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Crooked House
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...
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1949
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,125 books59.4k followersAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
More than seventy detective novels of British writer Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie include The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), and And Then There Were None (1939); she also wrote plays, including The Mousetrap (1952).
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
The youngest of three children of the Miller family. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880–1929), called Monty, ten years older than Agatha.
Before marrying and starting a family in London, she had served in a Devon hospital during the First World War, tending to troops coming back from the trenches. During the First World War, she worked at a hospital as a nurse; later working at a hospital pharmacy, a job that influenced her work, as many of the murders in her books are carried out with poison. During the Second World War, she worked as a pharmacy assistant at University College Hospital, London, acquiring a good knowledge of poisons which feature in many of her novels.
Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, came out in 1920. During her first marriage, Agatha published six novels, a collection of short stories, and a number of short stories in magazines.
In late 1926, Agatha's husband, Archie, revealed that he was in love with another woman, Nancy Neele, and wanted a divorce. On 8 December 1926 the couple quarreled, and Archie Christie left their house, Styles, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to spend the weekend with his mistress at Godalming, Surrey. That same evening Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving behind a letter for her secretary saying that she was going to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry from the public, many of whom were admirers of her novels. Despite a massive manhunt, she was not found for eleven days.
In 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan (Sir Max from 1968) after joining him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death in 1976.
Christie frequently used familiar settings for her stories. Christie's travels with Mallowan contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East. Other novels (such as And Then There Were None) were set in and around Torquay, where she was born. Christie's 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express was written in the Hotel Pera Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, the southern terminus of the railway. The hotel maintains Christie's room as a memorial to the author. The Greenway Estate in Devon, acquired by the couple as a summer residence in 1938, is now in the care of the National Trust.
Christie often stayed at Abney Hall in Cheshire, which was owned by her brother-in-law, James Watts. She based at least two of her stories on the hall: the short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, and the novel After the Funeral. Abney Hall became Agatha's greatest inspiration for country-house life, with all the servants and grandeur which have been woven into her plots.
To honour her many literary works, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empir
More than seventy detective novels of British writer Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie include The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), and And Then There Were None (1939); she also wrote plays, including The Mousetrap (1952).
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
The youngest of three children of the Miller family. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880–1929), called Monty, ten years older than Agatha.
Before marrying and starting a family in London, she had served in a Devon hospital during the First World War, tending to troops coming back from the trenches. During the First World War, she worked at a hospital as a nurse; later working at a hospital pharmacy, a job that influenced her work, as many of the murders in her books are carried out with poison. During the Second World War, she worked as a pharmacy assistant at University College Hospital, London, acquiring a good knowledge of poisons which feature in many of her novels.
Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, came out in 1920. During her first marriage, Agatha published six novels, a collection of short stories, and a number of short stories in magazines.
In late 1926, Agatha's husband, Archie, revealed that he was in love with another woman, Nancy Neele, and wanted a divorce. On 8 December 1926 the couple quarreled, and Archie Christie left their house, Styles, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to spend the weekend with his mistress at Godalming, Surrey. That same evening Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving behind a letter for her secretary saying that she was going to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry from the public, many of whom were admirers of her novels. Despite a massive manhunt, she was not found for eleven days.
In 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan (Sir Max from 1968) after joining him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death in 1976.
Christie frequently used familiar settings for her stories. Christie's travels with Mallowan contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East. Other novels (such as And Then There Were None) were set in and around Torquay, where she was born. Christie's 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express was written in the Hotel Pera Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, the southern terminus of the railway. The hotel maintains Christie's room as a memorial to the author. The Greenway Estate in Devon, acquired by the couple as a summer residence in 1938, is now in the care of the National Trust.
Christie often stayed at Abney Hall in Cheshire, which was owned by her brother-in-law, James Watts. She based at least two of her stories on the hall: the short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, and the novel After the Funeral. Abney Hall became Agatha's greatest inspiration for country-house life, with all the servants and grandeur which have been woven into her plots.
To honour her many literary works, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empir
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September 24, 2021
Crooked House, Agatha Christie
Crooked House is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in March 1949.
The action takes place in and near London in the autumn of 1947. Christie said this and Ordeal by Innocence were her favorites among her own works.
Three generations of the Leonides family live together under wealthy patriarch Aristide. His first wife Marcia died; her sister Edith has cared for the household since then.
His second wife is the indolent Brenda, decades his junior, suspected of having a clandestine love affair with Laurence, the grandchildren's tutor.
After Aristide is poisoned by his own eye medicine (eserine), his granddaughter Sophia tells narrator and fiancé Charles Hayward that they cannot marry until the killer is apprehended.
Charles's father, "The Old Man", is the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, so Charles investigates from the inside along with assigned detective, Chief Inspector Taverner.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «خانه کج»؛ «خانه وارونه»، نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و چهارم ماه آوریل سال2009میلادی
عنوان: خانه کج؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: مینو بامداد؛ تهران، انتشارات میلاد؛ 1372؛ در 356ص؛ چاپ دوم 1375؛ موضوع داستانهای کارآگاهی از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
عنوان: خانه کج؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: صدیقه ابراهیمی (فخار)؛ تهران، دستان؛ 1373؛ در 257ص؛ چاپ دیگر سال 1378؛ در 257ص؛ شابک9646555195؛
عنوان: خانه وارونه؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: محمود حبیبی؛ تهران، هرمس، کارآگاه؛ سال 1387؛ در 266ص؛ چاپ دوم سال 1392؛ شابک9789643635237؛
کتاب «خانه کج» اثری جنایی از روانشاد خانم «آگاتا کریستی»، نویسنده نام آشنای «بریتانیا»، با رمانهای جنایی و پلیسی است، این رمان برای نخستین بار در سال 1949میلادی منتشر شد؛ خود ایشان درباره ی این کتابشان گفته اند: (این کتاب از آثار ویژه ی مورد پسند من است که سالها نوشتنش را در نظر داشتم، درباره اش میاندیشیدم، و بررسی میکردم….؛ نمیدانم چه چیزی خانواده ی «لنوئیدز» را در ذهن و فکر من کاشت؛ میتوانم بگویم خود آنان خود به خود به ذهنم راه یافتند، رشد کردند و شکل گرفتند…)؛
سه نسل از خانواده ی «لئونیدز» زیر فرمان پدر بزرگ ثروتمند، «آریستید» هستند؛ همسر نخست او «مارسیا»، درگذشته است؛ خواهرش «ادیت»، از آن روز به بعد، به امور خانه رسیدگی میکند؛ همسر دوم او «برندا» بی عیب و نقص است، و ده ها سال کوچکتر از ایشانست، و البته مظنون به داشتن یک رابطه ی عاشقانه ی پنهانی با «لورنس»، مربی نوه ها میباشد؛ پس از اینکه «آریستید» توسط داروی چشم خود مسموم شد، نوه اش «سوفیا»، به راوی، و نامزد خود «چارلز هیوارد» میگوید، که تا زمانیکه قاتل دستگیر نشود، آن دو نمیتوانند با هم ازدواج کنند؛ پدر «چارلز»، دستیار کمیسر «اسکاتلند یارد» است، بنابراین «چارلز» به همراه کارآگاه، بازرس ارشد «تاورنر» پژوهش میکنند؛
از متن کتاب خانه کج: («تاورنر» غرغری کرد، و از چندتا پله بالا رفت، از راهرو وارد اتاق بزرگی شد، که رو به باغ بود؛ آنجا جوانک سی ساله، و پسرک سبزه روی خوش قیافه ای، حدود شانزده ساله، پشت میز نشسته بودند؛ متوجه ورود ما شدند؛ «آستیس» برادر «سوفیا» مرا برانداز کرد، و «لارنس بران» نگاهش را به سربازرس دوخت؛ هرگز ندیده بودم مردی اینطور بترسد؛ از جا برخاست و دوباره نشست، و با لحنی لرزان گفت: آه – روز، صبح بخیر بازرس؛ …)؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 25/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 01/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Crooked House is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in March 1949.
The action takes place in and near London in the autumn of 1947. Christie said this and Ordeal by Innocence were her favorites among her own works.
Three generations of the Leonides family live together under wealthy patriarch Aristide. His first wife Marcia died; her sister Edith has cared for the household since then.
His second wife is the indolent Brenda, decades his junior, suspected of having a clandestine love affair with Laurence, the grandchildren's tutor.
After Aristide is poisoned by his own eye medicine (eserine), his granddaughter Sophia tells narrator and fiancé Charles Hayward that they cannot marry until the killer is apprehended.
