Customer Reviews

Crooked House (The Agatha Christie Mystery Collection)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having read all of the Agatha Christies at least twice, I can honestly say that "Crooked House" is my very favorite. One reason is that Agatha Christie does in this novel what she does best---gathers an extended family all under one roof, allows one of the family to be murdered, and shows quite clearly that all the others had motive and opportunity.

"Crooked House" is an excellent story of a complex family. The patriarch is Aristide Leonides, a Greek who has come to England and made a fortune in the restaurant and catering business. His mansion is home to his two sons, two daughters-in-law, three grandchildren, his first wife's sister, and now to his young and beautiful second wife plus the grandchildren's tutor. When the wealthy old man is poisoned, the reader learns that everyone had not only a motive but also an alibi. The characterizations are wonderful and the characters stand out as some of Mrs. Christie's most memorable ones.

The usual detectives are absent in this one, but the detecting is in the capable hands of Charles Hayward, the son of a Scotland Yard detective and the fiance of Aristide's granddaughter Sophia Leonides. When the blood-chilling ending occurs, one is shocked and yet, on careful reexamination, must admit that all the clues were clearly there.

Curl up with a cup of cocoa (unpoisoned, of course) and enjoy this classic crime with one of Mrs. Christie's most spectacular and unforgettable endings.

This is one of the Christie books I remember reading as a child. When I reread it recently, I was amazed at how superb it is - it is not a Poirot or Miss Marple mystery, not at all, but it is a very different type of mystery. The shocking solution is in fact a brutal attack upon our own culture, our obsession with murderers and murder, and the inexorable impartiality of evil - it is a very frightening book, largely because it does not follow ALL the strictures one expects of a murder mystery. A novel as well as a whodunnit as well as a psychological study. And a grand success.

Crooked House is supposedly one of Christie's top two favorite books and I can see why. Filled with interesting characters, suspenseful twists and a myriad of suspects, Crooked House does not disappoint. On top of that, Hugh Fraser is the best at capturing each character and giving them life. Loved this one!

This is one of Christie's most interesting novels. Don't be surprised if you can't put it down!! You will be quite surprised at the ending and kicking yourself for not guessing whodunit! My hint to you--listen to the description Christie gives about the mind of a murderer, and then try to pick which character matches.

I'm such a huge fan of the fastidious and meticulous Monsieur Poirot and the gentle, yet perceptive Miss Marple, that I rarely stray from them in my Christie-mania. Their mere presence in a book adds a little humor and, yes, comfort - knowing that at least one person is going to make sure justice is done is comforting.

But as Agatha Christie's work isn't infinite (oh, that it were!), I occasionally have to leave behind Poirot and Marple and dive into the unknown. I'm glad I did. Crooked House starts out familiarly enough - the large house in the country, the rambling family and hangers-on that occupy it, no lack of motive or opportunity - but you soon realize that it's a bit darker than. At some point you start to feel a bit uneasy, and by the end you are fully creeped-out. With no valiant Poirot and Marple to save the day, anyone could be the killer.

The whole thing is just genius and a real page-turner. I found myself thinking about the book for days after reading it. Whether you're a seasoned Christie fan or not, this is a must-read.

My mother got me hooked on Agatha Christie years ago and I have a collection of about 12 books so far and I hope to be able to complete my collection. I can't put a book down when I start reading one because she keeps you guessing clear through the book and just when you think you have it figured out she throws a monkey wrench into the plot and fools you. Anyone that likes mysteries will love Agatha Christie.

Crooked House by Dame Agatha Christie appeared in 1948. The novel concerns the murder of a wealthy Greek restaurant owner Aristide Leonides. The old chap had married a much younger woman Brenda who was a waitress at the time of their nupitals. The book is narrated by Charles Hayward a Scotland Yard criminologist whose father is also a policeman involved it he case. Charles is in love with Sophie Leonides one of old Aristide's grandchildren. Her family is eccentric to say the least. The family consists of her ineffectual father Phillip and his older brother of whom he is jealous. Crooked House is an evil place and the murderer is hard to discover.
The book is written in Christie's simple style and required only a few hours of reading. If you want a short mystery novel to while away a few hours this Christie classic will fit your needs to a tee!

This is a pretty decent Christie novel. The connections it forces a reader to make in order to solve the crime are entertaining.

Christie is most famous for her Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple books, but I think this stand-alone detective story is her finest. The mystery surrounds the death of Aristide Leonides, a wealthy Greek entrepreneur (think Aristotle Onassis) with a young trophy wife and a bunch of relatives who sponge off him. Christie's characters in this book are fascinating -- nearly every one of the eccentric family members is a suspect in Leonides' death.

Luckily for the reader, Charles Hayward, fiance of Leonides' granddaughter and son of a Scotland Yard detective, is perfectly placed within the family. As Charles delves further into the mystery, and more family members are attacked, he realizes that one of the Leonides may be a sociopath.

Everything about this book is perfect -- the plot is riveting, the suspense is never-ending, and the ending is truly a shocker. Do not miss this book.

Read it.. It's wicked! You'll never guess who did it.

Great Book! Agatha Christie is the Queen of Mystery for a reason.