Agatha Christie Update 2

I got the notice that the next Agatha Christie novel is waiting for me to download from the local library's electronic collection.

I'm kind of excited for a couple of reasons:

• This was Agatha Christie's breakthrough novel: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• So far Poirot, the Belgian detective, is the only series.

Others have made their first appearance, but only Poirot has been a repeat character. This is Christie's seventh novel. I can see why she becomes a famous author. She captures Poirot in all of his irritating mannerisms, but makes you laugh at him at the same time.

Some of the classic detective elements are used in her novels, such as Hastings playing Watson to Poirot's Holmes. Mistaken identities, clues that are clues, clues that are red herrings - it's all there. And while I shouldn't be surprised, I am. I thought that the writing would be dated, and not so clever.

Christie has a way of drawing a reader in. Her characters make a great primary source for anyone that wants to know what England was like during the 1940s. There are enough differences in the various lifestyles and habits that one really gets a sense of what life was like.

I'm enjoying the books so far and am anxious to see what it was about this book that propelled Christie into a writing career that spans decades.