The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie

Title:  The Labours of Hercules

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser 

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 43 minutes 

Source: Purchased from Audible

Do you read short stories?  Do you have a favorite short story?

In this Hercule Poirot collection, the famous detective takes on twelve mysteries in the twelve short stories.  Each one is related to the Labours of Hercules in Greek mythology.  Poirot wants to solve these cases before he “retires.”  Since he spends fifty years coming in and out of retirement, I’m not sure that solving these mysteries will put him over the edge.  

My thoughts on this collection:

• I read this in June for the #ReadChristie2026 challenge.  “Best short story collection” was the theme for the month.

• I enjoyed this collection and found it to be very entertaining.  I like the links between the stories and how each case was unique.

• I listened on audiobook and Hugh Fraser was a great narrator as usual.

• The stories were very loosely connected.

• In the first story, Poirot finds a missing dog which I enjoyed.

Overall, The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie was an entertaining short story mystery collection.  Was it the best Christie short story collection?  I guess I need to read all the rest of her short story collections to decide for myself.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Murder on the Orient Express

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Dan Stevens

Publisher: William Morrow

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes

Source: Checked out in Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.

What book have you read that has the best ending?  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie has one of my favorite endings where justice is ultimately served in an unconventional way. 

Hercule Poirot is heading home from the Middle East aboard the famed Orient Express.  An American, Rachett, tries to hire him for protection as he has received death threats, but Poirot refuses.   When Ratchett shows up dead when the train is stopped due to a snowstorm, Poirot must investigate.  Someone on the train must be the murderer, but who and why?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I read Murder on the Orient Express for the #ReadChristie2026 challenge.  This year is Agatha Christie’s Biggest, Best, Beloved stories.  The theme for April is “Beloved in your Collection.”  I’m showcasing a picture of my son Daniel’s very nice copy of Murder on the Orient Express and other novels.  Daniel has started reading Agatha Christie novels on audiobook and he is a fan.  He is going to pass me up soon on how many I have read.  It is fun discussing the books with him.

·       As this was my second read (first time on audiobook), it was interesting to focus on how Poirot was investigating the crime rather than who did it.

·       I loved how methodical Poirot was interviewing the witnesses.

·       This book was inspired by the Lindburg baby kidnapping case which is such a sad crime in history.

·       This is one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels.  It is so well written.

·       The ending is perfect with a mike drop moment.

·       Dan Stevens was a good narrator to give unique voices to the characters.

Overall, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is one of Agatha Christie’s best mysteries.  It is a classic for a reason, and it is best to read it for the first time not knowing much about the plot.

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Mrs. McGinty’s Dead

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 8 minutes

Source: Checked out through Libby from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thanks!

What cold case would you like to be solved?  From history, I would like the definitive answer on who is Jack the Ripper.  From my lifetime, I would like a definitive answer on who killed my eighth-grade teacher, Dar Foley.

Mrs. McGinty was murdered by a blow to the back of her head, and her lodger, a young local man, was jailed for her murder.  As he nears execution, Superintendent Spence asks Hercule Poirot to take another look at the case. Is he guilty or is the murderer still out there?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I am a part of the #ReadChristie2026 challenge again this year, although I am running a bit behind and read February’s book in March.  The theme for 2026 is Biggest, Best, Beloved Stories.  The February theme was “Beloved Characters.”  Hercule Poirot is definitely a beloved character, and this book did a good job of showcasing him.  Two favorite reoccurring characters also appear - Inspector Spence and Ariadne Oliver.

·       I loved Ariadne Oliver’s banter about her famous detective creation, Sven Hjerson, and how she hates him.  I loved the argument about how old he was since she started writing about him thirty years ago when he was thirty-five.  Is he thirty-five or sixty-five years old now?  She said she regretted making him Norwegian when she had never been to Norway.  It seemed tongue in cheek about Christie’s own creation of Hercule Poirot.  It made me laugh.

·       This was Hercule Mystery #29 and was published in 1952 in the United States as a novel.

·       I loved Hugh Fraser as the narrator of the audiobook and how he does the voices for all of the characters.  He does a great job as the narrator of the Poirot novels.

·       The mystery was highly entertaining with Poirot at the top of his game.  I did not guess the ending. 

·       The novel had fun dialogue, especially with Ariadne Oliver.  I greatly appreciated the humor.

·       Poor Poirot was annoyed at the untidiness and poor cooking the house where he was staying.  No one cared about his complaints, but they were very legitimate.

