However, maybe I have found a reason to tackle Agatha Christie. See:
Review of Perish by the Sword by Poul Anderson by AM Romer
Ali Romer says in her review that it was obvious to her from the outset who the murderer should be in this novel. She read the book to the end hoping that there would be a twist but there wasn't one. The villain was the obvious candidate. Last night, in a very good British TV appreciation of Agatha Christie and her Hercule Poirot series, the point was made that Christie was expert at writing surprising and satisfying conclusions to detective novels. So maybe I should check out Murder On The Orient Express especially since this famous train was also one of the settings in From Russia With Love?
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Far too many years ago, I used to be a big mystery fan, reading Margery Allingham, John Dickson Carr, Agatha Christie, GK Chesterton, A. Conan Doyle (of course!), Dorothy L. Sayers, Rex Stout, Robert van Gulik, and a scattering of works by other writers. And while I am not longer such a big mystery reader, I still have the whodunnits of Carr, Chesterton, Doyle, Sayers, and van Gulik. I esp. recommend the latter because of how they were set in early T'ang Dynasty China.
Compared to the masters I listed, I have to conclude Poul Anderson's three mystery novels did not rise to the best works of the authors I cited. I thought the most interesting of Anderson's mysteries was MURDER IN BLACK LETTER. And I thought better of his mystery short stories (that I've managed to read). But his real skill and forte as a fiction writer was in science fiction, fantasy, and the fairly few historical novels he wrote.
I was not as observant as Ali Romer, however! I had to read to the end of PERISH BY THE SWORD to find out who the murderer was.
Ad astra! Sean
I mentioned in my previous comment how Anderson wrote historical novels as well as science fiction, etc. I thought it right to list here those stories he set in real history
THE GOLDEN SLAVE
ROGUE SWORD
THE LAST VIKING (in three volumes)
THE GOLDEN HORN
THE ROAD OF THE SEA HORSE
THE SIGN OF THE RAVEN
I include the four volumes of THE KING OF YS (co-authored with Karen Anderson) as historical fiction, despise flashes of fantasy:
ROMA MATER
GALLICENAE
DAHUT
THE DOG AND THE WOLF
MOTHER OF KINGS.
So, in actuality, Anderson's contributions to historical fiction were substantial! And I found the 19th and 20th century portions of THE BOAT OF A MILLION YEARS esp. interesting.
I am chagrined! I meant to write DESPITE in the sentence commenting on THE KING OF YS, not "despise." I do not in the least despise that four volume novel!
ad astra! Sean
There are mystery elements in a lot of Poul’s work. Eg., the bit where Holger solves the question of “who’s the werewolf” in THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
An excellent example! And a really quite good bit of sleuthing by Holger!
Ad astra! Sean
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