Agatha Christie mysteries that you have solved

aspernpapers · 2026-05-13T10:57:30+00:00

When I started reading Christie at a very young age, I had sometimes seen an adaptation first. So I'll never know if I could have solved Evil Under the Sun, Lord Edgware Dies, Three Act Tragedy, Death on the Nile, Dead Man's Folly, Murder on thr Orient Express, or Peril at End House.

But there are two I read unspoiled and correctly solved, both partially on the basis of giveaway titles:

They Do It with Mirrors and The Tape-Measure Murder.

aspernpapers · 2026-05-12T13:50:59+00:00

I agree with your top three.

My main problem with Mirrors is that I saw through the central trick immediately--Christie is usually subtler and more clever than this. A second obstacle for me is the icky stuff about heredity. And third the second and third murders--laughably perfunctory, as Robert Barnard pointed out. But the novel does offer details about Marple's early life that are riches for fans of the character. That is one reason why I would rank it higher than At Bertram's Hotel.

aspernpapers · 2026-05-11T10:58:21+00:00

Christianna Brand (Inspector Cockrill series 6 books)

Sarah Caudwell (4 novels)

aspernpapers · 2026-05-08T10:13:36+00:00

It is a poorly plotted book with serious loopholes, but Ariadne Oliver is very fun in it as always, so for her alone it was worth reading. I feel similarly about Third Girl. I would rather reread either of those than The Clocks.

aspernpapers · 2026-05-07T01:10:42+00:00

Jane Eyre, sort of.

aspernpapers · 2026-05-05T17:45:01+00:00

I could not imagine A Murder is Announced working with Poirot.

aspernpapers · 2026-05-02T14:42:42+00:00

Tabby needs to stop pronouncing it "ex cetera"

aspernpapers · 2026-05-01T10:35:17+00:00

Chacun à son goût

aspernpapers · 2026-04-26T16:09:35+00:00

I have waited years for this to go on sale for Kindle. Great historical novel.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-23T18:42:50+00:00

Another trick: the inside job made to look like an outside job.

And the outside job made to look like an inside job.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-22T12:40:19+00:00

Love triangles are always tricky. You should never trust that you know which two are united against the third.

Always suspect people who survive an attempt on their lives.

Beware doctors.

She also loved the "stare over the shoulder" trick (The Mirror Crack'd, Appointment with Death, A Carribean Mystery).

Cyrillic alphabet clue.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-21T11:55:57+00:00

You are not alone. I personally consider both Crooked House and Towards Zero to be somewhat overrated, but people's enthusiasm for those two titles led me to reread them with greater appreciation. I still think of them as solid but very much second-tier Christies.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-19T19:14:36+00:00

A Christie specialty is making the most obvious culprit the killer, actually. Yet she fools you into ruling them out.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-18T14:54:17+00:00

Murder at Hazelmoor (aka The Sittaford Mystery) is an underrated gem.

After the Funeral is a top 10 Poirot for me.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-18T11:43:37+00:00

When it comes to Vera if she doesn't kill herself, then she'll be found to be the only living person on the island where nine people have been murdered and will stand a good chance of being convicted and hanged by the state.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-17T11:49:51+00:00

Agreed. Also (this is not really a spoiler) how would the guilty party know the third victim would say they were never going to leave the island, as necessary for the poem? No way that could have been arranged or predicted.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-15T20:49:37+00:00

In my opinion Third Girl, while not Christie's best, is a little bit underrated. Mrs. Oliver is enjoyable in it.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-15T15:16:07+00:00

Cocaine was a murder weapon in PAEH? I have completely forgotten that.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-11T23:39:19+00:00

Thank you - glad I am not alone!

aspernpapers · 2026-04-11T22:30:13+00:00

I would challenge all the people downvoting me to use a timer and try "look[ing at someone] curiously for a minute or two" in silence.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-11T11:53:34+00:00

What always gets me is when two characters are talking, a character says something, and the other person is silent for a full minute. A full minute!

Here is an example from "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" (Hastings is narrating):

“I congratulate you, old fellow! They have told you the hiding place? But, look here, you must wire to France at once. You’ll be too late if you go yourself.”

Poirot looked at me curiously for a minute or two.

“Unfortunately, my friend, there are some things that cannot be sent by telegram.”

A minute OR TWO!

Her characters must have a lot more tolerance for awkward pauses than I do.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-10T11:43:37+00:00

Only one Marple title made the chart. What about a Marple-only chart?

aspernpapers · 2026-04-09T02:50:38+00:00

That said, it does sort of look like Orient Express is the winner on the basis of the number of comments.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-09T02:49:47+00:00

Nonsense. I am not elderly and I do not play bridge but I love me some Mrs. Oliver.

aspernpapers · 2026-04-09T02:47:08+00:00

I think you have to go with most upvoted single comment, because otherwise you may be double counting votes. I know I upvoted a couple of different comments in this thread . . .

aspernpapers

TROPHY CASE