Have you ever been murdered? Of course not, but in Murder is Easy, a classic mystery by Agatha Christie, you'll be sucked into the job of solving a murder case. Agatha Christie fills Murder is Easy with misleading clues and suspicious characters. If you've never read an Agatha Christie book, this should definately be your first.
As a mystery lover, I was shocked at this novel when it went far beyond my expectations. Christie uses vivid adjectives and twist the plot incredibly. A downside to the book was its vocabulary. At times the words were very confusing. For example, on page 244 Luke comments, "I decided to accept Mrs. Waynflete's invitation to abide in her house, and I resolved to try to ferret the truth out of her. All in all, I would rate the book four stars and would highly recommend it to any Agatha Christie lover.

I hardly need speak about Agatha Christie, deservedly the best-selling mystery novel author of all time. Murder is Easy is one of her best novels, being typically easy to read, obviously contrived and yet filled with plot twists and misdirections. During the exposition of the plot the reader cannot help but be seduced by the unravelling of the mystery, and it all seems, indeed, a little too easy... but with a breathtaking twist in the tail everything is turned around more than once. In retrospect it seems so simple, and all the clues are there. And yet the reader is almost guaranteed not to guess the ending. The only thing to add is that this is one of the few Christies where the pleasure of detection and mystery is leavened with the tension of personal risk to the main characters. The final few chapters in particular took my breath away when I first read the book. Written in the 1930s and yet still as accessible today as it ever was, this is a book well worth reading for both the Christie fan and the generalist reader of detective fiction. Read it and see why Christie is the Queen of Crime.

This is the first Agatha Christie Novel that I read. After reading 'Murder is Easy', I became an Agatha Christie's Fan ! Like most of her books, this one have an amazing suprise ending. (I was so amazed when I know who the murderer was !) This book is very interesting too, and it glued me to the chair, forcing me to finish this book at one go. (And it's worth it !) So, this is a perfect book for first time reader of Agatha Christie. (And if you're already a fan of Christie, you should read this book too !) 5 Stars !

Each story herein, except "The Second Gong", has also appeared in either _The Hound of Death_ or _The Listerdale Mystery_. Some of the stories are fantasy fiction rather than mysteries, but don't be *too* quick to assign supernatural causes to anything.

"Accident" (1929) - Evans (formerly Inspector Evans of the CID) recognizes in the six-years-married Merrowdenes the notorious Mrs. Anthony, acquitted of poisoning her first husband - judged to have died of an accidental overdose of arsenic. As a girl, her stepfather accidentally fell to his death from a cliff during a walk. Not looking good for *Mr.* Merrowdene...

"The Fourth Man" (December 1925) As a supernatural story, best appreciated in Christie's fantasy-dominated collection _The Hound of Death_. Three ever-so-superior professional men - minister, physician, and lawyer - begin discussing a famous multiple personality case during a night train journey. Even though they're missing a fourth point of view - that of the man in the street - they ignore the fourth man in their compartment...

"The Mystery of the Blue Jar" (1933) Jack Hartington lives for golf; since he's 24 and has to earn a living, he lives near a golf course where he can practice every morning before work. Then screams no one else hears begin coming from a cottage near the course, every morning at the same time - and whatever's going on centers around the image of a woman holding a blue jar.

"The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl" a.k.a. "Mr. Eastwood's Adventure" (August 1924) Anthony Eastwood is stuck, trying to create a plot for the title "The Mystery of the Second Cucumber", when a mysterious phone call with 1 word - 'cucumber' - entangles him in a *real* mystery.

"Philomel Cottage" (November 1924) Businesslike Alix King expected to marry Dick Windyford, fellow clerk, when they could afford it - but he was too proud to propose when she got a windfall inheritance. Then Gerald Martin swept her off her feet in a whirlwind courtship - a perfect stranger. But like Bluebeard's wives, Alix gets curious about his past...

"The Red Signal" (June 1924) Sir Alington West, a distinguished alienist, has no time for ESP. His nephew Dermot has had a few 'red signals' in his life, but as his uncle points out, he'd seen signs of impending mortal peril and just hadn't consciously put them together. But why should he have it during a party - when the only danger is his hidden love for his best friend's wife?