Charles's father, "The Old Man", is the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, so Charles investigates from the inside along with assigned detective, Chief Inspector Taverner.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «خانه کج»؛ «خانه وارونه»، نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و چهارم ماه آوریل سال2009میلادی
عنوان: خانه کج؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: مینو بامداد؛ تهران، انتشارات میلاد؛ 1372؛ در 356ص؛ چاپ دوم 1375؛ موضوع داستانهای کارآگاهی از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
عنوان: خانه کج؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: صدیقه ابراهیمی (فخار)؛ تهران، دستان؛ 1373؛ در 257ص؛ چاپ دیگر سال 1378؛ در 257ص؛ شابک9646555195؛
عنوان: خانه وارونه؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: محمود حبیبی؛ تهران، هرمس، کارآگاه؛ سال 1387؛ در 266ص؛ چاپ دوم سال 1392؛ شابک9789643635237؛
کتاب «خانه کج» اثری جنایی از روانشاد خانم «آگاتا کریستی»، نویسنده نام آشنای «بریتانیا»، با رمانهای جنایی و پلیسی است، این رمان برای نخستین بار در سال 1949میلادی منتشر شد؛ خود ایشان درباره ی این کتابشان گفته اند: (این کتاب از آثار ویژه ی مورد پسند من است که سالها نوشتنش را در نظر داشتم، درباره اش میاندیشیدم، و بررسی میکردم….؛ نمیدانم چه چیزی خانواده ی «لنوئیدز» را در ذهن و فکر من کاشت؛ میتوانم بگویم خود آنان خود به خود به ذهنم راه یافتند، رشد کردند و شکل گرفتند…)؛
سه نسل از خانواده ی «لئونیدز» زیر فرمان پدر بزرگ ثروتمند، «آریستید» هستند؛ همسر نخست او «مارسیا»، درگذشته است؛ خواهرش «ادیت»، از آن روز به بعد، به امور خانه رسیدگی میکند؛ همسر دوم او «برندا» بی عیب و نقص است، و ده ها سال کوچکتر از ایشانست، و البته مظنون به داشتن یک رابطه ی عاشقانه ی پنهانی با «لورنس»، مربی نوه ها میباشد؛ پس از اینکه «آریستید» توسط داروی چشم خود مسموم شد، نوه اش «سوفیا»، به راوی، و نامزد خود «چارلز هیوارد» میگوید، که تا زمانیکه قاتل دستگیر نشود، آن دو نمیتوانند با هم ازدواج کنند؛ پدر «چارلز»، دستیار کمیسر «اسکاتلند یارد» است، بنابراین «چارلز» به همراه کارآگاه، بازرس ارشد «تاورنر» پژوهش میکنند؛
از متن کتاب خانه کج: («تاورنر» غرغری کرد، و از چندتا پله بالا رفت، از راهرو وارد اتاق بزرگی شد، که رو به باغ بود؛ آنجا جوانک سی ساله، و پسرک سبزه روی خوش قیافه ای، حدود شانزده ساله، پشت میز نشسته بودند؛ متوجه ورود ما شدند؛ «آستیس» برادر «سوفیا» مرا برانداز کرد، و «لارنس بران» نگاهش را به سربازرس دوخت؛ هرگز ندیده بودم مردی اینطور بترسد؛ از جا برخاست و دوباره نشست، و با لحنی لرزان گفت: آه – روز، صبح بخیر بازرس؛ …)؛ پایان نقل
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 25/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 01/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
July 19, 2021
One of my very favorite things about Agatha Christie is that when she said anyone could be a murderer under the right circumstances, she *meant* it. One would think that when you read a mystery, you should suspect everyone, but for most authors it just isn't true--if you read a "cozy" author, you can bet it won't be one of the charming young lovers, or the trusty Watson-like friend, or dear old Granny, or the kindly priest, etc. With Dame Agatha, it could be any of those, or everybody, or nobody (oh yes! I can think of at least one example of a suicide disguised as murder). It could be the person with the perfect alibi or the one with no apparent motive (but there really is a motive). This is why I think of Dame Agatha as absolutely ruthless in her fiction, however genteel she was in life, and Crooked House is Exhibit A! She was particularly proud of this novel, and rightly so.
Oddly enough, I know from her notebooks that Dame Agatha didn't have a specific murderer in mind when she began this novel. She had the premise of the extended family in their mansion, whose patriarch has died, but she debated among several suspects. I must say, if she'd chosen anyone else I would be giving this fewer stars--I felt it almost as a physical blow when she revealed the truth, then immediately thought that no other ending would have done half so well.
I love Dame Agatha's use of the multi-valenced term "crooked" here. It is a reference to one of the nursery rhymes that she employs to such creepy effect in many of her novels ("and they all lived together in a little crooked house"). The victim was a bit crooked in the legal sense, but he had a good heart. Someone in his family is mentally off-kilter in a far more sinister sense. Even the house is lopsided due to its whimsical design. The running motif is well done and makes the novel worth re-reading even once the shocking twist is known. It's one of my favorites, just as it was one of Dame Agatha's own.
Oddly enough, I know from her notebooks that Dame Agatha didn't have a specific murderer in mind when she began this novel. She had the premise of the extended family in their mansion, whose patriarch has died, but she debated among several suspects. I must say, if she'd chosen anyone else I would be giving this fewer stars--I felt it almost as a physical blow when she revealed the truth, then immediately thought that no other ending would have done half so well.
I love Dame Agatha's use of the multi-valenced term "crooked" here. It is a reference to one of the nursery rhymes that she employs to such creepy effect in many of her novels ("and they all lived together in a little crooked house"). The victim was a bit crooked in the legal sense, but he had a good heart. Someone in his family is mentally off-kilter in a far more sinister sense. Even the house is lopsided due to its whimsical design. The running motif is well done and makes the novel worth re-reading even once the shocking twist is known. It's one of my favorites, just as it was one of Dame Agatha's own.
March 30, 2018
No Marple. No Tuppence. No Poirot. Mon Dieu! Yet this short Christie mystery remains one of my favorites, likely due to the interesting characterization and well-crafted plot. It gradually builds tension, with a rather unanticipated but satisfying ending.
An English man and a woman become fast companions as they serve their country in Egypt. Charles is about to ship out and isn't sure when he'll get back to England, so at their good-bye dinner, he shares his feelings but refuses to ask Sophia to commit until he returns. All very romantic and old-fashioned. Unfortunately upon his return, Sophia is dealing with serious problems that include the suspicious death of her Greek grandfather, Aristide Leonides. In a situation that likely would never occur today, Charles' father, Assistant Commissioner of the Yard, encourages him to use his connection with the family and help resolve the case--after all, resolution will clear the remaining family members.
It's a very interesting household, and one of the great aspects of the story is how well Christie characterizes the eccentricities of its members--while they all are unlikely to have done it, any one of them could have. There's Brenda, the trophy wife, whom everyone wishes had done it. Then there's Aristides' adult children, all living in the same household. Sophia's mother, Magda, is an actress and is particularly delightful:
"Not see him?" Her voice went up. "But of course I must see him! Darling, darling, you're so terribly unimaginative! You don't realise the importance of details. He'll want to know exactly how and when everything happened--"
"Mother," said Sophia, coming through the open door, "you're not to tell the Inspector a lot of lies."
There's Sophia's father, Philip, impassive and removed from the drama of his wife. Then there's Uncle Roger, an emotional gentle giant: "He collided with a screen, said 'I beg your pardon' to it in a flustered manner, and went out of the room. It was rather like the exit of a bumble bee and left a noticeable silence behind it."
Roger is married to Clemency, a scientist, who Charles feels is "rather an alarming woman....I think because I judged that the standards by which she lived might not be those of an ordinary woman." Other household members include Aunt Edith; the children's tutor, Laurence, who may or may not be having an affair with Brenda; and the two children, Eustace and Josephine, who have a gory fascination with the case despite their Nannie trying to keep them in check. Charles wakes to Josephine's examination of him: "'Eustace and I are very interested. We like detective stories. I've always wanted to be a detective. I'm being one now. I'm collecting clues.' She was, I felt, rather a ghoulish child."
As in all Christie's best mysteries, tension builds slowly, as first one suspect is presented, than another, and then eliminated. The additional emotional connection of the relationship between Charles and Sophia adds a delicate layer to the investigation--is he there as a prospective in-law, or a police official? The struggle to solve the murder is also a struggle to resolve their relationship. Family secrets will be brought into the open. Aristide's will reveals a surprising bequest. Failures will need to be faced. Before all is over, there will be another attempt at murder and arrest or two.
Enjoyable as a period piece, as a mystery and a character study. As always, characterization shines. There's some brief reading uncomfortableness as Christie delves into Aristide's canny business practices, which may or may not have to do with him being Greek. I wasn't terribly offended, but it was definitely one of those things that make the modern reader say 'hmm.' Otherwise, well worth the time.
