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How to read detective books

mirror 24 Feb 09 at 9:42 a.m. GMT

Do you have specific ways to guess a murderer ? Ｗｈｉｃｈ point do you focus on while readind ? I want to know the process in which you approach the truth not from the author's point of view but readers' point of view. 

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Tommy_A_Jones 17 Aug 09 at 2:20 p.m. GMT

You are welcome Moley, I hope the book is better than I thought the film made it look IMHO

TheMole 17 Aug 09 at 1:11 p.m. GMT

To Frndorfoe: I am on page 223 and my suspicions still feel justified. I will probably be finished w/ the book today. I shall start a topic for Three Act Tragedy so we and anyone else who has read it can discuss it. And I like the book so far. Thank you for asking! I'd give it a 7/10. Minus 3 points because I don't care for Mr. Sattherwaite and Poirot isn't in it very much.

To WINNE: I appreciate you not wanting the book ruined for me.

And from now on I'll continue to start posts that completely relates to the topic.

Frndorfoe 17 Aug 09 at 6:51 a.m. GMT

WINNEBAGO1901

Under where you put your post there is a box with the word spoilers you could tick it and people who haven't read tthe book shouldn't uncover to see your opinion, you could start a Topic Dedicated to tthe book asking for peoples comments and after a couple of others then give your opinion with spoilers, if nyou do it when you start the topic people can see your opinion on the Category page (I don't know what else to call it). 

Thank you WINNE. But I know how to hide spoilers. What I meant was that I had presumed that Mole had not finished the book yet and I did not want to spoil the ending for her by commenting on her theories about the identity of the killer.

TheMole

I understand.

And did you not like it because of Mr. Sattherwaite?

No. I like Mr. Sattherwaite. I read this book about four years ago. I do not clearly remember all the reasons for not liking it. I do remember the main reason but as had happened with my opinion about Nemesis some readers may like the book for the same reason I did not like it. So, I'd rather not discuss that point right now (beside that might give away the ending for you). Maybe later I will. BTW have you finished the book yet? How do you like it?

Tommy_A_Jones 16 Aug 09 at 1:39 p.m. GMT

I know Mole I was just trying to help Frndorfoe

TheMole 16 Aug 09 at 11:28 a.m. GMT

Frndorfoe

I have read this book. It's not one of my favorites but its o.k. I cannot comment on any of your theories 'cause I'm afraid of giving away the ending!

I understand.

And did you not like it because of Mr. Sattherwaite?

WINNEBAGO1901

Under where you put your post there is a box with the word spoilers you could tick it and people who haven't read tthe book shouldn't uncover to see your opinion, you could start a Topic Dedicated to tthe book asking for peoples comments and after a couple of others then give your opinion with spoilers, if nyou do it when you start the topic people can see your opinion on the Category page (I don't know what else to call it). 

I didn't really think about starting a topic for it because I saw this one and figured it would be appropriate to place it here. I did use Spoilers, though. And there is a disclaimer of what the topic is about because I put the name of the book in my first sentence in my first post.

Tommy_A_Jones 16 Aug 09 at 11:18 a.m. GMT

Under where you put your post there is a box with the word spoilers you could tick it and people who haven't read tthe book shouldn't uncover to see your opinion, you could start a Topic Dedicated to tthe book asking for peoples comments and after a couple of others then give your opinion with spoilers, if nyou do it when you start the topic people can see your opinion on the Category page (I don't know what else to call it). 

Frndorfoe 16 Aug 09 at 9:34 a.m. GMT

I have read this book. It's not one of my favorites but its o.k. I cannot comment on any of your theories 'cause I'm afraid of giving away the ending!

TheMole 15 Aug 09 at 7:54 p.m. GMT

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If all of this is correct then SC has to have an accomplice b/c conveniently @ the time of Tollie's death he was in Monte Carlo where he knew Mr. S enjoyed to vacation. Who that accomplice is, I have no idea. But one thing is for sure his former secretary Miss. Milray is really the butler who escaped at the party thrown by Mr. Tollie. Whether SC knows that or not I am not sure.

I'm sorry for the 3 post but I couldn't fit it on just 1 or 2. If anyone has any comments on my many theories let me know!

TheMole 15 Aug 09 at 7:50 p.m. GMT

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I also suspect SC b/c of Miss Gore. I think that she thinks she loves SC when in her subconscious mind she really loves Oliver Manders. After all Mr. S knows a lot about womens minds and he initially suspected her devotion to Oliver. I believe SC's feelings for her are either too modest to be true; if this is the case then I believe he has subtly hinted @ loving her to Mr. S so to throw the latter off the track so he can believe that that is the reason why he is still residing in Loomouth. Or either SC is trying to be so modest that he is unintentionally giving himself away that he is in love w/ Miss Gore.

