Repost – Art of Whodunit – Delicious Death

Reposting another one of my old blog posts. With all the time over the weekend, I struggled to choose a book to read. I have over a hundred books on my Kindle yet nothing hooked me on. I did what I usually do in situations like these. I turned to my bookshelf and chose a Christie book.

There is no thrill quite like what I experience after reading a whodunit. I love this genre with a passion. Why do I love whodunits so, you ask? Simple as Hercule Poirot says they gives you the illusion of living an exciting life.

This brings me to what is going to be the focus of this post – my abiding love for Agatha Christie and her unusual and idiosyncratic detectives – Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. I have read my fair share of Sherlock Holmes – who’s intent on impressing Watson all the time. I honestly don’t think you can deduce that someone’s wife has left him because his hat is dirty and not brushed often – god! Or probably he can possibly categorise 350 different types of tobacco ashes. No monsieur, that’s doesn’t impress me at all.

No doubt Christie’s mysteries are thrilling, one better than the other, but what charms me most is her detectives – a little old lady with a twinkle in her eyes and a Belgian ex-police detective with an egg-shaped head. They are witty, funny, kind but firm and so brainy. The cerebral appeal that they have is what is lacking in modern detectives. Today’s detectives do not have ‘the little grey cells” and cannot solve a mystery by “simply arranging the facts in order” and hence resort to sex appeal and dirtying their hands and all the action. I am more impressed with Poirot sitting in his chair, sipping a cup of hot chocolate and using his grey cells to solve the crime. That’s a true detective.

Miss Marple’s method are different though. Her little village of St. Mary Meads has given her ample opportunity to peep into the psyche of people and learn their nature and every new crime reminds her of someone who has done the something similar. Her study of human psychology and human nature is simply outstanding and perhaps that is the reason why I tend to enjoy her stories a bit more than Poirot’s.

Somewhere along some books, I have also taken an immense liking to Captain Hastings who’s Poirot’s closest friend and the narrator of most of his stories. He is loyal to Poirot, has a dry, witty sense of humour, is charming in his own way and never leaves a chance to point out Poirot’s pompousness.

I have read almost all of her books but still after reading a few other authors I need to read one Christie just to make the blood rush.

Some of my favourites:

• A Caribbean Mystery
• Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• Murder on the Orient Express
• Murder is Announced
• The Witness for the Prosecution
• Mirror cracked from side to side
• The thirteen problems
• Murder in three acts
• Holiday for Murder
• 4:50 from Paddington
• Why didn’t they ask Evans?
• At Bertram’s Hotel

 

Book Review: The Word is Murder

Source: Review copy from Netgalley
Release Date: Available now from Random House (Century)

Synopsis:
A wealthy woman strangled six hours after she’s arranged her own funeral.

A very private detective uncovering secrets but hiding his own.

A reluctant author drawn into a story he can’t control.

What do they have in common?

Unexpected death, an unsolved mystery and a trail of bloody clues lie at the heart of Anthony Horowitz’s page-turning new thriller. 

SPREAD THE WORD. THE WORD IS MURDER.

I am so thrilled to have discovered this book. This is a very different murder mystery where the author of the book becomes the narrator of the story. It was odd at first where the author turned narrator and the detective discuss writing a book about the murder that has taken place. I was drawn into it and quite liked it.

Now on to the story. A woman walks into a funeral home to plan her own funeral and 6 hours later, she is dead. Horrowitz mentions many times in the book that Agatha Christie is his hero and you can see it in his writing in the book. The multiple characters with story lines of their own, a second murder, chatty characters, well hidden clues with all ends tied up at the end. At the same time, Horrowitz is the Watson to Hawthrone’s Sherlock.

This is a very interesting and entertaining read. Highly recommended.

Surrounded by mundane

I haven’t updated this blog in a long time. I posted a couple of times but nothing concrete. There isn’t anything major happening in life to write about. Well almost everything and nothing. I can write loads but wouldn’t wish a few readers of this blog to read it.

Anyway, not to sound too bleak, life has been going on as usual. Autumn’s gone and there’s a chill in the weather. There are a few trees in the neighbourhood that are bright red but they will lose the leaves too. Autumn was long and wonderful. We collected a few leaves of different colours from bright yellow to dark maroon.

