“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
Am I referring to Shakespeare’s Macbeth? In a round about way. How about the famous use of this quote in the Agatha Christie title, By The Pricking of My Thumbs, a book in which amateur detectives Tommy and Tuppence Beresford (not the most popular of Ms. Christie’s detectives) go in search of a child killer.
How about one of my all-time favourite Agatha Christie mysteries: DEATH ON THE NILE. In this mystery, featuring the most beloved Hercule Poirot, a lovely boat voyage on the Nile goes slightly awry with the murder of Linnet Doyle. Everyone is a suspect. Perhaps it’s her best friend, Jacqueline De Bellefort, who was once engaged to Linnet’s husband? Or could it have been her lawyer and trustee? Her maid? The American socialite (because you know there has to be a connection between them right)? The reveal in this book (as with literally all of Ms. Christie’s books) left me in shock and awe. Shock at how the whole plan was hatched and executed. And in complete awe of Agatha Christie’s sheer brilliance–her genius.
I was in my teens when I began devouring every single Agatha Christie novel I could find. Since then I’ve judged all amateur sleuth mysteries against hers. Yes, it’s unfair. I don’t think anyone will ever, and I mean ever, equal or surpass Ms. Christie in what she did best, which is to grip, intrigue, puzzle and then wow the reader with an ending that leaves you in the state I talked about before–shock and awe.
However, that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped looking. And come August I’m renewing my search. My love for those amateur sleuth (now, I believe are called cozy mysteries) novels has never died. That’s why in August I’m adding Mystery to The Season website.
We’ll start the month with these two titles:
The de Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is throwing a murder mystery party to raise money, and the notorious yet benevolent philanthropist Mary Lee Miller wants Presley Parker to host it. Though Presley is surrounded by breathtaking artwork, it’s a heated squabble between Mary Lee and her son Corbin that catches her attention.
When Mary Lee is found dead with a fake dagger in her chest, Delicia—Presley’s friend and Corbin’s girlfriend—is the key suspect. Presley begins sleuthing to clear her friend and solve the mounting murders, only to find someone wants this life of the party dead.
~*~*~
First in a new mystery series that will have readers stitching—and itching for more.
When Marcy Singer opens an embroidery specialty shop in quaint Tallulah Falls, Oregon, she throws a soiree and a Stitch-In. Soon, Marcy’s sign-up sheet for embroidery classes fills up and everyone in town seems willing to raise a glass—or a needle—to support the newly-opened Seven Year Stitch.
Then Marcy finds the shop’s previous tenant dead in the storeroom, a message scratched with a tapestry needle on the wall beside him. Now Marcy’s shop has become a crime scene, and she’s the prime suspect. She’ll have to find the killer before someone puts a final stitch in her.
So, does anyone read cozy mysteries? Have you read or currently read Agatha Christie? Seen any of the movies? Let me know if I have mystery fans out there.
I love cozy mysteries. If there’s an Agatha Christie that I haven’t read, it’s only because my library didn’t have it & neither did any bookstore.
Have you ever read any of the Lord Peter Whimsy novels? What about Amelia Peabody? There’s also a lovely new series; the first book was Posted to Death. I’ve started another series that started with Secondhand Spirits. There’s a couple more, but that’s a quick sample.
@Sewicked. Okay, I had to Google them and see who writes them so I can check out their books. Thanks for pointing me in their direction.
The Penny book sounds really good!
I do year a mystery every now and then! I have not read any of these though!
YAY!!!! I absolutely adore Agatha Christie. My favorites from her is Body in the Library, Murder on the Orient Express, And Then There Were None and Witness for the Prosecution. If you do a mystery book club, please let me know.
@lucy Witness for the Prosecution is one of my all-time favourites of hers too. I have the 1957 movie starring Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched it. Amazing!!!
Oh, it’s been ages since I read Agatha Christie. I could probably read them all again lol. I get in moods and have been reading historicals lately but I’m sure I must have some waiting in my tbr pile.
You know I’m a cozy lover, Bev, lol. My absolute favorite cozy series are The Candy Shoppe Mystery series by Sammi Carter and The Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle! Cleo Coyle is a husband/wife team and I have chatted with her and she is the greatest! They also write under Alice Kimberly for the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series. I’m such a book nerd, lol.
Nope, can’t say that I’m a fan of Agatha Christie, but then I’ve never read her books or watched any of the movies. I read mainly historical romances but on the occasion that I do step out and read something else, it will probably be a mystery/suspense type book and not necessarily the ‘cozy mysteries’.
I’ve been watching the Miss. Marple chronicles from Agatha on PBS which area really really good. Never read one of her books though.
Yay, Bev! 🙂
I adore mysteries! My fav Agathie Christie’s have been mentioned: Witness for the Prosecution (loved the movie too) and And Then There Were None. I love the element of mystery in Victoria Holt’s novels and I’m an avid fan of Mary Higgins Clark.
