‘Patriotic Murders’ (1940) is both political and personal
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): It’s perhaps unavoidably complex, but this is one of Agatha Christie’s stronger political/espionage novels.
Books
‘Patriotic Murders’ (1940) is both political and personal
‘Appointment with Death’ (1938) probes unhappy family
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Agatha Christie lets the reader play psychologist, as nearly every member of the Boynton family has a motive to murder.
Crichton’s ‘Scratch One’ (1967) a too-tangled web
Michael Crichton Monday (Book review): Crichton introduces an Everyman answer to James Bond in his overly ambitious second John Lange novel.
Christie delivers variety in ‘Regatta Mystery’ (1939)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Poirot and Christie’s other top detectives trade the stage in this excellent collection of nine short stories.
Christie tries novella form in ‘Dead Man’s Mirror’ (1937)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): I enjoyed all four of these Poirot yarns from Agatha Christie. The last two have particularly satisfying endings.
Crichton’s ‘Airframe’ (1996) reaches new heights
Michael Crichton Monday (Book review): In the last of his three 1990s non-SF novels, Crichton again makes a seemingly bland topic enthralling.
Poirot, dog sniff out Christie’s ‘Dumb Witness’ (1937)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): The Belgian detective’s sense of justice stands out in this Agatha Christie novel.
‘Heart of the Jedi’ an intriguing lost ‘Star Wars’ novel
‘Star Wars’ Legends flashback (Book review): Kenneth C. Flint’s canceled novel will mainly be of interest to serious Legends fans.
‘Disclosure’ (1994) makes the office thrilling
Michael Crichton Monday (Book review): Setting aside sci-fi, Crichton makes a strong case that sexual harassment is about power, not gender.
‘Cards on the Table’ (1936) shows closed-room mystery mastery
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Agatha Christie’s closed-room mystery had me guessing till the end about which of the four suspects did it.