Three and a half crooked stars.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
An English man and a woman become fast companions as they serve their country in Egypt. Charles is about to ship out and isn't sure when he'll get back to England, so at their good-bye dinner, he shares his feelings but refuses to ask Sophia to commit until he returns. All very romantic and old-fashioned. Unfortunately upon his return, Sophia is dealing with serious problems that include the suspicious death of her Greek grandfather, Aristide Leonides. In a situation that likely would never occur today, Charles' father, Assistant Commissioner of the Yard, encourages him to use his connection with the family and help resolve the case--after all, resolution will clear the remaining family members.
It's a very interesting household, and one of the great aspects of the story is how well Christie characterizes the eccentricities of its members--while they all are unlikely to have done it, any one of them could have. There's Brenda, the trophy wife, whom everyone wishes had done it. Then there's Aristides' adult children, all living in the same household. Sophia's mother, Magda, is an actress and is particularly delightful:
"Not see him?" Her voice went up. "But of course I must see him! Darling, darling, you're so terribly unimaginative! You don't realise the importance of details. He'll want to know exactly how and when everything happened--"
"Mother," said Sophia, coming through the open door, "you're not to tell the Inspector a lot of lies."
There's Sophia's father, Philip, impassive and removed from the drama of his wife. Then there's Uncle Roger, an emotional gentle giant: "He collided with a screen, said 'I beg your pardon' to it in a flustered manner, and went out of the room. It was rather like the exit of a bumble bee and left a noticeable silence behind it."
Roger is married to Clemency, a scientist, who Charles feels is "rather an alarming woman....I think because I judged that the standards by which she lived might not be those of an ordinary woman." Other household members include Aunt Edith; the children's tutor, Laurence, who may or may not be having an affair with Brenda; and the two children, Eustace and Josephine, who have a gory fascination with the case despite their Nannie trying to keep them in check. Charles wakes to Josephine's examination of him: "'Eustace and I are very interested. We like detective stories. I've always wanted to be a detective. I'm being one now. I'm collecting clues.' She was, I felt, rather a ghoulish child."
As in all Christie's best mysteries, tension builds slowly, as first one suspect is presented, than another, and then eliminated. The additional emotional connection of the relationship between Charles and Sophia adds a delicate layer to the investigation--is he there as a prospective in-law, or a police official? The struggle to solve the murder is also a struggle to resolve their relationship. Family secrets will be brought into the open. Aristide's will reveals a surprising bequest. Failures will need to be faced. Before all is over, there will be another attempt at murder and arrest or two.
Enjoyable as a period piece, as a mystery and a character study. As always, characterization shines. There's some brief reading uncomfortableness as Christie delves into Aristide's canny business practices, which may or may not have to do with him being Greek. I wasn't terribly offended, but it was definitely one of those things that make the modern reader say 'hmm.' Otherwise, well worth the time.
Three and a half crooked stars.
Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/0...
April 12, 2023
There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all liv'd together in a little crooked house.
It's a creepy little ditty, and it lines up quite well with this ultimately creepy little book.
Charles Hayward loves Sophia Leonides and only one tiny thing is keeping them from announcing their engagement.
Sophia's super-wealthy grandfather was just poisoned and everyone in her house is a suspect.
So? <--you say
Well, Charles's father is Sir Arthur Hayward, Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, and is assigned to solve this case. Lucky for him, he's got a man on the inside to help him suss out the murderer.
Ok. I liked that Charles was upfront with Sophia about what his father wanted him to do, and I liked that Sophia herself wanted Charles to help investigate and find out what actually happened. It made the couple seem immediately solid, and you started rooting for them to come out of this whole ordeal and live happily ever after.
The family dynamic is strange because it's so...nice. The only weird thing was the part where it seemed like Christie was saying it was better for kids to not have loving feelings for their parents because that somehow would ruin their lives. Maybe this was the accepted wisdom of the day?
Hmm.
Anyway.
The murderer is chillingly unexpected and I absolutely loved the ending.
Highly Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie.
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all liv'd together in a little crooked house.
It's a creepy little ditty, and it lines up quite well with this ultimately creepy little book.
Charles Hayward loves Sophia Leonides and only one tiny thing is keeping them from announcing their engagement.
Sophia's super-wealthy grandfather was just poisoned and everyone in her house is a suspect.
So? <--you say
Well, Charles's father is Sir Arthur Hayward, Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, and is assigned to solve this case. Lucky for him, he's got a man on the inside to help him suss out the murderer.
Ok. I liked that Charles was upfront with Sophia about what his father wanted him to do, and I liked that Sophia herself wanted Charles to help investigate and find out what actually happened. It made the couple seem immediately solid, and you started rooting for them to come out of this whole ordeal and live happily ever after.
The family dynamic is strange because it's so...nice. The only weird thing was the part where it seemed like Christie was saying it was better for kids to not have loving feelings for their parents because that somehow would ruin their lives. Maybe this was the accepted wisdom of the day?
Hmm.
Anyway.
The murderer is chillingly unexpected and I absolutely loved the ending.
Highly Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie.
March 24, 2021
Muy buena, entre mis favoritas de Agatha.
La historia va transcurriendo de manera sencilla, hay un asesino en una casa muchos son sospechosos y al final piensas que es uno, pero la autora hace gala de su genial inventiva y vuelves a fallar.
Iba para 3 estrellas porque la historia no me estaba sorprendido, (ya he leído algunos de esta autora), pero la resolución o más bien el final del libro me ha gustado y le he puntuado con 4.
# 33. Un libro con tres generaciones (abuelo/a, p/madre, hijo/a). reto popsugar 2021
La historia va transcurriendo de manera sencilla, hay un asesino en una casa muchos son sospechosos y al final piensas que es uno, pero la autora hace gala de su genial inventiva y vuelves a fallar.
Iba para 3 estrellas porque la historia no me estaba sorprendido, (ya he leído algunos de esta autora), pero la resolución o más bien el final del libro me ha gustado y le he puntuado con 4.
# 33. Un libro con tres generaciones (abuelo/a, p/madre, hijo/a). reto popsugar 2021
January 8, 2022
This has to be one of my all time favorite Christie book! I was expecting no less when I read that not only was this her favorite book that she wrote, the publishers asked her a few times to rewrite the ending and she promptly said no. This was even more enjoyable who dunnit mystery than I thought and the ending had me floored. Of course when she displays all the evidence for the murderer it seems so obvious but I can never ever get even a little close to solving it. I can gush over this for days and I definitely need to see if their is an tv adaption of this on YouTube!
January 27, 2019
I never can figure out the murderer in an Agatha Christie mystery and this case is no different. The Crooked House is a closed door mystery and also takes place with only family members as the suspects which makes it doubly interesting. A big, close knit English family whose Greek patriarch has been poisoned is the conundrum. Christie is very particular in her character sketches and knows people well which makes her Miss Marple mysteries so satisfying. This is a stand alone book, with no particular detective, except for the English police, and is one of her best. Character is the prime suspect; for when a ruthlessness that's pervasive in one family combines with the unscrupulous individuals in another the results are deadly.
July 5, 2022
Se supone que la autora considera "La casa torcida" como su mejor novela. De todo lo que he leído, para mi, hasta el momento, es de las más flojas. No hay un detective sagaz que indaga hasta el final. Hay un asesinato, pero tampoco es algo extraordinario. Hay un lío con la familia. No acabas de entender muy bien qué pasa. El que se supone que tiene que investigar va bastante más perdido que tu.
El misterio está bien. Es entretenida, pero poco más.
Está novela está muy lejos de "Asesinato en el Orient Express", "Diez negritos" o la fantástica "El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd".
--------------------------------
The author is supposed to consider "The Crooked House" as her best novel. Of everything I've read, for me, so far, it's one of the weakest. There is no shrewd detective who digs all the way to the end. There is a murder, but it's not extraordinary either. There is a mess with the family. You don't quite understand what's going on. The one who is supposed to investigate is a lot more lost than you are.
The mystery is fine. It's entertaining, but not much more.
This novel is not as good as "Murder on the Orient Express", "And then there were none" or the excellent "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd".
El misterio está bien. Es entretenida, pero poco más.
Está novela está muy lejos de "Asesinato en el Orient Express", "Diez negritos" o la fantástica "El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd".
--------------------------------
The author is supposed to consider "The Crooked House" as her best novel. Of everything I've read, for me, so far, it's one of the weakest. There is no shrewd detective who digs all the way to the end. There is a murder, but it's not extraordinary either. There is a mess with the family. You don't quite understand what's going on. The one who is supposed to investigate is a lot more lost than you are.
