The Murder on the Links is one of the earliest of Agatha Christie’s books and the second Hercule Poirot novel. Just like the majority of her early works, it’s exciting and dynamic, with no time for contemplation. The events happen mainly in France, but, apparently, Hastings can manage French perfectly, because he translates everything into English without any difficulty.

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“At Bertram’s Hotel” is one of the latest works by Agatha Christie and, like some of her other late works, tends to be less exciting, but more contemplative. Most of the book is dedicated to the description of Bertram’s Hotel, which imitates old England in the second half of the twentieth century to cater to the desires of the older folk to see the world as if it hadn’t changed.
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This novel by the Queen of the genre is a bit unusual – not in style, but in the choice of the leading characters. We’ll see neither Hercule Poirot nor Miss Marple here – on the contrary, the case will be investigated by two young people without any previous experience in solving mysteries.
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“The Secret Adversary” is one of Tommy and Tuppence mysteries – and the only one from this series I’ve so far managed to lay my hands on. It’s a perfect thriller, and I absolutely love it. I read it for the first time thirteen years ago, and now just had to refresh it in memory before reviewing it – but I remember the first time, and how completely mystified I was.
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The Hallowe’en party for schoolchildren who are over 11 has been a success. The contests have been finished, the winners defined and the prizes given for everything: bobbing for apples, cutting the flour cake and the best decorated broom. After the Snapdragon everyone should go home – there is nothing more to do here. Only nobody can locate that thirteen-year-old girl, Joyce, who always boasts… annoying, isn’t it, that she delays everyone else?
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Another one of Hercule Poirot cases – this time, his friend Captain Hastings is here too. The setup is a little unusual – before each murder is committed, Hercule Poirot receives a letter from the murderer, challenging him – and then, when it’s actually committed, Poirot can do nothing about it. Not every day we see this great man fail!
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This book – unlike most of the books written by this authors – didn’t grab my attention at once. When I first made an attempt at reading it, I did a chapter and a half – and then put the book aside. It bored me. Now I can’t believe it, because my second attempt was more successful, and the book proved excellent.
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A small village just after the Second World War – very cosy, very English and apparently the safest place in the world. When a weird announcement appears in the most popular local newspaper stating that there is going to be a murder in one of the houses and inviting friends to take part, most people assume it’s just about a murder game – and many of them arrive just in time, rather impatient.
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Everyone believed Rosemary Barton’s death to be suicide. She was poisoned by cyanide at her own birthday party. She had been depressed, unhappy, deserted by her lover – she’d been actually caught writing a letter to her sister instructing her what to do with her things. Everyone accepted the suicide version.
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Another one of those great Hercule Poirot mysteries. A young, beautiful lady hires the famous detective to do, in her own words, something fantastic.
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