"The Second Gong" - An early version of "Dead Man's Mirror", written first but published later. I recommend the expanded rewrite in the _Dead Man's Mirror_ collection.

"Sing a Song of Sixpence" (1934) Elderly Sir Edward Palliser, K.C., never expected to see Magdalen Vaughn again after a shipboard romance - let alone to be taken up on his offer to help if she ever needed it! Her family sponged off Great-aunt Lily Crabtree, who has been brutally murdered - and they're the chief suspects.

"S.O.S." (February 1926) The Dinsmead family - pompous father, worn-down mother, and 3 grown children - moved to a lonely country home rather abruptly upon Mr. Dinsmead's retirement from the building trade. They're all unhappy, except the father, who seems to have something up his sleeve. Then a stranger (parapsychologist Mortimer Cleveland), stranded for the night by a flat tire, finds a mysterious message written in the dust beside his bed...

"Where There's a Will" a.k.a. "Wireless" (1926) Mary Harter's physician, in the style of the old school, was far more blunt about the seriousness of her heart condition to her nephew than to her. Charles, making a parade of his superior knowledge of modern technology, wheedles her into getting not only an elevator, but a radio...which seems to justify all her misgivings about these electrical contraptions when it begins relaying messages from her late husband, saying that he's coming for her...

"The Witness for the Prosecution" (1933) Unlike the Billy Wilder film version, here the viewpoint character and chief investigator is the prisoner's solicitor, Mayherne; the K.C. conducting the court case isn't even named. The information brought out during testimony in the film mostly appears during Vole's interview with Mayherne. The adaptation was faithful, except that here Vole's first meeting with Emily French is more dramatic, and her fluffy-headed eccentric image wasn't translated to film. The ending of the story, though, isn't as trite the movie's.

As a mystery writer with my debut novel in its initial release (and a creative writing professor at various California State Universities), I was thrilled to find this book. As with most mystery authors, I cut my teeth reading Agatha Christie's books. She invented the modern cozy, and these stories display Ms. Christie at the top of her talents. If you like mystery short stories, these classics are for you.

Anyone familiar with the 1957 Billy Wilder film "Witness for the Prosecution" knows the plot of the title story. The short story, however, is told from an entirely different vantage point. The change in focus doesn't rob the story of any of its sting, and the product is every bit as entertaining as the excellent movie.

Christie tells the remaining stories in a taut, fast-paced, and satisfying manner, and more than once brings the story to a quite unexpected climax.

I now know why Agatha Christie's romance novels weren't as popular as her detective fiction. People always like to read romance which has a happy ending i.e the 2 lovers marrying. But in Ac's novels, the 2 lovers invariably seperate. She dvelves deep into human nature, a produces a story.Giant's bread is a touching novel of a genius, Vernon Deyre. He is a genius in music, & thi leads him to break the hearts of the 2 womenen, Nell & Jane who love him. He is wildly infatuated with Nell, a childhood friend,whom he marries, but its only in the end that he realises that he isn't in love with anybody except Jane. He hurts Jane like hell & ina drowning ship, saves Nell instead of Jane, but only after she dies that he realises that he didn't love anybody except Jane. It is a very touching story, especially in the last few pages. But its not recomended for people who like happy endings.

This haunting epic is Agatha Christie's best work!

A different book from the queen of crime..Agatha Christie has proved that she is not just a crime writer.. A powerful story about a genius and his relationships with two women..In a way, the book is too frighteningly true! Not for the mushy romantic kind...