The kiddo has settled nicely into his routine. Although I think he spends far more time in school than I had wished for. Lunch in school is a big change and the other day he told me, “I don’t get to see you for a long time for four days in a week. We don’t get to eat lunch together.” There was an open day at school a couple of months ago and we got to see his classroom and some of his work. His classroom is so much fun – there a number of different play areas – book corners, art tables, house corner, charts, and many other things that make it attractive even to the adults. No wonder kids are happy and wish to go to school everyday. No boring brown benches! His teacher is lovely, warm and very open. This is such an opposite from the schools in India, where teachers are dreaded and feared.

Life has settled into a routine once again. I wake up early to make breakfasts and lunch boxes and it is all a blur until I drop him off at school. The school is just at a 10 minute walk from our house. All students are made to stand in a queue outside in the playground before school bell and I am amazed at how good the primary 1 kids are at lining up. They don’t cut lines and are prepared to wait their turn.

Leaving aside all the family drama and heart breaks, I have quite a few firang friends here now. Their approach and perspective is quite refreshing. I recently tried to explain what “ghee” means to a firang friend and calling it “clarified butter” made me wince. Clarified butter – in now conveys the deliciousness, warmth and homeliness as “ghee” does. Explaining jaggery was even more difficult. I finally ended up saying – imagine a slab of thick hard cheese but only sweet! Another friend and I discussed the varieties and brands of coconut milk available here. This friend and his wife have just opened a delicatessen and they were introducing some Eastern food dishes. He couldn’t understand how we made coconut milk at home. All these conversations are so much more interesting than the emotional and heartbreaking family dramas. I love the fact that I can indulge as much or as little as I want and walk away unscathed.

I recently watched a play – The Mousetrap – written by the famous Agatha Christie. I remember my grandma introduced her novels to me when I was in college and thus began my love for reading whodunits and books. I had already read the book so there was no mystery to this whodunit for me. It was nostalgic to watch this play and I feel like I am now part of history. When I read those books during my teenage years, I never imagined I would live places and neighbourhoods similar to those described in her books. Having lived in the UK for 4 years now, I can now better understand and internalize her plots and circumstances and I have a whole new love for her books. The play was warm and cosy and atmospheric and felt like hot chocolate on a Christmas night. I can’t wait to discuss it with my grandma.

There are good days and there are bad days but am trying to overcome the bad with the good. Distraction is the only solution for situations beyond your control. Nothing lasts forever and perhaps it’s true. Writing is difficult but there are days like today when it just flows. The saving grace are my husband and my son who live through it all and continue to support me. So hopefully there will be more blog posts.

Since am on vacation…

…am indulging myself!

The kiddo is now doing fine. The dysentery nightmare got over within 4-5 days.

I went shopping yesterday, leaving the kiddo back at home. We shopped in the nearby area just in case the kiddo didn’t stay with my parents. I was a bit worried about him whether he would stay without me for a few hours. I shouldn’t have worried, he played, ate and slept without me! Now I am determined to go shopping and on outings at farther locations 🙂

I watched Pride and Prejudice last night. Again. For the Firth time, sorry fifth time. Come on, am on vacation, at least that is the excuse I am using to watch it again.

To further the pleasure, I am reading The Floating Admiral written by the Detection Club which includes Agatha Christie. Readers who have been a regular to this blog would know of my fascination with Christie. None of my vacations, holidays or day offs are complete without a Christie book. In fact, I shall confess that I only need excuses to pick up another book and re-read it.

What’s bliss for you?

          

Rainbow at my window after a thunderous weekend and comfort books

The rains stayed well into the weekend with lightning, thunder and heavy showers but ended with a rainbow. This was the scene outside our drawing-room window when it finally ended.

Rainbow at my window

Every time see I rainbow, and believe me, I have spotted it a lot of time, I fall in love with this city all over again. I mean, back in Mumbai, how many times do you get a chance to relax and look out of your window at home, spot a rainbow and smile? I love this escape from my hectic life in Mumbai. I absolutely love watching rainbows with my son and I know this is one thing I will always remember about this city – the relaxed life and spotting rainbows with sonny. It is so very comforting.

 

Although I didn’t eat pakoras, this weather had me wrapped under a blanket with my favourite book – Pride and Prejudice. Almost all of us have our comfort reads..books that are on our shelf for keeps. Books that we go back to when we need a guaranteed entertainment.  

