Agatha Christie has definitely become one of my favorite authors. Her most well-known book is arguably Murder on the Orient Express, but for my book club, I tried Ackroyd for that very reason. Christie is a fabulous writer, weaving her tale so expertly, she is a rarity in the mystery genre. Never once did I feel "cheated" by her like with some authors - withholding a vital piece of information or not introducing a crucial character until later. I was extremely satisfied with her ending, revelation and explanation. Christie gives you and Hercule Poirot, her famous detective, every single piece of information necessary to solve the crime, but the murderer (while I will not reveal his or her identity) is absolutely the last person you would suspect of the crime. Her clever use of narration, lies and red herrings is masterful, enthralling her reader in her story and taking them exactly where she wants them to be. I love mystery books, but I have not yet found an author who doesn't trick me into being unable to solve the crime. I would recommend her to anyone hooked on such mystery books - the comparison is like recommending fresh, seasonal fruit to someone who only eats those crappy Jello-with-fruit chunks things. Christie is a master at her craft and I will definitely be reading more of her in the future.
Overall grade: 10 out of 10. Fabulous.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (September 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1579126278
ISBN-13: 978-1579126278
I don't know exacly what kind of books you like, but I highly reccomend Diary of a Teenage Girl by Melody Carlson.
ReplyDelete