ChristiesCapers

The Seven Dials Mystery | Agatha Christie

October‘s #ChristiesCapers reacquaints us with Superintendent Battle of Chimneys fame. Discussion October 26th!

All are welcome to join; please let me know if you with your be added/removed from the tag list. #AgathaChristieClubR3

janeycanuck, suvata, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, Deblovestoread, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Teresereading, Laughterhp, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, MaGoose, ElizaMarie, bcncookbookclub, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, PageShifter, willaful, kimrenee, BookNook, AnishaInkspill

Librarybelle @LitsyEvents 20h

ChaptersofChaos Can I be added? 20h

Librarybelle Of course, @ChaptersofChaos ! Welcome! 12h

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CogsOfEncouragement Please add me. Thank you ✌🏼♥️📚 12h

Librarybelle Will do, @CogsOfEncouragement ! 😁 12h

Deblovestoread Hi Jess, you can remove me from the tag list. I got halfway through The Big Four and haven‘t been interested in picking it back up. Thank you 💙 8h

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Librarybelle

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot) | Agatha Christie

My brain is completely fried from last week, and I did not allow myself a lot of planning time for the discussion. My apologies, but there are 4 questions posted as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching #ChristiesCapers or #AgathaChristieClubR3 .

Next month, we look at The Seven Dials Mystery which reintroduces us to characters we met in The Secret of Chimneys. Official post tomorrow!

kspenmoll Thank you for doing this with all you have on your plate. How is your dad? 💕 2d

Librarybelle @kspenmoll He‘s doing very well. I visited my parents yesterday, and he said that he‘s still finding he cannot quite think of the right word to say at times but has seen an improvement. He‘s waiting for his cardiologist to get back to him to set up tests; they still don‘t know where the clot came from that caused the stroke, but they‘re pretty positive it was not from the brain. Thanks for asking! 2d

thebacklistbook So glad to hear he is doing better! (edited) 2d

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ferskner I think I missed the news about your dad - I'm so sorry to hear all of this, but I'm so happy he's doing well!!! Sending you all my prayers, friend. ♥️ 2d

robinb So sorry to hear about your dad but hopefully he‘ll continue to do well. Sending a big hug. 🤗 2d

Librarybelle Thank you, @thebacklistbook @ferskner @robinb ! ❤️ 2d

Cuilin Just catching up on all of Litsy news, so sorry to hear about your dad. Glad he‘s doing well. I read the Blue Train the first week in September so I‘m going to go find the questions now. 🤗 1d

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Librarybelle

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot) | Agatha Christie

This post contains spoilers

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4. We explored Poirot, settings, & plot...now, let's visit the characters. Christie plays on the American millionaire (we'll see that too in Orient Express), and we also run into jewel thieves &, of course, people with secrets. Plus, Katherine Grey serves as a sounding board for Poirot. Any characters you wish to discuss with the group?

This is the first time Poirot's valet George is mentioned in the books! #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 I loved George!! I got a definite ‘Jeeves‘ vibe from him 🤗 2d

kspenmoll George is perfect for Poirot & adds another relationship & dimension to Poirot.Katherine Grey was a wonderful character & addition to the book/plot. 2d

OutsmartYourShelf Can't really remember any characters who really stood out (I read this in August) but according to my review I wasn't a fan of Katherine Grey. 2d

willaful I would like to have seen Lenox get a happy ending, but I guess we just have to rely on Poirot's intuition. 😁

George is definitely fun and Jeeves-y, though of course Poirot would never need a Jeeves. (Hastings could use one!) The next book we read is even more Wodehousian, IIRC. 2d

suvata Mirelle adds a layer of intrigue with her theatrical personality and questionable motives. 1d

9 likes5 comments

Librarybelle

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot) | Agatha Christie

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3. The setting: the blue train. Christie uses travel in her mysteries quite a lot, and this will not be Poirot's only encounter with a mystery on a train (I'm looking at you, Orient Express). What do you think of the plot and the setting?

Incidentally, this marks the first time St. Mary Mead is mentioned in a Christie novel, which we will visit soon as the home of Miss Marple!

#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 I liked the train setting! I worried it would be a copy/paste of Orient Express but this one stood on its own legs 🙌 I love a classic locked-room mystery so maybe that‘s why I liked it? (edited) 2d

kspenmoll Since I love trains & train travel, the train setting is one I always enjoy! 2d

OutsmartYourShelf I love mysteries set on trains & locked room mysteries so that was a point in its favour. I thought the plot wasn't as tightly written as other books. 2d

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willaful I was surprised it was St. Mary Mead, I don't remember ever noticing that before! At first I thought, “no it's not!“ but then I remembered that at least a decade separates the stories. 2d

Cuilin Oh, the train is almost the best part of the whole book. I love a train journey. And a mystery on a train even better!!! 1d

Cuilin @Aims42 same I love a locked room mystery. I think they are my favorite!!! 1d

suvata The train's isolation (a moving, enclosed space) amplifies suspense, as the murderer must be among the passengers, with no immediate escape. This mirrors Christie's knack for using travel settings (trains, boats, planes) to trap suspects and victims together, forcing secrets to surface. 1d

