Classic Agatha

I had plenty of time to read in the previous month - and since I have to rest for at least five more weeks, be prepared for more reading posts.

18. NEMESIS (Miss Marple)
Miss Marple is invited to investigate a crime without knowing what the crime is, where and when it happened. She is also invited to the Famous Houses and Gardens of Britain tour, which is then interrupted by a tragic incident. But the hints and leads just keep on coming and the pieces of the puzzle slowly start to come together.

Memorable quotes:
-"...since doctors were usually moderately optimistic, knowing from experience that patients who ought to die within a certain period very often took an unexpected lease of life and lingered on, still doomed, but obstinately declining to take the final step. On the other hand, hospital nurses when in charge of patients, had ... always expected the patients to be dead the next day, and were much surprised when they were not."
-"I don't know what one would do without the younger generation... They are so kind, are they not?"
-"Boulders usually stay where they are, in my experience."

Favourite Guest Character: Mr. Rafiel, although dead through all the story.
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: **
Entertainment: *****
11/15


17. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (Poirot)
Such a classic story doesn't need an introduction, does it? Anyhow, Poirot and a rather heterogeneous bunch of people ("of all classes, of all nationalities, of all ages") are stuck on the Orient Express train somewhere in Yugoslavia when one of the passengers is stabbed. With plenty of clues to go with, if one really wants to solve the problem, one has to speak foreign languages and be familiar with international affairs. But why is the town of Vinkovci spelled as Vincovci?

Memorable quotes:
-"She is cold. She has not emotions. She would not stab a man; she would sue him in the law courts."
-"The impossible cannot have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances."
-"Ce n'est rien. Je me suis trompe."

Favourite Guest Character: Well, none really. Maybe MacQueen?
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: *****
Entertainment: **
11/15


16. AT BERTRAM'S HOTEL (Miss Marple)
Miss Marple stays in a London hotel that seems to be frozen in the Edwardian times - even the guests. But are the guests really as innocent as they appear? The hotel seems to be just too perfect, there are too many strange coincidences and Miss Marple, as always, knows all the gossip. Although she, like the readers, hasn't got a clue what's going on. Just something isn't right.

Memorable quote:
-"I learned ... that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back - that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a one way street, isn't it?"

Favourite Guest Character: Miss Marple was very enjoyable in this one, otherwise Lady Sedgwick.
Mystery: **
Final Solution: **
Entertainment: ***
7/15


15. 4:50 FROM PADDINGTON (Miss Marple)
Two trains overtaking each other: on one a friend of Miss Marple is sitting and on the other a woman is being strangled to death. As no body is found, police have their doubts on the story. But Miss Marple engages perfect domestic help, Lucy, to do a little research. She meets a large family, the local doctor and finds a recycled sarcophagus. Too many unnecessary deaths in the book but still a classic Agatha.

Memorable quote:
-"Feed the brutes!"

Favourite Guest Character: Lucy Eyelesbarrow, obviously.
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: ***
Entertainment: *****
12/15