I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and have read many of her books. My favorite is "And Then There Were None," a classic mystery novel. When I purchased this book, I did not know that is was a collection of short stories, but once I dived in to Christie's superior eye for mystery and suspense, I found myself longing to read the book further and further. Mr. Satterthwaite, somewhat reminescent of Hercule Poirot, is a watcher. He has a keen eye and discovers people's inner thoughts and emotions. Harley Quin is a man who still puzzles me and is the reason that this book received 3 stars instead of five. At times in the novel, you long for him to reveal his true identity. Also, the last chapter of the book seemed rather pointless. Christie explained the ballet's plot with such great detail that I found myself skimming over it, and the book lost its luster. If someone wishes to e-mail me explaining the final chapter, please go ahead and do so. For those pondering the book's purchase, I suggest "And Then There Were None," or "Death on the Nile." However, if your penchant is short stories, this one is worth a read.

The only time Agatha Christie ever descends to the realm of "average" is when she writes a collection of short stories.

This is no reflection on her ability to write them, it is simply ebcause of the fact that i personally do not like short stories, normally.

the short stories here, compared with most, are actually quite good, i would suspect. Harley Quinn is a good character, but he sometimes annoys me. Far more entertaining is the brilliant Mr Satterthwaite (who we see again in the marvellous "Three Act Tragedy") who is one of Christie's great characters. He is calm, understated, interesting, clever. And very likeable.

The characters in this collection are well drawn, and the concept of a mysteriious man such as Quinn appearing almost out of nowhere to guide Satterthwaite in the solving mysteries is a very original, mysterious one, which does work well.

Overall, for a short story collection, this is very very good. but for a book by Agatha christie, it's rather average.

Harley Quin shines in the world of aristocratic evil and blue-blooded criminality. His mission is always to see that justice is done. Whether it be a young wife with a shocking secret from her past, a great actress playing her most daring role not on stage but in real life, or a handsome bridegroom whose wedding night turns into a wake, Harley Quin always arrives at precisely the right moment. His unorthodox methods will always be able to target the guilty party.

This book is notable for the appearance of Mr. Satterthwaite, the means by which Mr. Quin makes his riveting revelations. They are reminiscent of other famous duos like Holmes and Watson or Poirot and Hastings as they work together and solve crimes with an uncanny accuracy.

So if you need a little passion, blackmail, and murder in your life, pick up this volume of fascinating short stories.

Also known as REMEMBERED DEATH, this 1943 Christie novel is not among the author's most memorable work, nor is it among her most celebrated--but it is a solid piece of work all the same, and one that shows Christie toying with a favorite theme: a curious death in the past arouses suspicion that erupts into the present tense. A year previously London beauty Rosemary Barton unexpectedly dropped dead at dinner in an exclusive London restaurant--and when cyanide was found in both her champagne glass and in her evening bag, her death is ruled a suicide. But with the passage of time her surviving husband becomes suspicious and determines to restage the dinner party with an eye toward uncovering the truth. The result is yet another death--and once more cyanide is in the champagne glass.

As in many of her novels, Christie carefully limits the field of suspects to those actually at the table, and it soon transpires that virtually every one present had a motive for Rosemary's murder--and would have a motive to kill again. Is it Rosemary's sister Iris, who inherited a fortune upon her older sister's death? Rosemary's illicit lover, whose career could be ruined by scandal? Or perhaps his wife, who might have killed to save her marriage? Or is there a darker criminal element at work?

Although this novel reached the screen with David Suchet playing Hercule Poriot, fans of Suchet's performances should not be misled: Poriot does not appear in this particular novel, and the detective of note is Col. Race, who pursues the killer through an emotional interest in Rosemary's sister Iris. And indeed, this is one of Christie's more romantically-laced tales, with the story hinging on the various romantic and sexual entanglements of the various characters. The writing is solid and unexpectedly moody for a Christie novel, and while a few hardcore Christie fans may be able to spot the killer before the book's conclusion, most readers will be taken considerably by surprise. A fun, enjoyable read.

--GFT (Amazon Reviewer)--

This was such a great book, this was my first time reading Christie's books and it is already one of my favorites of all time. It is so clever and not a typical murder mystery you will often read. Get it, read it, you'll love it

Agatha Christie goes back in time to solve a murder. The victim was Rosemary Barton who died the year before the story begins. She was celebrating her birthday with husband and friends at a fashionable restaurant when she apparently took her own life. Because no one present had any desire to kill her and cyanide was found in the depressed woman's purse, suicide was accepted as the cause of death. Nine months later, her husband George begins receiving anonymous letters saying the death was not what it appeared. These hints of murder lead George to suspect that one guest at the dinner party did indeed kill his wife. The killer strikes again a year later when an almost identical party is held at the same restaurant to celebrate the birthday of Rosemary's younger sister Iris.

