Appointment With Agatha discussion

First Christie of 2022.

I'll be listening to audio again. I have a long journey coming up this weekend so will get to hear quite a lot of it. I'm not very familiar with this one.

I read The Mysterious Mr Quin recently which features Mr Satterthwaite, and I’m surprised to see him in Three Act Tragedy as well. He seems to have the same personality in both books, and I’m interested to see how he describes Poirot from his perspective.

Maggie wrote: "I read The Mysterious Mr Quin recently which features Mr Satterthwaite, and I’m surprised to see him in Three Act Tragedy as well. He seems to have the same personality in both books, and I’m inter..."

I always enjoy my encounters with Mr. Satterthwaite. I also really love it when authors who don't write series nonetheless populate their stories with cross-over characters. Angela Thirkell did this, as well as D.E. Stevenson (and I'm sure many others, as well). Whenever I encounter a supporting Christie character who has been peripheral to a different book, it just delights me.

This has never been a favorite Poirot that I reread frequently, and I find that I am really enjoying it a lot! I do remember the plot and the solution to the mystery, but there is a lot new here for me to discover.

This week I finished the book I was reading and found my German copy of "Three Act Tragedy" on the shelf. So why not continue reading here?

It's been a while that I've read that book, but I liked it (if I remember correctly).

I've just started this (15% through). I hesitated over this one as I have a vague memory of seeing a Suchet TV version of it, which I disliked. I remember it as a tedious thing that was at once claustrophobic and static. A kind of look-how-bright Poirot-is piece.

What I've read so far is better than that. Although the beginning, where Chrisite assembles and introduces the cast, creaks a little, she lubricates it by having the exposition done by three male characters, two of whom have known one another from childhood and one, Satterthwaite who is an outsider but an astute and compulsive observer and assessor of people. It gives the whole thing more texture.

I like that Poirot's initial involvement is as a minor character, a cameo role, while Satterthwaite, described as an 'old Victorian' leads us through the relationships between the parties. The 'old Victorian' thing is clever as it gives Egg a context beyond energetic ingenue.

Fortunately, I can't remember the solution from the TV episode (I may have gone off and made tea during the denouement) so i can approach this with a fresh mind.

Mike wrote: "I've just started this (15% through). I hesitated over this one as I have a vague memory of seeing a Suchet TV version of it, which I disliked. I remember it as a tedious thing that was at once cla..."

In any case, there are a few of the Poirots where they actually change the perpetrator. I'm not sure if this is one of them. I may rewatch this one while I do some crafty stuff this afternoon.

I'm starting mine now - I'm in chapter 1!

I'm fairly well into it now. So far I'm finding it a bit tedious and drawn out. I remember the tv adaptation so can picture the people but it was Poiret who was the main character in that version.

I just read the first act. I do like Christie’s dialogue and descriptions of conversations.

I've finished our other group read and look forward to starting this on Monday. I've read it before so I know I'm going to enjoy it.

I'm just getting going, but I keep thinking that Miss Marple would have been a better sleuth for this plotline. No doubt Ms. Christie will prove me wrong!

Wanda wrote: "I'm just getting going, but I keep thinking that Miss Marple would have been a better sleuth for this plotline. No doubt Ms. Christie will prove me wrong!"

I think she's a better sleuth for most plotlines. I don't think Christie had come to that conclusion at this point.

Still, it's fun to think of how she would have arranged for Miss Marple to be at this cocktail party. I wonder what she would have thought of Egg and what advice she'd have given her?

Jane would have comprehended Egg's purpose right off, and she would have been no threat in her romantic quest. Jane could have been an acquaintance of Mr. Satterthwaite, just visiting Cornwall.

Finished it. A good mystery but it wouldn't be one of my favourites. And yes the last line was class :):)

Wanda wrote: "Jane would have comprehended Egg's purpose right off, and she would have been no threat in her romantic quest. Jane could have been an acquaintance of Mr. Satterthwaite, just visiting Cornwall."

I would have loved it for Christie to give us a "Cards on the Table" type novel with BOTH Marple and Poirot. To see them together, each solving the mystery in their own inimitable way, would have been *chef's kiss*

That would be fun.

Christine PNW wrote: "First Christie of 2022."
same for me, found time to read after months