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Librarybelle

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot) | Agatha Christie

This post contains spoilers

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2. In the first question, we compared the novel to prior Poirot novels, but I want to dive a little deeper into Poirot. In The Big Four, Poirot had a persona of an action hero. In this one, he's back to the Poirot we know. We're also experiencing Poirot without the aid of Hastings. Do you miss Hastings in this one? What can we glean from Poirot's character without the help of Hastings? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 I thought I would miss Hastings, but I actually enjoyed Poirot going solo in this story. And I‘m really happy that Poirot was just as sassy without Hastings as he is with him 😆 2d

kspenmoll I did not miss Hastings- I know he is a foil for Poirot but sometimes he irritates & distracts me. 2d

OutsmartYourShelf No, didn't miss Hastings at all. I agree with @kspenmoll Hastings can be irritating at times. 2d

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TheAromaofBooks I actually love Hastings, so I always miss him, but since he wasn't there we were able to get a lot of scenes that he wouldn't have been privy to. 2d

Cuilin Well, I actually didn‘t even think of Hastings so I guess I did not miss him. However, I generally like Hastings. 1d

suvata I definitely missed Hastings. He was a fun and interesting guy. 1d

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Librarybelle

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot) | Agatha Christie

This post contains spoilers

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1. This is our 6th book featuring Poirot (5th novel plus a collection of short stories). What did you think of this one? How does it compare to the prior Poirot novels we read?

A few facts:

*Christie hated this novel though it was well received by critics.
*The idea came from her 1923 short story The Plymouth Express.
*She was writing this as she grieved her mother's passing & was divorcing her husband.

#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 Your facts totally surprised me 🤯 I‘m shocked she didn‘t particularly love this one, I thought it was really well done! I liked how she established the characters before Poirot appeared. And I would have no idea she was grieving while writing this. 2d

kspenmoll I agree with @Aims42 in that I too liked how she introduced the characters before Poirot came on the scene. He was more likable to me than in previous books. I wonder if her writing while grieving her mother & her marriage gave her an escape. (edited) 2d

OutsmartYourShelf Interesting that Christie was grieving both her mother & the divorce from her husband, perhaps explains the fact that I thought it wasn't one of her better books. It felt a little distracted, deservedly so now knowing the circumstances. 2d

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willaful I'd read that Christie thought it her worst book and I definitely don't agree. Still think it's one of her lesser ones. I haven't read it in so long, I managed to forget the ending!
2d

TheAromaofBooks The divorce part is interesting, because Christie actually frequently has a lil romance/HEA in her books - but here the ending is kind of vague and open-ended regarding the romantic elements. 2d

Cuilin Like everybody else, I‘m a bit surprised about Christie not liking this one. Maybe it reminded her of a time she doesn‘t like to think about. 1d

suvata This one has Christie's signature knack for misdirection, but it feels a bit slower and less polished than, say, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or Murder on the Links. 1d

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Librarybelle

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot) | Agatha Christie

I‘ve waited until the last minute to remind everyone, but our next #ChristiesCapers discussion is tomorrow! I know many have finished already, so hooray (and yes, this is MUCH better than The Big Four).

Questions will be posted before 12pm US East Coast time. #AgathaChristieClubR3

janeycanuck, suvata, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, PurpleyPumpkin, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, Deblovestoread, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Teresereading, Laughterhp, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, MaGoose, ElizaMarie, bcncookbookclub, kelli7990, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, Sparklemn, PageShifter, willaful, kimrenee, BookNook, AnishaInkspill

suvata I just now finished the book so that would be perfect. 3d

ferskner I'm like two books behind but I'm hoping to be caught up by the discussion in October! 3d

49 likes2 comments

MaleficentBookDragon

Mystery of the Blue Train | Agatha Christie

Some #audiocrochet today.
I made a little Sandworm.
#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Librarybelle

JackOBotts Such a cute sand worm…and that notebook! 💚🖤🤍💚🖤 3d

peaKnit I love this whole post! 3d

Bookzombie That‘s so cute! 3d

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Librarybelle So adorable! 3d

Roary47 So cute! 😍 2d

BookishMadHatter Hey. I sent an email about the swap and was wondering if you got it? I've been having issues with my email program 11h

MaleficentBookDragon @BookishMadHatter no I have not. I just checked again and you‘re not in spam either. 7h

BookishMadHatter @MaleficentBookDragon I just sent it a new one 5h

60 likes8 comments

BookNook

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

pick

#ChristiesCapers, #AgathaChristieClubR3
Unlike many of the AC mysteries I have read in the past, I had this one figured out pretty early on. It was an enjoyable read, but certainly not a favorite.

MaleficentBookDragon Love that cover though. 3d

ferskner I've never seen this cover! Amazing! 3d

BookNook @maleficentbookdragon, @ferskner
1986 Bantam Paperback. 2d

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MaleficentBookDragon

Mystery of the Blue Train | Agatha Christie

Harpy does not approve of the 2 page “cozy” cigarette ad in my 1971 paperback copy of this month‘s #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3 #Bookclub selection
🐈‍⬛She‘s so judgy. 😹😹😹

Librarybelle

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 5d

Librarybelle 😂 4d

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 4d

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