Who was the beautiful heiress Rosemary Barton? Through the words of each of the characters, the reader gets various versions of Rosemary---her personality, her lovers, her love affairs, her marriage, her death.

Once again, Christie gives us memorable characters: Iris, the younger sister who failed to inherit but would receive all on Rosemary's death; George, the husband who just might be resenting her philandering ways; Ruth Lessing, George's faithful secretary; Anthony Browne, her gentleman friend with a notorious past; Stephen Faraday, one of her lovers; and Sandra Faraday, Stephen's wife.

Colonel Race, a recurring character in Christie novels, appears in this one as a family friend of the Bartons who is called in by George to find the killer.

In 1983 this novel was adapted to television. Unfortunately, by moving the setting from England to California and updating the plot, much of Christie's excellent novel suffered.

Curtain: Poirot's last case

Poirot's last case was written by Agatha Christie (1891-1976) in the 1940's. She's one of the worlds most read criminal authors, known as the queen of crime. She's written lots of detective stories and she's also used another name Mary Westmacott, under which she wrote six romantic novels.

Poirot's last case takeS place at a small hotel called Styles, out In the countryside of England not too far away from London among people from the upper middle-class. Captain Hastings receives a letter from an old friend Hercules Poirot, a detective who has worked together with Hastings many times earlier. In the letter he urges Hasting to come to the hotel where they once met for the first time the Styles, because there is to be a murder. Lot's of things happen during the time when they try to solve the murder.

All the people living at the hotel for the moment are somewhat involved in the matter of the murder. Hercules Poirot is a person that you never really get hold of during the story. He's described as a crippled old man and, even though he's old and can not walk, he still has his brain working. He's much more on the ball then you first think.

Captain Hasting is a man that really appreciates seeing his old friend again but gets really confused sometimes and also he does believe in what every person says. I never get the feeling that he dislikes people, only one because he dislikes that mans manors. He seems to be quite naive and very trusting as his friend describes him.

Other people are The Franklins, The Luttrells who are the owners of the hotel, Mr. Norton, Judith the captain's daughter, Boyd Carrington and Miss Cole. All are living at the hotel for one or another reason.

The story is well written. You quickly get in to it but it's not that you can say what's going to happen. After half the book you will go on reading until the end because you want to know who the murderer is. That's where Agatha Christie shows what a good writer she is. She leaves you clues but it's only that we think we know who has done it, which in the end turns out to be completely wrong.

The language she uses is fairly easy to understand. There are some words I did not know such as scientific words and some descriptive words. But the book is easy to read. The chapters are divided up well and you don't lose the line through out the story.

I liked this book, it caught my interest quickly which for me is important. And it's an exciting story that holds your interest until the end. This was the first novel I read by Agatha Christie but I'll indeed read more of her. I would recommend her.

I have been reading Agatha Christie and especially Poirot for last 10 years. After reading nearly 30 novels, Poirot had been a part of life. And the feeling of not seeing or hearing Poirot any more felt as if I have lost a close friend. I never knew Agatha Christie could bring so much of emotion.

I'll rate this novel the third best I have read only after Murder of Roger Ackryod and Murder on Orient Express. I finished the novel last night and found it hard to sleep after that. Its too good.

Finally we saw the perfect murderer, who did not do anything to be found guilty of murder. The flow was smooth and being the last case of Poirot, you are tempted to suspect everybody in it. In fact this novel should be read after you have read a substantial number of Agatha Christies. Hastings keeps on giving references to past cases.

In one sentence I can sum it up as it was a wonderful and nostalgic experience going through the pages. A MUST READ.

If you don't already know it, this is Poirot's last case.

