Reading the Detectives discussion

Already book nr 23! Enjoy :)

I am listening to this one while knitting, and am so enjoying it, another Poirot I somehow missed! I may have seen the Suchet dramatization years ago - Poirot’s fear of the dentist seems familiar. I am just starting the third chapter, and love Japp and Poirot working together, and Going with them to meet all the possible suspects.

What I remember so vividly about this story in particular in this mystery is the scene in which Poirot & Inspector Japp find the body in the chest of what could be the body of Mrs. Sainsbury Seale with her face battered and the smell of decomposition seeping through the apartment. Agatha Christie writes this scene so well and it flies in the face of the modern critics--whether it be readers or writers--that she was this cozy, safe, sanitized mystery writer. Agatha Christie wasn't safe at all. She wasn't afraid to portray anyone a victim or a murderer. I'm sure modern mystery writers would milk this scene for all it's worth with such graphic detail but Christie gives us a fair amount without turning the reader's stomach or eyes away from the text.

LovesMysteries wrote: "What I remember so vividly about this story in particular in this mystery is the scene in which Poirot & Inspector Japp find the body in the chest of what could be the body of Mrs. Sainsbury Seale ..."

Oh, wow, I haven’t gotten to that yet, looking forward to it!

I just started reading this one - it's the first time for me. I had forgotten how well she wrote. Descriptions, dialog, characters, it's all first class. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it.

David wrote: "I just started reading this one - it's the first time for me. I had forgotten how well she wrote. Descriptions, dialog, characters, it's all first class. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it."

Yes, me too - you summed it up perfectly!

I've seen the Suchet dramatization a few times, but never read the book before. Its one of the earlier adaptations, so it sticks pretty close to the source novel. The American cousins were my least favorite characters, although there were plenty to dislike all around.

I did wonder how quickly the dentists turned their patients around. Leaving an extra 15 minutes for another patient doesn't seem like nearly enough time--it always feels like I'm there for hours. Perhaps its because there was virtually no paperwork compared to today's standards.

Like a lot of us, this starts with Poirot's fear of a visit to the dentist, which turned out to be not unfounded. This is one of the books where I thought I could remember all the story, but it is somewhat more complicated than a lot of Christie's books, and found I had forgotten quite a bit of it. Not many of the characters are likable, but the banter between Poirot and Japp is pretty humourous.

David wrote: "I just started reading this one - it's the first time for me. I had forgotten how well she wrote. Descriptions, dialog, characters, it's all first class. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it."

I agree completely. In fact, she may be one of the most readable writers ever. Despite, a gap of 80 years her dialogue rarely sounds artificial.

This was a fun read-I don't remember having read it before.

Yes.... Dentists.... And such a confrontational cover... Perhaps I should make my long overdue check up appointment to get rid of that worry everytime I pick the book up hahaha

I'm having lots of dental problems right now so am not too sure about this one at the moment!

Judy wrote: "I'm having lots of dental problems right now so am not too sure about this one at the moment!"

I understand! But it's actually quite fun to see that the fear of going to the dentist, complete with pretending the horrible toothache magically went away just before the appointment and all the thought processes one goes through in the waiting room, is the same for people in many different walks of life (and time periods) Perhaps knowing that Agatha Christie would feel exactly the same as we do, will make our next visit slightly better ;-)

Jessica wrote: "Judy wrote: "I'm having lots of dental problems right now so am not too sure about this one at the moment!"

I understand! But it's actually quite fun to see that the fear of going to the dentist, ..."

Quite true!

I have plucked up the courage to listen to the start of it now, read by Hugh Fraser, and certainly had sympathy for Poirot as he goes along for his check-up!

I really enjoyed the book, but wasn't really satisfied with the plot or maybe my own sleuthing skills were not up to par! Haha will go see what the spoiler thread makes of it.

I really enjoyed the book, but wasn't really satisfied with the plot or maybe my own sleuthing skills were not up to par! Haha will go see what the spoiler thread makes of it.

I've switched to reading the Kindle version now and will hopefully finish more quickly - I'm getting quite intrigued by the plot now. On the dental side, I'm glad that having a filling is more straightforward now than it was in those days.

I finally finished this book. I found it entertaining. I had seen the TV version many years ago and fortunately had forgotten "who done it". I think the interplay between Poirot and Jap was the highlight of the book.