In the sprawling, half-timbered mansion in the affluent suburb of Swinly Dean, Aristide Leonides lies dead from barbiturate poisoning. An accident? Not likely. In fact, suspicion has already fallen on his luscious widow, a cunning beauty fifty years his junior, set to inherit a sizeable fortune, and rumored to be carrying on with a strapping young tutor comfortably ensconced in the family estate. But criminologist Charles Hayward is casting his own doubts on the innocence of the entire Leonides brood. He knows them intimately. And he's certain that in a crooked house such as Three Gables, no one's on the level...
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
*
I've said it a million times and I'll say it again here: I'm an enormous fan of Agatha Christie. I've read so many of her novels, but my reading just keeps expanding. The latest novel: Crooked House.
There was an adaptation of this novel televised a few years ago, which I watched and absolutely loved. I've had the book on my kindle for a while, but by the time I came round to read it I'd actually forgotten all the details of the story, including the culprit.
Reading the novel again reminded me just how much I'd loved the story. The feel of the novel was light but mysterious, the characters were intriguing, and the plot twists were thick and fast. However, what I love most about Christie's novels, and that was present here, was all the little intricacies of the plot that led to a dramatic reveal.
Agatha Christie at her absolute best.
Rating: ✫✫✫✫✫
The Story
The plot of Crooked House is that of a classic murder mystery. Old Aristide Leonides is poisoned, and criminologist Charles Hayward is approached by the deceased's granddaughter to figure out who did it. Could it be the son, desperate for money? Or the widow, fifty years younger than her husband? Or maybe it's the sister of the man's first wife, who has always resented him? Or perhaps, it could be somebody else...
It's a recipe for success, and it's carried off beautifully. It's a little confusing to get to grips with all of the different characters at first, but they all have very defined and distinct personalities, so it gets a lot easier as the story progresses. They're also some really interesting personalities. I think one of the things that makes Agatha Christie such a good author is the way she plays on the sympathies we may have with each character. Take, for example, the young widow of the poisoned old man. Some readers may sympathise with her for being cast out by the family, vulnerable. Other readers may choose to dislike her for the way she uses her femininity to attract such sympathy. And some readers may be somewhere in between. There is no right way to view Christie's characters, because they have so many different dimensions to them. They're so interesting to read about, and it keeps us on our toes right to the very end.
Even having watched the adaptation in the past, I couldn't put my finger on who the culprit was. Crooked House had one of those perfect reveals where you have the sudden realisation that all of the clues were there all along; you just didn't spot their significance at the time. The story comes full circle, and every loose plotline is tied up beautifully. The ending shows just why Agatha Christie is the queen of the murder mystery. She isn't afraid to push boundaries and take risks, and she knows just how to make them work.
The Verdict
I feel like it's pretty clear what my verdict is with this one. Agatha Christie triumphs once again, and this is definitely one of my favourite standalone novels that she ever wrote. It has a fantastic plot weaved through fully defined characters, and an ending that is up there with the best of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment