Endless Night (Queen of Mystery)

I'm not sure what possessed Christie to write this one, but it miised the mark with me. I found the characters to be fairly shallow and uninteresting and the mystery only so-so. None of her regular sleuths make an appearance. The denoument came suddenly but was an interesting twist. All in all, not one of the best Christies.

I love Agatha Christie, but this has got to be her most boring book. What little plot there is moves at a glacial place. There are relatively few characters, and none of them is well developed. Christie aims at a Gothic atmosphere but doesn't pull it off. I'm surprised that Endless Night is to be found on several lists of Christie's best books. It doesn't deserve to be there.

This was the first Agatha Christie where I lost interest and didn't feel compelled to finish, which is saying something! Was very disappointed. It was very dark & creepy - and although I normally enjoy psychological thrillers - this one just seemed to have all the negatives without the positives. Maybe it was the main character / narrator - it was hard to like him and so you started feeling like you didn't really care what happened. I've been on an Agathe Christie binge lately and this one is very different from her "usual" mysteries so perhaps it was just the very different style & tone, which was jarring.

Still fun to listen to. Great quality audio, worth buying if you're a fan. Not the classic vintage murder mystery; one of the off-the-wall Christie books. Good to listen to without needing total concentration.

While I usually love Agatha Christie, I found this novel rather dull and quite disappointing.

This novel isn't the type that I'm used to from her -- a body appears at the beginning, and we race to figure out who the murderer was. Rather, Christie tells the story through the perspective of Michael Rogers, who meets a woman with whom he falls in love and marries. The rest of their book follows the course of their relationship, as strange things start to happen when they build their life together.

I enjoyed the premise of the book, but not the twist; it seemed to have been done before, even (loosely) in another one of her books.

In all, even though I usually love her books, I didn't enjoy this one. The plot was too contrived, the twist too fast and unrewarding.

The problem with this book is that Dame Agatha plagiarized herself. She wrote another book with the same ending which IS much better done. And this is also one of the slowest of her books. The build up is long and full of unnecessary detail. I'd recommend the other book by name but that would spoil it for future readers. Let's just say it's a Poirot book and leave it at that. Give this one a miss.

I love Agatha Christie, however it took me three tries to finish this book. I must admit that there came a point during the third try when I decided to skip half of the very wordy dialog to finally get through. 95% of the dialog was by one person and most of that in his scheming lazy mind. Just happy to be done!

fortunately, this was a free book. I felt it a waste of time.
l have always enjoyed agatha christie,so this

I have

I have always enjoyed this author, but this was disappointing.

ha

Many consider this Agatha Christie tale one of her best novels. I saw the tale on Masterpiece Mystery-season 7. I thought it was an unusual not typical Christie tale. It is very haunting. I liked it. The acting was good. I was surprised at the ending. I found it unusual in that Miss Marple goes out and looks for clues. The story is about a man who wants to have a house in land that people say is haunted. He is poor and meets a very rich woman and marries her. A gypsy predicts that if they live in gypsy land people will die, and they do.

Unfortunately, after coming off the high of And Then There Were None, this book fell short. Way short. I probably should've given it a rest before picking up another Agatha Christie, but I was very excited and keen to immerse myself in another mystery.

Sadly, this one didn't do it for me, and although it was an easy read and I finished it relatively quickly, I was not interested in what was happening and could not involve myself in any of the events taking place - which I must say, were little to close to none. The plot was too simple to the point of - dare I say - being quite dull, the characters were very off putting, cold and detached, especially the narrator whom I found to be quite annoying. The story was evolving quite slowly, and nothing really happened until way more than halfway through the book. I was waiting for a mystery throughout, and the first 200+ pages seemed like one big introduction to the mystery that took up only a handful of chapters and was resolved pretty quickly. I admit, I did not see the end coming, and it was a great twist to an otherwise tedious story, but it wasn't enough for me to give it a higher rating.

