Stupidly late for this month’s (or more accurately last month’s) blog, but I’m aiming for ‘averaging’ a blog a month. This month, I wanted to return to Agatha Christie and talk about three of her underrated stories, in my most humble of opinions.
I decided to pick one Poirot, one Marple and one Other for my list, so here we go…
1 – POIROT – Cards on the Table
I do speak a lot about this novel and it is the one that immediately springs to mind when I think of underrated Christie novels (I’ve heard Anthony Horowitz agree with me on a podcast). It has such a simple set up, eight people are invited to play bridge and the host is murdered. One of the players is the murderer and Poirot has to work out who it is. It may be the simplicity of the set up that I love, or it may be that the wonderful Mrs Oliver makes her debut (in a Poirot novel). The characters are gripping and there is the usual twists and turns along the way until we reach a satisfying conclusion. Definitely one worth a read and a good introduction to the Poirot novels, before you consume the more recognisable ones. Of course, the David Suchet adaptation is marvellous.
2 – MARPLE – Nemesis.
Another clever mystery, where Miss Marple is sent on a tour of famous British houses following the death of Jason Rafael. Miss Marple’s inheritance is reliant on the trip and solving of a secret mystery. This is a great and clever story, with a number of shocking incidents along the way and the conclusion is extremely satisfying. I love the Joan Hickson adaptation and the more modern one with Geraldine McEwan was also great, with a fantastic performance from Richard E Grant as Marple’s nephew Raymond West.
3 – OTHER – Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?
Another book that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves and I feel that Bobby Jones and Lady Frances Derwent could have made a great crime fighting duo, but sadly only appear in this novel. A simple premise, a dying man found near a golf course with a cryptic last statement, leads the amateur detectives off in search of answers. I’ve not seen the 1980 adaptation and although I enjoyed the episode that they shoehorned Miss Marple into, Hugh Lawrie’s 2022 adaptation is sensational.
Thanks for reading this quick blog, I’ll aim to get another out shortly to catch up and maintain my monthly blog commitment. Please consider subscribing (for free) to be notified as soon as I release a blog here. Let me know through the socials what your favourite underrated Christie novels are. I’m currently working on DI Christie (named after Dame Agatha) book 5, so if you fancy reading about her, check out the Books tab on this site.
Ross Alexander Writer 