Regional: Nayika Agatha Christie by Sreeparvathy

                               Mystic Mountain by Sreeparvathy was a book which I didn't like that much. It had left me with absolutely mixed feelings and I genuinely thought that the book had a perfect setting and a decent beginning but only to lose it's steam midway. Anyways, the book went on to become a best seller and the author's follow up work,titled 'Nayika Agatha Christie' has just hit the stores a couple of days back.
                              First thing first; unlike 'Mystic Mountain', 'Nayika Agatha Christie(NAC)' is not a full blown thriller. This book is more of a biographical fiction and tries to trace the 11 missing days in the life of  the 'queen of crime'.The novel begins with the disappearance of Agatha and her husband Archie getting framed for her disappearance/murder. Her car and some of her belongings are later found abandoned somewhere in the outskirts and the police,media and the public kicks of one of the greatest searches of all time to bring back the writer,dead' or 'alive'.
                             Coming to the positives, the book is definitely a light read and at no point does the author try to 'show off her literary intelligence' by indulging in over detailing and long, boring monologues. Though in the beginning , I thought that this one was going to go the 'Gone Girl' way, pretty soon, it became evident that the author had other plans in store.  The friendship between Anna and Teresa has been portrayed really well.The comparison between Poirot and his contemporary 'Holmes' is also brilliantly done.The book also throws light on the exemplary observation skills and intelligence of Agatha Christie in crime deduction & body language with the 'shop robbery-overcoat-scene' being the perfect case in point.The author also should be given due credit for not portraying 'Archie' as a full blown villain and giving him equal space to open up.
                        It is pretty evident that the author has done a great deal of research for penning this work.Madam Christie's love for music and her penchant for problem solving have been etched out in a graceful, realistic manner.Also 'NAC' discusses multiple themes like adultery,solitude,midlife crisis, lost love, depression and melancholy in a subtle, yet effective manner.
                        On the downside,as I said in the beginning,this book is not in the thriller genre and if you pick up this book expecting a fast paced thriller, you will be disappointed. This one is a good character study of one of the greatest writers of all time.Period!

On the whole,I'm going with a 3.25 out of 5, for this work.

-nikhimenon

#BookReview : Murder on the Orient express by Agatha Christie

It was year 2007, when I met a guy who was ( is ) a huge fan of Agatha Christie. Since he praised so much, i decided to try reading Poirot book the next weekend. But 25 pages into the book and I left it. I tried once again some years later but the results were no different. I felt the plot a little slow for my attention. But Everytime some one mentioned Agatha Christie books, it made me a little uneasy. All these years of reading and not a single book in my list ! So last week of 2015, on the long weekend I picked a random book and I finished reading in 2 days ! :D

Murder in the orient express is a unique book coz the whole book is set in a span of about 2-3 days. Also, the events happen and are solved on the train without any external help. The writing is slow but that helps in building the layers of the story and to give all facts to the reader. At no point, is the reader not aware of what is happenning or the questions Poirot asks. It is upto you to keep a track of all the clues and conversations to make the connections. This book in particular completely took me on a wonderful ride. Such charm, such delightful characters and such vintage feel to the whole scene. I am in love with Agatha Christie and Poirot. Hopefully this year I can finish all Poirot books. 

And then there were none by Agatha Christie

Publisher: Collins Crime Club
ISBN: 9780007136834
Genre: crime, fiction, mystery
Pages: 315
Bestsellers: so many :)
Published: 1939


Nightflier Speaks:
This book review is on the request of our reader Smita.


On a lazy saturday evening, with no one at home, I started reading Agatha Christie's 'And then there were none' with a bowl of maggi (instant) noodles and entered the mysterious world of Soldier Island. I have to stress at this point that this setting spooked me and in turn made me enjoy the book. 


The book tells the story of 10 perfect strangers, brought together on an island shrouded by mystery, to spend a week together. Each character's story is told in crisp 1-2 page monologues and that forms the premise. And then on the first day of stay itself the deaths start. Not only are the deaths preposterous, but they follow a pattern. A pattern illustrated by a poem (10 little soldiers). The deathly events continue and the survivors try to unravel the killer. What happens is an intriguing story of psycho-mania, justice and cold-blood.


