In this collection of short stories, Poirot is retiring, but he decides to take on twelve final cases, a reference to his namesake’s twelve labours in Greek mythology, before he does. Christie’s short stories are a different labour altogether from her longer mysteries, and I can’t really compare them. It was interesting how the plots in these were quite different from her usual – there were art thefts, quelling rumours, hoaxes of various sorts, dognapping, and a surprising amount of cocaine, but a lack of […]
Impuse Buys Aren’t Always a Bad Idea
If nothing else, this book is a strong indication as to why I am pretty much constantly broke.
Paris Hilton Should Take Notes
In today’s culture, where the word ‘heiress’ brings to mind someone like Paris Hilton and an alarmingly large percentage of the world’s population would do just about anything to be famous, Huguette Clark seems like a throwback to an era long past despite having only passed away two and a half years ago.
Perfect Spy Thriller
A Cold-War spy thriller, written to perfection by the master of spy thrillers. Rocket scientist Claude Lucas wakes up in a Union Station men’s room with no clue as to who he is or how he got there. He is hung over and dressed like a bum, and a fellow bum reassures him that he was on a total bender. As he tries to figure out his identity, he discovers multiple skills that suggest he is no ordinary derelict. People start following him, and little […]
Never get involved in a land war with Jack Reacher
How did I discover the Jack Reacher series? I can’t even remember how it came into my life. The airport? A bus station? A friend? Perhaps a Cannonball Read recommendation? However it happened, I’m glad it did. These books are like crack to me. A couple months ago I recommended the series to my dad when he was going on a business trip. The next time we talked he expressed his very strong opinions about Mr. Reacher, something along the lines of “What a piece […]
The “little grey cells” unstimulated
Dr. John Christow is a man whom everyone admires: his friends, his wife, his lover, and his ex-fiancee for a start. Yet he ends up dead with his wife holding a gun and his lover’s name as his last word. It’s a scene set for Hercule Poirot, who has been invited to dine with his wealthy neighbours, and to him, it all seems too contrived to be true. I adore Agatha Christie. I’ve read probably about 90% of her mysteries (just not any Tommy and […]