Reading Agatha Christie

66. POIROT INVESTIGATES (Poirot)
A collection of short stories that show Poirot's "day at the office": he finds a missing husband, a kidnapped prime minister, missing jewellry, a map, naval plans and bonds. But he also helps a thief and describes the only time he failed identifying the murderer.

Memorable quotes:
-"You must not underrate the force of superstition."
-"One must seek the truth within - not without."
-"To work against the law, it would be pleasing, for a change."
-"There are many things not called poison which can kill a man."

Favourite Guest Character: Violet Marsh from the Missing Will
Favourite Stories: The Case of the Missing Will, The Chocolate Box
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ****
11/15


65. THIRD GIRL (Poirot)
A girl - a third girl - thinks she might have committed a murder. Now Poirot has to solve it - time, place and victim unknown ... A story full of rather unrealistic coincidences, in which Ariadne is knocked unconscious and Poirot learns that he is too old. 

Memorable quotes:
-"... people are never like what you remember them. You make them, as the years go by, more and more the way you wish them to be, and as you think you remember them."
-"Mind you, boys can cause you trouble, too. But girls is more worrying, I think."
-"I might go up in the Whispering Gallery and whisper."

Favourite Guest Character: Dr. Stillingfleet
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: **
Entertainment: **
7/15


64. SPARKLING CYANIDE
Exactly one year after Rosemary dies during a dinner in hotel Luxembourg, the same group gathers at the same table. And again, one of them dies. But did the killer get the right person? The solution can be predicted by anyone who understands group theory and symmetry breaking :-)

Memorable quotes:
-"Frightening, really, how little you might know of a person after living in the same house with them!"
-"She couldn't even listen intelligently."
-"He'd never been able to suffer fools gladly - not even fools with pretty faces."
-"These women who have children when they're over forty never seem to learn any sense."

Favourite Guest Character: Anthony Browne
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ****
11/15

Ninjago Zane T-shirt

With Ninjago-mania of course came the request to make Ninjago T-shirt. MiniMojcek Nr.1's favourite ninja is Kai and he already has a Kai sweatshirt. So this time the request came to make a Zane costume. The white one. And what can a mother do than fulfill the request.

Zane's emblem is a golden lion. This is a just a rough sketch I made to check the size of lion's head.

 And the finished lion:

 The T-shirt has a fake belt (stitched on the T-shirt, but not all the way so that one can still tie a knot) and a stitched-on thingy at the neck.

 

I'm not quite happy with how the ropes turned out ... hmpf ... Let's just hope that MiniMojcek Nr. 1 likes the shirt.

But perhaps I can correct this the next time: I already have a request for the green ninja.

London Calling

My absence is excused.

 

  

Although I failed to see Mousetrap, I managed to find Seven dials and by pure chance crossed Harley Street.

On my way to Baker street, obviously. 

Elephant is in the house

Mr. Mojcek's friend was getting married and the invitation clearly stated that he didn't want to get any elephants.

So of course we got him an elephant :-)

First I wanted to make one from scratch but really didn't have the time. So I bought a hand puppet elephant and altered it. Of course.

I went to a specialised laboratory equipment shop and a bricolage:

The elephant on the operating table:

And the elephant in action. He sucks the water in ... and then sqirts it around!

It has to be done ...

You know, there are things that just have to be done. And one of those things is sorting - and mostly deleting - photographs. Even back in the old days, when I was still shooting film, I came back from New Zealand with over 40 rolls of film (roughly 1600 photos). When switching to digital, the number increased even more.

So this means that the most important part of the "post-production" is to delete about 90 % of all the photos I shoot and keep only the really good ones. Sometimes the decision is not so easy:

See what I mean?

Tiger cake

Two of my friends were celebrating their birthdays meaning that a present had to be made. A bunch of us gathered, baked a cake and decorated it accordingly. Mind you, this was the first time any of us worked with fondant - or sculptured a cake, but we're all very very happy with the result: a tiger cake.

Photo not by me. I hope the author allows me to share it.

Still reading Agatha Christie

63. A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY (Miss Marple)
Miss Marple travels to the Caribbean and someone almost shows her a photo of a murderer. The next day, he's found dead and the photograph gone. But he isn't the only victim! Miss Marple uses the only weapon she has - gossip - to solve the case. Very predictable novel but at the same time a very enjoyable one.

Memorable quotes:
-"Adventures always seem to happen to other people."
-"Actually, you've got a logical mind. Very few women have."
-"Having brains, you can get most things you want without having recourse to murder. Murder is stupid."
-"One really knows so little about the people one meets when one is travelling ... one only knows, doesn't one, what they choose to tell you about themselves."
-"One should never take exception to one's children's objectionable friends. Usually they
grow out of them naturally."
-"Don't distrust all men because you've met one bad lot." 

Favourite Guest Character: Mr. Rafiel
Mystery: ****
Final Solution: **
Entertainment: *****
11/15


62. PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY
A collection of short stories, including:  Parker Pyne on Mallorca does what he does best, colourful tea cups solve a family mystery, a diamond disappears on a ship and a woman knows when it's time to go.

Memorable quotes:
-"No man or woman is actually himself (or herself) till after forty-five."
-"... the law's one thing, and right and wrong are quite another."
-"It isn't a dog's business to think."
-"I'm so tired of being brave."

Favourite Guest Character: Mr Quinn and his questions
Favourite Story: The Regatta Mystery
Mystery: **
Final Solution: ***
Entertainment: ***
8/15

I couldn't find a good photo of Pollenca, so Palma should do.

61. WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS?
Bobby, a son of a vicar, and Lady Frances try to solve the mystery behind a photograph, stage an accident, spy around a local sanatorium, get kidnapped, try not to get poisoned and of course answer the question who Evans was. Although part of the question lies half around the world, the final answer is much closer than anyone thinks.

Memorable quotes:
-"On principle I distrust people who have alibis."
-"It's extraordinary how men like helpless women."
-"He must have out-Houdini'd Houdini."
-"But if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again."

Favourite Guest Character: Frances, of course.
Mystery: *****
Final Solution: ***
Entertainment: ****
12/15