The mystery is fine. It's entertaining, but not much more.
This novel is not as good as "Murder on the Orient Express", "And then there were none" or the excellent "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd".
August 18, 2021
Published in 1949 this is a stand-alone Agatha Christie novel which was, apparently, one of her personal favourites. Our narrator, Charles Hayward, fell in love with Sophia Leonides during the war and intends to marry her if he returns safely to England. However, his plans are thwarted when Sophia’s grandfather, Aristide Leonides, is poisoned and the family come under suspicion – with Sophia stating she will not marry him until the crime is solved.
Sophia and her family would prefer the murderer to be her grandfather’s young widow, Brenda, or the tutor of Sophia’s young brother Eustace, and sister Josephine; a young man named Laurence who was a conscientious objector and who the family suspect of being in love with Brenda. Of course, things are rarely that easy and there are a whole cast of possible suspects, living in the ‘little crooked house,’ of the Leonides family, including Sophia’s parents, including her volatile, actress mother, her aunt and uncle and her elderly great-aunt.
Christie places Charles Hayward in the perfect place to investigate; making him the son of the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard and allowing him to tag along with Chief Inspector Taverner, who is dealing with the case. Hayward senior is the perfect Assistant Commissioner, gruffly welcoming his son back from the war, accepting his declaration of love for a possible murder suspect and working out ‘who did it,’ but keeping that information close to his chest until the end of the book. Much of the enjoyment of this mystery comes from the cast of characters and you feel that Christie really did have a lot of fun creating them. This novel shows that Golden Age mysteries, and Christie in particular, did not shy away from difficult topics and this is, in no way, the cosy crime novel that readers not familiar with her writing might expect.
Sophia and her family would prefer the murderer to be her grandfather’s young widow, Brenda, or the tutor of Sophia’s young brother Eustace, and sister Josephine; a young man named Laurence who was a conscientious objector and who the family suspect of being in love with Brenda. Of course, things are rarely that easy and there are a whole cast of possible suspects, living in the ‘little crooked house,’ of the Leonides family, including Sophia’s parents, including her volatile, actress mother, her aunt and uncle and her elderly great-aunt.
Christie places Charles Hayward in the perfect place to investigate; making him the son of the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard and allowing him to tag along with Chief Inspector Taverner, who is dealing with the case. Hayward senior is the perfect Assistant Commissioner, gruffly welcoming his son back from the war, accepting his declaration of love for a possible murder suspect and working out ‘who did it,’ but keeping that information close to his chest until the end of the book. Much of the enjoyment of this mystery comes from the cast of characters and you feel that Christie really did have a lot of fun creating them. This novel shows that Golden Age mysteries, and Christie in particular, did not shy away from difficult topics and this is, in no way, the cosy crime novel that readers not familiar with her writing might expect.
August 12, 2022
This standalone murder mystery by Agatha Christie was quite an unusual one. It certainly has "Christie elements" with family drama thrown in, but I found the uncanny ambiance surrounding the crime scene (the Crooked House) is far more disquieting and sinister than in most of her novels.
The story is told to us from the point of view of Charles Heyward, the intended of Sophia Leonides, who gets involved himself in the investigation of the murder of Sophia's grandfather, the millionaire Aristide Leonides. Since this is a closed-door crime, suspicion is naturally directed at the family. And Charles and Sophia must find the criminal and clear the dreadful suspicion hanging over the family before they could be united.
This is not a standard whodunit of Christie where you see a methodical police procedure. Instead, the investigation runs on the line of getting to know the characters - their personalities, thoughts, and habits - and trying to fish out from them who the criminal is. This approach is interesting since it gives a good insight into the characters and helps us to form our own conclusions as to who the criminal is. However, Christie keeps her rope tight, making the story one of her most twisted ones, so it wasn't easy to come into any definite opinion. The final revelation wasn't surprising as was shocking. I was aware of the uncomfortable truth by that time, still, it wasn't easy to take that in. In truth, the ending makes the novel one unique Christie work. But personally, I found it disturbing and frightful.
Overall, it is a clever work by Agatha Christie and proof that she can write her standalone, too, equally well as her famous series.
The story is told to us from the point of view of Charles Heyward, the intended of Sophia Leonides, who gets involved himself in the investigation of the murder of Sophia's grandfather, the millionaire Aristide Leonides. Since this is a closed-door crime, suspicion is naturally directed at the family. And Charles and Sophia must find the criminal and clear the dreadful suspicion hanging over the family before they could be united.
This is not a standard whodunit of Christie where you see a methodical police procedure. Instead, the investigation runs on the line of getting to know the characters - their personalities, thoughts, and habits - and trying to fish out from them who the criminal is. This approach is interesting since it gives a good insight into the characters and helps us to form our own conclusions as to who the criminal is. However, Christie keeps her rope tight, making the story one of her most twisted ones, so it wasn't easy to come into any definite opinion. The final revelation wasn't surprising as was shocking. I was aware of the uncomfortable truth by that time, still, it wasn't easy to take that in. In truth, the ending makes the novel one unique Christie work. But personally, I found it disturbing and frightful.
Overall, it is a clever work by Agatha Christie and proof that she can write her standalone, too, equally well as her famous series.
January 22, 2018
Wealthy businessman Aristide Leonides has been murdered after someone swapped out his insulin for poison! Leonides’ children are quick to blame their elderly dad’s young bride who looks to inherit his fortune – but did the gold-digger and her secret lover dunit or is the killer someone else in the household…?
Disappointing! Crooked House is the first Agatha Christie novel I haven’t enjoyed at all. It’s a bland, dull mystery without anything much interesting happening. Did you ever play point and click PC games like Monkey Island and Broken Sword? Crooked House is like reading a non-interactive version of those games as the narrator wanders from one boring character to another all of whom conveniently open up to him about their backstories, alibis, etc. – it feels very contrived.
The cast are unmemorable nobodies, the crime itself is mundane and practically nothing of consequence happens until the reveal at the end which makes getting through this overlong 300+ page novel a tedious chore. That said, I was interested enough to keep going and see whodunit and it’s as well-written as any of Christie’s best but generally it was a case of waiting for the pointless filler to get out of the way of the investigation’s resolution.
I’d say this was a hopelessly generic country house murder mystery except Dame Aggie is largely responsible for defining the genre to begin with so I’ll just say Crooked House is one of her least entertaining/inspired efforts.
Disappointing! Crooked House is the first Agatha Christie novel I haven’t enjoyed at all. It’s a bland, dull mystery without anything much interesting happening. Did you ever play point and click PC games like Monkey Island and Broken Sword? Crooked House is like reading a non-interactive version of those games as the narrator wanders from one boring character to another all of whom conveniently open up to him about their backstories, alibis, etc. – it feels very contrived.
The cast are unmemorable nobodies, the crime itself is mundane and practically nothing of consequence happens until the reveal at the end which makes getting through this overlong 300+ page novel a tedious chore. That said, I was interested enough to keep going and see whodunit and it’s as well-written as any of Christie’s best but generally it was a case of waiting for the pointless filler to get out of the way of the investigation’s resolution.
I’d say this was a hopelessly generic country house murder mystery except Dame Aggie is largely responsible for defining the genre to begin with so I’ll just say Crooked House is one of her least entertaining/inspired efforts.
January 30, 2020
Mind. Blown. I have to admit that this is my first Christie novel. When I was going through her novels on Scribd, I saw where she had said this one was one of her favorites, and that sealed it for me.
I don't think I can give a good summary without revealing the spoilers, so I'm not going to do one for this one.
This book is so well written, with so many red herrings, that you think everyone is a suspect. I thought I knew who did it at least 3 different times. Up until the big reveal, I was absolutely certain who it was...and I was completely wrong! I will definitely be reading more of her work. If you're looking for a standalone Christie novel, a quick but fun read, then grab this one!
I don't think I can give a good summary without revealing the spoilers, so I'm not going to do one for this one.
This book is so well written, with so many red herrings, that you think everyone is a suspect. I thought I knew who did it at least 3 different times. Up until the big reveal, I was absolutely certain who it was...and I was completely wrong! I will definitely be reading more of her work. If you're looking for a standalone Christie novel, a quick but fun read, then grab this one!
January 8, 2022
Agatha Christie Book Reading Challenge
BOOK 11 :- OCT 2019
5 STARS
BOOK 11 :- OCT 2019
5 STARS
October 5, 2018
En serio, jamás me cansaré de decir lo increíble que es esta mujer. Adictiva y original como pocas. No sé como le daba la cabeza para escribir tantas historias y tan complicadas siempre de adivinar.