I came across this book after I had read MANY other Poirot's cases and I was familiar with the surroundings. Lady Agatha takes us back to Styles Court, where we first met the little Belgian man with the egg shaped head. And so, the circle is closed.

This is, in my opinion, the most mature of Christie's stories. Poirot faces the ultimate assassin: an individual capable of the perfect crime. He understands his methods, but also finds it impossible to intervene. And so he takes the matter on to his own hands, although knowing that no crime can go unpunished.

Maybe the essence of the book is in the last few lines, hidden by a mark on a man's forehead. Don't miss it.

While waiting for the spies from Moscow to show their hand, Tommy and Tuppence, aka Mr & Mrs Beresford, took over a detective agency known to be associated with the Moscow spies and masqueraded as the real owner Mr Blunt and staff. A fair number of legitimate cases unrelated to the spies came their way, and the two played the game by pretending to be famous fictious detectives, including Father Brown (creation of GK Chesterton) and Sherlock Holmes (creation of Arthur Conan Doyle). They solved the cases with more than an element of fun, typical husband-wife oneupmanship, female intuition etc.

While entertaining, the backdrop of the detective agency being a Trojan horse for counter-intelligence was rather naive and unrealistic. It presumed the Russians did not know the faces of the English traitors they recruited, and once the trap was exposed, they would prefer to spring it rather than leave it alone.

This book is a good book to read if you like mystery books. I would want someone else to read this so that they can understand that detectives do all they can to solve the crime. Tommy is like my sister's boyfriend. He's like a very shy and cautious person. While I was reading this book I could not believe that the mystery's were about divorce cases. Tommy and Tuppence are middle aged people who are married. Another reason I would reccomand this book is because it has a lot of humor and excitement. Its just a great book about a Russian mystery. I learned some things about the book. Im going to go get more of her mystery books from the library to read.

This is one of Christie's best efforts. Every story moves smoothly and is satisfying throughout til their expert conclusions. I really like her Tommy and Tuppence books. It's too bad she only wrote 5 of them, but this one I think is her finest. The 2 meld well together and even argue delightfully. A must addition to any Agatha collection. You will not be disappointed.

I've only read about 11 Agatha Christie books, but this one was one of the worst that I have read so far. I'm not saying it is bad, but it's not that great compared to some of her other books. The middle was slow, and it started out slow. The ending was sort of surprising, but I had figured out who the murderer was because it was pretty obvious. If you want to read some really good Agatha Christie books, I suggest And Then There Were None, or The Murder of Roger Acrkoyd.

I think this was a good Agatha Christie book. I agree that the beginning was a bit slow...but it got more interesting. And like always, theres an interesting, unexpected twist at the end...

When Christie was on top of her game, no one was better, and this is a prime example of her amazing skills. A real fine twist ending will reverse every notion you may have had for the characters. Poirot is at his amusing, determined best here; his one flaw being he cares too much. It almost costs him the case. Hastings as usual narrates the story in his own daft and befuddled way. Hercule enjoys toying with him. Sort of like the way Christie must have enjoyed toying with her readers.

At the prologue, veteran lawyer Mr Treves remarked that investigations at a murder oft looked at the murder as the starting point when oft murder was the end and that the real story began long before.

And so Agatha Christie introduced many disparate threads in the beginning that appeared to have absolutely no relationship whatsoever with each other - Inspector Battle's daughter getting into trouble in school, a failed suicide of a man let down by the world when all he did was to be honest, a young man getting his wife and ex-wife down to his adopted country seat home at Gull's Point.

The deaths did not come in until about half the book, the first person to make the exit being Mr Treve himself. Next was the elderly widow Lady Tressilian, matron of Gull's Point.

Rounding up the usual suspects, we have Neville Strange, young, rich, semi-pro sportsman; his second wife Kay, a glamorous hothead from the Riviera; his divorced first wife Audrey, a complete contrast in character to Kay, stately, willowy and dignified; Thomas Royde, family friend on home visit from Malaya, devoted to Audrey for years; Edward Latimer, friend to and similarly devoted to Kay; Mary Adlin, Lady Tressilian's companion and manager of the household; plus an assortment of domestic help.

