p.m. GMT

I put spoiler warning, but it's not showing atm.

MissQuin 04 Dec 10 at 12:22 p.m. GMT

Darknightofrays "I agree Ellsworthy probably had no idea what exactly he's doing, or adhered to any particular creed or system or deity or demonic entity. I got the impression that he simply played around sort of like "ahaha! yep I sacrifice animals, too! I am not like those stuffy ordinary people!" Also he and his friends were using some illegal drugs? So it's sort of a "dope party with black magic theme for entertainment". "

Carrying on a discussion from another topic. I think Mr Ellsworthy was mashing together different practices- Satanism, Wicca. He really was very odd. Although strangely, I quite like him. I think Chrisite wrote him as silly but creepy at the same time. He's odious in the way some Dickens villians are. I don't know if he took drugs but I always see him as a Dorian Gray type who smokes opuim cigarettes! Gothic debauched dandy.

I think he was a very frustrated man. The grils didn't like him (who can blame them?!) so he vented his anger on poor chickens!! Or maybe he was repressed homosexual? Or maybe he was just loony.

He wasn't in the Marple adaptation, which annoyed me! I wanted to see how he'd be portayed.

NightRayDuck 12 Oct 10 at 5:33 a.m. GMT

I agree with Tommy about Bridget. It's true that Luke is the one who started looking into the deaths as a possible case of serial murders. But Bridget is the one who hasn't been completely deceived by the conniving murderer. I like and respect Superintendent Battle, but I have to say that his role in this book is mostly just the police official coming in and confirming that, indeed, 1) there is a criminal case, and 2) the criminal has now been captured.

Tommy_A_Jones 02 Sep 10 at 4:18 p.m. GMT

I would say the sleuth is Bridget as If I am not mistaken and I probably am It was something Luke said which told Bridget who the Murderer was and I only realised from reading on the Site that Battle was in it, That really passed me by which is why I will re-read it soon as I like Battle so to my Mind Bridget was thesleuth

Mr_Graves 27 Aug 10 at 12:43 a.m. GMT

I loved this book! I do agree that it had a gloomy mood in parts, but I thought the killer was so perfect, and everything fitted in so neatly. The thing that I love about Agatha Christie is that everything fits. Bridget and Luke make a great couple, and there's no denying AC seemed to enjoy making young lovers her hero and heroine- possibly due to her romantic side, and also the fact that Poirot was getting too old. 

On the whole, a well-written piece, with adventure and a picturesque country setting- and Classic Christie style.

Judy45432 06 Jul 10 at 5:15 p.m. GMT

Hello.

I first read "Murder is Easy" many years ago.  I recently watched the PBS version on "Masterpiece Mystery!"  The television version seemed very off.  Just to be sure, I reread the book.  I am surprised that the Christie estate did not sue them.  It had the murderer raped by her brother.  Miss Marple was added to it.  It was changed (not for the better) in so many ways!

I also watched Chimneys.  Although I probably read it, it did not seem familiar.  I will also reread that novel.  The newer PBS Agatha Christie versions do not seem to adhere to the original books at all, making them less enjoyable (for me).

Wake up, Agatha Christie attorneys!

Another subject:  I really enjoyed the game "4:50 From Paddington," as I did the novel.  Well done.

MissQuin 07 Apr 10 at 9:36 a.m. GMT

I thought book has excellent suspense as well as being an excellent murder mystery. There's a really eerie feel to the book. Bridget and Mr Ellsworthy are like characters from a Gothic novel. I love both of them.

The tone is much darker and tenser than any of the Marple boos. So if anyones seen the TV programme, not the book, then I really think their missing out.

