Reading the Dame Part3a: The first half of the 1940s

This a continuation of my series of posts about my project to read all 80 something Agatha Christie mystery books in order of publication (more or less).

The other parts of the series:
Reading th Dame Part 1: The 1920s
Reading the Dame Part 2a: The 1930s
Reading the Dame Part 2b: The 1930s continued


Reading the Dame Part3a: The first half of the 1940s
It is interesting (to me anyway) to note that Christie manages to publish about 6 books during WWII. The rationing imposed by the war didn’t fully end until 1953. Considering how hard WWII affected the UK, it is rather remarkable that the British printing industry still was able to function pretty normally during the war.

Christie published nine books from 1940 to 1944. It took me about 3 months to read those nine. My previous post, which covered 1935 to 1939, saw her publish 13 books. Those 13 books took me 5 months to read. As of November 2010, I read 42 Agatha Christie books since starting the project in August 2009.


1940 Sad Cypress
This is an interesting read. A woman is being tried for murder and Poirot is hired to try to clear her. It is narrated by a unknown third party who refers to Hastings’ later response when Poirot tells him the story. The idiotic Hastings is not missed as narrator. A little out of formula for her, but it really works. Well written. Another one I hadn’t read before.


1940 An Overdose of Death
This is another really good one. Poirot’s dentist is killed in his office. A quite involved but satisfactory plot. This another vaguely familiar one where I may or may not have read before.


1941 Evil Under the Sun
Another one I hadn’t read before. Poirot is back again. A good plot with well drawn characters. I read a lot of this one a really long train trip to and from Montreal Canada. Apparently World War II has not yet started . Surprisingly this one takes place not in an exotic sunny local but on an island resort in England.


1941 N or M?
I don’t think I read this one before but I may have; 30 years is a long time ago. Tommy and Tuppence are back. WWII is full swing. Their twins, now adults, are serving in the war effort. Tommy and Tuppence being middle aged (45 for Tommy, a little less for Tuppence) are frustrated at not being considered fit to help. Being Tommy and Tuppence they wind up getting involved as unknowns sent by the government to uncover the enemy from within at a sleepy seaside town.

As a person of 45, which is the supposed theme for this blog, it is interesting to see Tommy and Tuppence (who poses as a two time widow) in their mid 40s in 1941. We hear today how 50 is the new 40. I sort of poo-poo that as BS. But I may well be wrong. Tommy and Tuppence in their mid 40s are treated like modern day people who are in their mid 50s. Maybe 55 really is the new 45.

At the end, Tommy and Tuppence adopt an orphaned 2 year old. So maybe 45 actually is the old 45.

There are definitely a lot of good bits in this book.


1942 The Body in the Library
After a string of ones I either hadn’t read or didn’t recall reading, there’s one I remember the title. This one is a real throw back with a body found in a large country house, blatant contempt for the lower classes, and people getting their money the old fashioned way - by inheriting it. There is also no mention of the war and youthful men are still around. I must assume this was written or mostly written before the war, with the topical Nor M? getting pushed ahead of it. A good read with well developed characters. Christie continues her break from Poirot with Miss Marple being the lead, though she doesn’t appear until the 2nd half. The reveal does feel like a little bit of a cheat since we aren’t fully let in on the all facts. Adding to the retro feel, after a decades long absence “vouchesafed” returns for it’s once per novel appearance.


1942 Five Little Pigs
Poirot is back. This is a good and interesting one. Poirot is hired to solve a mystery that took place 16 or so years earlier. It all fit together, though the end does feel like a bit of a cheat. Once again no mention of World War II.


1942 The Moving Finger
I remembered watching this on Masterpiece Mystery, though I have no idea who the murder was in it. Even after reading the book I don’t remember how the movie went. Though I do have a habit of nodding off towards the end of them. I think I take after my mother that way. This is was a good one and all of the clues were there. Christie now seems to be alternating between Poirot and Marple. Once again the war gets almost no mention. One of the main characters has come to the small to town to aid in his recovery from injuries suffered from a plane crash, but it is not made clear if that was as a civilian or as a soldier. If as a solider, he seems to be completely discharged from service. Despite constant socializing with the locals, the war gets no mention at all in the town.

1944 Towards Zero
I remember reading this one before and really, really liking it. I read it again and again really, really liked it. Inspector Battle, who has been a supporting character since the 20s, is the main detective here. The characters are well developed and the book is very well paced. This is really Christie at her finest. You (and I) would think that this point, I would be really jaded of having just read Agatha Christie mysteries for the last 15 months. Surprisingly I am actually enjoying them more than ever.

Again no mention at all of the war. In fact it seems not to exist. People travel freely overseas without concern.

1944 Death Comes as the End
This is a strange one. It’s Christie’s only historical novel, taking place in ancient Egypt. This book was laborious for her to write and while not laborious to read, it’s not really all that solid. Ancient Egypt doesn’t really hold much romance for me. So all the work of creating the historical scene didn’t really do anything for me. Maybe in the future, my new knowledge of everyday ancient Egypt will be very useful for me, but I doubt it. The story was very suspenseful all the way through. I didn’t think the ending was very fair though. There really weren’t enough clues.

Christie never tried to write another historical novel, which was a good thing. I am bit surprised to find myself missing Poirot and London and Poirot’s comfortable existence. Hopefully he will be in the next novel.

Yet another wartime novel where WW2 isn’t mentioned at all, but at least this time there’s a valid reason. A little Googling reveals during WW2 Christie worked in London as a nurse and pharmacist, while publishing 12 books. Maybe she saw enough horrors of war, that she didn’t want to think it about any more than she had to.