Did Kay kill Lady Tresslian, thinking she would be the beneficiary to the legacy as wife of Neville Strange? Especially when Neville declared he intended to divorce her to get Audrey back.

Was Audrey the culprit, knowing she was the actual beneficiacry, being the wife of Neville when the will was drawn up, mentioned in name specifically?

Or was it Neville, to thwart Lady Tresillian's objections to his divorcing Kay to get Audrey? Much as Lady Tresillian disliked his first divorce and his second wife and as much as she liked Audrey, she disapproved of his irresponsible behaviour.

Or perhaps it was Edward, confidante to Kay, who thought of doing her a favour by securing her an inheritance.

Or even Mary, who could be a repressed woman.

Slowly, possible motives and opportunities emerged for the suspects. Inspector Battle who had to cut short his trip found himself applying the lessons he learned from his daughter and from Hercule Poirot to detect the fiendishly cunning traps set by the murderer.

It was one of the more difficult puzzles created by Christie. While readers may be justified in feeling upset when characters narration were purposely withheld from them, enough clues and hints and omens were given in the book to point them to the culprit.

It would take a patient and careful reader to pick up all the clues and be able to see the final light when the last piece of the puzzle was revealed.

Agatha Christie was at the top of her form in the 1940's and this novel first published in 1944 could very well be her very best. Not only do we have an outstanding detective story complete with murder, motives, opportunities, red herrings, and numerous suspects, but we also have Christie probing the mind of a psychopathic killer. She has done this in other works, but never so brilliantly as she does it in "Towards Zero."

The setting is the lovely seaside estate of Lady Tressilian, a widow with no close relatives. However, several distant relations often visit her and our killer has chosen just such an occasion when there will be a houseparty as his "zero hour."

Audrey Strange is an especially memorable character from this novel as is her ex-husband Nevile, a well-known tennis star who is visiting with his current wife Kay. Other characters include: Mary Aldin, companion/secretary to Lady Tressilian ; Thomas Royde, an old friend home on leave; Ted Latimer, a friend of Kay's before her marriage to Nevile, and Superintendent Battle who returns for his finest appearance of all the five Christie novels he is in.

A young girl's trouble at school, a failed suicide attempt, and a tragic automobile accident from the past all figure prominently in this excellent story with an unforgettable and chilling ending.

This has to be one of Agatha Christie's best ever books. There are a lot of them, yes (Around 15!) but i would suggest that this taut thriller is probably within the top five.

The characters are very well drawn. Realistic and believeable. The story is tense, not too overdramatic, and suspenseful. The story begins brilliantly (rather like the beginning of And Then there Were None) with all the characters seperately going about their own thing, slowly unfolding the reasons why they come to be at Gull's Point over this fateful weekend. It opens with esteemed lawyers discussing criminal trials...then moves to a murder carefully planning out the deed...onto newlywedded famous tennis player with his new wife Kay...to the attempted suicide of man by driving himself over a cliff. (A man to return to Gull's Point in the future to see the place where he almost died, only to become an important factor in a murder investigation that will change his life...and so on.

The setting is good. The plot is different from some of her other stuff. (Something all her best books have in common, an element of extreme originality in solution, plot, setting, or character.)

This is actually a brilliant thriller. The atmosphere is fear-filled, and the solution brilliant. She double-trumps the reader's expectations and assumptions once again, in an incredibly fine detective novel.

I give this book three stars, but if measured by Agatha Christie's usual very high standards it could earn as few as two.

While the adventurous pace of the story is certainly a bold departure from the author's usual sedentary settings, I often found the action too fantastic. At times it felt more like a clichéd Hollywood flick than an Agatha Christie mystery.

