Review: THE BIG FOUR, Agatha Christie

• 
  this edition published on Kindle
  
• ASIN : B0046H95TA
• Publisher : HarperCollins (October 14, 2010)
• Publication date : October 14, 2010
• Originally published 1927
• Language : English
• File size : 633 KB
• Print length : 242 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

A ruthless international cartel seeks world domination…

Framed in the doorway of Poirot’s bedroom stood an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. The man’s gaunt face stared for a moment, then he swayed and fell.

Who was he? Was he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what was the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper? Poirot finds himself plunged into a world of international intrigue, risking his life to uncover the truth about ‘Number Four’.

My take

I had forgotten the unusual structure of this novel. 

Hastings returns from Argentina without warning Poirot that he is coming. He arrives to find Poirot about to leave to sail to South America. He had decided to surprise Hastings with his arrival.

Plans are thrown into disarray by the uninvited guest who comes into Poirot's bedroom, collapses, and then dies. Poirot realises that he is being warned not to embark for South America.

This 18 chapter novel focusses on 4 people who threaten world security with catastrophe and destruction. At first the identity of just two people are known, then the third is revealed, but Number 4 is like a chameleon, able to take on many disguises and then leave no lasting impression of his face. All 4 are self-centred, and have world domination as their individual goal.

The novel was written originally as 11 or 12  short stories with the central theme of Poirot's search for these arch villains. The stories are presented sequentially and take place over a period of 10 or so months. The stories were published separately in Sketch magazine from 1924 under the sub-heading of The Man who was No. 4, then amalgamated into one narrative. The stories test Hercule Poirot's abilities as a detective. In fact he wishes to establish himself as the pre-eminent brain in the world.

The idea of evil powers trying to control world politics and economies is not confined to Agatha Christie, nor to this one "novel". We see it for example in the James Bond stories, in Christie's Tommy and Tuppence stories, in Superman, Batman and so on. It seems particularly to crop up in the 1920s and 1930s when the Western Powers felt threatened by the rise of China, of Russia, and when the old order had been brought down during World War One.

Once you realise the structure of the novel you begin to see other things. Some of the stories in  THE BIG FOUR appear at first to have nothing to do with the central theme, but Poirot plucks 4s out of nothing.

My rating: 4.2

See Agatha Christie books I have read as part of the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge.

Review: MURDER IN MY BACK YARD, Ann Cleeves

• 
  This edition made available as an e-book through Libby, through my local library
  
• #2 in the Inspector Ramsay series
• Published 1991
• Author website

Synopsis

In this second Inspector Ramsay novel, our hero faces a murder investigation on his own doorstep following his impulsive decision to buy a cottage in the quiet Northumberland village of Heppleburn.

When local uproar over a proposed housing development ends in murder, the pressure is once again on Ramsay to act from within and interrogate every possible suspect. But then tragedy strikes a second time, and Ramsay must test his true measure as a detective working against the clock.

My Take

Stephen Ramsay seems a little more relaxed in this novel than in the first in the series. He has bought and moved into a cottage in Heppleburn, the setting for the first in the series. He is also better fleshed out and we find out a bit more personal background. 

This novel has a number of themes but the main one is a proposed housing development in the village. The woman who originally sold the land to the developer claims she was misled about the nature of the development. She invites her family to stay with her as usual on St. David's Day but that night goes off to see the land developer with an offer to buy back the land. That is the last time her rather dysfunctional family sees her. The next morning she is found dead, murdered.

Ramsay is under pressure to solve the murder and it is obvious that Hunter, his #2, feels he is not taking the steps that he should. Jack Robson who appeared in the first novel makes a second appearance.

I enjoyed this novel and will certainly look for the third.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• RAVEN BLACK - Shetland #1
• WHITE NIGHTS - Shetland#2
• RED BONES - Shetland #3
• 5.0, BLUE LIGHTNING - Shetland#4
• 5.0, DEAD WATER  - Shetland#5
• 4.6, THIN AIR - Shetland #6
• 4.3, MURDER IN PARADISE - Palmer-Jones series #3
• TELLING TALES (Vera Stanhope) #2
• 4.8, SILENT VOICES, (Vera Stanhope) #4
• 5.0, THE GLASS ROOM (Vera Stanhope) #5
• 4.9, HARBOUR STREET (Vera Stanhope) #6
• 4.5, BURIAL OF GHOSTS - stand-alone
• 4.8, THE MOTH CATCHER (Vera Stanhope #7)
• 4.4, TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE (Quick Reads)
• 4.7, THE SEAGULL - (Vera Stanhope #8)
• 4.6, THE LONG CALL - Two Rivers #1
• 4.9, THE DARKEST EVENING - Vera #9
• 4.5, A LESSON DYING - Inspector Ramsay #1

 

Review: THE PORT OF LONDON MURDERS, Josephine Bell

• 
  this edition published by Black Dagger Crime 2005
  
• first published 1938
• ISBN 9-781405-685092
• 219 pages
• source: my local library

Synopsis (Fantastic Fiction)

A suicide, a derelict barge, and floating pink chiffon nightdresses...

