English Mysteries Club discussion

I just started listening to this in the car and wow, I got hooked immediately. Good reader, good story, what more could one want? A longer car trip maybe.

I didn't like it at first but then couldn't put it down. It's very different from most of her series and reminds me of Alfred Hitchcock. Great ending!. I would like to find more books like this.

I was hoping for the usual Agatha Christie and found the ending a little disturbing and upsetting. Christie does a good job of giving a sense of evil.

This is one of a handful of Christie books which I haven't read before. Picked it up and, like anything by her, was immediately drawn in. Nearly finished it and looking forward to the discussion.

Halfway through, and I'm finding it much better written than most of her others :)

Finished it today - excellent choice, whoever nominated it.

I am about 1/3 through. This is my first Christie book. Despite being much different from what I usually read, I'm enjoying it.

This was the book that made my daughters say, "Whaaaaaat?!?"

That's about what I said

I've just finished it, and enjoyed it more than I expected! It's a lot better written than some of hers, I think. Here's my review There aren't any spoilers in there - it would be a real crime to include them in a review about this particular book :)

I had forgotten that I read this one about 30 years ago, but I remembered as soon as I started the last chapter.

I would really like to hear from those of you who like this book what you like about it. I found the characters, the plot, and (especially!) the ending completely implausible. There are much better Christie novels out there.

More importantly, hasn't the "English mystery" advanced enormously since Christie? Why are we reading her?

Joan - In my review I comment on the two ends of the critical spectrum to this novel, as well as of course giving my own reaction to it. I thought it was better than her usual fare, because the characterisation was much improved, but I go into more detail there :)

It still only gets three stars from me though. I'm afraid I always feel Agatha Christie is like Enid Blyton for grown-ups :D

Jean: I agree with Zemboy.

Then perhaps you would enjoy his book The Detective Novels of Agatha Christie: A Reader's Guide, which is where I quoted from ;)

edit - Thought I'd better make it clear that this is not a recommendation though - I haven't read the book myself. Here's another quote from it,

"If "Endless Night" received any good reviews upon publication, it can only be that the critics wished to be kind to the great and venerable Agatha Christie"

He does very little analysis to justify his dislike however - "embarrassingly childish dialogue", and characters described only briefly - but surely this applies to the majority of Christie's novels? My preference for this one is that it is slightly better on development of the characters than the others. He also seems to think that a 77 year old, upper middle-class woman should not attempt to make her viewpoint characters a young working-class male. I find that an extraordinary contention. Where would we be if all writers adopted this view?

Joan - I think your point about the very end is a fair one.

I just started the audiobook (read by Hugh Fraser). So different from her other books. I wonder if this is her only 1st person narrative?

What I loved about the book is the atmosphere. You could feel it so clearly from page 1 all the way through the end - I agree completely with the book being described as Gothic, and how well the atmosphere was done is what really drew me in and made me absolutely love the book.

I also thought that Christie did a good job of describing a psychopathic personality - a lot of the traits are accurate, even by the standards of today's psychology.

I would love to actually reread this book. Knowing the ending, I would love to read it and look at all the hints dropped throughout the book in a new light.

Definitely a great read!

I was not impressed with the story telling in the book. The dark oppressive atmosphere that Christie tried to create around gipsy's acre seemed a little forced and repetitive at times.
I forgave the author for the previous points because of the tremendous twist she gave to the story towards the end. Nevertheless I felt I had been cheated out of guessing the murderer. Christie- you didn't play this one fairly.

I watched the recent dramatization of the novel - Miss Marple has been brought into the story here. I think I preferred the book.

I rather liked this story, and am glad it was selected by this group as I hadn't heard of it before.

I had never heard of this book either. It was very different from her other books. I really enjoyed it. I am glad it was chosen for this month.

Stephanie wrote: "I just started the audiobook (read by Hugh Fraser). So different from her other books. I wonder if this is her only 1st person narrative?"

It is quite different from her others, I agree! She does have a few other first person narratives though - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd for example. I think that Crooked House is as well, but am not sure.

I was a bit disappointed, as it wasn't like her typical mysteries (which I like - sorry Joan & Jean!). I thought that the feel of the book was reminiscent of Mary Stewart, although Stewart always had the first person narrator be a young woman.

The only Mary Stewart I remember reading is The Crystal Cave, the first of 5 novels about the Arthurian legend. But the narrator in that is obviously a young boy - Merlin. Did you mean a specific series, Leslie?

Not a series but her stand-alone suspense novels such as Nine Coaches Waiting, The Moonspinners, This Rough Magic, Madam, Will You Talk? etc.

Oh I remember the film of The Moonspinners with Hayley Mills trying to get away from her reputation as a child actress! Perhaps I should try these then :)

Stephanie wrote: "I just started the audiobook (read by Hugh Fraser). So different from her other books. I wonder if this is her only 1st person narrative?"
I'm listening to the same reader, Hugh Fraser, and have one more cd to go. I can't wait to find out the ending and I love the reader. He is doing a great job.
I think this will be my favorite Agatha Christie book.

