Book Summary from Amazon
It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered when the tyrannical Simeon Lee is found dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed. When Hercule Poirot offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man.
My Review - 5
In one word - delightful. I can't stop grinning after reading this mystery, very clever in deed. When Hercule Poirot is giving the blow by blow details, peeling an onion layer by layer you are glued to his story as a reader and can visualize the family being mesmorized by him, a smooth talker.
If you enjoyed And Then There Were None, you will love this one also, similar in many ways, you will never guess. I thought I had it but nope.
The father, Simeon Lee requested his estranged family home for the holidays and enjoyed every minute of making them miserable. He had quite the dark humour, it was funny but I also felt sorry for them. They described him as "the kind of man you might say had sold his soul to the devil and enjoyed the bargain!" page 220 Many thought he deserved to die and so the finger was pointed to all. He treated them horribly but he enjoyed every minute of making them miserable.
This was so well done, definitely makes me want to read more Agatha Christie, Queen of Mystery for sure.
Favourite quotes
"I believe the present matters - not the past! The past must go. If we seek to keep the past alive, we end, I think, by distorting it. We see it in exaggerated terms - a false perspective. Page 39
"I agree with you. It is here a family affair. It is a poison that works in the blood - it is intiate - it is deep-seated There is here, I think, hate and knowledge.... Page 211
I need to try another Christie book!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a total winner. I've been wanting to try this one.
ReplyDeleteI remember really enjoying this one. Of course, I love Christie in general.
ReplyDeleteYou know, as popular as Agatha Christie is, I've never read any of her books. I'm not drawn to mysteries, I guess. Still, your review is good! That darn father, Simeon Lee sounds like a real mess! Lol...
ReplyDeleteI've added this to this months Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Blog Carnival
ReplyDeletehttp://acrccarnival.blogspot.com.au/
Never even heard of this one! I'm going to put it on my calendar for next year... I've had enough Christmas for 2013. :D
ReplyDeleteI started the AC challenge - reading all of her books in order - but haven't done well with it. This makes me want to get to the next one :)
ReplyDeleteI should add this to my list! I have only read one Poirot and enjoyed that (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery).
ReplyDelete