La casa torcida nos presenta el asesinato de Arístides Leónides un anciano extremadamente rico que vive en una gran casa torcida junta a sus familiares. En esta ocación ni Poirot ni Miss Marple. Tampoco los eché de menos. El rollito de Carlos y Sofia me ha molado.
Lo de siempre, muchos sospechosos, muchas hipótesis, y nunca das con la que es. En esta ocasión logré descubrirlo, justo antes de que se confirmara. Aunque claro, no tiene mérito, porque ya era muy evidente. Pero Agatha, prometo verte el plumero alguna vez. Lo prometo jajaja. En fin, maravillosa como siempre. Pienso leer otro de ella de seguido.
La casa torcida nos presenta el asesinato de Arístides Leónides un anciano extremadamente rico que vive en una gran casa torcida junta a sus familiares. En esta ocación ni Poirot ni Miss Marple. Tampoco los eché de menos. El rollito de Carlos y Sofia me ha molado.
Lo de siempre, muchos sospechosos, muchas hipótesis, y nunca das con la que es. En esta ocasión logré descubrirlo, justo antes de que se confirmara. Aunque claro, no tiene mérito, porque ya era muy evidente. Pero Agatha, prometo verte el plumero alguna vez. Lo prometo jajaja. En fin, maravillosa como siempre. Pienso leer otro de ella de seguido.
February 28, 2020
EXCERPT: '.....For one thing, you don't know much about me, do you?'
'I don't even know where you live in England.'
'I live at Swinly Dean.'
I nodded at the mention of the well known outer suburb of London which boasts three excellent golf courses for the city financier.
She added softly in a musing voice: 'In a little crooked house.....'
I must have looked slightly startled, for she seemed amused, and explained by elaborating the quotation. ' 'And they all lived together in a little crooked house.' That's us. Not really such a little house either. But definitely crooked - running to gables and half-timbering!'
'Are you one of a large family? Brothers and sisters?'
'One brother, one sister, a mother, a father, an uncle, an aunt by marriage, a grandfather, a great-aunt, and a step-grandmother.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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...
MY THOUGHTS: Crooked House is one of my very favourite Christies. She certainly doesn't hold back at poking a bit of fun at the rich and aristocratic. Her characters are almost caricatures, yet they suit this particular story admirably.
Crooked House is actually quite dark for an Agatha Christie tale. Everyone in the household is a suspect, has a motive, and the opportunity. Suspicion naturally falls upon the elderly man's young and beautiful widow who is, supposedly, enamoured with the tutor. But that would be fat too easy a solution......
If you are used to reading her Marple or Poirot offerings, Crooked House will come as quite a surprise. She steps outside her normal boundaries and hits a massive home run in my opinion.
I loved it, and didn't even come close to guessing who was actually responsible.
*****
THE AUTHOR: Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in Romance. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author, having been translated into at least 103 languages. She is the creator of two of the most enduring figures in crime literature-Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple-and author of The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theatre.
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880–1929), called Monty, ten years older than Agatha.
Before marrying and starting a family in London, she had served in a Devon hospital during the First World War, tending to troops coming back from the trenches. During the First World War, she worked at a hospital as a nurse; later working at a hospital pharmacy, a job that influenced her work, as many of the murders in her books are carried out with poison. During the Second World War, she worked as a pharmacy assistant at University College Hospital, London, acquiring a good knowledge of poisons which feature in many of her novels.
Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, came out in 1920. During her first marriage, Agatha published six novels, a collection of short stories, and a number of short stories in magazines.
In late 1926, Agatha's husband, Archie, revealed that he was in love with another woman, Nancy Neele, and wanted a divorce. On 8 December 1926 the couple quarreled, and Archie Christie left their house, Styles, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to spend the weekend with his mistress at Godalming, Surrey. That same evening Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving behind a letter for her secretary saying that she was going to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry from the public, many of whom were admirers of her novels. Despite a massive manhunt, she was not found for eleven days.
In 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan (Sir Max from 1968) after joining him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death in 1976.
Christie frequently used familiar settings for her stories. Christie's travels with Mallowan contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East. Other novels (such as And Then There Were None) were set in and around Torquay, where she was born. Christie's 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express was written in the Hotel Pera Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, the southern terminus of the railway. The hotel maintains Christie's room as a memorial to the author. The Greenway Estate in Devon, acquired by the couple as a summer residence in 1938, is now in the care of the National Trust.
Christie often stayed at Abney Hall in Cheshire, which was owned by her brother-in-law, James Watts. She based at least two of her stories on the hall: the short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, and the novel After the Funeral. Abney Hall became Agatha's greatest inspiration for country-house life, with all the servants and grandeur which have been woven into her plots.
To honour her many literary works, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1956 New Year Honours. The next year, she became the President of the Detection Club. (Wikipedia entry for Agatha Christie)
DISCLOSURE: I obtained my well worn copy of Crooked House by Agatha Christie and published by Minotaur Books in a boxful of random books purchased at a garage sale. It is treasured.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
My review can also be found on Twitter and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'I don't even know where you live in England.'
'I live at Swinly Dean.'
I nodded at the mention of the well known outer suburb of London which boasts three excellent golf courses for the city financier.
She added softly in a musing voice: 'In a little crooked house.....'
I must have looked slightly startled, for she seemed amused, and explained by elaborating the quotation. ' 'And they all lived together in a little crooked house.' That's us. Not really such a little house either. But definitely crooked - running to gables and half-timbering!'
'Are you one of a large family? Brothers and sisters?'
'One brother, one sister, a mother, a father, an uncle, an aunt by marriage, a grandfather, a great-aunt, and a step-grandmother.'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: 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...
MY THOUGHTS: Crooked House is one of my very favourite Christies. She certainly doesn't hold back at poking a bit of fun at the rich and aristocratic. Her characters are almost caricatures, yet they suit this particular story admirably.
Crooked House is actually quite dark for an Agatha Christie tale. Everyone in the household is a suspect, has a motive, and the opportunity. Suspicion naturally falls upon the elderly man's young and beautiful widow who is, supposedly, enamoured with the tutor. But that would be fat too easy a solution......
If you are used to reading her Marple or Poirot offerings, Crooked House will come as quite a surprise. She steps outside her normal boundaries and hits a massive home run in my opinion.
I loved it, and didn't even come close to guessing who was actually responsible.
*****
THE AUTHOR: Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in Romance. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author, having been translated into at least 103 languages. She is the creator of two of the most enduring figures in crime literature-Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple-and author of The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theatre.
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880–1929), called Monty, ten years older than Agatha.
Before marrying and starting a family in London, she had served in a Devon hospital during the First World War, tending to troops coming back from the trenches. During the First World War, she worked at a hospital as a nurse; later working at a hospital pharmacy, a job that influenced her work, as many of the murders in her books are carried out with poison. During the Second World War, she worked as a pharmacy assistant at University College Hospital, London, acquiring a good knowledge of poisons which feature in many of her novels.
Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, came out in 1920. During her first marriage, Agatha published six novels, a collection of short stories, and a number of short stories in magazines.
In late 1926, Agatha's husband, Archie, revealed that he was in love with another woman, Nancy Neele, and wanted a divorce. On 8 December 1926 the couple quarreled, and Archie Christie left their house, Styles, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to spend the weekend with his mistress at Godalming, Surrey. That same evening Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving behind a letter for her secretary saying that she was going to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry from the public, many of whom were admirers of her novels. Despite a massive manhunt, she was not found for eleven days.
In 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan (Sir Max from 1968) after joining him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death in 1976.
Christie frequently used familiar settings for her stories. Christie's travels with Mallowan contributed background to several of her novels set in the Middle East. Other novels (such as And Then There Were None) were set in and around Torquay, where she was born. Christie's 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express was written in the Hotel Pera Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, the southern terminus of the railway. The hotel maintains Christie's room as a memorial to the author. The Greenway Estate in Devon, acquired by the couple as a summer residence in 1938, is now in the care of the National Trust.
Christie often stayed at Abney Hall in Cheshire, which was owned by her brother-in-law, James Watts. She based at least two of her stories on the hall: the short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, and the novel After the Funeral. Abney Hall became Agatha's greatest inspiration for country-house life, with all the servants and grandeur which have been woven into her plots.
To honour her many literary works, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1956 New Year Honours. The next year, she became the President of the Detection Club. (Wikipedia entry for Agatha Christie)
DISCLOSURE: I obtained my well worn copy of Crooked House by Agatha Christie and published by Minotaur Books in a boxful of random books purchased at a garage sale. It is treasured.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page, or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
My review can also be found on Twitter and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
November 21, 2020
She was the only character I liked in this really tiring book and she had to be the killer. Damn.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2021
4.5⭐️ con Agatha Christie nunca descubro quien es el asesino, sus historias enganchan demasiado y en mi caso lo escuché demasiado rápido. 💙
September 15, 2013
Choose Your Own Adventure!
