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Non-series Books and Characters

Other Christie books discussions

The best book AC ever wrote

hobbit 21 Nov 08 at 4:45 p.m. GMT

First off I would like to point out that my posting in the 'non-series' section of the site is far from desirable, as really this topic should go under 'miscellaneous'; however that section of the site is (currently) non-existant.

The idea of this thread is to debate which of AC's book is her greatest. Obvious titles may spring to mind ('And Then There Were None', 'Murder on the Orient Express', 'Death on the Nile' etc.) but the best posts will, hopefully, look at the term 'greatest' in an abstract way and try and offer original suggestions.

This discussion should not be a list of titles - it is not a vote or poll, but a debate. Any opinions must be backed with reasoning, the more detailed the better. Once a few people have posted their ideas we can hopefully start turning the issue on its head and offering reasons why the books others have chosen are NOT her greatest, and so forth.

Hopefully this will be quite an interesting topic. I hope you all share your views!

Hobbit

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43 replies

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LauraPoirot 27 Jan 12 at 4:51 p.m. GMT

Jap I also enjoyed that little disagreement between them both :-) It was actually similar with me and my Best friend: she said it was a nice idea but the investigation and all that didn't please her so much. She thought it boring. Me, I love that book and everything about it as you may have noticed ;-) its just as if we were like Hastings and Poirot about that case...

treplag 27 Jan 12 at 11:52 a.m. GMT

Laura - I was unable to remember what book that comment came from, so thank you for providing that information.  I think it is amusing that Poirot and Hastings disagreed about what their most interesting case was.  Since COTT was, as you say, entirely a psychological investigation, it would appeal to the cerebral Poirot but not to the active Hastings.

LauraPoirot 27 Jan 12 at 10:43 a.m. GMT

Thank you treplag! Yes, I remember, though the situation was a little different: in the abc murders Poirot and Hastings imagine their " creme de la creme" of murders and Poirot describes exactly the situation of COTT. As you might know ABC was written before COTT so Christie had that crime already in mind. Also in the foreword of COTT AC refers to that and explains once more the "fun" Poirot had with that case. 

treplag 26 Jan 12 at 7:57 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot - Your reasons are good ones.  You might remember that somewhere Poirot tells Hastings that that was his favorite case (although Hastings doesn't agree with him).

LauraPoirot 26 Jan 12 at 7:33 p.m. GMT

The best Book just because of the ingenuity is in my opinion Cards on the Table. The whole situation is made up in such a brilliant mind as only Agatha Christie herself has. Its simplicity makes it a masterpiece. Imagine it: five people in a room four of them are playing bridge and the fifth is murdered without anyone knowing anything! And on top of that they all seem to be murderer and in the room just next to them are sitting four coppers at the bridge table! Furthermore it's different from every other crime because there's only abstract evidence. No one could measure a footprint or smell the air of a just smoked foreign cigarette. What would a Sherlock Holmes have done? He'd  probably failed! It's a case which can only be solved from the psychological factor. And that is what Agatha Christie makes her Agatha Christie - what Poirot makes him the famous Detective Monsieur Hercule Poirot the man with the little grey cells. That's why I'd say COTT is Christies best book.

cameronjhw 26 Jan 12 at 6:32 p.m. GMT

That's a hard question to answer because I have read all of the Christie novels and while I find all of them interesting and entertaining I have to say it is And Then There Were None. It is tense, creepy and bleak. I like how all of the ten main characters are all unlikable and nasty in their own ways. I like how this novel takes a look at these people and their secret wicked pasts and how it is because of their pasts they are brought together to die. This was the first Christie novel I ever read and then afterwards I began to read the Poirot series and later the other novels. But I have to say the other three books that I think are best are Murder on the Orient Express, Death Comes as the End, and Crooked House.

ahzil_0723 26 Jan 12 at 1:57 p.m. GMT

I've read only a few but so far, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the best book for me. This was the first Agatha Christie book I read and I was really amazed of how well the plot was written. Each character had a motive that is realistic. The way the crime was committed is really creative. And I was really surprised with the last chapter where the narrator admitted that he is the murderer. It did really give me the creep!

