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I had a relative just like Miss Pride. She had to be very strong-willed and assertive to make it in the corporate world as a woman, so the loss of her autonomy in her later years was very hard for her. Any assistance had to be discreet so she wouldn't see it as an assault on her dignity. More broadly, I enjoy Marsh's spinster type because they're an embellishment of a very real phenomenon. So many women in the first half of the 20th century were brought up to do *the one thing*, only to be relegated to that horrible status of "surplus woman". I'd be furious, too! I have a suggestion for a future video: a list of the best framing devices used in mystery novels.

This isn't one of my most-liked Marsh novels either, not least because Marsh drags out one of her favourite tropes: a middle-aged menopausal woman, usually a spinster, who's slightly or completely dotty (lack of estrogen?) and is either the murderer or the victim. In Overture to Death, one such spinster is the murderer, and another is the victim. See also A Clutch of Constables (spinster is the victim) and False Scent (not a spinster, but still a victim; and it becomes clear that she was murdered because she was nuts--and she's 50).

I just couldn’t finish this one. I love Ngaio Marsh but this one just doesn’t do it for me.

Thanks hon😊

Hey love your channel i started watching Poirot and nero wolfe shows because of your videos and also got to know about different authors. I wanted to ask whether will you cover the books of Ruth Rendell in the future?

As Death comes as the end, out of 18 Christie novels I read this one was the easiest to solve. I agree there were no exact clues to the mistery, but there were a lot of red herrings. And noone was really able to murder Satipy except Yahmose so that was a pretty big giveaway for me.

If only Maybelle from Great Detectives could sub in for some of the assistant stuff, but I know you were setting it in the literary universe. 😄

In “And Then There Were None” Anthony Marston’s letter does mention real people who are known to him- but people who were conveniently away at the time. In “Five Little Pigs” there’s a passage that strikes me as significant, even though it may not be a true clue. Amyas Crale compares Elsa painted in the battery as like seeing tropical birds in St. Paul’s cathedral. That battery is part of his home estate. She is a loud, discordant element against everything he finds familiar and holds dear. He’s saying she doesn’t belong in his home.

In After the funeral, the picture is very EXPENSIVE! Read again.

It's funny, I want to say that the theory about Jessica Fletcher being the actual killer, originates from an old issue of Mad Magazine!

I've never been able to get through one of SH's books. I found them extremely long winded, implausible and poorly written.

Interesting ideas. Thank you.

I more or less agree with your assessments here... one related video I might be interested in seeing would be your take on Poirot and Marple working together on a case. I realise Poirot might be a bit dismissive of Marple, but that could really add to the story. So which case would be best for them to work on together and how might it pan out? This strays into fanfic territory I guess, so might not be your thing.

Osborne is a mere Mr, as addressed or talked about - or informally referred to as Osborne - pharmacist, not a doctor. One of your rare glitches. And Miss Marple would have fitted perfectly in Murder is Easy - similar milieu to Moving Finger.

I think Poirot and Miss Marple both solve Death Comes as the End. Neither one of them is going to fall for the superstition nonsense of it's a vengeful ghost doing the killing. And only Yahmose was there when his wife died.

I had an idea about how Poirot could solve Death Comes as the End, but it's so ludicrous I would be thrown out of any and all Agatha Christie clubs: It was ALL A DREAM. "Oh my dear Hastings.... it was all so REAL... I was in Ancient Egypt and... I, Hercule Poirot.. solved a murder!" And all Hastings can say is.... "Good Lord, Poirot." OK, I'm ready for the ridicule. LOL.

This is such fun. Thanks ❤

I think Poirot would have solved And Then There Were None at least in the sense, that he could guess whodunnit. He is good friend with the police. They would give him all the information about the ten cases. He would soon deduce, that Wargrave was the only innocent one of the ten victims and also the one, who had the best chances to get all these informations, and therefore most likely has to be the murderer.

I really enjoyed this episode.

Pity that you didn't swap Miss Marple for Bundle. I would have loved to see her hiding in a cupboard, drinking a cocktail. ;-)

Isn't Osborne a chemist (pharmacist) and not a doctor?

The one's I readn(I have only read Miss Marple and the 13 problems, so this list includs Poirot: 1. Secret Adversary: Agree. 2. And then there were none: Agree, Poirot would at best have a really time solving it. And as far as I know, this one is easy for Marple, at least with the rules appied. They would both surely solved it if they were on the island. 3. Towards Zero. Agree, hard one for Poirot, but he can. And if Battle broke Neville, Marple would slash him. 😂 4. Crooked House. Agree. 5. The Pale Horse. This one is hard for Poirot, but he solved The ABC Murders, so yeah, agree. Very good video. It shows how good of a writer was Christie, I can only dream.