The story is fast paced. It took me hardly 3 hours to finish. There are no major plot holes. Agatha Christie is a master at that, I think. Few characters had an element of intrigue, which made me as a reader think about situations in their life and take a decision. But as an observer I kept wondering about the real/detailed stories of the 10 protagonists. May be more details would have made the story richer. 
(On another note the story also reminded me of an old hindi movie Gumnaam. Its title track still gives me the scares!)


But as a thriller the book worked perfectly well for me, because I slept with lights on that night. Also I read an Agatha Christie after 8 years!! So this experience also made me nostalgic. So thank you smita for the request and in turn making me re-live school days.


I hope if you read the book, you enjoy it as much as I did.


Price: 157 INR (crossword)
Rating: 4/5

The Witness For The Prosecution- Agatha Christie

NAME OF THE BOOK: Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories

ISBN: 0-312-97973-8

GENRE: Thriller

SYNOPSIS:

#A murder trial takes a diabolical turn when the wife of the accused takes the stand...

#A woman's sixth sense- and a loaded revolver- signal premonitions of doom...

#A stranded motorist seeks refuge in a remote mansion, and is greeted with a dire warning...

#Detective Hercule Poirot faces his greatest challenge when his services are enlisted- by the victim- in a bizarre locked room murder.

From the stunning title story (which inspired the classic film thriller) to the rarest gems in detective fiction, these 11 tales of baffling crime and brilliant deduction showcase Agatha Christie at her dazzling best.


EXCERPT:

He went slowly back into his room and shut the door. He stood by the bed lost in thought. And then he started-

The mahogany table by the bed was smothered in dust. Written in the dust were three letters, clearly visible. S.O.S.

ARPITA SPEAKS:

In this marvelous compilation of short stories by the Queen of Crime, you'll find yourself treated to about a dozen different tales of murder and mystery; some even with an element of the supernatural-

*The Witness for the Prosecution
* The Red Signal
*The Fourth Man
*S.O.S.
*Where there's a Will
*The Mystery of the Blue Jar
*Sing a Song of Sixpence
*Mystery of the Spanish Shawl
*Philomel Cottage
*Accident
*The Second Gong

I was actually drawn to this particular book due to the titles of the various stories in the contents. As it turned out, the ones with the most interesting titles seemed to be the best. While some might be a little disappointing, and a few have a rather odd ending, the rest make this a book that one will sincerely treasure. It's difficult to choose the 'best'- it perhaps depends on the liking of the reader. I, being someone who loves reading about anything out of the ordinary, enjoyed the stories which revolve around the supernatural.

S.O.S. was one of my favorites. On a rainy night, just as a family sits down to the evening meal, a stranger comes calling, looking for shelter. As Mortimer Cleveland notices the strange behavior of the different members of the family, he realizes that there's much more to the family's decision to live in seclusion than the father admits.

In The Witness for the Prosecution, Leonard Vole is arrested for the murder of Ms. Emily French, a rich old lady who made him her beneficiary. When his wife, who leaves his lawyer at a loss for words with her contradictory statements, acts as a witness for the prosecution things turn downhill. A completely unexpected ending will leave you shocked.

The Second Gong has none other than Hercule Poirot as the investigator, and is one of those locked room murder mysteries that Agatha Christie is famous for.

The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl was a rather strange story which did seem to be quite different from anything expected. Mr Eastwood, a writer, was struggling with his next murder mystery when he got a call from a seductive female voice on the phone, asking him to come to a secret place- and he found himself accused of murder. It sounded promising at first but the end was not as good as I thought it would be.

The most impressive short stories are Where there's a Will and Philomel Cottage. I can honestly say that both of them would be a pleasure to watch enacted on stage. The first has a wealthy old woman living with her nephew who brings her a radio for entertainment. But she finds herself hearing strange messages through it- from her dead husband!

In Philomel Cottage, Alix King ditches Dick Windyford to marry another man, despite having been engaged to him for years, because he refused to marry her until he could be sure that he could financially support both of them. However, when she makes a chilling discovery about her new husband Alix is left terrified for her life.

The skill with which Agatha Christie goes about the plot is- unsurprisingly- remarkable. The name of the author itself is enough to tell you how good this book would be. A must read for anyone who enjoys thrillers.

RATING: 4 on 5

PRICE: Rs. 140/- (Flipkart)