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Exciting Books

mirror 26 Apr 09 at 8:52 a.m. GMT

Tell me some of Christie's most exciting, stimulating, or suspenseful stories.

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6 replies

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Tommy_A_Jones 26 Apr 09 at 11:02 a.m. GMT

I suppose that's another question where the answer depends on your own point of view, I think 'Why Didn't They Ask Evans, The Secret Of Chimneys, and 'The Secret Adversary are quite exciting but most are exciting in their own way, 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyed' is thought to be a Masterptece  but I don't see it myself.

go_leafs_nation 27 Apr 09 at 1:30 a.m. GMT

Excitement is rather difficult to define, and more often than not, is really up to personal tastes. If your idea of excitment is "War of the Worlds", then you will not really find an Agatha Christie suited to your tastes. If your definition of excitement is in thrillers, you will probably love And Then There Were None (which is essentially the first "slasher"), The A.B.C. Murders, etc.. If characters' psychological developments and clashes adheres to your idea of excitement, you might love The Hollow, Cards on the Table, Five Little Pigs, etc.

So what is your definition of "excitement"?

mirror 28 Apr 09 at 9:13 a.m. GMT

Sorry for the obscurity. That is a good point which I should have considered. For me, "excitement" is in thrillers where a series of murders happens but the murderer are kept in the dark until the very end.  

go_leafs_nation 28 Apr 09 at 11:18 a.m. GMT

In that case, I highly recommend the following:

And Then There Were None*

The A.B.C. Murders*

A Murder is Announced*

Death on the Nile* (starts rather slow, but what a finish!)

Murder is Easy (many murders here)

Peril at End House (not particularly gruseome, but very thrilling indeed)

Death Comes as the End (interesting historical mystery with more than its fair share of deaths)

The Moving Finger*

Hickory Dickory Dock

Stories I marked with a * are often considered among Christie's finest works.

Keep in mind that sometimes, it is wiser to read these books in chronological order, as AC sometimes "self-spoiled" her earlier novels, because she didn't think they would have a particularly long shelf life. We're still reading them today.

na_well 11 Jul 09 at 10:50 p.m. GMT

I believe one of the most suspenseful novels is And Then There Were None. Because I was waiting at every moment for what everybody who read it knows. The Secret Adversary is an exciting book because it is more of a thriller and an espionage novel. But I agree with Winnebago in that it also depends on your point of view as Murder on the Orient Express was very exciting for me and it was the first Christie I read and I just couldn't put it down.

Frndorfoe 15 Jul 09 at 11:13 a.m. GMT

Have you considered reading Agatha Christie's plays? Some of them are pretty suspenseful. The Mousetrap is very exciting. The Hollow and And then there were None as plays are pretty good.  Cards on the Table, Hickory Dickory Dock, Cat among the Pigeons, A Murder is Announced, The Moving Finger etc. are exciting as well.