Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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A Classic With a Fantastic Final Line

The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie

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Best for: Those looking for a quick, satisfying read. In a nutshell: Leonard is accused of killing an elderly woman, Emily. He believes his wife will serve as his alibi. Will she? Worth quoting: “Everything has something to hide, something they would do anything to protect.” Why I chose it: I enjoyed “The Unexpected Guest,” and have been checking out what is available of Christie’s at my local library. Review: I listened to this, and it was read by Christie’s grandson. Cool idea, but his […]

The Guest Isn’t the Only Unexpected Thing

The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie

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Best for: Those looking for a quick read that challenges one to think about who the real culprit is. In a nutshell: Michael Starkwedder has run his car off the road and is looking for a phone to use. He finds a house, lets himself in, and sees a woman with a gun and a man dead. Worth quoting: N/A (I listened to this as an audio book) Why I chose it: I’ve enjoyed the films based on Christie’s writings, and so wanted to read […]

“But afterwards you went on remembering.”

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

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Confession time: this is the first Agatha Christie novel I have read. I know, I’m surprised too. When thinking about where I wanted to jump in one of her standalone novels felt like the right choice, and since I had watched the adaptation of Why Didn’t They Ask Evans and remembered the plot I figured going into one without any preconceived notions was probably for the best. As it was the end of October one with spooky vibes (a group of strangers invited to an […]

Even If Unsuccessful, Attempted Murder Still Makes You a Murderer at Heart

Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

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An Agatha Christie novel is always a fun time, so when I got to Advanced Prompt #4, the 24th book of an author, Agatha Christie was an easy choice. I was also excited that it was a Poirot novel. I enjoy Miss Marple, but there’s something special about Hercule Poirot and the “little grey cells”. Dumb Witness did not disappoint. Hercule Poirot is hired by Emily Arundell to investigate what she believes to be attempted murder, but which her family and employees believe to be […]

Agatha Christie, in the parlor, with poison

A Mind of Her Own: The Story of Mystery Writer Agatha Christie by Robyn McGrath

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I was never a “OMG AGATHA CHRISTIE IS THE BEST!” but have appreciated what I have read. There were a few things I knew about her style, such as she was not going to be an easy read for someone used to contemporary writing and she would have references not really “okay” for today’s mindset. But what I didn’t know was how she got to be considered one of the greatest writers of mystery ever. This picture book by Robyn McGrath does a fantastic job […]

True to the Literary Source but not the Cover Vibe

Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict

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When I saw the cover of Murder on the Christmas Express, I had two thoughts: ooh, cozy, and Agatha Christie homage. One of those two impressions was correct. This is so very not a cozy mystery; rape and partner abuse, past and present, features prominently. The trauma is given some respectful attention, but it’s all over most of the book, making it distinctly not cozy. Similarly, the main investigator is also awaiting the imminent birth of her first grandchild, and that’s not going well medically […]



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