Read Christie 2025
- readwithmims
- Dec 27, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Characters & Careers
#readchristie2025 is here and this year's theme is Characters & Careers. Various professionals pop up across Christie's books, so this reading challenge will be a fun opportunity to explore them all.
Agatha Christie Ltd. will post its first article in January. Sign up for the official Agatha Christie Ltd. newsletter to participate in this year's challenge (and receive the above stunning postcard)
I'll be sharing my thoughts on each month's read here.
Month | Theme | Official Pick |
January | Artists | Five Little Pigs |
February | Authors | The 13 Problems |
March | Performers | Three Act Tragedy |
April | Butlers | The Seven Dials Mystery |
May | Detectives | Cards on the Table |
June | Amateurs | Crooked House |
July | Archaeologists | Come, Tell Me How You Live |
August | Medics | One, Two Buckle My Shoe |
September | Religious Figures | At Bertram's Hotel |
October | Lawyers | Towards Zero |
November | Spies | Cat Among the Pigeons |
December | Military Men | N or M (or) The Sittaford Mystery |
Let's get started!
January - Five Little Pigs
Theme: Artists
Alternative Reads: The Hollow, Unfinished Portrait, Third Girl
What a book to kick off the reading challenge! I remember buying this book after I finished reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I wasn't much of a reader before reading Christie's books. I think her writing style is appealing because it's accessible to everyone. Within the first few chapters, you are already hooked on a story. There is the occasional slow-paced Christie novel, but usually, her work is concise. With Five Little Pigs, the reader has an opportunity to properly immerse themselves in the mystery. You are given various accounts, much like witness statements. It's then up to you and Hercule Poirot to unravel the mystery. In many ways, you are in the same boat as our famous Belgian detective. You are tasked with solving a murder 16 years after it occurred. All you have are the few witness accounts of those who knew the victim: renowned artist Amyas Crale.
I had little to no sympathy for the victim. The only thing the characters could agree on was his obsession with his art. The only way you can understand a crime is to understand the character of the victim. I believe Christie illustrated this brilliantly in Five Little Pigs.
Synopsis:
Caroline Crale was tried and convicted for the murder of her husband, Amyas Crale. 16 years later, their surviving daughter is convinced her mother was never guilty. Hercule Poirot is tasked with finding the real murderer, even with all the evidence stacked high against Caroline.
You can find some of my favourite Hercule Poirot mysteries on my Bookshop Page.
February - The Tuesday Club Murders
Theme: Authors
Alternative Reads: Third Girl, Dead Man's Folly, Cards on the Table, The Pale Horse, Mrs McGinty's Dead, Elephants Can Remember, and Hallowe'en Party
Originally published as The Thirteen Problems, this book introduces readers to Jane Marple's brilliant mind through thirteen unique, puzzling mysteries. When it was first published in the United States in 1933, the title changed to The Tuesday Club Murders. I've never been 100% certain why book titles change when published in other countries, so I thought this month would be a great opportunity to read this edition.
Although we love Hercule Poirot's flamboyant, enthusiastic energy, there is something very special about Miss Marple. Her quiet, reserved energy is deliberate. She is an observer of people. Although she lives in a quiet village, she understands better than most how dark human nature can be. It's a rare insight that many people lack and can, unfortunately, lead to their demise. Miss Marple is similar in the sense that she does utilise her 'little grey cells', but in a subtle manner. Although human nature is dark, it is predictable, allowing Miss Marple to use her own life experiences to crack the toughest of cases.
These short stories are wonderful to escape in. I love how all the characters take Miss Marple's frail, mundane appearance for granted. I've said it many times before, and I will say it again. Miss Marple is a great literary example of why you should judge someone at face value.
Synopsis
The author, Raymond West, decides to share a puzzling mystery with his guests. In turn, a fun little game unfolds where each guest shares a problem, and the others must try to find the solution. Through this collection of short stories, you can enjoy the wit and extraordinary mind of Jane Marple.