·       The title was based on the old English schoolyard chant, “How did Mrs. McGinty Did?”

Overall, Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie was a very enjoyable cozy mystery with great humor and characters.

 

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  The Body in the Library

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Stephanie Cole

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 5 hours and 21 minutes

Source: Amazon Music

Are you involved in any book challenges or book clubs this year?  I am once again a part of the #ReadChristie2026 challenge this year, although I am running a bit behind.  The theme for 2026 is Biggest, Best, Beloved Stories.  The January theme was “Best Opening.”  The Body in the Library certainly has a great opening…

The Bantrys wake up one day to find the body of a dead woman in their library.  Who is this woman and how did she end up in their library?  The Bantrys ask Miss Marple to help solve the case.

My thoughts on the novel:

·       This is the second novel in the Miss Marple series.  I love how sharp Miss Marple is and how she is able to use her knowledge and observations of human nature and behavior to solve mysteries.

·       This seemed a slightly more gruesome Agatha Christie mystery to me with the burned body of a “Girl Guide” (equivalent to a girl scout) victim in a car.  The book didn’t go into great detail, but I was very disturbed by it.

·       Stephanie Cole is a new audiobook narrator for me.  She did a good job and this was an enjoyable audiobook.

·       The plot of this novel was very clever.  I did not guess the ending and was intrigued as Miss Marple laid it all out in the end.

·       It is funny how Miss Marple recognizes the small things or clues and is able to put together the scenario while the police have no idea what is going on.

·       The poor Bantrys.  St. Mary’s Mead starts to cut them out of society as they are sure Colonel Bantry had something to do with it.

·       This is one of my favorite Miss Marple mysteries so far.

Overall, The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie was an enjoyable classic mystery with Miss Marple in her prime.

 

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

 

Are you a cat or a dog person? I love both and currently have both a dog and a cat sleeping at my feet.

At a premier female boarding school, Meadowbank, in England, a teacher is found murdered in the Sports Pavilion.  Why was the teacher murdered and what does it have to do with a revolution in another country?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie was the November Read for the Read Christie 2025 challenge.  I’m behind and read it this month.  The 2025 challenge explored Christie’s canon through character and their careers.  November’s theme was Spies.

·       Hercule Poirot does not show up until the very end to solve the case.  I forgot it was a Hercule Poirot book until he showed up!

·       I was kind of disturbed that the school and detectives didn’t really seem to care that the foreign princess may have been potentially kidnapped.

·       This book mixed a school setting with espionage which was interesting and different.  A coup that happened in a fictional middle eastern country ended up impacting the school.

·       I liked Agatha Christie’s dry humor.

·       I liked how one of the students took matters into her own hands, figured out a major part of the mystery and left the school to get Hercule Poirot involved.

·       Poirot says the murderer is a cat among the pigeons, or a murdered among the innocent students and teachers.

·       The plot was very clever.

·       I was annoyed at one point where it seemed racist when the school staff was very concerned how a foreign princess is wearing what I think is a push up bra and how it was inappropriate for a girl her age . . . this did end up being an important plot point for later in the mystery.

·       There was a great surprise at the very end.

Overall, Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie is a clever cozy mystery that combines espionage and an English boarding school.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie

 

What was your last read of 2025?  A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie was my last read of 2025.

Miss Marple’s nephew, Raymond, has paid for her to vacation in the Caribbean for her health.  She arrives alone but gets to know the people at the resort she is staying at.  She is intrigued by an old soldier’s story.  When he is found murdered, will she be able to connect the story with the crime?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       A Caribbean Mystery is my December pick for the Read Christie 2025 Challenge.  This challenge explored Christie’s stories through her canon of characters and their careers.  December was novels featuring military characters.  A Caribbean Mystery featured “the old major whose habit of storytelling puts him in grave danger.”

·       It cracked me up that just like Poirot, there really is no vacation for Miss Marple. Murder finds her wherever she goes.

·       Fellow guest, Mr. Rafiel and Miss Marple team up to solve the murder.  I liked their partnership.

·       This was a perfect read for Christmas break.

·       There were a lot of shenanigans going on with couples at the resort. 

·       The poor couple that owned the resort know that murder is bad for business and want the case resolved quickly.

·       Nemesis is apparently a sequel to this novel. I hope to get to it this year!

·       Miss Marple has great powers of observation.  When she knits or putters around, people tend to ignore her and say incriminating things in front of her.

·       This novel kept me guessing.