Jean wrote: "Oh I remember the film of The Moonspinners with Hayley Mills trying to get away from her reputation as a child actress! Perhaps I should try these then :)"

I've seen that - the book is much better!

When the local constable mentioned that the gypsy had been bribed several years ago to frighten someone, I immediately thought of Greta. Of course I'm probably wrong since the real villain will be someone totally unexpected.

Leslie - I'll add it then! Mostly I remember being very taken by the Cretan scenery.

I loved listening to the book all the way through until the end. The ending would have been perfect except (view spoiler)[that Christie had another story with a first person narrator who also turned out to be the perpetrator. (hide spoiler)] How disappointing.
I thought the reader, Hugh Fraser, did a great job though.

Diane - do you think it might be worth using a spoiler tab on the previous comment? Just in case this thread is read by someone who hasn't finished the book?

Jean wrote: "Diane - do you think it might be worth using a spoiler tab on the previous comment? Just in case this thread is read by someone who hasn't finished the book?"
Sure, no problem. I thought that after the 15th of the month we were safe. Possibly I'm thinking of another book club though. Sorry.

No no - I think you are right :) But I know that I often revisit threads after they are officially finished, so thought others may too. So if it's the very end of the novel, it seems worth using a spoiler to me just in case. Thanks on behalf of any newbies :)

I also thought discussion started after the 15th. Wondered why there hadn't been much yet.

Kay wrote: "I also thought discussion started after the 15th. Wondered why there hadn't been much yet."
How did you like the ending? Were you surprised? I thought the ending worked and I was totally surprised but yet as I said before, disappointed.

I felt much the same way, that it was a nice twist, had it been a new idea. But the very final part (view spoiler)[ where Michael seems to have some sort of nervous breakdown (hide spoiler)] I did find implausible. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and was actually unnecessary to the story.

Jean wrote: "I felt much the same way, that it was a nice twist, had it been a new idea. But the very final part [spoilers removed] I did find implausible. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and was actually unn..."
Oh yeah, that part was a stretch.

I had thought I had read all of Agatha Christie's books and was delighted to discover one I hadn't read. If I hadn't known she wrote it, I would have thought Daphne DuMaurier had written it. It had a Rebecca like feeling to it's suspense.

I enjoyed it tremendously and even the ending wasn't much of a surprise there was a nice twist that lifted it up.

Jean, after the 15th we are supposed to be able to write about the book freely. In my Irish book club, our moderator has one thread for the book and after the 15th sets up a different thread with the book with spoiler alert attached. That way you can talk generically about a book whenever you want and then switch to the spoiler thread. That way you know what you're getting. It really works well. You can go to the Goodreads Ireland bookclub and see how it works.

I read the book a long time ago and liked it very much the second time, although I knew the ending (kept hoping I was remembering incorrect!).
But I have to say there are a few of her novels I don't like at all, such as Nemesis (what's wrong with Miss Marple???) or By the Pricking of my Thumbs (I love her other Tommy and Tuppence books, but this just drags along)

Susan wrote: "Jean, after the 15th we are supposed to be able to write about the book freely...."
This sounds like a great solution. Then we could have meaningful discussions, instead of tiptoeing around with generalities.

I agree! I was relieved you didn't mind me saying, Diane, because I know that for myself I sometimes look at threads and would not want to see an ending. But for a shortish book opening several threads would be cumbersome. For myself I don't mind using spoilers, but would be happy with two alternative threads. Either would suit me. Maybe Jean-Luc would consider your idea Susan.

I liked this story, but there was so much of what I thought was introductory material. Once you get to the end, you realize that it is part of the mystery, but it was puzzling to be halfway through a relatively short story and there still wasn't a murder. A bit unusual.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser. He did a great job.

this is quite an odd Christie - the murder doesnt happen until page 168 in my book!!

I found this quite dull in places - I worked out who the murderer was almost immediately (and I am usually useless at that) and who was connected etc

Perhaps because I was already halfway guessing the perpetrator I found there was very little tension and hardly any pace. I've read loads of Agatha Christie but this one is not a favourite for me.

It's quite atypical, isn't it? I think that's partly what I liked though!

Oh, Goodreads, I do wonder why you just now sent me a notification for all of these comments...

I wasn't crazy about this book. The voice of the narrator was unconvincing to me, it sounded like a middle-aged lady trying to sound like a sort of roughneck young male.

Kathleen wrote: "I wasn't crazy about this book. The voice of the narrator was unconvincing to me, it sounded like a middle-aged lady trying to sound like a sort of roughneck young male."

yes the 'voice' of the man was slightly out for me too - and he was so full of himself!

I think the fact that he was so arrogant and full of himself blinded me to the reality of the story!

I found him totally believable. There are lots of cockney know-it-alls like that round here. Well maybe not quite like that! :D

I didn't find this to be one of her best. The unmasking of the killer was similar to the device used in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and the final act of violence wasn't convincing to me.

Christie's early work from the 20s and 40s is still her best. This one, published in 1967, is mediocre.

Jeffrey wrote: "... Christie's early work from the 20s and 40s is still her best. This one, published in 1967, is mediocre."

I agree.