Christie On Stage - Murder on the Orient Express
This February, I was fortunate enough to see the stage adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, directed by Lucy Bailey. I saw the stage adaptation of And Then There Were None last year, which was also directed by Bailey, and adored it. I knew I would be in for a treat with this one. I was a curious how they would go about transforming this iconic novel for the stage. After all, there are an extensive range of characters set on a train, and that can be tricky to bring to life on stage with the same energy of the book. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I thought the set design in particular was really creative. Everything from the set, to the actors was simply brilliant. There were a few slight alterations/adjustments from the book, but I feel since this was being adapted for the stage, those changes were necessary. The overall atmosphere was not lost, and I loved seeing one of my favourite Christie novels on stage.
Trailer attached was produced by the Murder on the Orient Express Theatre Adaptation
March - Three Act Tragedy
Theme: Performers
Alternative Reads: Lord Edgware Dies, The Body in the Library, Giant's Bread, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side.
The theme for this month are performers, and in the case for this book, this is key to solving the mystery. You can understand in this book why many people find Hercule Poirot a bit frustrating. Where he is usually concise and methodical, he was deliberately evasive. I'm not surprised why many of his companions found him a bit tiresome. Unfortunately, the one character I really didn't like was Egg. She came across as really naïve, and she just kept getting on my nerves throughout the story.
The overall solution to this mystery is very clever. Although I had read this book once before, it was so long ago, that this time around it felt like reading it anew. Out of the list of alternative reads for this month, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is one of my favourites. However, I read that one fairly recently in last year's reading challenge, so I needed to freshen it up bit. This is a fairly puzzling mystery, that will have you stumped until the final reveal.
Synopsis:
Sir Charles Cartwright has assembled a group of individuals for dinner, but the night takes a foul turn when one of the guests suddenly dies. Cartwright is convinced the death was suspicious, and is determined to discover the truth.
April - And Then There Were None
Theme: Butlers
Alternative Reads: The Seven Dials Mystery, A Daughter's a Daughter, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, A Murder is Announced, A Pocket Full of Rye, Death on the Nile
This month, I decided to reread one of my all-time favourites. I was in the mood for a comfort read (an admittedly strange book to use with the word 'comforting'). I saw Lucy Bailey's stage adaptation of And Then There Were None last year, and thought it was incredible. You can find more of my thoughts on that on my Read Christie 2024 post.
Did you know that this 1939 classic remains the best selling crime novel of all time? I'm sure those of who that have read it are not surprised. Both the reader and characters are left in a constant feeling of unease. I didn't feel particularly drawn to any character, but it was thrilling to watch the panic unfold amongst them. This mystery will keep you guessing right until the final few pages. It's arguably one of Christie's most ingenious solutions alongside with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and The ABC Murders.
If you have never read a Christie book before, and feel slightly overwhelmed on where to start, pick up this one. There's no Poirot or Marple: just a stand-alone thriller that will keep you hooked from the first chapter.
Synopsis:
Ten strangers are invited to a island. When they start the question their vague invitations, a gramophone is played. It accuses each guest of murder. A cruel joke? When one of the guests suddenly dies, it becomes clear a killer is amongst them...
May - Towards Zero
Theme: Detectives
Alternative Reads: Cards on the Table, Murder is Easy, The Thirteen Problems, The ABC Murders, Partners in Crime, The Labours of Hercules, The Seven Dials Mystery, A Murder is Announced, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
Given that detective fiction is the central theme of the majority of Christie's work, you have a lot of freedom with this month's read. I was gifted this special edition of Towards Zero for my birthday. This edition was published by Harper Collins in 2014 to celebrate 80 years since its original publication back in 1944. I enjoy collecting cool editions, hence the 1977 pictured above!
