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Read Online Evil Under the Sun A Hercule Poirot Mystery Hercule Poirot series Book 23 edition by Agatha Christie Literature Fiction eBooks

Product details File Size 3267 KB Print Length 275 pages Publisher William Morrow Paperbacks; Reissue edition (October 3, 2006) Publication Date October 3, 2006 Sold by HarperCollins Publishers Language English ASIN B000FC1PFW

Evil Under the Sun A Hercule Poirot Mystery Hercule Poirot series Book 23 edition by Agatha Christie Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews

• I thought I had it figured out, almost put the book down because of the fact it seemed so obvious. The only reason I continued is because I know Agatha Christie is anything but predictable. Let's just say there's a nice surprise for you at the end and you definitely won't expect it. I can honestly say she never disappoints. I prefer her writing to modern mysteries any day.
  On another note- This isn't in my top favorites by AC, but it's still a good (& quick) read. It also is not a Poirot or Marple mystery, for those wondering.
• This a review of Agatha Christie's "Sparkling Cyanide." Unfortunately, has posted it to "Sad Cypress" as well. I'm sorry for the confusion.
  
  Agatha Christie wrote a dozen "stand-alone" mysteries that feature neither Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. They're largely overlooked, which is a shame. Some of them are among her best books.
  
  I don't think this one rates that highly, but it's a good read. It has more romance than most of her books and I think Christie generally handled romance very awkwardly. But this book has several interesting couples (married and single) and the author's insights into what drives their relationships is a fascinating look into her own experiences and what they taught her. It starts out slowly, so you'll have to be patient, but I think it's worth it.
  
  This book was published in 1945, but it's set in pre-war London. There's some talk of espionage and armaments, but the war that almost destroyed England is ignored. The players are all ladies and gentlemen although their behavior is not always exemplary. Only one has a job. The rest are either independently wealthy, married to wealth, or own their own businesses. No one here is standing in line at the grocery store or walking to save bus fare.
  
  Rosemary Marle Barton is the quintessential society lady. Beautiful, seductive,and self-centered, she married an older man with little to recommend him but his good-natured devotion. And she didn't marry him for the obvious reason since she inherited a large fortune of her own. She married nice, dull George Barton because she wanted to be "safe and taken care of." Would a romantic young girl who lives for flirtations marry for that reason? Seems improbable to me, but then when she finds a man she DOES want, she's ready to abandon her marriage with no remorse. So maybe it makes sense. In 1930's London, divorce was no longer particularly shocking. Easy come, easy go.
  
  Having fallen deeply in love, Rosemary inexplicably commits suicide at her birthday party at a luxurious restaurant . Her husband is crushed, her younger sister (who inherits her money) is stunned, and the man with whom she was planning to elope is secretly relieved. But which man was it?
  
  There are enough cliches in this book to fill a football stadium. There's the dull, stolid businessman, the flirtatious, self-absorbed society beauty, the secretary in love with her boss, the obscure politician who's gained prominence and power by way of a shrewd marriage, there's the elderly widow who dithers mindlessly and her ne'er-do-well son, and there's a mystery man of whom nothing is known except the obvious - that he's good-looking, charming, and well-financed.
  
  The plot pivots around the death of Rosemary Barton. Would a beautiful, wealthy, selfish young woman kill herself in such a painful way, even if she was suffering rejection for the first time in her life? The police are satisfied with the suicide verdict, but her widower has other ideas. And he's determined to do his own detective work.
  
  Christie never met a red herring she didn't like and she throws several into this story. And yet, as she always did, she supplies all the clues. But which is which? At one point, I was convinced that two mystery men were the same person. Was that Ms. Christie's intention or was I over-thinking the whole thing?
  
  Christie was a craftswoman who recognized her own limitations and stuck to her strengths. Her only goal was to write books people would enjoy reading. I think she succeeded with this one.
• Another of my favorite Christies. Like I said in another review, Christie does very well groups of people, be they family (Crooked House) or fellow travelers (Murder on the Orient Express). The characters are all individuals.
  
  Hercule Poirot is vacationing at the Jolly Roger Hotel, Smugglers’ Island, Leathercombe Bay, in southern England. Also present is Arlena Stuart Marshall, a beautiful former actress, her husband, Captain Kenneth Marshall, and his teenage daughter, Linda Marshall.
  
  Arlena loves men and men love her - and she sees no reason why just because she's married she shouldn't have some fun. Of course, for Arlena this means flirting - and more. Meanwhile, her taciturn husband - the epitome of the British gentleman - suffers in silence. Linda, though, is not so silent and her feelings are very obvious. To complicate matters, Kenneth Marshall's childhood friend, Rosamund Darnley, is also at the resort. Then there are the Redferns, Patrick and Christine. Patrick quickly begins a relationship with Arlena that sets the stage for murder.
  
  This is one of the more enjoyable Christies. The characters are well drawn and interesting. Linda lonely, unhappy, and struggling with her feelings about her stepmother's death. Even Arlena is sympathetically drawn. Once I learned her story, I could not help but feel sorry for her. There is an interesting twist at the end. The murderer and the motive are both rather surprising, and I really did not suspect either.
  
  Very well done.
• This is one Agatha Christie that I had not read, for some unknown reason, for some time. I had even forgotten whodunnit, which is unusual. A lot of times that's ALL I remember. This one surprised me. There's some real darkness at its core that's very different for a Poirot novel. There's a lot about politics (mostly radical), innocent people being harmed, and a very cold-blooded psychopathic killer just full of excuses for their behavior. I really loathed this killer for their flippant disregard of other people's lives.
  
  “Yes, we are all human beings. That is what you have not remembered." (Hercule Poirot)
  
  The story starts simply - and humorously - enough with Poirot going to his dentist, Dr Henry Morley. Later, Poirot learns that Dr Morley is dead - supposedly a suicide. When another of Morley's patients, Mr Amberiotis, dies of an overdose from a dental anesthetic. Did Morley commit suicide when he realized what he had done? Of course, it's not that simple - it never is with Christie. Then another patient of Morley's, Mabelle Sainsbury Seale, vanishes.
  
  To say anything else would ruin the fun of reading this excellent Agatha Christie. Very recommended.
• Christie pulls out all the stops in this one. The story is told mostly in flashbacks or remembrances of the main characters. They are all the suspects in the death of Rosemary Barton, a beautiful socialite who seems to have everything. There are many plot twists in this one all centering around a dinner party given at a famous London restaurant. Rosemary has money and beauty, her little sister has none of these. Rosemary is in love with a married man, does his wife know, does her husband know? There's a darkhorse character whom she gets the goods on. Is he angry enough to kill her? Rosemary's husband's secretary is secretly in love with him. Is she the killer? Just when you think you have it figured out, Christie turns the tables.