You are a precocious child in a complicated world filled with scheming relatives & heirs to fortune & smitten suitors & gold-digging wives & husky tutors & cast-out sons & amateur sleuths. Your life is centered within a vast country manor dominated by your dread grandfather, who sits like a senescent spider in the center of his enormous web, a web whose tangles he created but no longer bothers to repair. Then murder strikes and grandfather is no more! What is a young girl to do? How long will your little flame burn in such a bleak and venomous environment? Never fear, tiny dancer, you are wise beyond your years... but what path shall you choose?
If you decide that adulthood is overrated and you need to start hanging around with people your own age – in the swingin’ 60s! – choose http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
If you decide to grow up quickly but nervously – in the swingin’ 60s! – find a roommate, and just learn to relax, choose http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
You are a precocious child in a complicated world filled with scheming relatives & heirs to fortune & smitten suitors & gold-digging wives & husky tutors & cast-out sons & amateur sleuths. Your life is centered within a vast country manor dominated by your dread grandfather, who sits like a senescent spider in the center of his enormous web, a web whose tangles he created but no longer bothers to repair. Then murder strikes and grandfather is no more! What is a young girl to do? How long will your little flame burn in such a bleak and venomous environment? Never fear, tiny dancer, you are wise beyond your years... but what path shall you choose?
If you decide that adulthood is overrated and you need to start hanging around with people your own age – in the swingin’ 60s! – choose http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
If you decide to grow up quickly but nervously – in the swingin’ 60s! – find a roommate, and just learn to relax, choose http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
September 28, 2017
3.5 stars
If you like to read mystery's where all the members of a family are a suspect for a murder committed within the family , then this is your kind of book.
The book starts off with Charlie and Sophie, Sophie's grandfather is murdered and Charlie's dad is the Chief of police. Frankly, I think the main reason for this relation was for Charlie to be involved in the investigation, their relation for me lacked depth.
But this is not a romantic drama , it is a mystery and it delivers satisfactorily on the mystery end.
There is a peculiar set of characters, who all seem to have a reason for the victim to be dead but as soon as you think you have spotted the culprit they give you a reason to think they are innocent.
Coming to the end, the reveal would have been shocking if I hadn't read a similar novel with a very similar ending (and I am sure Christie's novel is the original and that book was definitely inspired by this story). Due to this I wasn't as surprised and it kind off spoiled the reading experience.
Also, the ending felt a bit rushed and could have been a bit more detailed. But this is still a good cozy mystery for a rainy day.
"Because this is just what a nightmare is. Walking about among people you know, looking in their faces- and suddenly the faces change- and it's not someone you know any longer- it's a stranger- a cruel stranger...."
If you like to read mystery's where all the members of a family are a suspect for a murder committed within the family , then this is your kind of book.
The book starts off with Charlie and Sophie, Sophie's grandfather is murdered and Charlie's dad is the Chief of police. Frankly, I think the main reason for this relation was for Charlie to be involved in the investigation, their relation for me lacked depth.
But this is not a romantic drama , it is a mystery and it delivers satisfactorily on the mystery end.
There is a peculiar set of characters, who all seem to have a reason for the victim to be dead but as soon as you think you have spotted the culprit they give you a reason to think they are innocent.
Coming to the end, the reveal would have been shocking if I hadn't read a similar novel with a very similar ending (and I am sure Christie's novel is the original and that book was definitely inspired by this story). Due to this I wasn't as surprised and it kind off spoiled the reading experience.
Also, the ending felt a bit rushed and could have been a bit more detailed. But this is still a good cozy mystery for a rainy day.
December 31, 2018
Just when I had abandoned my quest to find more Agatha Christie books, I stumbled upon three. Agatha Christie once claimed that Crooked House was her favorite story and it didn't take long to find out why. A young Englishman meets a charming young woman from a wealthy family abroad, they reconnect in England on the heels of her grandfather's death who she claims was murdered. Soon Charles is caught up in a a web of family secrets where there are no shortage of people who had much to gain.
Fast paced and compelling, this is a mystery that warms even the chilliest New Year's Eve.
Fast paced and compelling, this is a mystery that warms even the chilliest New Year's Eve.
April 15, 2021
«Δέκα ύποπτοι για φόνο».
Το αγαπημένο βιβλίο της Άγκαθα Κρίστι.
Πέντε μυθιστορήματα χρειάστηκε να γράψει για να φθάσει στη μέθεξη μυαλού και πνεύματος με την αχαλίνωτη φαντασία της ψυχολογικής αντάρας και να δημιουργήσει το καταπληκτικό αυτό αστυνομικό, ψυχολογικό, δραματικά σοκαριστικό, αποτρόπαιο και ζόρικα απολαυστικό θρίλερ.
Είναι ένα απαύγασμα σοκαριστικού και ψευδαισθητικού γρίφου ,από αυτούς που είναι αδύνατο να εντοπίστεί η σωστή λύση , η ταυτότητα του δολοφόνου και τα κίνητρα ,που παρέχουν σε όλους τους χαρακτήρες την ηθική επιταγή να φωτίσουν τις πιο βαθιές, αραχνιασμένες και λοξές γωνιές του μυαλού τους.
Γραμμένο σε πρώτο πρόσωπο εξελίσσεται στην μεταπολεμική Βρετανία με κυριότερα πρόσωπα έναν νέο που επιστρέφει απο την Ανατολή για να ξαναβρεί τον έρωτα του στο πρόσωπο μιας νέας γυναίκας - με ελληνικές ρίζες αριστοκραικής καταγωγής - της οποίας η πολύ δεμένη και αγαπημένη οικογένεια είναι ύποπτη για τη δολοφονία του δολοπλόκου και υπερπροστατευτικού πατριάρχη της.
Ο πάμπλουτος Έλληνας επιχειρηματίας
Αριστείδης Λεωνίδης που βασιλεύει και άρχει
στο λοξό του σπίτι, ένα τεράστιο αρχοντικό έξω απο το Λονδίνο. ( crooked house 🏠)
Με τις αραχνιασμένες σοφίτες και τις δηλητηριώδεις ψυχές των απογόνων του, γίνεται ο πρωταγωνιστής του καταστροφικού οικογενειακού μυστηρίου.
Όλα ξεκινούν και τελειώνουν!.. όταν δηλητηριάζεται απο κάποιο μέλος της ομοαίματης φατρίας του με οφθαλμικές σταγόνες σε ενέσιμη μορφή αντί της απαραίτητης δόσης ινσουλίνης που θα έπρεπε να του χορηγηθεί λόγω της ασθένειας του.
Ένα απο τα ωραιότερα βιβλία της Άγκαθα Κρίστι που δεν ξεχνιέται και δεν ξεπερνιέται.
Καλη ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς και σεμνούς ασπασμούς.
Το αγαπημένο βιβλίο της Άγκαθα Κρίστι.
Πέντε μυθιστορήματα χρειάστηκε να γράψει για να φθάσει στη μέθεξη μυαλού και πνεύματος με την αχαλίνωτη φαντασία της ψυχολογικής αντάρας και να δημιουργήσει το καταπληκτικό αυτό αστυνομικό, ψυχολογικό, δραματικά σοκαριστικό, αποτρόπαιο και ζόρικα απολαυστικό θρίλερ.
Είναι ένα απαύγασμα σοκαριστικού και ψευδαισθητικού γρίφου ,από αυτούς που είναι αδύνατο να εντοπίστεί η σωστή λύση , η ταυτότητα του δολοφόνου και τα κίνητρα ,που παρέχουν σε όλους τους χαρακτήρες την ηθική επιταγή να φωτίσουν τις πιο βαθιές, αραχνιασμένες και λοξές γωνιές του μυαλού τους.
Γραμμένο σε πρώτο πρόσωπο εξελίσσεται στην μεταπολεμική Βρετανία με κυριότερα πρόσωπα έναν νέο που επιστρέφει απο την Ανατολή για να ξαναβρεί τον έρωτα του στο πρόσωπο μιας νέας γυναίκας - με ελληνικές ρίζες αριστοκραικής καταγωγής - της οποίας η πολύ δεμένη και αγαπημένη οικογένεια είναι ύποπτη για τη δολοφονία του δολοπλόκου και υπερπροστατευτικού πατριάρχη της.
Ο πάμπλουτος Έλληνας επιχειρηματίας
Αριστείδης Λεωνίδης που βασιλεύει και άρχει
στο λοξό του σπίτι, ένα τεράστιο αρχοντικό έξω απο το Λονδίνο. ( crooked house 🏠)
Με τις αραχνιασμένες σοφίτες και τις δηλητηριώδεις ψυχές των απογόνων του, γίνεται ο πρωταγωνιστής του καταστροφικού οικογενειακού μυστηρίου.