I think Towards Zero is slightly underrated; it's not as widely discussed as And Then There Were None or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, but the whole concept of this mystery is simply genius. This book is a great illustration of the famous 'Chekhov's Gun' or 'rule' - a literary principle where everything mentioned in the story is key to explaining to overarching narrative. There were little patches of this book where as the reader you are thinking 'what has this go to do with anything', but everything is then made clear. Everything in this story is deliberate and calculated. I had a lot of fun rereading this book, and it's probably one of my favourite mysteries featuring Superintendent Battle.
There was a recent BBC adaptation of this book; I might need to check it out!
Synopsis:
After a scandalous divorce, Nevile Strange decides to visit his aunt Lady Tressilian with his new wife Kay. Aware that his ex-wife Audrey will be there, Nevile hopes it will be an opportunity to bury the hatchet. What could possibly go wrong?
June - Crooked House
Theme: Amateurs
Alternative Reads: Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Murder is Easy, The Murder at the Vicarage, A Caribbean Mystery, The Moving Finger
I believe this was the second or third time I've read this novel, and the ending has always stuck in my mind. Being aware of the ending didn't ruin the read for me though; it gave me the opportunity to look for little hints and clues peppered throughout the story.
I feel like Crooked House is a vastly underrated Christie novel, with a much darker tone. Christie doesn't shy away from the disturbing realities of human nature with this mystery. Upon reflection, it just goes to show that pretty much every character is a possible suspect in these books.
I really enjoyed this one, and I think you are in for a treat if you haven't picked up this book already.
Synopsis:
After returning from Egypt, Charles Hayward hopes to marry Sophia. But when the patriarch of Sophia's family is poisoned, the pair both feel determined to uncover the truth.
July - Come, Tell Me How You Live
Theme: Archeologists
Alternative Reads: Death in the Clouds, Murder in Mesopotamia, They Came to Baghdad, The Murder at the Vicarage
I think this is one of the first books in this year's reading challenge that I've not read before. I was aware that Christie's second husband was an archeologist, but I had no idea she went with him on excavations. This book is an informal memoir of her time in Syria and Iraq during the 1930s.
There were certain parts of this book that I found endearing, such as the 'professional cat' that was hired to deal with a mouse problem, and Max Mallowan stuffing his luggage is mostly books. However, reading this book did make me feel a bit sad on reflection. Christie was able to visit places such as Syria and Iraq on an archeological adventure; something that is incredibly difficult in today's climate. It was uncomfortable reading Christie's thoughts and attitudes towards the locals. Furthermore, much of this rich archeological history is likely gone, or in overseas museums.
I wanted to learn more about the history of these countries, but that wasn't really touched upon in this book. Admittedly, Christie never pretended the book was anything other than her diary. It's a very, very dated book, with 20th century Western prejudices throughout.
Synopsis:
Come, Tell Me How You Live is an informal memoir by Agatha Christie during her time in Syria and Iraq in the 1930s. She joined her husband, Max Mallowan on archeological digs.
August - One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Theme: Medics
Alternative Reads: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, And Then There Were None, They Do It With Mirrors
We shouldn't be surprised that medics pop up a lot in Christie's books. I believe she actually worked as a chemist during both World Wars, leaving her extensive knowledge of different drugs and poisons. You can read more about that in Kathryn Harkup's book, A is for Arsenic.
I did empathise with Poirot's fear of the dentist. However, I did admittedly struggle with this book. I'm not sure if I was just overtired, but I found the overall plot of this book to be way too convoluted. I shared a lot of the frustrations with the other characters due to Poirot's inability to be direct. He can be charming, but sometimes the need to be evasive for theatrical affect can get a bit tiring sometimes. I'm pretty sure that's why Christie herself near the end of her career was so sick of the Belgian detective!
I'm not a huge fan of this book; the solution just felt too complicated. With many other brilliant Christie books, this one just didn't stand out.
Synopsis:
Poirot did not expect to visit the dentist twice in one day. The first for his usual checkup. The second, to investigate the suspected suicide of his dentist. But why would a dentist take his own life during a busy day of appointments?
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