Appointment With Agatha discussion

Please add you thoughts here.

I'm listening on audio as usual. So far I'm enjoying it. I've seen the tv adaptation numerous times but I gather there will be a lot of differences.

My library book finally came in. I plan to start this tomorrow.

Doesn't seem to be much activity on this one.

Finished it. A sad read. Definitely one of her best.

I read this two years ago so I'm not rereading it this time. I agree with you, Teresa. It was sad at times.

I've just started it. One thing that struck me is that at the start of the book Poirot is describing himself as old and recognises that he looks old enough to put people off hiring him. This is 1942. The final Poirot book was published thirty years later. It's amazing he didn't need a Zimmer Frame by then.

Does Christie ever say what year Poirot was born?

I don't think she did. I think she wrote these books with the exact years in mind. It was 'book time' I think. You know, when our time passes but it's different to a writer of series. That's what I think anyway.

Mike wrote: "I've just started it. One thing that struck me is that at the start of the book Poirot is describing himself as old and recognises that he looks old enough to put people off hiring him. This is 194..."

I like the idea of 'book time' I suspect a lot of long-running series depend on it. How else would I explain the very long life of Stephanie Plumb's hamster?

I'm at 16% which is the end of the first chapter of the audiobook.

We take cold cases for granted now but I suspect that this was a novel idea when the book was published. The first chapter lends itself to those flashbacks-in-a-different-colour-palette that television does so well.

I think I've stubbed my toe against an important clue but, this being Christie, I'm probably completely wrong.

I liked the contrasting portraits of KCs and solicitors, all credible and all different.

I'm with Teresa, this one was sad. Though I find that a lot of Agatha Christie's books make me sad. Then again, we are dealing with murder, so what else could i expect!

It was all so senseless Jessica. The murder and Caroline being blamed and all because of a selfish little madam.

I totally agree and she was very selfish but so was Amyas. It's also sad that Amyas would bring his mistress into the house of his wife and family to live with them. I don't buy that artist excuse nonsense!

Oh Amyas was a horrible character!! Caroline was much too good for him. So many lives ruined and it all began with him!

Amyas was as horrible a person as Mrs. Boyton from Appointment with Death. But yes, I agree this was sad.

(view spoiler)[I nearly fell for Christie throwing Angela as the murderer at us. The only reason I didn’t was that she was being too obvious. Which means the murderer had to have been someone else. I was torn between it actually being Caroline or Amyas committing suicide. (hide spoiler)]

I’ve enjoyed the cold case aspect of this one. So atypical of Christie.

Deborah wrote: "I’ve enjoyed the cold case aspect of this one. So atypical of Christie."

There is no trope or technique of modern crime fiction that Christie didn't try out in at least one of her books. She doesn't get nearly enough credit for how inventive she was!

I'm about halfway through now and I continue to be impressed by how contemporary this feels. It is a well-crafted Cold Case story where the reader's perception is altered as each person present on the day of the murder shares their recollections and reactions with Poirot. Christie manages not just to repaint the mystery with each telling but to present the teller in three dimensions.

This must have been innovative when it was published.

I also prefer the version of Poirot as the solo interrogator, worming his way into the confidence of each subject either by dissembling or, as a last resort, by telling the truth, to his usual grandstanding demeanour.

I really liked this one.

My review is here:
https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2023/05/...

I've finished it and loved it. It was a re-read for me, but I didn't remember the actual culprit, I thought I did remember who the murderer was, but had it wrong so she still managed to surprise me in the end. I did enjoy the cold case aspect, and the way he worked it out just through the characters recollections.

Mike wrote: "I really liked this one.

My review is here:
https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2023/05/..."

Great review Mike!

I haven't managed to get to this one yet - I sort of have it tapped for my long weekend ahead!