A battle between the Four Queens of Crime to see who is the true Queen of Crime. Margery Allingham vs. Agatha Christie vs. Ngaio Marsh vs. Dorothy Sayers.
I'm re-reading "Cat Among the Pigeons" now, and there they talk a lot about Miss Bullstrode's approach to her school. She takes risks and doesn't want everything to be the same - and this reminds me of Christie's own approach to her fiction. She also took risks and experimented a lot. Sometimes (a lot of times!) it worked out, sometimes it did not, but that's the reason (among other reasons) for me that we have some really odd and/or terrible books (such as "At Bertram's Hotel" - I can see a very cool idea there, really), but also some great books (you name it). That's why her highs are higher, but her lows are lower than most.
I think even in Christie's worst novels there are still interesting things going around and like you alluded to, she took risks. Those risks paid off well most of the time but when they failed, they failed hard.
Having done this sort of thing before, I advise against 4-3-2-1 for a scoring system. If you want to keep the same first:last ratio, I'd advise 16-10-6-4. I've been listening to the Marsh novels recently, having only seen the adaptations before (I was surprised at how much better the adaptation of Death at the Bar was than the novel), and have thought more than one that Midsomer Murders would be right up her alley.
I think you should have mentioned Gladys Mitchell...I am attempting to get though her books...I am also reading other books at the same time...GM had quite the bibliography of titles...I love her Mrs. Bradley books...I have read all the books from these authors.....great videos...
I've never read those but I am familiar with who she is. She's something like a Miss Marple/Miss Silver-esque combo? These books have been on my TBR for a while but I have not gotten to them.
I was somewhat surprised to find that I agreed with you in every ranking in every category. I thought for sure that I could object when you didn't find Christie last in the "worst books" category, but you did! Oh, the cringe factor of "Postern of Fate" haunts me to this day. Sure, at this point Christie was an elderly woman rambling into a dictaphone, but were there no editors?
My first thought when I laid out that category was "Oh good, something Christie will be last in". Not that she isn't the greatest but it boosted the other three.
Being a Christie fan I recently was looking into similar authors. I did see one mentioned as the "American version of Agatha Christie." That was Mary Roberts Rinehart. Any thoughts? Thanks for the suggestions.
I remember liking the Nurse Hilda Adams books (there are only 4, I think). Hilda is kind of a Miss Marple character in many ways. I also liked "The Red Lamp," which is spooky and atmospheric, but not that great a mystery.
You’re to be commended for the ultimate slog (setting aside Christie of course). Readers of Christie always are delighted after rereading - and I for one was happy to see the late Christie - I actually enjoyed Passenger to Frankfurt, but not in the same way as A Murder is Announced. I was fascinated by her commentary on the times (1960s) which go beyond an ordinary whodunit. After multiple tries, I’ve given up on the other writers (Bellona Club was a masterpiece, however).
Wasn't a slog (mostly wasn't) for me. I don't deny Passenger to Frankfurt and others don't do interesting things but it's far from my favorite. But glad to see it has its fans.
Although her career was well after the Golden Age and she is never considered among the Queens of Crime, P. D. James gives Agatha Christie a challenge in my personal evaluation of who ranks as my favorite writer of detective fiction.
I'm re-reading "Cat Among the Pigeons" now, and there they talk a lot about Miss Bullstrode's approach to her school. She takes risks and doesn't want everything to be the same - and this reminds me of Christie's own approach to her fiction. She also took risks and experimented a lot. Sometimes (a lot of times!) it worked out, sometimes it did not, but that's the reason (among other reasons) for me that we have some really odd and/or terrible books (such as "At Bertram's Hotel" - I can see a very cool idea there, really), but also some great books (you name it). That's why her highs are higher, but her lows are lower than most.
I think even in Christie's worst novels there are still interesting things going around and like you alluded to, she took risks. Those risks paid off well most of the time but when they failed, they failed hard.
I agree with your ranking. This is a great analysis.
Thanks!
Thanks I was able to find two new things to read and watch.
Love to hear it. Thanks.
Having done this sort of thing before, I advise against 4-3-2-1 for a scoring system. If you want to keep the same first:last ratio, I'd advise 16-10-6-4.
I've been listening to the Marsh novels recently, having only seen the adaptations before (I was surprised at how much better the adaptation of Death at the Bar was than the novel), and have thought more than one that Midsomer Murders would be right up her alley.
That's a good system. I try to avoid point-based scoring systems whenever I can.
…and Magersfontein Lugg is my all time favorite sidekick.
I love Lugg. He's on my top ten list around 8 or 9 I think. I'd definitely move him up around 4 or 5 if I remade that list now.
What a massacre.
I think you should have mentioned Gladys Mitchell...I am attempting to get though her books...I am also reading other books at the same time...GM had quite the bibliography of titles...I love her Mrs. Bradley books...I have read all the books from these authors.....great videos...
I've read some Gladys Mitchell and enjoyed them but, for whatever reason, she's not a Queen of Crime.
@summationgathering she may not be as well known, but she is listed as a detective writer of the Golden age mystery writing.
Opinion on the Hildegarde Withers series by Stuart Palmer? Worth checking out?
I've never read those but I am familiar with who she is. She's something like a Miss Marple/Miss Silver-esque combo? These books have been on my TBR for a while but I have not gotten to them.
I was somewhat surprised to find that I agreed with you in every ranking in every category. I thought for sure that I could object when you didn't find Christie last in the "worst books" category, but you did! Oh, the cringe factor of "Postern of Fate" haunts me to this day. Sure, at this point Christie was an elderly woman rambling into a dictaphone, but were there no editors?
My first thought when I laid out that category was "Oh good, something Christie will be last in". Not that she isn't the greatest but it boosted the other three.
Being a Christie fan I recently was looking into similar authors. I did see one mentioned as the "American version of Agatha Christie." That was Mary Roberts Rinehart. Any thoughts? Thanks for the suggestions.
I haven't read everything from Mary Roberts Rinehart but I have liked almost everything I've read from her.
I remember liking the Nurse Hilda Adams books (there are only 4, I think). Hilda is kind of a Miss Marple character in many ways. I also liked "The Red Lamp," which is spooky and atmospheric, but not that great a mystery.
You’re to be commended for the ultimate slog (setting aside Christie of course). Readers of Christie always are delighted after rereading - and I for one was happy to see the late Christie - I actually enjoyed Passenger to Frankfurt, but not in the same way as A Murder is Announced. I was fascinated by her commentary on the times (1960s) which go beyond an ordinary whodunit.
After multiple tries, I’ve given up on the other writers (Bellona Club was a masterpiece, however).
Wasn't a slog (mostly wasn't) for me. I don't deny Passenger to Frankfurt and others don't do interesting things but it's far from my favorite. But glad to see it has its fans.
"Reading a good Christie novel is like making love" SG, 2024.
Remember, you heard it here first.
Although her career was well after the Golden Age and she is never considered among the Queens of Crime, P. D. James gives Agatha Christie a challenge in my personal evaluation of who ranks as my favorite writer of detective fiction.
PD James ones of the best post-Golden Age authors for sure. I haven't read all of her works, however, but I have enjoyed a lot of what I have read.
This isn't even a competition. Agatha Christie is the Queen. Case closed.
No, its not close but I thought I'd give everyone a fair chance.