Worse yet, I did not find the epilogue very surprising at all. Perhaps this is because I have read a number of Christie's books and knew what to expect.
Now, I am not saying that I knew the details of the solution long before they were revealed - that would have probably been impossible. After all, the clues the author drops along the way are few and minute. And most of them get lost in a myriad of supporting characters who are very hard to keep track of (a common fault of Christie's).
What I am saying is that the ending did not make me slap my forehead and wonder how I could have missed it. I didn't find the story "opaque in foresight and transparent in hindsight" the way best mysteries are. In fact, I found it neither - there is still one important detail that I can't fit with the rest of the story, but I can't specify it here for it would be a spoiler.

The main reason why I stayed with this book even when the story turned sub-par is its intriguing and cryptic title and opening. Indeed, Evans is a puzzling character worthy of reading the rest of the book for. But I do wish such a great plot and title were part of a better work - a masterpiece ...

Also published under the title THE BOOMERANG CLUE, Agatha Christie's WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS? is similar to her Tommy and Tuppence novels, for it offers a "bright young couple" embroiled in an unlikely tale of unexpected murder and constant adventure so smartly paced that one critic subtitled it as "the Merry-Go-Round Mystery."

Bobby Jones and Lady Frances (Frankie to her friends) are not quite as memorable as Tommy and Tuppence, but they make for an engaging pair just the same, and when their suspicions are aroused re a deadly accident the result is a series of masquerades calculated to lead both Bobby and Frankie--as well as the reader--right up the garden path. Although there is less "mystery" more deux ex machina than one normally expects of Christie, the novel is written in high style. Christie was clearly having a great time with this particular novel, and although it cannot be classed with her great classics most readers will find themselves enjoying the ride. Clever, witty, and frolicksome fun. Recommended.

Though I must say I like and enjoy reading about the stories of Hercule Poirot, probably Agatha Christie's most famous character, I really loved reading about Bobby and Frankie. I read this recently for the first time and now find it one of my favorite Christie stories!

When Bobby Jones discovers the body of a man at the bottom of a cliff, he never dreams how much adventure and danger he will find himself in. For before the man takes his last breathe, he says his last words, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" From then on, Bobby Jones is in terrible danger as more and more strange accidents occur. With the help of a childhood friend, the Lady France Derwent (called Frankie by her friends), they try to uncover the secret and mystery behind the death of the man. But throughout their investigation, they keep coming back to the mysterious question, "Why didn't they ask Evans?"...

Poirot's stories have this general type of flow to it, where you tend to have to use your head more to think out the mystery with the famous 'system of order and method'. The ending will take you completely by surprise and everything comes to place when Poirot 'presents the facts'. In the case of this book, Bobby and Frankie do an large amount of moving about, having adventures one after another, and going undercover. The reader also gets to feel more like he (or she) is participating more since Bobby and Frankie always meet and discuss everything together. Somehow, "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" I actually enjoyed myself a lot in the way Christie changed her style a bit to make it more fun. But I must warn you, there's plenty of surprises throughout the way!

The characters of Bobby and Frankie are also incredibly likable. Bobby seems to be the bit more sensible one of the pair though as the story progresses, we see him coming out more with plenty of ideas and imagination. Frankie seems to be the somewhat opposite of her partner. She is in the beginning your usual 'comes from a rich family' young lady, a bit bored with life and wanting some adventure. But as things get more mysterious and dangerous, she can be very serious while keeping her chin up.

There is also plenty of humor which will keep you smiling throughout the story. Plenty of wit and sarcasm, and of course, plenty of chemistry between the two characters. From the very beginning you know that the two are meant for each so it's fun to see them flirt a bit, yet try to keep their distance. Bobby is so shy and deems himself not in her class, while Frankie just seems to wait for him to say something. The ending is completely satisfactory but I sorely wished there were more books out on Bobby and Frankie. Would have liked to read more about them.

I most guarantee that you'll love this book, check it out if you get a chance! And as I've said, besides Hercule Poirot, there are other Christie characters who are loads of fun and likable! There's Miss Marple, Parker Pyne, Mr. Quin, and others. Also, there is the great duo Tommy and Tuppence. A bit like Bobby and Frankie so I love reading about them in "The Secret Adversary", "Partners in Crime", "N or M?", and "By the Pricking of My Thumbs".