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Original poster

A question for Agatha Christie fans!

64 replies

Notcontent · 22/01/2019 18:08

I read a lot of Agatha Christie innmy early teens. The Miss Marple books were my favourite.

My nearly 13 year old DD is an avid reader and I thought she might like to try an Agatha Christie novel.

It’s been a long time since I read any - can anyone suggest a good one to start? Something particularly engaging? (I was going so say gripping but that’s probably the wrong adjective!)

OP posts:
FlaviaAlbia · 22/01/2019 21:10

Thirding Cat Among the Pigeons, it's very good and has a great teenage character in it.

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 22/01/2019 21:11

A murder is announced or nemesis

Halloween party is a good non marple one Grin suggesting only because its full of youngsters

Fairylightfurore · 22/01/2019 21:14

Nothing wrong with reading older books. My dd (7) loves any and all Enid blyton and Mary Norton (borrowers), when she's VB older I will definitely recommend Agatha Christie, I loved her books at that age.

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OlennasWimple · 22/01/2019 21:15

I loved Christie at that age too, and also preferred Poirot to Marple, but that's obviously just personal taste.

"And Then There Were None" could be a good place to start - she can watch the recent TV version afterwards as well.

(The edition in my school library was so old it still had the original title of "Ten Little N" Shock )

Blueroses99 · 22/01/2019 21:21

Mrs McGinty’s Dead and A Murder is Announced for starters.

There is something very charming about reading books set in a different time, and there are natural differences between AC books set in the 20s and 60s but both would be authentic in their respective period.

DelurkingAJ · 22/01/2019 21:22

I adored them as a teenager in the 90s and still do. 13 Problems to meet and ‘get’ Miss Marple for me. For plot and character though can I suggest a Ngaio Marsh? Or Dorothy L Sayers (teen crush on Lord Peter, anyone?!).

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 22/01/2019 21:34

Sleeping Murder and The Mirror Crack'd... are two of my favourite Miss Marples.
The Joan Hickson TV version of Sleeping Murder is one of the very best - seriously creepy and spooky.
ITV have since done it in one of their buggered-up versions - it's absolute rubbish by comparison.

ShalomJackie · 22/01/2019 21:39

The Mirror Crack'd is a good starter AC.

Seeline · 22/01/2019 22:13

As I said upthread my 14 yo DD is really enjoying them. She loves the period details, although I have had to explain some things to her. I don't think you can beat a good mystery, regardless of when they were written. They are still very accessible.

NataliaOsipova · 22/01/2019 22:16

I loved Agatha Christie too....still do! Also preferred Poirot. I would recommend Death on the Nile (Poirot) or, as others have said, A Murder is Announced (Marple).

On3Mor3Try · 27/01/2019 20:40

Good books never date. Especially Agatha Christie books. Go with "And Then There Were None" or "Murder On The Orient Express".

Goposie · 27/01/2019 20:46

Cat among the pigeons!!

Goposie · 27/01/2019 20:47

And then there were none is very very dark with some really adult themes.

Stuckbehindthestoppingservice · 27/01/2019 20:47

My younger brother was a hardcore non-reader but he quite enjoyed Why Didn't They Ask Evans and And Then There Were None when he was 13 or 14. I was amazed because he was usually of the view that books were boring and old books even more boring.

Comefromaway · 27/01/2019 20:50

I read them in order but I did particularly like Cat Amongst the Pigeons. Also Body in the Library and the Moving Finger.

AndromedaPerseus · 27/01/2019 20:51

The best one is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Elderflower14 · 27/01/2019 20:53

My favourite is The Moving Finger. I'm biased though as when they filmed in 1984 they used our kitchen and I got to meet the wonderful Joan Hickson....
♥ ♥

Sewrainbow · 27/01/2019 21:28

When I was that age I liked "pocket full of rye" based around the nursery rhyme sing a song of sixpence, "sleeping murder" & " the mirror cracked" they both had a good twist that I found clever at that age.

OrdinarySnowflake · 27/01/2019 21:34

The Body in the Library is a good Marple one.

The ABC Murders is a good Poriot one.

MissCharleyP · 27/01/2019 21:45

I liked the Tommy & Tuppence series; ‘N or M’ being the favourite. I love the Marple books, I think the character is written very differently in ‘Murder at the Vicarage’ to the rest of the series though. The Harley Quin & Parker Pyne, while not crime novels are ones I go back to as well. I’m sure there’s a DVD of the Parker Pyne series available too. Another I like is ‘Murder is Easy’.

ShatnersWig · 27/01/2019 22:10

I think Murder is Easy is the perfect starter. Your achetypal English village mystery but without either Poirot or Miss Marple.

If you want to start with a Poirot I'd go for ABC Murders or Death on the Nile. For Miss Marple A Murder is Announced.

SmallAndFarAway · 27/01/2019 22:16

'...not all books age well and imo Agatha Christie's are an example of that, they are very much of their time and set in a very particular world that would be very difficult for most modern teens to relate to.'

I loved her books as a teenager even I grew up very far from her British upper class world - still love them, and I think it is very much because of the setting. It's like a window into a different world - isn't that why we read in the first place?

To answer the actual question, Thirteen Problems is a great starting point.

Pinkkahori · 27/01/2019 22:19

I loved The Secret of Chimneys and Seven Dials when I was that age. Sparkling Cyanide is another good one.

Pinkkahori · 27/01/2019 22:20

Very jealous Elderflower. Joan Hickson is my favourite Marple.

Disfordarkchocolate · 28/01/2019 08:22

This thread prompted me to download Joan Hickson reading A Murder is Announced. I keep picturing scenes from the TV version she was in as I listen.