Rating: 
Summary: A departure from the usual for Dame Agatha
Review: This 1961 novel is not a part of any of Christie's more famous series (Poirot, Miss Marple or Tommy and Tuppence) but does include some "old friends" from other books: the Dane Calthrops (THE MOVING FINGER), Rhoda and Major Despard (THE CARD ON THE TABLE) and Ariadne Oliver, the famous mystery writer who has appeared in several Poirot stories. The PALE HORSE is one of the novels that is as much romance and mystery.The story is told by Mark Easterbrook, a writer who had taken up residence in the Chelsea district of London while working on his latest book on Mogul culture. He stopped into a coffee shop for a quick meal and witnessed an argument between two young women that ended with one pulling out a handful of hair from the other. The unfortunate woman's unusual name - Thomasina Tuckerton - stuck with Easterbrook. He was surprised when he saw it a week later, in the obituaries. Easterbrook went on about his life, meeting with his friend, Ariadne Oliver, traveling to the country to visit his cousin, and going out with his long-time girlfriend Hermia Redcliffe. Meanwhile the police begin to investigate the murder of a priest who was killed on his way home from hearing a last confession. They found a list of names stuffed into the priest's shoe, including the name of the police inspector. The two threads of the story meet and continue to weave throughout London, out to the country, on to Birmingham and returning to London. On the way the path leads to witchcraft, deathrays, and murder for hire. The mystery here appears to be more a how-it-was-done than a who- done-it although Christie has once again lead us down the garden path to a surprise finish.
Rating:
Summary: A departure from the usual for Dame Agatha
Review: This 1961 novel is not a part of any of Christie's more famous series (Poirot, Miss Marple or Tommy and Tuppence) but does include some "old friends" from other books: the Dane Calthrops (THE MOVING FINGER), Rhoda and Major Despard (THE CARD ON THE TABLE) and Ariadne Oliver, the famous mystery writer who has appeared in several Poirot stories. The PALE HORSE is one of the novels that is as much romance and mystery. The story is told by Mark Easterbrook, a writer who had taken up residence in the Chelsea district of London while working on his latest book on Mogul culture. He stopped into a coffee shop for a quick meal and witnessed an argument between two young women that ended with one pulling out a handful of hair from the other. The unfortunate woman's unusual name - Thomasina Tuckerton - stuck with Easterbrook. He was surprised when he saw it a week later, in the obituaries. Easterbrook went on about his life, meeting with his friend, Ariadne Oliver, traveling to the country to visit his cousin, and going out with his long-time girlfriend Hermia Redcliffe. Meanwhile the police begin to investigate the murder of a priest who was killed on his way home from hearing a last confession. They found a list of names stuffed into the priest's shoe, including the name of the police inspector. The two threads of the story meet and continue to weave throughout London, out to the country, on to Birmingham and returning to London. On the way the path leads to witchcraft, deathrays, and murder for hire. The mystery here appears to be more a how-it-was-done than a who- done-it although Christie has once again lead us down the garden path to a surprise finish.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling and puzzling
Review: This is another stellar effort from ms Christie. A great puzzle. it is very different - certainly at first glane - to the basis of most of her novels, and is very original. The methods of concealment of murder are ingenious, and there are some very likeable characters. Mark Easterbrook, a likeable man, if a tad...dull at times. He ably leads us through the narrative, telling us all we need to know. Ginger, a lovely quirky character. Another strength of this book is the presence of Ariadne Oliver. She doesn't feature incredibly heavily, but when she does, the writing takes a fair lift. She's a brilliant character. Incredibly amusing, she is probably my favourite of all Christie's characters. When working alongside Poirot, she is a gem. Something else i really liked about this book is the fact that several of the character (The Dane Calthrops, Colonel and Rhoda Despard, etc.) we have seen before in other Christie novels, alongisde Poirot, or Marple. I love it when authors do this...using characters from other stories only serves to create an even thicker and more believeable tapestry of the world in which the author's writing's move. The story here is very original, and rather creepy and disturbing (for some, i would imagine). Black Magic and voodoo-ish practices, could they really be responsible for murder? The solution is typical unexpected, with a great twist. Another incredibly strong effort by the Queen of Crime.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best
Review: This was the 5th or 6th book by Agatha Christie I read but it has always been my favorit. I read this book about 6 years ago in 5th grade and for some reason I think it is one of her most ingenious plots. I agree with the reader from the UK, it is not typical to Ms. Christie's style. I have read almost all of her books as of now but I always tell people to read The Pale Horse first when they are just starting to read Christie.
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