Tommy_A_Jones 27 Mar 10 at 3:58 p.m. GMT

I thought the Book was quite bland and uninteresting and at first I thought it was a Non-series book that needed Recurring Character but didn't notice Battle was in it so I have to read it again for that reason and only that reason.

cameronjhw 26 Mar 10 at 8:16 p.m. GMT

This novel was cool and frightening at the same time. The begining was unique because Miss Fullerton mentions how there have been a series of recent murders in Wychwood under Ashe and how she knows who did it but she does not make it because she gets hit by a car in London. The village added a double sense of fear and danger because not only there is a mass murderer and a series of deaths but also the fact that the village was the seen of strange rituals, orgies in the witches' meadow and practising witchcraft too. There were a lot of suspects and I could not figure out who it is but my suspcions focused mostly on Mr. Ellsworthy the antique dealer but that of course was too obvious. I suspected the vicar Mr. Wake because since he knew a lot of ancient customs and weird witchcraft took place in the village I thought maybe he did it out of a form of religious mania. The Major I did not seriously think of because he no motive for the others only his own wife was a shrew and controlling. Dr. Thomas I suppose could have done it because Humbleby did not like him and he wanted to marry the doctor's daughter. Mr. Abbot the lawyer he seemed normal but I could not think of his motive until there was a mention of a indiscreet love letter and how Tommy Pierce caught on to it but then again why would he kill the others. Bridget Conway I was about to think she did it because she seemed mysterious. But when it got to Lord Easterfield I was so sure he did it because he had a motive for all of the murders. But I did not believe it that the real killer turned out to be Miss Waynflete because she seemed normal and had no reason. But I should have remembered what Miss Fullerton said that it is easy to kill for a person because the killer is the last person you least suspect and also she did not say it was a man who did it. But I was shocked also because she did all this because her canary bird pecked her and she killed the bird and Easterfield turned her down.

Lone_Wolf 23 Feb 10 at 8:51 a.m. GMT

go_leafs_nation

The killer's insanity is bone-chilling. Too often, insanity can be used as a "cop-out" motive for authors who want to make the killer the most random suspect but can't find a motive. This was not the case with Agatha Christie.

There are different types of insanity. When the insane culprit's perception of reality isn't technically altered, I find that kind of insanity quite satisfying (besides the murderer in "Murder is Easy", see also the one in "After the Funeral"). On the other hand, when the mad murderer's perception of reality is altered, I find such insanity unsatisfying (For example, if it was revealed in some novel that the murderer commited his deeds because he was conviced that the people he murdered are evil aliens from planet Zardoz, then it'd have been unsatisfying for me).

JKS 16 Jan 10 at 3:08 a.m. GMT

This was my first AC read!  On a longhaul flight the woman sitting next to me finished it and left it behind so I read it.  Hooked from that point on.  Thanks lady

go_leafs_nation 09 Jan 10 at 2:42 p.m. GMT

One of the reviewers at the time, actually, said that Miss Marple doesn't get annoying in the book. (This was told in Osbourne's book, I believe, The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie.) Yes, this has the cozy English village feel that is quintessentially Miss Marple.

The killer's insanity is bone-chilling. Too often, insanity can be used as a "cop-out" motive for authors who want to make the killer the most random suspect but can't find a motive. This was not the case with Agatha Christie.

Lone_Wolf 08 Jan 10 at 7:17 a.m. GMT

One of my favourite AC books. I found the countryside athmosphere reminding me of miss Marple, but with more darkness and dynamics then in your typical Marple story. 

To those who think that athmospere was too dark, I recommend Beaver Cleaver.

Read more about this story: Murder is Easy

Attica76 04 Jan 10 at 12:37 p.m. GMT

This isn't one of my favourites. Most importantly, she made a cat an unwitting "accomplice" and I like cats  

But seriously, this book feels a bit too gloomy - not because of the number of bodies but because of the general atmosphere - althouth it's set in the countryside (which I usually like) there's this undercurrent of madness, plus the gruesome rituals that are mentioned, and Bridget sometimes looks like a witch. And the pompous publisher was so annoying, I was hoping he'd get murdered, but no such luck