Tommy_A_Jones 26 Jan 12 at 1:34 p.m. GMT

I can't choose, Either A Murder Is Announced, 4.50 From Paddington, Sleeping Murder, ABC Murders, Cards On The Table, The Clocks, N or M, The Sittaford Mystery, Why Didn't They Ask Evans, The Man In The Brown Suit or The Bundle Books or Towards Zero one of those definitely.

john_c_hamilton 24 Jan 12 at 4:19 p.m. GMT

If I was to choose only a single book, I would say 'Nemesis'.

asmikhushi 28 Sep 09 at 8:16 a.m. GMT

murder is announced is awesumm

asmikhushi 07 Sep 09 at 9:11 a.m. GMT

my favourite is spider's web. all the characters r real exciting and thers too much suspense. Its fast paced and full of drama and unexpected turns.

susandiane 07 Jun 09 at 10:10 p.m. GMT

go_leafs_nation , you've hit the nail on the head. there's a difference between killing accidentally and MURDER! there's a wonderful Ngaio Narsh novel (murder at the vulcan) that has a man explain how chilling the word "MURDER" is...

khbs 03 Jun 09 at 6:16 p.m. GMT

The best book Agatha ever wrote is her wonderful Autobiography - the only AC book I've read over 30 times, and still read whenever I'm in need of "comfort food". I adore her mysteries of course, but to read about her life, so exotic and unusual to modern ears, is an immense treat and pleasure. It makes me long for times past, not uncomplicated but with different complexities, different morals and codes of conduct. If you haven't read it, I most heartily recommend that you do. It gives such an insight into her character.

Tommy_A_Jones 06 May 09 at 2:52 p.m. GMT

Thankyou Moley, I would chose the Tommy and Tuppences except BTPOMT, and POF, I would also choose;

ABC Murders.

Cards On The Table

Death In The Clouds

Cat Among The Pigeons

Mrs McGinty's Dead

Man In The Brown Suit

Why Didn't They Ask Evans

The Secret of Chimneys

and of the MMs I have read;

4.50 From Paddington

A Murder Is Announced

Sleeping Murder

By the way, I probably would take Seven Dialsd but I haven't read it yet and I haven't read The Thirteen Problems but I love the idea of the book

TheMole 05 May 09 at 2:39 p.m. GMT

Great criteria, winne! I will apply that as well...

Personally, I would take 3 "The Seven Dials Mystery", "Peril at End House" & "Towards Zero".

Tommy_A_Jones 05 May 09 at 12:56 p.m. GMT

I like too many to list my favourites. I suppose my criteria was:

Did I like the setting?

Would I want to be a Fly on the Wall in the scenes?

Would I want to meet the Characters socially?

Did the book make me 'buzz'

Would I take it with me if I had to move?

If I was going on a long Voyage would I take it incase I got shipwrecked

I haven't read the Poirot or Miss Marple short stories but I have the Audio Cassettes, I don't like the stories Joyce/Joan tell but the Collections I like are 'Partners in Crime' and 'The Mysterious Mr Quinn'  

Sudarshan 05 May 09 at 10:26 a.m. GMT

Here's my list:

Cat Among The Pigeons

The ABC Murders

Curtain

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Why Didn't They Ask Evans

Death on The Nile

And Then There Were None

One Two Buckle My Shoe

The Body in The Library

Three Act Tragedy

Murder is Easy

Murder on the Orient Express

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

the three criteria for choosing this list have been depth/intricacy of plot (most important), relevance of the mystery theme in a larger context and writing style. The first should be obvious, by second I mean 'has christie examined the implications of a crime in a larger context - when does a crime become a crime (or cease to be a crime, as is shown in some Holmes stories) - on this count 'ABC murders' and to a lesser extent 'Orient Express' surely qualify. Some of the books are better written than others - as Dame Agatha herself said, there was a two year phase when she wrote some awful books (e.g. The Secret of Chimneys). Compare these shoddy books to the 'body in the library' or 'why didn't they ask evans', where clearly Dame A is in the mood. And they have good plots too. That sums up factor 3.

