Book Review: A Deadly Affair by Agatha Christie

My Rating:

 4.5⭐️

A Deadly Affair by Agatha Christie, is a compilation of 13 short stories each featuring one or more of her famous characters- Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, to name just a few. In addition to the stories, there is an autobiographical chapter titled “Affairs of the Heart: Agatha’s Early Courtships” which is an entertaining account of the author’s “two near escapes from getting married”.

While these stories might not be viewed as ‘love stories’ per se, they do revolve around the theme of love, albeit, the darker side. The crimes, for the most part, are motivated by infidelity, unrequited love, rejection and other not-so-pleasant aspects of love such as jealousy and possessiveness. 

Agatha Christie’s trademark fluid narrative, masterful storytelling and intriguing plotlines reel you in from the very first sentence and keep you engaged in trying to figure out the solution to the puzzle till you reach the very end. Each of these stories is engaging and the selection is varied to not come across as repetitive. Each of the author’s detectives possesses his/her unique style of sleuthing, deduction and dry humor. My personal favorites were “The Face of Helen,” “The Case of the Caretaker” and “The Love Detectives”.

It has been decades since I've read an Agatha Christie mystery. Though I’ve read many of Agatha Christie’s novels, her short stories were unexplored territory for me. I throroughly enjoyed this selection and will be looking out for more while also revisiting some old favorites. There's no doubt to the fact that her writing is simply brilliant and truly timeless. Whether you’re an old fan of the Queen of Mystery or a first-time reader who wants to give her cozy mysteries a try, you won’t be disappointed with this wonderful collection.