When the San Angelo drifts into port in the Pool of London, telephones begin to ring across the capital and an intricate series of events is set in motion. Beset by dreadful storms in the Bay of Biscay, the ship, along with the "mixed cargo" it carries, is late.

Unaware of the machinations of avaricious importers, wayward captains, and unscrupulous traders, docklands residents Harry Reed and June Harvey are thrust together by a riverside accident, before being swept into the current of a dark plot developing on the harborside.

First published in 1938, this early novel from one of the great Golden Age mystery writers skillfully delivers a compelling tale of murder set against a gritty portrayal of life alongside the Thames.

My Take

I'm willing to believe that, as one of her first novels, this is not Josephine Bell's best.  I found the plot heavy going, and felt as if I struggled to finish it. There were however some clever plot strands and interesting characters, perhaps a few too many of them. The setting seems to be contemporary with its original publication, and the picture it paints of life in the slums on the London wharves is arresting.

Perhaps someone has a recommendation for my next read?

My rating: 4.0

About the author

Josephine Bell (Doris Bell Ball) (1897 - 1987)

Josephine Bell was born Doris Bell Collier in Manchester. She studied at Godolphin School, then trained at Newnham College, Cambridge until 1919. At the University College Hospital in London she was granted M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. in 1922, and a M.B. B.S. in 1924. 

She was a prolific author with over 60 titles to her credit.

What I read in March 2019

 A good month, some good books

1. 4.5, AGENT RUNNING IN THE FIELD, John Le Carre -audio book
2. 4.6, A MURDER AT MALABAR HILL, Sujata Massey
3. 4.3, THE LAST MOVE, Mary Burton 
4. 4.4, THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD, Agatha Christie
5. 4.3, A LATE PHOENIX, Catherine Aird
6. 4.7, THE TALLY STICK, Carl Nixon - New Zealand author
   
7. 4.2, MURDER ON THE MENU. Fiona Leitch - New Zealand author
   
8. 4.6, THE NIGHT WHISTLER, Greg Woodland - Australian author 
9. 4.5, A LESSON DYING, Ann Cleeves
10. 4.5, DOOM CREEK, Alan Carter - Australian author
11. 4.3, A STUDY IN STONE, Michael Campling

Review: THE FAMILY DOCTOR, Debra Oswald

• 
  This edition published Allen & Unwin 2021
• ISBN 9-761750-877781
  
• 357 pages

Synopsis (publisher) 

Paula is a dedicated suburban GP, who is devastated by the murder of a friend and her children by their estranged husband and father. Stacey and the children had been staying with her after fleeing his control, and Paula is haunted by the thought that she couldn't protect them when they most needed it. How had she missed the warning signs? How had she failed to keep them safe?

Not long after, a patient with suspicious injuries brings her anxious young son into Paula's surgery. The woman admits that her husband hurts her, but she's terrified to leave for fear of escalating the violence, and defeated by the consistent failures of the law to help her.

Can Paula go against everything she believes to make sure one woman is saved, one child spared? She isn't motivated by revenge. She's desperately trying to prevent a tragedy . . .

A riveting, provocative novel about women's fury, traumatic grief, new love, deep friendship, and the preciousness of life, The Family Doctor asks the questions: Should you cling to faith in a flawed system, or take control the only way you can? Can a good person justify taking a life to save a life?

My Take

A very topical read given what is being discussed both in the Australian Parliament and elsewhere at present. Domestic violence is a community concern because it has such widespread social and economic consequences.

Finding her friend Stacey and her two lovely children already dead in her house and then watching Stacey's husband take his own life, has the effect of tipping the balance for Paula. She becomes much more aware of the signs of domestic violence which she sees in her work as a GP in a Sydney suburb. To be honest, Paula has not really recovered from the death of her own husband from cancer in the previous year. 