Όλα ξεκινούν και τελειώνουν!.. όταν δηλητηριάζεται απο κάποιο μέλος της ομοαίματης φατρίας του με οφθαλμικές σταγόνες σε ενέσιμη μορφή αντί της απαραίτητης δόσης ινσουλίνης που θα έπρεπε να του χορηγηθεί λόγω της ασθένειας του.
Ένα απο τα ωραιότερα βιβλία της Άγκαθα Κρίστι που δεν ξεχνιέται και δεν ξεπερνιέται.
Καλη ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς και σεμνούς ασπασμούς.
May 22, 2020
Ένας φόνος, μια απόπειρα, ένας φόνος, ακόμη ένας φόνος και μια αυτοκτονία.
Το φινάλε του σύμφωνα με αυτά που διαβάζω θεωρήθηκε "σοκαριστικό"και ότι ο εκδότης της αρνήθηκε να το εκδώσει;
Μάλιστα.
Έχω διαβάσει πάνω από 40-50 βιβλία της Κρίστι. Η δεύτερη φορά που βρήκα τον δολοφόνο. Η πρώτη φορά ήταν σαν να έκλεβα εκκλησία στο "Οι ελέφαντες θυμούνται"
Αλλά και εδώ ,η Κρίστι έπαιξε τίμια και έδωσε όλα τα στοιχεία, μετά την απόπειρα, μόνο που δεν σου πέταξε στα μούτρα για τις "λακούβες" από το "θλον όργανο" (που θα έλεγε και ένας ιατροδικαστής) στο χώμα και για τις "δοκιμές" που γίνονταν !
Καμ αν πίπολ !
Εντάξει, φυσικά υπάρχουν και κενά, αλλά Κρίστι είναι αυτή.
Θα σχολίαζα, αλλά αναπόφευκτα θα έκανα σπόιλερ.
Ωραία, βρήκα τον δολοφόνο, δώστε μου τα αστέρια τώρα να πηγαίνω.
Το φινάλε του σύμφωνα με αυτά που διαβάζω θεωρήθηκε "σοκαριστικό"και ότι ο εκδότης της αρνήθηκε να το εκδώσει;
Μάλιστα.
Έχω διαβάσει πάνω από 40-50 βιβλία της Κρίστι. Η δεύτερη φορά που βρήκα τον δολοφόνο. Η πρώτη φορά ήταν σαν να έκλεβα εκκλησία στο "Οι ελέφαντες θυμούνται"
Αλλά και εδώ ,η Κρίστι έπαιξε τίμια και έδωσε όλα τα στοιχεία, μετά την απόπειρα, μόνο που δεν σου πέταξε στα μούτρα για τις "λακούβες" από το "θλον όργανο" (που θα έλεγε και ένας ιατροδικαστής) στο χώμα και για τις "δοκιμές" που γίνονταν !
Καμ αν πίπολ !
Εντάξει, φυσικά υπάρχουν και κενά, αλλά Κρίστι είναι αυτή.
Θα σχολίαζα, αλλά αναπόφευκτα θα έκανα σπόιλερ.
Ωραία, βρήκα τον δολοφόνο, δώστε μου τα αστέρια τώρα να πηγαίνω.
May 22, 2016
Πέμπτο βιβλίο της Agatha που διαβάζω τον τελευταίο καιρό και πραγματικά ούτε στο ελάχιστο δεν πλησίασα τον δολοφόνο. Πιο εύκολο μου φαίνεται να αποκωδικοποιήσω τον δίσκο της Φαιστού, παρά να βρω τον ένοχο σε κάθε της βιβλίο. Διασκεδαστικό με όμορφη πλοκή και απρόσμενο φινάλε, η –Σοφίτα με τις αράχνες- θεωρώ πως είναι ένα από τα καλύτερα της βιβλία.
Η αλήθεια είναι πως τη χαρά της ανάγνωσης μου τη χάλασε λίγο η άθλια κατάσταση του συγκεκριμένου (εποχής Βig Bang) αντιτύπου. Το βιβλίο μυρίζει έμπολα.
Αυτά. Κατευθείαν για αντιτετανικό και εμβόλιο κατά της ευλογιάς.
Η αλήθεια είναι πως τη χαρά της ανάγνωσης μου τη χάλασε λίγο η άθλια κατάσταση του συγκεκριμένου (εποχής Βig Bang) αντιτύπου. Το βιβλίο μυρίζει έμπολα.
Αυτά. Κατευθείαν για αντιτετανικό και εμβόλιο κατά της ευλογιάς.
October 30, 2020
Me ha gustado mucho, lo recomiendo 👍, no es el típico libro de Ágatha Christie en el que al final ella se saca de la manga alguna cosa que es prácticamente imposible que pase pero, ¡qué casualidad!, pasó y nadie se lo esperaba (normal 🙄).
Lo he escuchado en formato audiolibro 👂 y me ha enganchado mucho. Variedad de personajes distintos y te mantiene en vilo hasta el final. Aunque sospechaba quién era el malo antes de la mitad y acerté, me siguió gustando escucharlo y confirmar mis sospechas, porque te sigue haciendo dudar de todo y de todos, no dejan de descubrirse cosas. Solo me ha parecido un poco increíble que ni los detectives pensasen en la treta que hizo Arístides. ¡Si yo fue lo primero que pensé! No había muchas más opciones y creo que es poco creíble que el detective dijera '¡cómo íbamos a pensar eso!'. Pues porque eres detective, hijo mío, tienes que pensar en todo 😑 Creo que lo suyo habría sido que dijera que ya lo sospechaba o algo similar. Por lo demás, todo 👌
Lo he escuchado en formato audiolibro 👂 y me ha enganchado mucho. Variedad de personajes distintos y te mantiene en vilo hasta el final. Aunque sospechaba quién era el malo antes de la mitad y acerté, me siguió gustando escucharlo y confirmar mis sospechas, porque te sigue haciendo dudar de todo y de todos, no dejan de descubrirse cosas. Solo me ha parecido un poco increíble que ni los detectives pensasen en la treta que hizo Arístides. ¡Si yo fue lo primero que pensé! No había muchas más opciones y creo que es poco creíble que el detective dijera '¡cómo íbamos a pensar eso!'. Pues porque eres detective, hijo mío, tienes que pensar en todo 😑 Creo que lo suyo habría sido que dijera que ya lo sospechaba o algo similar. Por lo demás, todo 👌
May 4, 2021
A wonderful, gripping, fun read, as always with Agatha Christie.
December 15, 2017
4.5
“Murder, you see, is an amateur crime.”
Crooked House is Christie at her best. No wonder it was her favourite, together with Ordeal by Innocence (on that one, I can't say I agree, though), of all her works. Not a shred of a material clue, a jungle of psychological intricacies, a solution so unpredictable I had to read that part twice. The reason this is not a full five for me is that I couldn't develop a real connection with the protagonist/narrator, a bit too bland, and with Sophia, the co-protagonist. But the murder, the atmosphere, the plot—the rest is absolutely perfect. Recommended.
“Murder, you see, is an amateur crime.”
Crooked House is Christie at her best. No wonder it was her favourite, together with Ordeal by Innocence (on that one, I can't say I agree, though), of all her works. Not a shred of a material clue, a jungle of psychological intricacies, a solution so unpredictable I had to read that part twice. The reason this is not a full five for me is that I couldn't develop a real connection with the protagonist/narrator, a bit too bland, and with Sophia, the co-protagonist. But the murder, the atmosphere, the plot—the rest is absolutely perfect. Recommended.
January 5, 2021
Pues... segunda lectura del año y, que bien me lo he pasado!! La he disfrutado como una enana y ha pasado a mi top 3 de la autora. Por todo ello, se merece entrar en mi selecto grupo de las 5 estrellas (aunque en realidad son 4,5 porque el final me falló un poquito).
**Alerta Sopiler!!
1.-La historia. Sofía, la novia de Carlos, le dice que no podrán casarse hasta que se aclare la muerte de su abuelo, que ha sido asesinado por alguien de su propia familia. Así que le pide que se ponga a investigarlo ya que el suyo es un punto de vista externo. Y pues él, como quiere casarse, se pone a hacer de detective, pero... el esfuerzo valdrá la pena al final? Si sois lectores asiduos de Christie ya sabréis la respuesta... mujajajajaja
2.-Los personajes. Pues bueno, los de siempre. Un puñado de familiares que no son lo que parecen y que todos son grises, crueles o retorcidos a su manera. Aunque hay que reconocer que Sofía es la que más cumple el tópico de la chica buena.