Back to Mr. B's kind comments about him, IMO, it implies that SC has given Mr. B little gifts or every now & then to hush him up about something. It's quite possible that Mr. B is a blackmailer hence why SC keeps saying that he was a respectable fellow (again to throw people off the track). 

Another reason would be that SC murdered Mr. B b/c he has buttered him up so much that the latter left him something of value in his will but it is done under a pseudonym name so that by only investigating his death as murder it will lead to events that would relay this pseudonym name to be SC's.

Or lastly,  SC's target is not Mr. B & it is someone else of whom he wants to prove has a tie w/ Mr. B in order to see some justice done to him i.e if he is really in love w/ Miss Gore then perhaps his target is Oliver & SC set this whole thing up to reveal an incriminating tie between Oliver & Mr.B to make Egg forget all about him b/c killing him would only make her love him even more. And he probably killed Tollie simply to throw suspicion on Oliver of whom -- for some strange reason -- he had him fake an accident near Tollie's estate. Or either SC is targeting someone else for another wrong they did to him, or quite possibly a woman that Mr. S mentioned that he loved once who died.

TheMole 15 Aug 09 at 7:49 p.m. GMT

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I'm reading Three Act Tragedy & I am trying to deduce who the murderer(s) is/are. There is a huge possibility, after all, that AC has completely fooled me & I have gotten these motives so wrong that it looks ridiculous! I usually don't try to solve the mysteries as I go along but this one has really got me guessing!!

I guess the method I am using is paying attention to little things people say. I should note that I am on page 157.

I believe so far that Sir Charles (SC) Cartwright is the culprit. I had my suspicions of him from the very 1rst page where AC says this: Mr. Satterthwaite (Mr. S) sat on the terrace of Crow's Nest and watched his host, Sir Charles Cartwright, climbing up the path from the sea." To me that is such a eerie introduction of a character that I can't shake off the feeling that it is a prelude to things to come for him..

My ideas of why he murdered Mr. Babbington (Mr. B) & Tollie. Mr. B mentioned @ the party that SC was very kind & generous. & Lady Mary said she agreed & that in some ways he was still a child -- suggesting that he might have grown up in Loomouth. & then Mr. S wondering why SC was actually residing in Crow's Nest -- a cottage so far & away from the glamorous life for 2 years --& he wondered what really drew him there. Later he thought it was b/c of a Miss Gore, after he saw her, but suppose that was what he was made to believe.

hellofansofachi 29 Mar 09 at 6:59 a.m. GMT

To guess a murderer, first clear the suspects you think is innocent. Innocent means that he/she has no opputunity, no motive and somethin' like those-means innocent! There are also clues/evidences searched by the detective/s in the crime scenes or somethin' like those. Look for motives. Agatha Christie sometimes make a murderer with no opportunity have an opportunity or vice versa.

I haven't really guessed a single murderer in Agatha Christie books. Even in Hallowe'en Party, who people says that the murderer is obvious, but I disagree with them. It's aint obvious.

HarleyBarley 25 Feb 09 at 2:48 a.m. GMT

I agree with Mr. Satterthwaite. The advice he gave was right, but I want to add something, if you please? Try to keep in mind any interesting, intriguing, or inexplicable points of the story. Although some may be red herrings, many of the "unusual" parts are the main clue. Think about it, deduce it, ponder it. And, as an afterthought, Agatha Christie's stories are like good wine: delicious, interesting, lovely, but if you take it all at once you cannot think. Read the story little by little, observe the facts, and do your best. Regards, HarleyBarley

Mr_Satterthwaite 24 Feb 09 at 9:31 p.m. GMT

Dear Mirror,

Good question. I can only help, really, as regards Agatha Christie books and I am sure that the way everyone sets out to unmask the murderer is different but I think I can set you a few basic tips.

Firstly, the more Christie books you read, in general, the easier it should be to recognise patterns, plot techniques and descriptions that should make it easier for you to recognise the villian before the end.

Secondly, in many books there are several narrators or fist person perspectives. These are important. They allow you see what the characters think. So far instance if a character thinks: "the murder was shocking, what kind of monster could commit such a deed I would never know" you can really rule that character out as the murderer. However, Christie rarely uses this directness of language so you can never truly rule out most of the characters in these circumstances. In situations like these 'what NOT is said' is more important.

Thirdly, if the murderer appears obvious from the start, they generally are not the muderer (though there are some notable exceptions). 

Lastly, you really never can tell with many of Christie's villians. Thats the joy of her work.

Just sit back and enjoy.