Book Review: The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

The Body in the Library (A Miss Marple Mystery)
Author:  Agatha Christie
Publisher: Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, Inc.
Copyright: 1970 (original copyright 1941)
Pages:  191
Genre:  mystery/crime fiction
ISBN  10: 1-57912-626-X
          13: 978-157912-626-1

www.agathachristie.com/victims

Source:  My personal copy

Participating in the Agatha Christie Blog Carnival featured here.

From the cover:  Colonel and Mrs. Bantry are shocked when they wake one morning to find the dead body of a young platinum blonde on the floor of their library.  Nobody in the village of St. Mary Mead seems to know who she is, but everyone has a theory about the crime.  The ensuing investigation follows a twisted trail from this quiet village to an upscale int he nearby town of Danemouth, where the victim worked as a ballroom dancer and bridge hostess.  As the local inspectors sift through emerging clues to identify a suspect, Miss Jane Marple, St. Mary Mead's resident sleuth, always seems to be one step ahead of them.

My review: Whether it's a Jane Marple or Hercule Poirot, or Tommy and Tuppence; Agatha Christie weaves a mystery like none other.  She is a magnificent story teller and I have found it rare to solve the mystery myself before the hero/heroin in the novel does.  She is masterful in the creation of the intrinsic details of the plot, spinning and weaving hidden clues so subtly that they are easily overlooked.

In The Body in the Library, a young lady is found lying dead from strangulation on the floor of a somewhat elderly and refined couple, Colonel and Mrs. Bantry.  Suspicions soon spread through town that perhaps Colonel Bantry has some nasty secrets but his dear wife comes to the rescue of his reputation and esteem by enlisting the aid of her friend and neighbourhood sleuth, Jane Marple.  The town's police are on the case, along with a retired Scotland Yard superintendent, but it is to Jane Marple they turn for her wisdom and skills.  It is Jane who unravels the clues to solve the case of The Body in the Library.

This was a re-read for me, perhaps the third or fourth time over, and still I found myself immersed in the plot, caught up in the nuances of the world Agatha Christie creates.  That is an indication of an undying classic: a book that the reader cherishes and turns to time and again and still finds intrinsic value in the written word therein.

By the way, would you look at this cover?  I absolutely love it.  

Rated 5/5

Agatha Christie Blog Carnival for June

Hello everyone!

The June edition of the Agatha Christie Blog Carnival is now 
available at 
http://acrccarnival.blogspot.com/2011/06/acrc-carnival-2011-5-june-24-2011.html


The next edition will be published on July 24, 2011.

Book Review: Postern of Fate by Agatha Christie

Postern of Fate

Author:  Agatha Christie

Copyright:  1973

Publisher:  The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd., by arrangement  with William Collins, Sons & Co. Ltd.

Pages:  253

Includes:  Table of Contents

Genre:  Mystery

Source:  I purchased this book

Four great gates has the city of Damascus...Postern of Fate, the Desert Gate, Disaster's Cavern, Fort of Fear... Pass not beneath, O Caravan, or pass not singing.  Have you heard That silence where the birds are dead, yet something pipeth like a bird?

~ James Elroy Flecker:  Gates of Damascus
(The title of Postern of Fate is derived from the poem Gates of Damascus by James Elroy Flecker)

Postern (from Webster's Dictionary) - 1) a back door or gate

                                                                                2) a private or side entrance or way

the initial cover for the UK edition

Summary:  When Tommy and Tuppence Beresford move to a quiet English village, they are for once not looking for adventure, just a peaceful retirement. However, adventure is set to find them when they discover that their rambling old house holds many forgotten secrets. Who is Mary Jordan? And why has someone left a coded message in an old book about her 'unnatural' death?