 

Image by elycefeliz via Flickr

  

Books that fulfill this function for me are any of Agatha Christie‘s and Pride and Prejudice. And sometimes we wish to watch a movie instead of reading a book. For me that would again be, P&P, the Colin Firth mini-series, Father of the Bride – both parts, Devil Wears Prada. Surely, you all must also have such lists. Tell me, which are your comfort books and movies?

The New year trip

So I had been absconding for almost a fortnight now, no more than that. Fret not, I was only sulking about the year coming to an end and wondering how soon it passed, given that I did absolutely nothing, nothing! since I came to Edinburgh in June. To rouse me from my depression, hubby took us to a week-long holiday at his cousin’s place in London! And what a week that was. From sumptuous meals to breathtaking surroundings and heart-to-heart talks, we did it all.

We visited the Cambridge university – took the traditional punting tour of the river Cam passing along the backs of Cambridge university. A picture is worth a thousand words…

Remember 'mudi mudi' from Paa?

Beautiful autumn colours and snow

 

the willows, snow, cambridge...ahhh

Just beyond this bridge is a huge ground where the shooting of the selection of players for Quidditch in HP1 took place. I was so stunned by that information that I missed taking the picture.

We then visited the Bury St Edmund’s town. It’s a small market town in Suffolk and is considered to be the most

It was a day of mist and fog and utterly delightful atmosphere to explore the ruins of the old cathedral!

 

Towncentre at Bury's. such small markets and town with so much character and history. All the Agatha Christie novels came to life and I found myself looking out for Miss Marple!

 floral town in Suffolk.

Now veggies close the tab, the meat eaters salivate!

Raan masala made by my SIL. Don't ask me the recipe, I don't have it. Delicious and mouth-watering.

Aside from this trip, I have been given to hope that a most delightful event is to occur this year-end, no am not expecting and it has nothing to do with my immediate family. But am in such spirits that I have suddenly taken to food like never before. I find myself hogging till am ready to barf. With the limited amount of exercise that I do, or rather absolutely nothing, it’s a wonder that my jeans still fit and am not blowing up like Harry Potter’s aunt Marge. So, anyway, am excited and that’s making me do crazy things, not that I don’t do them otherwise, but then I never thought I would gluttonous.

Art of Whodunit – Delicious Death

There is no thrill quite like what I experience after reading a whodunit. I love this genre with a passion. Why do I love whodunits so, you ask? Simple as Hercule Poirot says they gives you the illusion of living an exciting life.

This brings me to what is going to be the focus of this post – my abiding love for Agatha Christie and her unusual and idiosyncratic detectives – Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. I have read my fair share of Sherlock Holmes – who’s intent on impressing Watson all the time. I honestly don’t think you can deduce that someone’s wife has left him because his hat is dirty and not brushed often – god! Or probably he can possibly categorise 350 different types of tobacco ashes. No monsieur, that’s doesn’t impress me at all.

No doubt Christie’s mysteries are thrilling, one better than the other, but what charms me most is her detectives – a little old lady with a twinkle in her eyes and a Belgian ex-police detective with an egg-shaped head. They are witty, funny, kind but firm and so brainy. The cerebral appeal that they have is what is lacking in modern detectives. Today’s detectives do not have ‘the little grey cells” and cannot solve a mystery by “simply arranging the facts in order” and hence resort to sex appeal and dirtying their hands and all the action. I am more impressed with Poirot sitting in his chair, sipping a cup of hot chocolate and using his grey cells to solve the crime. That’s a true detective.

Miss Marple’s method are different though. Her little village of St. Mary Meads has given her ample opportunity to peep into the psyche of people and learn their nature and every new crime reminds her of someone who has done the something similar. Her study of human psychology and human nature is simply outstanding and perhaps that is the reason why I tend to enjoy her stories a bit more than Poirot’s.

Somewhere along some books, I have also taken an immense liking to Captain Hastings who’s Poirot’s closest friend and the narrator of most of his stories. He is loyal to Poirot, has a dry, witty sense of humour, is charming in his own way and never leaves a chance to point out Poirot’s pompousness.

I have read almost all of her books but still after reading a few other authors I need to read one Christie just to make the blood rush.

Some of my favourites:

• A Caribbean Mystery
• Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• Murder on the Orient Express
• Murder is Announced
• The Witness for the Prosecution
• Mirror cracked from side to side
• The thirteen problems
• Murder in three acts
• Holiday for Murder
• 4:50 from Paddington
• Why didn’t they ask Evans?
• At Bertram’s Hotel

Oh I can go on and on.. sigh.. I need to read one now!