For short stories, surely 'Witness for the Prosecution' is the best (though its theatre adaptation was pathetic!) and for plays of course, there is the Mousetrap - that one doesn't need explanations. For supernatural stories, there is nothing like 'The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael'

Sudarshan Shidore

Boomcoach 15 Apr 09 at 5:10 p.m. GMT

My favorite would have to be The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.  It is so tightly plotted, reading it a second time I especially noted how many tiny details were interwoven into the story.  It also has two characters that I really thought were well done, Hector Blunt and Caroline Shepherd.  Both could have easily been two dimensional caricatures, but they are excellent characters.

I close second, losing a few points only because it is so unique that it has become trite through overexposure, is And Then There Were None.  It is, IMO, the most suspenseful Christie work.  The audiobook with Hugh Fraser narrating is particularly good.

go_leafs_nation 12 Apr 09 at 12:17 p.m. GMT

I've said time and time again that my personal favourite is "Cards on the Table".

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I positively love how Agatha turned the tables on the classic locked-room murder, possibly my favourite kind of mystery. Another thing is the subtle way she conveys a major theme, that of justice. Anyone notice that all the killers were "punished" in one way or another? Anne and Mrs. Lorrimer were killed, Roberts was caught. As for Despard, he gets off scot-free because his murder was an accident caused by the hysterical Mrs. Luxmore. The characters are vividly written and memorable in COTT especially, because the solution can only be deduced psychologically, as Poirot says, so in order for the reader to have a fair chance of guessing the culprit, they have to get to know the characters.

Dolly_B 11 Apr 09 at 6:26 p.m. GMT

To: susandiane

I agree - I loved Griselda too. Those vicar's wives are endearing - in a "Murder is Announced" the vicar's wife, Mrs Harmon, in her total innocence, asked Miss Blacklock "When does the murder begin?" while all the rest of the characters were trying to be "cool" and not mention the ad in the paper.

jolley74 07 Apr 09 at 7:19 p.m. GMT

RandMcNally

I've only read eighteen of the books so far.  One that stays with me is Endless Night.  There is a certain sense of menace that rubs off on the reader.  I didn't expect that.  I think I had the most fun with Secret Adversary.  The adventure was exciting and the characters engaging.

RandMcNally

I've only read eighteen of the books so far.  One that stays with me is Endless Night.  There is a certain sense of menace that rubs off on the reader.  I didn't expect that.  I think I had the most fun with Secret Adversary.  The adventure was exciting and the characters engaging.

have you seen the film endless night by sidney gilliat it stars hywell bennett britt ekland just to name a few.a little cheesy but great all the same

ArlenaSMarshall 07 Apr 09 at 5:53 p.m. GMT

Evil Under the Sun, definitely.

robreid 05 Apr 09 at 12:02 p.m. GMT

ABC Murders is excellent due to the chilling way in which the story is told.  It is also very fast paced and it keeps you guessing all the way, although the solution wasn't as good as I thought it could've been.

The Man in the Brown Suit is another one of my favourite books because it is so different in comparison to the majority of books that she wrote.  I know, however, that many fans don't like this book as much as I do.

devilgal19 21 Mar 09 at 7:50 p.m. GMT

My favourite by Agatha is ABC Murders. I also enjoyed Orient Express and I also enjoyed how she uses Nursery Rhymes for her title of stories. Favourite Miss Marple would be Nemesis following by Murder at Vicarage, Easy to Kill was good and Toward Zero was good as well.

susandiane 20 Mar 09 at 7:20 p.m. GMT

Dolly_B , about Dolly Bantry, I've always loved Griselda in "Murder at the Vicarage" Isn't it weird how we Agatha fans find ONE minor character that we absolutely adore?