Though Postern of Fate was the last book written by Agatha Christie it was not the final book to appear in print.  (http://agathachristie.com/christies-work/stories/postern-of-fate)

My Review:  How I enjoy Tommy and Tuppence as the retired sleuths/detectives in this, Postern of Fate, the last book ever written by Agatha Christie; though it should be noted it was not the last of Agatha Christie's to be published.  Tommy and Tuppence have "retired" to a quiet village and are in the process of fixing up an old estate house.  When Tuppence happens upon a book, a copy of The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson, she discovers a cypher which intrigues her.  Once deciphered, Tuppence shares with Tommy the message "Mary Jordan did not die naturally.  It was one of us."  However unwittingly and unintentional, the pair investigate, asking people of the town what they know of Mary Jordan.  What they discover puts them in touch not only with old acquaintances from their earlier days, but in the grasp of a would- be murderer.  

I'd read only one other Agatha Christie novel featuring Tommy and Tuppence, Partners in Crime, as reviewed on this blog, prior to Postern of Fate.  Postern of Fate doesn't disappoint, as it delves into the political climate of 60  years previous, and its continuing impact on the present day.  This novel explores sinister intent with derivations from the garden, featuring the two loveable protagonists, the Beresfords.

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, have a desire to "know things" that cannot be extinguished with time nor age.  They are quite the team, this married couple who love to banter back and forth, challenging each other's minds. It seems to keep each on their toes, which is essential in the line of work they have enjoyed during their working years. The bantering of this couple seems to have gotten a little milder in Postern of Fate than what I recall in Partners in Crime, though still enjoyable.  The following is an example of just this, beginning with Tuppence as she converses with her husband Tommy:

"You aren't trying to make me drink bay rum, are you?" 

"No, I don't think I particularly want to drink bay rum myself."

"Well," said Tuppence, "if I may get on with what I was saying------" 

"I should like you to," said Tommy. "You'll do it anyway, but I should like to feel it was because I'd urged you to do so." ~ page 95, Postern of Fate

It is at this point that Tuppence shares with Tommy her suspicions about Mathilda, the rocking horse. Tuppence and Tommy are in their 70's in this novel and ready to retire, but their inquisitive natures don't retire so easily as the body might like.  

With reference to gardening, the danger of foxglove (digitalis) and its role in this mystery, Postern of Fate is a good example of the meticulous nature of Agatha Christie's research. Postern of Fate also references previous cases the sleuthing pair worked on together, such as N or  M which is mentioned a few times throughout the book, thus encouraging the reader to locate more of Agatha Christie's novels featuring these two heroes.   Again, Ms. Christie captures the reader's imagination while encouraging analysis as you try to solve the mystery.  I quite enjoyed Postern of Fate and highly recommend it to Agatha Christie enthusiasts, especially Tommy and Tuppence fans, and particularly lovers of gardening. 

Rated 4.5/5

This review will be linked up with the Agatha Christie Blog Carnival on the 24th of June.  Stop by for a visit Agatha Christie Blog Carnival.

Hosting this Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Carnival is Kerrie.  "You can submit a link to any postings you have made that review Agatha Christie books or relate to interesting articles about Agatha Christie by going to the Carnival collecting space and putting in the URL, your details, and a comment about the post. The closing date for each month's Carnival is the 22nd of the month. The Carnival will appear on the 23rd."  See her blog for further details.  Come join the mystery! 

Are You an Agatha Christie Fan?

Be a participant in the monthly Agatha Christie Challenge Blog Carnival which is published 22-23 of each month.  It is an opportunity to submit your Agatha Christie reviews and updates to each carnival.  So when you write a review or an update about your progress in the challenge, then the next step each time is to submit your post to the Carnival here .

The carnival has various categories:
General
Miss Marple
Tommy & Tuppence
Hercule Poirot
Superintendent Battle
Short Stories
Updates
Discoveries (here you can submit interesting Agatha Christie related websites that you've discovered)

Join in the mystery and adventure each month, on the 22 or 23, for more Agatha Christie.  I recently reviewed Murder on the Orient Express (also published as Murder in the Calais Coach).  Stop by for a read, won't you.

Hosting this Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Carnival is Kerrie.  "You can submit a link to any postings you have made that review Agatha Christie books or relate to interesting articles about Agatha Christie by going to the Carnival collecting space and putting in the URL, your details, and a comment about the post. The closing date for each month's Carnival is the 22nd of the month. The Carnival will appear on the 23rd."  See her blog for further details.  Come join the mystery!