Despite the fact that I count London among my three favorite cities in the world, I know far too little about it. I’ve been there four times, hit some of the tourist spots, taken high tea (with and without gluten), and visited with friends. Most of what I have learned about London, however, is what I’ve … Continue reading FROM BERTRAM’S TO WHITEHAVEN: Agatha Christie’s London by Tina Hodgkinson

“She was such a beautiful creature. She had such a wonderful gift. She had a great power of love and hate, but no stability. That’s what’s so sad for anyone, to be born with no stability. She couldn’t let the past go, and she could never see the future as it really was, only as … Continue reading ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE: Theatricality in Agatha Christie’s Novels and Stories, Chapter 3: The Actors, Part III

It’s lovely, isn’t it, how one thing can inspire another! My friend Kate Jackson, the proprietor of neighboring mystery blog Cross Examining Crime, started an activity a few years ago that she calls Murder Every Monday! At the start of the week, Kate invites anyone who wishes to participate to post on social media – or even … Continue reading SWEET SIXTY AND NEVER BEEN KISSED: Agatha Christie’s Best Spinsters

In Curtain Up: Agatha Christie, A Life in the Theatre, Julius Green recounts a wonderful story about the actor Francis L. Sullivan, who had entreated his friend Agatha to adapt her novel Death on the Nile with him in the leading role. Let’s remember that Sullivan had played Poirot several times – but Agatha was through with having her … Continue reading ALL HER WORLD’S A STAGE: Theatricality in Agatha Christie’s Novels and Stories – Chapter 3: The Actors (Part 2)

“’Deduce, Poirot, from the following facts! Here is a young lady, richly dressed – fashionable hat, magnificent furs. She is coming along slowly, looking up at the houses as she goes. Unknown to her, she is being shadowed by three men and a middle-aged woman. They have just been joined by an errand boy, who … Continue reading ALL HER WORLD’S A STAGE: Theatricality in Agatha Christie’s Novels and Stories, Chapter 3: “The Actors, Part I.”

“After an early dinner at which they drank Aunt Jane’s health, they all went off to His Majesty’s theater . . . The lights went down, and the play began. It was superbly acted, and Gwenda enjoyed it very much. She had not seen very many first-rate theatrical productions. The play drew to a close, … Continue reading ALL HER WORLD’S A STAGE: Theatricality in Agatha Christie’s Novels and Stories – Chapter 2: “A face full of secrets”

Let me set the stage for you . . .  Everyone who loves Agatha Christie has discovered her in their own unique way. Ask someone “What was the first Christie you read?”, and there are sixty-six possible answers – and that’s if you’re only counting her mystery novels. Each of us has our origin story, … Continue reading ALL HER WORLD’S A STAGE: Theatricality in Agatha Christie’s Novels and Stories