Dolly_B 18 Mar 09 at 4:10 p.m. GMT

What a great question! I have my favourites but they aren't necessarily her "best book". What terms of reference do we apply:  most interesting story, best characters, biggest surprise at the end?  I think I could put a "best" under each of those categories.  Loved how the story evolved in ABC Murders, biggest surprise endings - And Then There Were None or Roger Ackroyd. Best characters - Dolly Bantry in Body in the Library.  This question really made me think and again see the wonderful talent of Dame Christie.  I think all her books up until those published in the early 70's were "best books". 

hellofansofachi 17 Mar 09 at 10:37 a.m. GMT

Hi everyone. I think the best book is Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I think it is the most scariest and thrilling book that I've ever read. It is also very suspenseful. The characters were brilliant. I love the twists. The murderer, when introduced, was surprising but the conclusion isn't that surprising. All in all, this is the best novel Agatha Christie had ever wrote.

The setting is also scary. If you wanna be thrilled, scared and supensed, this might be the book for you to read.

Mr_Satterthwaite 16 Mar 09 at 5:46 p.m. GMT

Well first off. I saw several of Christe's more famous novels before I read them. Books such as Death on the Nile, Evil under the Sun and Then There Were None, so some of the books impact were diluted. However, the latter was very enjoyable as the filmmakers had 'changed' the ending of the novel. So that was a surprise.

I rate the ABC Murders as one of Christe's best as the plot is intricate and I believe it is the first example of a 'serial killer' that I have come across'. Also, although this would never happen, if I had to commit a murder I think I might use the murderer's technique. Although this would never happen!

I rate Crooked House highly. I enjoy all of Poirot's Middle-Eastern adventures. I think they bring out the archaeologist out in me.I enjoyed the Mr Quin stories hence Mr_Satterthwaite. Finally, I really liked 'N or M' or is it the other way round. 

WOW 11 Mar 09 at 10:01 a.m. GMT

My personal favourites are:

Death On The Nile, ABC Murders, Lord Edgware Dies, Evil Under The Sun, Murder On The Link, And Then There Were None. Those are of the top of my head...I'm sure I'll think of a few more later :)

Tommy_A_Jones 18 Feb 09 at 3:49 p.m. GMT

Favourite Poirot stories would have to be (so Far) ABC Murders, Cards On The Table, Death In The Clouds, Evil Under The Sun and Mrs McGinty's Dead and I disliked The Murder of Roger Ackroyed, Lord Edgware Dies and The Big Four Favourite Miss Marples? A Murder Is Announced and my least favourite is The Moving Finger. Favourite Tommy and Tuppence? I haven't read Postern of Fate but of thge others I like them all the same but By The Pricking of My Thumbs a bit less, The Secret of Chimneys as I founde it very funny, I haven't read Seven Dials yet, Of the other Non Series books I loved Why Didn't They Ask Evans, The Man In The Brown Suit and Towards Zero, I thought Murder is Easy wasn't as bad as either Sparkling Cyanide, Death Comes As The End and Endless Night all three of which I hated. I also liked Parker Pyne and Harley Quinn as Characters. The only Book I found SICK was Crooked House.

susandiane 18 Feb 09 at 10:35 a.m. GMT

I'll stay away from the obvious and I'm going to mention more than one... "Towards Zero" that killer is EVIL pure EVIL! I don't give that killer an insanity plea pass! "Death Comes As the End" it's not only got a high murder count, it's educational and also good romance novel to top it all off. "The Secret of Chimneys" AC's funniest book imho. "Nemesis" a truly SICK (as in mentally WRONG somehow) killer. "Halloween Party" (another SICK killer). "The Moving Finger" because of one character, Mrs. Dane-Calthrop (she's a KICK in the HEAD). I'll think of more later (it's "getting kids up and ready for school" time)