But Captain Trevelyan was the victim in The Sittaford Mystery

Five Red Herrings is terrible. I love Dorothy Sayers and I’ve read all her books multiple times but I can’t get through it again and it took me forever to finish the first time.

This was wonderful! Thank you for this video, it was well worth the wait! Great balanced discussion of the Franchise Affair. Totally agree about your top three, which would be easy to shuffle around and put any at the top. Great discussion of all three. I'd rank the other 5 similarly to you, except I'd put Miss Pym at #4 because yes, you are alone in that opinion! Which is fine, and you have caused me to see it differently - I think I was previously too focused on the character of Miss Pym and the school environment, and kind of missed the meandering nature of the plot. I think Tey is brilliant - very flawed, often irritating, and brilliant. As her top 3 novels show, she made a point of being original, finding new ways and new ideas and I really admire that.

Tey's writing is just a joy to read: such beautifully constructed sentences.

I really enjoyed your video! But we seriously disagree. Both Miss Pym and Singing Sands are at the top of my list, along with Brat Farrar (while the Daughter of Time isn't). As to Miss Pym: yes, the murder takes place very late in the novel. But the way you are led to it is masterful: you know there is a disaster waiting to happen, and the tension and suspense just keep building up. And that closed world and its characters are fascinating. Singing Sands: the atmosphere and details of Scotland are incredible and I loved the way Grant kept trying and trying: a dead end here and a dead end there, and he just doesn't give up.

I am glad you managed to do Tey at long last - she is infinitely better than Allingham and Queen and most certainly than all the Miss Silver nonsense. Up there with Christie and Marsh. But Sands is better than Shilling.

You could have mentioned that Hitchcock based Young and Innocent - very loosely - on Shilling.

Loved Franchise and Brat - they seemed like Christies she never wrote, on a par with Endless Night. I made it to the part of Daughter of Time where a nurse looks at the portrait of Richard III, and she says he looks anxious and like he has a disease of some kind, and that's supposed to be part of evidence he couldn't have killed his nephews. I recall liking the writing, but the main premise seemed so unlikely, I left it there.

I haven't read any of her works, but I did see a television adaptation of Brat Farrar, and thought it was excellent. So, the next time I'm in the library or a used bookstore, I shall look for these.

I discovered this author just a few months ago and I have two on list.

Yay, so glad Miss Tey finally gets her video! I'm the biggest cheerleader of "A Shilling for Candles"--one of the best examples of an ending where the author has the courage to *go there*, and it doesn't feel forced or impossible. The rest of the novel doesn't feel irrelevant or forgettable after you've read the final page, either. Thrilled to see it as high as it is on your list!

I haven’t read her work, thanks for the heads up. I know where to start. 😊

Subscribed finally thanks to Tey, and your two top rankings - fully agree! And as decades-long member of the Richard III Society, I appreciate your looking at this author!

Really enjoyed this - I read these books a long time ago and should re-read, or listen to audiobook. Some are or were on TH-cam, I think by BBC.

Very nice review and commentary on one of my favorite Christie books! FYI, for the future: th-cam.com/video/nRdnTBD1szY/w-d-xo.html As a New Yorker with experience of this name, the pronunciation was always kind of around for me.

I like the choice of Gemma Jones for Miss Marple. A possible choice for Miss Silver might be Miriam Margoyles (she does a great job "channeling" Margaret Rutherford in the Miss Fisher series). I contend that with the last name "Silver" Miss Silver's forebears would have been Jewish whatever religion she practices. And I had often thought of Alan Cumming for Sherlock. I'm sure he can lose the Scottish accent and he has the right sort of puckish physicality which was a strong point with both Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett. I do like Pam Ferris as Ariadne Oliver.

I just recently discovered this channel. I really like it, it's a different and most interesting perspective on the genre, the books, and the authors. Great job!

Great job, as always..! I so appreciate your insight and imagination with the various characters and plots of these famous stories... Keep up the good work..! I look forward to your videos very much... :):)

Kinda fun - can't comment too much as I'm not good with actors (remembering them, I mean) though I think you're right about Charles Dance. I'll look forward to the Tey review though

For Poirot I'd suggest Rory Kinnear. He is excellent in both dramatic and comedic roles so he definitely has the range for Poirot. Some might suggest that he is too young (he's 46), but he is older now than Suchet was when he first started playing the role, so I'm sure he'd cope. Finally - and I first want to put on record that I think he is a very good looking man - his head is exactly the right shape!

Jean Claud van Damme as Hercule Poirot. 😂😂😂😂

I could see Colin Farrell playing Poirot after seeing him as The Penquin. Prosthetics also go a long way in making an actor get into character.

I'm enjoying My Life is Murder with Lucy Lawless.