Currently, I am still on my “mystery winter” reading streak. This week, I decided to delve into the works of Agatha Christie, known as the “Queen of Crime.”
Upon asking my sister, a whodunit enthusiast, for a recommendation, she promptly suggested “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” a Poirot mystery that many deem as Christie’s masterpiece. The plot is delightfully twisty, and the setting is quite typical (the wealthiest man in a quiet village found murdered inside a locked room of his lavish house). Additionally, the characterizations are sharply humorous. The final reveal, which cleverly manipulates mystery genre conventions to deliver an genuinely unconventional conclusion, serves as evidence of Christie’s talent.
My next read was her 1941 mystery, “Evil Under the Sun,” which takes place in a luxurious seaside hotel. It captures the unique claustrophobia present in many social novels, with the characters feeling both watched and scrutinized due to their place in the same broader web of class and society, even if they don’t actually know each other. (Fun fact: if you have a spare $19 million and need a last-minute Christmas gift, the island and hotel that inspired the novel are up for sale.)
I am also looking forward to diving into “The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries,” which The Times’s crime critic assures is brimming with “overlooked and underappreciated” gems from the 19th and 20th centuries
While I typically have a stack of political science and history books on my desk, I have decided to take a break for the holidays. Therefore, The Interpreter will be on hiatus for the next couple of weeks. Although I usually find that kind of reading engaging and enjoyable, I am feeling a greater need than usual to disconnect from the news and its historical antecedents. So, at least for the next few days, I will be indulging in fiction-only mode.
I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year and express my gratitude for being part of the wonderful Interpreter community by reading, emailing, and engaging. See you in January.