RobinHerne 30 Jan 09 at 7:05 p.m. GMT

"And Then There were None" and "Cards on the Table", largely because they are both very claustrophobic ~ each deals with an enclosed world in which no surprise characters intrude. The latter must have been harder to writr, simply because there are only 4 suspects and it is very hard for a writer to maintain suspicion and doubt with so few characters. The former is also intriguing for dealing with moral issues ~ how many of us have seen someone apparently getting away with wrongdoing and felt like visiting some private justice on them? Yet how soon would indulging that urge lead to corruption? I also like the handling of the issue posed in a Marple short story, "The Four Suspects" I think it is called, in which she looks at the corrosive impact of suspicion on the innocent. Robin

RandMcNally 26 Jan 09 at 3:31 a.m. GMT

I've only read eighteen of the books so far.  One that stays with me is Endless Night.  There is a certain sense of menace that rubs off on the reader.  I didn't expect that.  I think I had the most fun with Secret Adversary.  The adventure was exciting and the characters engaging.

Aurora 23 Jan 09 at 5:48 p.m. GMT

Can I have two? If so, And Then There Were None and Murder On The Orient Express. My reason - because both are very difficult to imitate and so, the more whodunnits you read, the more they stand out as originals.

Tommy_A_Jones 22 Jan 09 at 4:40 p.m. GMT

The Secret of Chimneys is an EXCELLENT book, I love Bundle, Alan Cade and the others, I loved the atmosfere of the Book and am really loking forward to reading The Seven Dials Mystery, I also love Why Didn't They Ask Evans and The Tommy and Tuppence Books, they are asll really fun books although I haven't read Postern of Fate yet and thought the ending of By The Pricking Of My Thumb let the book down.

pegahorse 04 Jan 09 at 5:54 a.m. GMT

Great subject choice Hobbit I'd love to see a detaled debate and not lists of books too...I recon that The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the best book AC wrote...what a marvellous twisted ending it has a beautifully constructed story and character detail...Just love it!!

Bonini 04 Dec 08 at 10:59 p.m. GMT

- Hercule Poirot's Christmas - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - The Crooked House - Death on the Nile - Evil Under The Sun - A Murder is Announced - Murder is Easy - And Then There Were None - Murder on the Orient Express - Peril at the End House I can't remember now, but there're a lot of great books!

Dazzy 02 Dec 08 at 5:37 p.m. GMT

Tough one this... I like.......

Crooked House

A wealthy Greek businessman is found dead at his London home...The Leonides were one big happy family living in a sprawling, ramshackle mansion. That was until the head of the household, Aristide, was murdered with a fatal barbiturate injection. Suspicion naturally falls on the old man's young widow, fifty years his junior. But the murderer has reckoned without the tenacity of Charles Hayward, fiance of the late millionare's granddaughter!

Pale Horse

A priest's death leads to sinister goings-on in an old country pub...To understand the strange goings on at The Pale Horse Inn, Mark Easterbrook knew he had to begin at the beginning. But where exactly was the beginning? Was it the savage blow to the back of Father Gorman's head? Or was it when the priest's assailant searched him so roughly he tore the clergyman's cassock? Or could it have been the priest's visit, just minutes before, to a woman on her death bed? Or was there a deeper significance to the violent squabble which Mark Easterbrook had himself witnessed earlier? Wherever the beginning lies, Mark and his sidekick, Ginger Corrigan, may soon have cause to wish they'd never found it!

Why didn't they ask evans?

When a man plunges down a cliff, two adventurous young friends decide to find his killer...While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and says, 'Why didn't they ask Evans?' Haunted by these words, Bobby and his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger!