In the months that follow Stacey's death Paula and her good friend Anita can't steer away from the issue of domestic violence, but Anita does not realise how it has affected Paula's thinking. They talk about how good it would be to rid the world of monsters, but neither imagine that they would take action themselves. 

When the opportunity presents itself to actually rid the world of one monster Paula takes it, and everything else stems from there. In fact it all starts much earlier - in Paula's failure to protect Stacey and her children, in the failure of the legal/police system to protect them, or even to keep them informed.

An impressive novel.

My rating: 4.5

About the author

Debra Oswald is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. She is a two-time winner of the NSW Premier's Literary Award and author of the novels Useful (2015) and The Whole Bright Year (2018). She was creator/head writer of the first five seasons of successful TV series Offspring. Her stage plays have been performed around the world and published by Currency Press. Gary's House, Sweet Road and The Peach Season were all shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Literary Award.

Debra has also written four plays for young audiences - Dags, Skate, Stories in the Dark and House on Fire. Her television credits include award-winning episodes of Police Rescue, Palace of Dreams, The Secret Life of Us, Sweet and Sour and Bananas in Pyjamas. Debra has written three Aussie Bites books for kids and six children's novels, including The Redback Leftovers, Getting Air and Blue Noise. Debra has been a storyteller on stage at Story Club and will perform her one-woman show, Is There Something Wrong With That Lady?, in 2021.

Review: A STUDY IN STONE, Michael Campling

• 
  format: kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN : B07S1GTNV7
• Publisher : Shadowstone Books (June 20, 2019)
• Language : English
• File size : 3105 KB
• Print length : 121 pages 
• #1 in series

Synopsis (Amazon)

Dan Corrigan wants to disappear.

Burnt out by the pressures of corporate life, he escapes to the countryside. But when he least expects it, a chance discovery draws him into a compelling mystery.

An ancient legend, a coded message on a stone slab, and a secret concealed in a country manor house: these are the clues that take Dan on a journey into the past, delving deeper into a hidden history.
But reputations are on the line, and there are those who want the mystery to remain unsolved.
Uncovering the truth might give Dan the confidence to rebuild his life, but if he fails, there’s no going back.
Can you solve this very British mystery?

Find out when you join Dan as he chases down the clues in A Study in Stone.

My Take

If you are looking for a quick cozy read then this novella might be just the thing, the first in what is currently a series of 4. Dan Corrigan has fled to Devonshire from London, from a high pressure job.  He and his next door neighbour Alan make an unlikely sleuthing duo (they remind me a bit of the Fethering mysteries with Carole and Jude), but neither can leave a mystery alone, and the puzzle confronting them has more serious implications than it first seems.

My rating: 4.3

About the series

The Devonshire Mysteries are traditional British mysteries in a modern-day setting.

These are cosy mysteries (or ‘cozy mysteries’ for Dan Corrigan’s trans-Atlantic fans). There’s a touch of dry humour and the stories pay homage to the legacies of Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle. You’ll always find a mixed bag of suspects, plenty of clues and a few red herrings, so that you could have solved the mystery if only you’d put two and two together.

Amateur Sleuth Dan Corrigan is quick-witted, driven and far too clever for his own good. Fortunately, his friend and neighbour, Alan Hargreaves, is the perfect foil for Dan's intellect. Loyal, dependable and with a knack for detailed research, Alan keeps Dan on track, and together, they make an effective team.

Review: DOOM CREEK, Alan Carter

• 
  Publisher : Fremantle Press (March 1, 2021)
  
• Language : English
• Paperback : 304 pages
• ISBN-10 : 1925816818
• ISBN-13 : 978-1925816815
  
• #2 in the Nick Chester series

Synopsis (Amazon)

Sergeant Nick Chester has dodged the Geordie gangsters he once feared and is out of hiding and looking forward to the quiet life. But gold fever is creating ill feeling between prospectors, and a new threat lurks in the form of trigger-happy Americans preparing for doomsday by building a bolthole in the valley. As tensions simmer, Nick finds himself up against an evil that knows no borders and no depths.

Sequel to MARLBOROUGH MAN

My take

Set in New Zealand, in what should be an idyllic back water, the plot proves that not even New Zealand is safe from the underworld and those who use money to get what they want. Several plot strands intertwine to prevent Nick Chester from focussing just on local issues and local policing. 

I think it helps to have read the first in this series, which I had.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read 4.6, MARLBOROUGH MAN