When a young man falls in love with a rich woman, with seemingly no ulterior motives, they quickly get married and build a house on what is known to be cursed Gypsy land. This rich woman is conveyed as weak and lonely with no friends except for one. Her confidante, her partner, her best friend, whom she invites over to stay with them and whom her husband seems to not get along with at all. As we are taken on a journey of their monotonous life of rich relatives and friendly neighbors, I sat there waiting for something...anything...to happen.

When it did, it felt like a little too late.

This book was very different from Christie's other writings and I was very excited about reading it. Unfortunately the content was way too dark for me and I did not enjoy reading it. The ending was also easily deduced in the middle of the book, which is almost never the case in her other books, for me anyway. Because of the way the story was written the ending could only be settled in a certain way and was depressing. Overall this book failed miserably in my expectations of what a great Agatha Christie is and I felt it was an extreme waste of time reading it.

I just got done reading Endless Night. It was really very good. It was the first Agatha Christie book I ever read. I've been watching a bunch of the Agatha Christie adaptions on Acorn TV and really liked the traditional mystery style. But I wanted something a little different. I looked through her output on the internet and saw a bunch of videos on You Tube where people were explaining and praising her work. So many people said this was a departure for Christie and unusually dark. Written in 1967 it had a modern Noir style that isn't typical of Christie, but there still is a twist at the end and a murder mystery element that she's known for and defines her "brand". Many say it's one of her best books. Top 5 of the 50 or 60 she wrote. I've been a avid reader of mysteries for 20 years but I haven't gotten into Agatha Christie until this past year. I'm glad I did. I really am loving this English tradition stuff. Anyway, back to Endless Night
It 's told in first person narration by the main character, Mike Rogers. He is a working class man working as a chauffeur at the start of the story, but he generally is a rolling stone who has drifted between many jobs in a short period of time. He's a restless soul. While driving a rich old couple through the countryside in England he sees a large estate getting prepared for auction. It's called "the towers" but all the locals call it "Gypsies Acre " because it supposedly has a gypsies curse on it. Many bad things have happened to previous owners, so this gives the story a gothic feel.
Mike visits the property. While walking there he meets a gypsy that tells him about the curse and tries to scare him off, but Mike gets it in his head that he's going to find a way to buy the place and live here somehow. While walking back he meets a rich young American women named Ellie who is interested in the place too. They strike up a friendship and eventually fall in love. They get married and buy Gypsies Acre. Mike's dreams seem to have come true.
Soon after moving in strange things start happening and many things aren't as they seem, culminating in a twist ending that will throw you for a loop.
This book was really enjoyable. It gets kind of creepy three quarters of the way through and feels like a horror / thriller book. Christie prose is very well written and keeps you engrossed all the way through. I couldn't recommend it higher enough.

One of Christie's later novels (first published in 1967) "Endless Night" was written well before her literary powers began to wane, and ended up being one of her personal favorites.

Initially "Endless Night" reads a little bit like a fairytale. Michael Rogers is a poor but ambitious young man who writes of his fascination for a stretch of wooded land known as Gipsy's Acre, said to be cursed by the gypsies that were turned off it (and is in fact based on a real legend of a similarly named patch of land in Wales). A chance meeting with a beautiful young woman under the fir trees leads to a whirlwind romance, an elopement, and the revelation that she is in fact a very wealthy heiress. Suddenly all of Michael's dreams are within his reach, and together he and Ellie build their dream house on Gipsy's Acre.

But from the very first page of his narrative, Michael makes it clear that disaster is on the horizon. It is impossible to say much more without giving away the entire book, (even the identity of the murder victim should be kept under wraps) but "Endless Night" ends up being one of Christie's most haunting novels, and certainly the best of her late work.

Readers who are ploughing through Christie's books in chronological order (or who are at least familiar with her writing) may recognize some of the techniques she utilizes in order to shape the plot. There is one plot device in particular that she has used to great effect in the past, and some long-time readers may pick up on it as they read. However, even if one does figure it out, the realization does little to sully the enjoyment of the story; if anything, it simply makes the slow build-up even more disturbing.