Yes I agree with ruthE I get tired of Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, Pearl at end house.

ruthE 02 Dec 08 at 1:28 a.m. GMT

I think it is hard to pick just one book that is my favorite. If I had to name some I would say Cat Among the Pigeons, Hallow, and Crooked House. This is because they are all so different and I can read them over and over again. Personaly, I get tired of Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, and And Then There Were None. While they are undoubtedly excellent books and there is a reason for their fame, I like something different and AC just has so many original ideas that I get excited every time. These are just a few of my "default" books that I always love to read. That is why AC is so good.

detectivepauljohn 29 Nov 08 at 12:51 p.m. GMT

ariadnepoirotmarple I agree. It is one of her best books but not really the 1st place. Evil Under the Sun is still better but here in this book my fave characters are Mrs. Allerton and Cornelia Robson. Of course, the ending is shocking and surprising!

ariadnepoirotmarple 22 Nov 08 at 6:41 p.m. GMT

Death on the Nile is probably my favourite. I re-read the book weeks ago and I was once again amazed by the peculiarity and magic of the story. Amazingly well written by Agatha Christie with so many different characters, each one with a special and unique personality, a wonderful set, fantastic and thrilling story that has so much drama, romance and mystery. The characters are undoubtly the most fascinating thing in the novel - we have the rich but nice and kind Linnet, hot temper Jacqueline de Bellefort, the mysterious Simon (he is not mysterious but I cannot find a word to describe him), peculiar and hilarious Salome Ottorbourne, beautiful but with horrible temper Rosalie Otterbourne, simple and honest Cornelia Robson etc. and we always have the irreverent, peculiar, methodic and clever detective - Hercule Poirot. Such a romantic novel, so charismatic and special. A surprising ending that shocks everyone else.

detectivepauljohn 22 Nov 08 at 6:19 a.m. GMT

Evil Under the Sun featuring Poirot is, I think, her best book ever written. The ending was surprising. If you said books with letter S I will add And Then Then Were None, one of her best books ever written! But I think Evil Under the Sun is her best book if it is as famous as And Then There Were None, Death On the Nile and the other 2 famous novels of hers. I can't really imagine the ending in Evil Under the Sun until it was revealed-so shocking! It is my fave book.

This is it: Arlena Marshall is a flirtatious and very beautiful woman but almost everyone in the Jolly Roger Hotel hates her. Until she was strangled by someone...who hates her? who is jealous with her? who wanted to own her money? silencing her?But there was the great Hercule Poirot who will now unmask a murderer and secrets...

Every investigation you'll change your suspect. The last few pages are a bit thrilling. Mrs. Gardener is, I think, the funniest character together with her husband.

I also recommend these books I read earlier:

-Death On the Nile(ending is surprising!)

-Halloween Party(good ending and surprising, too)

-Cards On the Table(thrilling in the last few pages)

-And Then There Were None(very excellent novel)

-The Mysterious Mr. Quin(which is also good)

-Murder At the Vicarage(very good and ending surprising)

dale_cooper 21 Nov 08 at 8:09 p.m. GMT

For me it's simple: 'And Then There Were None' all the way.

MINOR SPOILERS ONLY

I first read the book three years ago and I don't think I've ever read anything quite like it before or since. The atmosphere of the piece was tremendous, the idea behind it stunningly original and the characterisation spot-on for, I would say, a good half of the characters (some were a little 1-dimension like Anthony Marston).

The ending, I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it, was brilliant. The hanging scene was inspired and hauntingly tragic (it had echoes, for me, of the end of 'Tess of the D'Ubervilles') and left the reader with truly no sense of who the killer might have been. IMO the killer's not being caught was a huge twist in itself, as I thought all the way through that their plan would be foiled.

Obviously the twist at the end of the novel was a perfect ending - much better than the ending to the play, which seemed forced and lacked the same emotional impact for me. I also like the book because Vera Claythorne was possibly the deepest, guilt-ridden character AC ever wrote and I love her for it.