A Caribbean Mystery is a perfect cozy mystery to keep one dreaming of sunny days in the midst of a snowy winter.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com

At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  At Bertram’s Hotel

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Stephanie Cole

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 44 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

Do you have a favorite hotel or place to stay for vacation or a place that you would like to stay?  I have always wanted to stay at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for September was religious figures.  The missing man in this story is Canon Pennyfather, a scholarly clergyman who is staying at the Bertram Hotel.

Miss Marple is staying at Bertram’s Hotel in London for a vacation.  Her nephew Raymond has gifted her the trip.  When Canon Penny father goes missing, will Miss Marple be able to help find him?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This novel had a great setting.  It set up the scene perfectly at the start of the book.  It is a very English hotel that Americans like to stay at for the ambience.  English patrons are given discounts to have them stay there to be a part of the ambience.  It is old fashioned, but with modern amenities that Americans like such as showers, toilets, and central heating.

·       Miss Marple wants to visit the hotel as she hasn’t been there since she was a girl, and she has very fond memories of the hotel.

·       Betram’s Hotel is thought to be inspired by Brown’s Hotel in London which was a favorite of Agatha Christie’s.

·       This novel was first published in 1965 and has a fabulous 60’s setting.

·       I did not guess the ending of this one.

·       I enjoyed all the different characters such as the forgetful Canon Pennyfather, Chief Inspector Davy, flamboyant Bess Sedwick,  her daughter Elvira, and many more.

·       This was a more character driven story.  Miss Marple turned out to be a secondary character with Chief Inspector Davy driving the investigation.  The murder did not take place until well into the story.

·       This was a good cozy mystery to listen to on audiobook.

Overall, At Bertram’s Hotel by Agatha Christie is an interesting cozy mystery that is perfect for fall with a great setting.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  One, Two Buckle my Shoe

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: Harper Collins

Length: Approximately 5 hours

Source: Thank-you to the Kewaunee Public Library.  I checked this out using #Libby. 

Do you like nursery rhymes?  I always enjoyed them as a kid and reciting them with my own children.  I love how Agatha Christie incorporates them into her fiction.

Dead bodies turn up everywhere for Hercule Poirot.  He goes to the dentist one day and his dentist ends up dead.  Was it suicide or was murder involved?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I read One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie for my August selection for #ReadChristie2025.  The August theme is medicine or medical professionals.  The victim is a dentist, Mr. Morley.

·       This is the twenty third Hercule Poirot novel.  I think it would be fun in the future to read all the Hercule Poirot novels in a row.

·       Hugh Fraser was a great audiobook narrator as usual.

·       It was interesting that this novel has a nursery rhyme title like other Christie books.  The buckles on shoes do play a part in the plot! This novel was first published in the United States in 1941 as the Patriotic Murders and then in 1955 as An Overdose of Death before finally being published with the original UK title.

·       I did not guess the ending of this one.

Overall, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie was a short read that kept me intrigued.

 

 

Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie

 

What has been your favorite memoir?

Come, Tell Me How You Live is a lighthearted memoir about Agatha Christie’s adventures in Syria while her husband, Max, was on an archaeological dig in the1930s.  She gathered together her notes and vignettes afterwards to put together this interesting memoir.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie in July as part of #ReadChristie2025.  The overall theme this year is to explore Christie’s works through the canon of characters and their careers.  The career for July was archeologists.

·       Christie’s second husband Max Mallowan was a renowned archaeologist.  He was thirteen years younger than her, and they traveled the world together.  I love this for Agatha Christie after her disastrous first marriage.

·       There was not much in the memoir on actual archaeology, but more on the people, places, and trying to make a home in a new and foreign place.

·       My favorite vignette was unforgettable and disturbing.  Christie woke up one night to find her and her husband covered with mice.  He could sleep fine, but she could not so their beds were moved outside.  A cat was hired the next day who efficiently and methodically killed the mice.  Christie called it a “professional cat.”  I would have loved to see this cat.

·       Christie chronicled a lot of hatred between different groups of different religions against each other.  Some were told with humor such as driver that tried to run over people of a particular religious group whenever he saw them, but I didn’t think it was funny.  Sadly, this conflict hasn’t changed with time in the Middle East.

·       Christie did write this memoir with a lot of wit and humor throughout.  It was nice to read a different genre from Christie rather than a mystery.

·       I wanted to travel with Christie as she seemed like a very fun and charming person.  The site conditions didn’t sound so fun, however.

·       It was sad thinking about all these archaeological treasures being found and carted away from their homeland.

