Scariest book by Agatha Christie, IMO? "And Then There Were None".

[Jacksmama]

I love Agatha Christie. Have read nearly every one of her books and am currently working my way through the ones I'd missed. I love the suspense in her stories, and also the fact that nothing she writes (at least, that I have read) is ever over-the-top gruesome or horrific (a la Stephen King, for example - and I just want to mention that before I had DS, I was a huge SK fan).

There was a short story in "Surprise, Surprise" that I read recently which gave me chills as I was reading it, and I was lad to finish it and go on to something else that was a little less, well, really frightening. I'm not used to reading AG in bed at night and being afraid to turn out the light!!

"And Then There Were None" was like that for me. It was like a train wreck - I couldn't not look - had to keep reading, and last night, when I finished it around midnight I was so frightened by how the narrative at the end of the story where the murderer confesses to the deeds and how he did it, I couldn't sleep for hours!! I had to get DS and snuggle him in bed with me, with the light on, before I could doze off.

Anybody else find that story particularly disturbing?

[edam]

Yes, that's what has been confusing me!

[CatherineofMumbles]

Joan Hickson is too waspish. Geraldine McEwan was much more of my idea of a 'pink & white' Miss Marple. I think Julia Mc will do very nicely.

[shopaholicJen]

Currently trying to read all AC books (have read about 8 so far).
I can't read any of them at night though, i get scared they'll be scary and have to go and read something fluffy!
so far, Murder of Roger Ackroyd has been te scariest, I was all shivery when I read it.
I was in Torquay recently and just missed AC week
Poirot is my favourite-esp. David Suchet on T.V

[nymphadora]

Currently Reading ' the secret of chimneys' and finding it much harder work than any of the other books

[nymphadora]

Currently Reading ' the secret of chimneys' and finding it much harder work than any of the other books

[steamedtreaclesponge]

Oh, I love the Secret of Chimneys, especially Lord Caterham and Bundle! But it is more like her spy novels than her classical murder mysteries, I agree, so it doesn't quite get going in the same way. And it is quite silly compared to some of her other ones.

[Saltire]

Some of her books - Parker Pyne ones, I didn't enjoy. I have just read in Radio Times that new series of Miss Marple is starting on Sunday, with Julia McKenzie int eh title role, so that should be interesting to see what she's like

[ZZZenAgain]

David Suchet is excellent as Poirot. Whoever the actor is who plays Hastings in that series is perfect too. I thought Peter Ustinov was too much of a buffoon in his portrayal of Poirot. I realise the books all have these OTT characters but I always felt he went too far with it.

She wrote some odd stuff though, didn't she? I couldn't get on with those Parker Pine ones either. I also read something called (I think) Passenger to Frankfurt (?) which was just not good, not at all good.

[RustyBear]

Passenger to Frankfurt was the one I saw a review for which just said "Best - and easily- forgotten"

[steamedtreaclesponge]

No, I agree, Passenger to Frankfurt is awful! It was written in the 70s though so perhaps she was running out of ideas by then... Think the earlier ones are definitely better.

[ZZZenAgain]

Sorry was a bit lazy of me not to find out his name: it's Hugh Fraser who plays Captain Hastings alongside David Suchet's Poirot. I think he's very convincing too.

How did you all find Curtain then?

[Ceasnake]

I thought Curtain was great and found it surprisingly moving. A very nice last twist to end the series too.

[Heated]

Joan Hickson IS Miss Marple - am humming the theme music now in my head; every other actress in the role from Margaret Rutherford to Geraldine McEwan just gets it so gratingly wrong.

I have a soft spot for Peter Ustinov so can tolerate him in the role as the Belgium detective, but Suchet is the master in the same way that for me only Jeremy Brett is Sherlock Holmes.

[hocuspontas]

The later ones are not good. Third Girl and Hickory Dickory Dock spring to mind

[FlyingMonkey]

I remember Endless Night being particulary sinister - I was shocked by the ending.

Somebody mentioned Mr Quinn. Despite several re-readings, I still can't work exactly who or what Mr Quinn is. Can anyone shed any light?

[nymphadora]

Just read the hollow , not one of the best either

[ZZZenAgain]

Mr Quin like Parker Pyne is another one I couldn't really get on with. Isn't he always in cohoots with that Mr. Satherwaite and I wonder if it is the same Satherwaite who is in Three Act Tragedy? I don't know who Quin is supposed to be either. He is a bit supernatural, appearing when needed, soemthing like an angel in ordinary clothes maybe.

I read once that A.C. herself wrote Mr. Quin was one of her favourite characters. Can't understand why.

Actually the things I found best amongst her writings were the autobiographical ones.

[elkiedee]

"And then" was probably the second AC book I read, aged 12, under the original title which I felt uncomfortable with. I did find it quite scary then. My first was The ABC Murders and I was riveted at the time. I read them all in my teens and always forgot who did the murder - I read lots of crime fiction now but have only reread one Agatha Christie in order to join in an online group read discussion. I think though that if I was to get round to rereading the later ones would be quite interesting, as I'm quite interested in reading work set in the 60s and 70s by someone who started her career so much earlier (1920s).

[nymphadora]

really enjoyed the Seven dials this week

[steamedtreaclesponge]

So what did everyone think of the new Miss Marple? I was pleasantly surprised, actually. It was a nice faithful adaptation which I liked, it really annoys me when they change the plot for no reason. Julia McKenzie was much better than Geraldine McEwan - nicely fluffy, I thought!

[nymphadora]

Didn't see it , is it repeated ? I wasn't going to watch it because I thought it would be rubbish

[steamedtreaclesponge]

Well, you might disagree with me once you've seen it! But I expect it will be repeated, the last series was on about a million times...

[nymphadora]

Lol, well as long as they don't change the story I can cope!

[nymphadora]

Just got full list off wiki so I can work out which I don't have, getting a bit obsessed

[ZZZenAgain]

I didn't see it either, will have to try and catch it.

It annoys me too when they mess about with the plot too much. Did anyone see the Appointment iwth Death in the Poirot series - the one where the horrible old matriach gets killed in Petra? Some-one saw fit to include a white slaver disguised as a Russian nun in the film version and it annoyed the heck out of me. I didn't think it worked at all. Then they changed the murderer to make it a mother-father pair where it was originally a female politician acting alone. I think they could have left it the way AC wrote it personally.