Me encantó Josefina, me hice su fan número 1 desde el momento en que la describen como condenadamente fea y morbosa (tengo debilidad por ese tipo de personajes, sean buenos o malos... mujajajajaja).
3.-La pluma, la trama y demás. Capítulos cortos, contados en primera persona, con muchos diálogos y una pluma directa que va a lo que va y no se enrolla con descripciones innecesarias. Me pareció un libro mucho mas ágil y fluido que otros de la misma autora (no puedo con los de Miss Marple).En cuanto a la trama es la de siempre en esta clase de libros (ivestigación de un crimen) y aunque se ve venir bastante pronto la identidad del asesino (se sabe desde el momento en el que se habla de la silla manchada de barro), engancha hasta el final.
4.-El final. Fue quizá el gran pero para mí. El caso queda cerrado, por supuesto, pero no me gustó el destino que tuvo el asesino, más que nada porque aunque los detectives no sabían todavía su identidad, el asunto de la protección de Josefina fue muy conveniente (Si supieras que está en peligro y que uno de los familiares es el asesino, nunca dejarías que se fuera con uno de ellos). Y claro, pasa lo que pasa. Lo de los suicidios/asesinatos en los finales de Christie... no termina de convencerme. Por qué no se podía salir el malo con la suya, si tan listo era? y claro... tampoco esta muy bien lo de internarlo de por vida, es más fácil el despachárselo... pues no sé...
En fin, 4,5 estrellas sobre 5 porque disfrute mucho con la lectura y con el personajazo que es Josefina mujajajajajaja
**Popsugar 2021 categoría 33. Un libro con tres generaciones (abuelo/a, padre/madre, hijo/a).
**Alerta Sopiler!!
1.-La historia. Sofía, la novia de Carlos, le dice que no podrán casarse hasta que se aclare la muerte de su abuelo, que ha sido asesinado por alguien de su propia familia. Así que le pide que se ponga a investigarlo ya que el suyo es un punto de vista externo. Y pues él, como quiere casarse, se pone a hacer de detective, pero... el esfuerzo valdrá la pena al final? Si sois lectores asiduos de Christie ya sabréis la respuesta... mujajajajaja
2.-Los personajes. Pues bueno, los de siempre. Un puñado de familiares que no son lo que parecen y que todos son grises, crueles o retorcidos a su manera. Aunque hay que reconocer que Sofía es la que más cumple el tópico de la chica buena.
Me encantó Josefina, me hice su fan número 1 desde el momento en que la describen como condenadamente fea y morbosa (tengo debilidad por ese tipo de personajes, sean buenos o malos... mujajajajaja).
3.-La pluma, la trama y demás. Capítulos cortos, contados en primera persona, con muchos diálogos y una pluma directa que va a lo que va y no se enrolla con descripciones innecesarias. Me pareció un libro mucho mas ágil y fluido que otros de la misma autora (no puedo con los de Miss Marple).En cuanto a la trama es la de siempre en esta clase de libros (ivestigación de un crimen) y aunque se ve venir bastante pronto la identidad del asesino (se sabe desde el momento en el que se habla de la silla manchada de barro), engancha hasta el final.
4.-El final. Fue quizá el gran pero para mí. El caso queda cerrado, por supuesto, pero no me gustó el destino que tuvo el asesino, más que nada porque aunque los detectives no sabían todavía su identidad, el asunto de la protección de Josefina fue muy conveniente (Si supieras que está en peligro y que uno de los familiares es el asesino, nunca dejarías que se fuera con uno de ellos). Y claro, pasa lo que pasa. Lo de los suicidios/asesinatos en los finales de Christie... no termina de convencerme. Por qué no se podía salir el malo con la suya, si tan listo era? y claro... tampoco esta muy bien lo de internarlo de por vida, es más fácil el despachárselo... pues no sé...
En fin, 4,5 estrellas sobre 5 porque disfrute mucho con la lectura y con el personajazo que es Josefina mujajajajajaja
**Popsugar 2021 categoría 33. Un libro con tres generaciones (abuelo/a, padre/madre, hijo/a).
November 21, 2019
Another of Christie’s best standalone stories, a great simple premise as wealthy Aristide Leonides is found dead having been poisoned.
Rather than reviving a dose of insulin the elderly entrepreneur was injected with eserine - an eye based solution.
It’s evident that someone has tampered with the medicine and everyone is a suspect!
Yet again Christie writes great characters in a creepy setting, whilst also completely fooling me with the solution.
Rather than reviving a dose of insulin the elderly entrepreneur was injected with eserine - an eye based solution.
It’s evident that someone has tampered with the medicine and everyone is a suspect!
Yet again Christie writes great characters in a creepy setting, whilst also completely fooling me with the solution.
September 14, 2021
خواندن آثار اگاتا کریستی جز لذت بخش ترین سفر های مطالعه ست..گاه میخواهم در اواسط کتاب متوقف شوم و تلاش کنم برای حل معمای جنایت..اما سپردن خود به قلم جذاب و نگاه ژرف اگاتا کریستی لذت دیگری دارد..
آگاتا کریستی به جرئت تنها نویسنده ای ست که اثارش را نمی توان زمین گذاشت..وناگزیر هر یک در همان روز شروع به پایان می رسند
آگاتا کریستی به جرئت تنها نویسنده ای ست که اثارش را نمی توان زمین گذاشت..وناگزیر هر یک در همان روز شروع به پایان می رسند
May 11, 2020
‘it’s just a stage set. a background to play scenes against.’ she looked at me. ‘you realize, don’t you, what we’ve just been doing? act ii -- the family conclave. it didn’t mean a thing. there was nothing to talk about, nothing to discuss. it’s all settled -- finished.’
a standalone agatha christie mystery about a family, a fortune, and a murder.
charles, our first-person narrator, falls in love with the competent, no-nonsense sophia leonides during their time in egypt. when the two reunite in order to marry, disaster strikes sophia’s family. distraught and unsure about who of her family members could be a murderer, sophia calls upon charles’ help to solve the mystery once and for all before she can even consider marrying him.
and thus the leonides family enters the picture: a cast of colorful, eccentric characters, each of them with motive and means to have murdered the just-as-eccentric family patriarch, aristilde leonides. and, according to sophia herself, each of them with their own leonides brand of ruthlessness -- suggesting an innate ‘crookedness’ that has sprouted from her family’s line which’ll make it that much harder to pin down the murderer.
this one just hit a little different than most christie books i’ve read. its prose is very clean and straightforward, devoid of any flowery descriptions or dramatic musings. the big gestures lie entirely with the family members themselves, who move across the pages of the book like actors in a stage play.
it’s fascinating to watch them through the protagonist’s eyes, who sees them as possible murder suspects and possible new family members. that adds a unique sort of tension to the narrative.
you’ll find all your classic family dynamics amongst them: the second wife, accused of gold digging and having an affair with the family’s kids’ tutor. the unofficial family matriarch, a standoffish spinster, who’s taken it upon herself to take care of the family. the sons, two brothers who couldn’t be more different: one aloof, withdrawn, and unemotional; the other a bumbling bear of a man.
i thought it was interesting to find out that this was christie’s favorite novel to write. it definitely feels special, as if its text realizes that it is a murder mystery, and takes a step back to let all the characters sprinkle about their clues and possible motives for you as a reader. it’s very performative, if i had to put a word to it.
“they looked like a portrait by gainsborough. they sat together on the sofa -- the dark, handsome boy with a sullen expression on his face, and beside him, one arm thrust out along the back of the sofa, sat magda, the duchess of three gables in a picture gown of taffetas with one small foot in a brocaded slipper thrust out in front of her.”magda, sophia’s mother, was definitely one of my favorites as a terribly overly-dramatic stage actress always looking to spice up the scene. her other children, eustace and josephine, are two darkly morbid siblings with a callous sort of interest in their grandfather’s murder that makes it fun to hear their observations on the subject.
i enjoyed the thematic wordplay around ‘crooked’ as well, from the nursery rhyme and aristilde’s business dealings to the strangely constructed family home. (though i have to admit, i’m not very fond of the whole, “find the one that’s the most mentally fucked up, because that’s the killer” spiel, nor do i like that this innate mental ‘crookedness’ seems to have been spawned from a poor greek immigrant.)
another weird quirk on my part that pulled me out of the story: the constant use of the word ‘queer’. i’m more than aware that it was used differently in the past, but goodness me, this was one of the few times i wished an author had grabbed a thesaurus and swapped in some synonyms.
but i digress. this is a masterpiece of a christie mystery with an unexpected culprit whose crime still manages to make total sense. definitely one of my favorites.
✎ 4.5 stars.
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