Overall, Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie was a great memoir filled with wit and humor.  This book gives one the experience of what it would have been like to live through an archaeological dig in the 1930s.

Book Source:  The Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Murder is Easy

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Gemma Whelan

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 57 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.

How often do you read classics?

Luke Fitzwilliam is on a train when he meets Miss Pinkerton.  She is from a small English village, and she has quite the tale to tell him.  She said that there is murderer loose in her small English village of Wychwood and that she knows who will be murdered next.  Luke is sure Miss Pinkerton may be a bit batty, but after he reads of her death in a hit-and-run accident and that the next person she had stated would die has died mysteriously, he realizes that Miss Pinkerton may have been up to something after all.  He travels to Wychwood to investigate.  Will he be able to solve the crime?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for June was amateurs.  Main character Luke Fitzwilliam is newly retired from overseas police work and is not a seasoned detective. 

·       This mystery also had a love story in it with Luke and Bridget who helps him on his investigation.  Bridget is also engaged to the much older Lord Easterfield.

·       This is a standalone mystery that is not part of the Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot series.  Superintendent Battle shows up at the end of this novel, but I wouldn’t really call it a Superintendent Battle novel.

·       I did guess the ending of this one!  I just had a bad feeling about one of the characters and it proved to be correct.  There were a lot of red herrings as well.

·       I really liked the small English village setting.  Everyone was a suspect, and everyone had different aspects on the murder victims to share.  It was interesting just how easy murder turned out to be in this novel.

·       Gemma Whelan narrated this novel and did a great job.  It was a fun audiobook to listen to!

Overall, Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie is an enjoyable classic English mystery set in a small village.

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Cards on the Table

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 0 minutes

Source: Audiobook from Amazon Music monthly allotment.

What is your favorite card game?  Mine is Euchre although it’s been long time since I’ve played.

Mr. Shaitana has a gathering at his London home.  He has invited four detectives as well as four other people of whom he has secret information about.  The four non detectives play bridge all night, but by the end of the night, Mr. Shaitana is dead.  Who killed him and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for May was detectives.  This novel featured four detectives with Hercule Poirot, Colone Race, Superintendent Battle, and Ariadne Oliver all at the party and on the case. 

·       Wow!  This was one of my favorites Agatha Christie novels.  It was a great mystery with great characters and a great story.  The ending caught me totally off guard.

·       There was a lot about the game of Bridge in this story.  I have never played this game but have fond memories of my great grandparents hosting bridge parties.  Have you ever played bridge?

·       On the challenge website, it stated that Agatha Christie was not allowed to play cards on Sunday as a child so it it always felt slightly wicked when she did as an adult.

·       Hugh Fraser is a wonderful narrator of the Hercule Poirot novels, and I enjoyed listening to him again on this one.

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie was a wonderful mystery with complicated characters and a great story.  I loved how many favorite past characters came together to solve the mystery.

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  The Seven Dials Mystery

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Emilia Fox

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

Length: Approximately 7 hours and 46 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

What book are you excited about seeing as a movie or TV series this year?  The Seven Dials Mystery is going to be a new Netflix movie this year which should be interesting.

I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for April was butlers and I read The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie for the first time.  Tredwell the butler at The Chimneys keeps our main characters updated on the investigation. This book was published in 1929 and is the second book to feature Superintendent Battle, although he is more of a side character.

A practical joke goes wrong at a house a party at the Chimneys estate, which is being rented by Sir Oswald and Lady Coote.  Gerry Wade has a hard time getting up in the morning.  His friends set up eight alarm clocks to wake him up on morning . . . only he doesn’t wake up.  He has been poisoned! Why is one clock missing?  Will the killer be found before the next victim is murdered? 

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Eilleen “Bundle” Brent is the main investigator and a very independent and spirited young women.  She is an amateur sleuth.

·       This novel was different than typical Christie mysteries and was more of an espionage thriller focusing on secret societies.  I do like how Christie was always trying out something new with her writing.

·       I usually love when Emilia Fox narrates novels, but this narration was just okay to me.   I think it was more the storyline which didn’t capture my attention as much as other Christie novels.

·       This novel can be read as a standalone or together with The Chimneys.

·       I loved Lord Caterham and his daughter Bundles’ conversations.  They were very funny.

·       I felt claustrophobic when Bundle hid in a cabinet in the Seven Dials club to observe the secret society.  It was especially creepy that the Secret Society members wore hoods with clocks faces on them.

·       The ending was very surprising.

Overall, The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie was an interesting read, but not my favorite Christie read.