All images are from Google.
I am often hunched over, reading our book discussion book late into the night before, in bits and pieces through the afternoon of, or even in the car minutes before we meet. A nasty habit of putting it off. Not because I don’t want to read the book, rather, because I have so much else I want to read, I don’t want to forget the characters before the discussion or I get busy with other things.
I just finished the December book.
It wasn’t a hard read and I knew I would be especially busy before our mid-December get together, so, I picked it up and was soon immersed in the crime at hand. We usually pick a lighter read for December, most often a Christmas book – a fun read to go along with our yearly book exchange and Christmas culinary delights. This year we picked Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot’s Christmas.
I haven’t bit into an Agatha Christie mystery for a long while, though they are always page turners for me. I love any film adaptation, especially on PBS and
I eagerly watch Miss Marple or Poirot, portrayed brilliantly by David Suchet, every chance I get. For some unknown reason, however, I have never seen or read Hercule Poirot’s Christmas. I cannot explain why (the dog ate it?), but, was happy to correct the error of my ways with December’s book group pick.
I won’t ruin it for any of you that haven’t read it, especially my group of “bookies”, I will just say what a fun read it was. When Simeon Lee is murdered in his room, the door locked from inside, and no one seen leaving it, a horrific scream and loud noise the only warning that something has happened, a crime scene is marked and it just so happens that M Poirot is in the vicinity to help solve the crime. It was a delightful page turner and I honestly didn’t know “who done it” until the villain was finally revealed.
There are so many print editions of . . . Poirot’s Christmas from Great Britain and the U.S. and Canada, that it was fun to see all the book covers, a few of which I have splattered across this post.
This isn’t the type of holiday read with trees and tinsel and snow and gingerbread cookies that many books with the word Christmas have on the covers, but, it was the start of my yearly yen to read yuletide yarns.
How about you? Do you enjoy reading mysteries or novels or children’s books that
evoke the holidays right about now? Do you have a favorite(s), perhaps one you read year after year? Do you have a favorite Agatha Christie mystery? Have you discovered Agatha Raisin? Is there a book you have been wanting to read for a long time – or one you just discovered?
Lifeonthecutoff's Blog 
I have to admit I have never read Agatha Christie. I guess I was never into mysteries, though you make the book sound fun!
When I was young, very young, I remember devouring the yearly short Christmas stories found in my mother’s women’s magazines, like “Woman’s Day”, “Good Housekeeping”, “Family Circle”, etc., that I would find around the house. I enjoyed the stories so much that even into my 20’s I bought these magazines at Christmastime just to get myself into the spirit! However, eventually the stories seemed to be phased out and I remember a couple years thumbing through those same magazines and only the odd story – nothing like the number and quality that were once there.
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I did the same thing, Janet! I’d forgotten those women’s magazines and the stories in them and how I looked forward to my mom’s magazines – and yes, then buying them myself as a young woman and mother. I even recall clipping out a few stories to save and read another year. I wonder if they are sitting in some file folder in the deep recesses of the basement…
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Sounds familiar Penny.. leaving bookclub book ’til the last moment. The retired life means I can curl up and spend an afternoon finishing a book and not feel guilty! I’ve not been a big reader of murder and mystery.. but am enjoying vicki Lane’s books, and I loved Agatha C. movies and others. You have made me want to read HP’s Christmas now though.
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Haha! So, I’m not alone, Joan? We are like schoolgirls getting a book report done at the last minute.
I’ve seen Vicki Lane show up on your blog and should see if I can her books here. Agatha Christie was such a master storyteller. This one had me guessing until the very end, which makes a murder mystery much more fun to read. It is a very fast book with lots of dialogue. Just the right formula for this busy time of year.
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I have never come across the Christmas Poirot, and am off to check to see if there is an audiobook. It would make great nighttime listening 🙂
You know me, Penny, I like my Christmas ghost stories. We are on The Signalman (Dickens) right now. As oppressive as a Kentish fret, but hung thick with atmosphere.
Another book for my list! Thank you!
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There is plenty of dialogue in this book, Kate. It would be great on audio. I hope you find it. It was also published as Murder for Christmas and A Holiday for Murder. Poirot even sees a ghost. That’s all I’m saying.
I love your nighttime pastime of bedtime stories.
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I love Hercule Poirot but haven’t picked one up for years. I have never read the Christmas one though, I will add it to my list. There are many books that I pull out and read every Christmas. I always read the Christmas Carol, Carol Byrd’s Christmas, The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever, The Cajun Night Before Christmas (to be read to children using the proper accent), The House Without a Christmas Tree.. just to name a few.
I used to love the magazines like the other Janet, but they are not the same. Did your newspaper have a Christmas story that had part of the story every day until Christmas Eve? Ours did, I loved it.
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I do, too, Janet. As I told Kate, above, it may be under two other titles. I just love The Worst Christmas Pageant Ever, though we read it for a book group a few years ago – not so good for adult discussions. The House Without a Christmas Tree is so good as well. There was a TV adaptation of it a long time ago with Jason Robards as the father that was pretty close to the book. I got it at our library once to see again on tape.
Isn’t it sad that magazines have changed so much? I’m not recalling the newspapers here doing a serialized story. There were so many Chicago dailies when I was growing up (unlike now). I’ll bet that was so much fun. Did you know that Dickens Christmas Carol was originally a serial?
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[…] picking a Christmas book, a light read for a busy month. This month was Agatha Christie’s Hercules Poirot’s Christmas. Not really a Christmas read, it is still a good mystery. We actually spent a few moments […]
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