Give me that mysterious component of anything and I’m hooked. For a great mystery flick, y’all should check out “Dead Again” with Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh–1991. It’s fantastic! 🙂
Oh, and though he’s not a mystery writer typically, Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes is a pretty creepy but insightful book–be careful what you wish for–set at a traveling circus. 🙂 Thought I’d throw that in because of the title of the blog. 🙂
I also read every Agatha Christie that I could get my hands on when I was a teenager. What is funny though is that other than those, I hardly ever read cozy mysteries or any other kind of mysteries if I can avoid them. For some reason, they just don’t appeal to me, yet I loved my Agathas. Recently, I’ve put a few that had a paranormal twist on my wish list, like the Abby Cooper psychic eye mysteries, or Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell, because I love paranormals of all kinds, but otherwise, nada.
I haven’t read any Agatha Christie novels, but I loved Nancy Drew and The Dana Girls when I was younger. I’ve just started reading mysteries again after a decade plus of reading only romance novels. Annette Blair is the author who got me back into mysteries. She started a new series not too long ago about a woman in CT who opens a vintage clothing store in her hometown and who gets visions when she touches the vintage clothing. It’s a fun series and I highly recommend it for some light reading 🙂
Yeah, I love mysteries. I have read all of Agatha Christie’s books and some of them twice. I have one shelf devoted to her books. My favoites are with the wonderful character of Hercule Poirot.
I read a lot of cozies too.
I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan. My favorite is “And Then There Were None.” I watch all the adaptions of her Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple mysteries on PBS. David Suchet will always be Poirot in my eyes.
@Brynna
I’ve never seen Dead Again, but now it looks like I need to rent it. I ADORE a good mystery.
@Jane
I so agree with you about David Suchet.
How strange that this topic has just been brought up! Yesterday I bought 2 cozies for the first time–CAST-OFF COVEN by Juliet Blackwell and REEL MURDER by Mary Kennedy. I usually just like to read romances only because I’m not very interested in thrillers, (to much gore and sick descriptions) but my sister had a few cozies that she showed me and they looked so good (and not as gory) as some other suspense books out there that I thought I’d buy a couple.
I’ve always enjoyed Agatha Christie movies alot too. And I also have a copy of WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION!! That was such a great movie! But my interest in that movie at first was Tyrone Power! 🙂 I’m a big fan of his. I’ve seen DEAD AGAIN and it was a really good movie also! I would recommend it.
I’m not a big fan of the cozy mystery. I prefer the Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I especially like historical set mystery books, like Barbara Hambly’s Benjamin January series and the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters.
I’m so glad you are adding Mysteries. I am an avid fan of Mysteries and Thrillers….I belong to two different Mystery Book Clubs….one meets once a month and the other meets weekly….sometimes it is hard to keep up reading a book a week. We read cozy mysteries along with all kinds…we’ve read Agatha too. One of the best books we’ve read recently is the Steig Larssen one The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo. I have the 2 other books he wrote as well which some of my friends say are even better than the Dragon Tatoo one. If you can read his books.
Yes, I enjoy mysteries – I read many of the Agatha Christie books in the past. I have some on my TBR shelf including a some of Charlaine Harris’ Aurora Teagarden Mystery books, and some of Shirley Damsgaard’s Ophelia & Abby Mystery series.
I love cozy mysteries. I read Agatha Christie years ago, but not recently.
I love reading historical mystery series! They can too be cozy! I love Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight series, they are turn of the century NYC. She’s a midwife and he’s a detective. She had previously wrote historical romances too! Then there’s Ashley Gardner who is one and the same as Jennifer Ashley. I love her Regency mysteries. She’s on a break from them but I so can’t wait when they are back. I heard that Deanna Raybourn’s rock so I’m looking forward to starting those. Love to find more recommendations for the historical ones, especially Regency, Victorian and Georgian.
I have read a couple of contemporary cozy mysteries, like Kate Collins Flower Shop Mysteries and a couple of Jane Evanovich. So its more of a newer genre for me. I like when they have a bubbling romance in them and most do! I read lots of Agatha Christie many years ago when I was a young teen. My mom had them all over the house!
@Caffey
I know Deanna Raybourn has a book coming out sometime this year. I’ll have to look it up and see which one. But I swear I saw it on Amazon sometime in the Fall.
@Jackie W
I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on the NYT Bestseller list so you’re not the only one.
I like mysteries, but spaced out among other genres. My favorites:
Lindsey Davis, ‘Falco’ series
Elizabeth Peters, ‘Amelia Peabody’ and ‘Vicky Bliss’ series
Deanna Raybourn ‘Lady Julia Grey’ series
just discovered C.S. Harris and Ariana Franklin, who are both excellent authors
Like mysteries but lately have been watching (vs reading) more TV and film mysteries!
I enjoy mysteries and love Agatha Christie. Have read her since high school. There are many cozy mysteries out there. If I were home I could list several of the series I have. There are a lot of good ones out there.