But the story is unique in other ways. With a deft hand Christie ramps up the suspense by leaving the murder until quite late in the story, and there is no "detective" character whatsoever. Instead the cast is relatively small, with only a small pool of suspects made up of Ellie's extended family and a few locals. Where most of her characters are usually stereotypes, here they are given life and relationships that come before the needs of the plot, a result of "Endless Night" being more of a character study than a whodunit.

It is quite different in tone and structure from her usual work, and the atmosphere is impeccable. It's creepy and forbidding, with an almost gothic ambiance to it thanks to the gypsy folklore and isolated country setting. Dread permeates every word, and I actually felt physically cold when reading it. I'd recommend a hot drink and a warm blanket if reading on a winter's night.

The less you know about "Endless Night", the more enjoyable your read will be. As such, be very careful perusing some of these reviews, as I'm sure at least some of them will give the game away, even if it's just by referencing other Christie novels. With its slow burning setup and devastating dénouement, "Endless Night" is easily one of my favorite Christies, as well as one of her strongest works.

Absolutely love this book! I would say it was a gothic novel with a twisted ending.

Michael Rogers is a chauffeur who falls in love with a piece of property and an heiress in that order. Ellie Guteman, is a beautiful American heiress who is sweet and fun and falls head over heels with Michael. She is afraid her family will not approve of her marriage so arranges for Greta, her secretary to travel Europe and post mail for her around the area so that no one knows where they really are.

The couple is warned by a Gypsy woman that bad luck will follow if they build on the property but Michael talks Ellie into going on with it anyway.
They hire a friend of Michael's to be the architect and the couple begin to settle in on the property. Soon they are making friends and Ellie is horseback riding with Claudia Hardcastle the village go to person. Ellie and Claudia also share in allergies to horses but Ellie is able to give some of her pills to Claudia which enables them to enjoy the sport. This is all key to the plot later on.

Soon things go very wrong and before you know it you have been completely turned around and don't have a clue if you know the people you have been reading about. In the very best way, this book is clever and knocks you out with it's heartbreaking ending.

Endless Night derives its title from a line in William Blake s Songs of Innocence:"
Every Night and Every Morn Some to Misery are Born
Every night and Every Night
Some are born to Sweet Delight...
Some are Born to Endless Night
The short novel is one of Christie s later efforts being published in 1967 and filmed by United Artists in 1972.
The tale is told by Michael Rogers a young man who has been something of a vagabond. Rogers earns his living as a chauffeur for the wealthy tourists who travel across Europe. One day he visits an auction for an estate known as Gipsy Acres. There he meets a young woman named
Ellie Guteman. She is fabulously wealth and buys the estate and weds Michael. The young man who disdains hard work has hit the marital jackpot marrying an heiress who is beautiful and sweet. Michael meets her family of greedy relatives. An old woman who is thought to be a witch by the name of Esther Lee pronounces a curse on Gipsy Acres and the newly wed couple. A close friend of Ellie who is named Greta joins the couple following Ellie s accident of a sprained ankle. A rock is thrown at the couple and accidents occur. Tragedy soon follows and a twist of an ending makes this book a pleasurable read. You will be surprised at how the denouement is worked out by a woman who had a mastery of suspense and the English murder mystery. An unexpected treat and one whose plot you will not soon forget. Well recommended!

This is a stand -alone novel by Agatha Christie and is one that I had not read before. I have to admit that Christie is undoubtedly my favourite author of all time and, whether re-visiting favourite characters such as Poirot, or coming to one of her books for the first time, it always feels as though you are reading something familiar. In fact, immersing yourself in a Christie novel is rather like slipping into a warm pool and being taken effortlessly on a journey – she is the most capable plotter and absolutely joyous to read.

In this book we meet Michael Rogers; a rather shiftless young man, whose aimless lifestyle is about to change when he comes across the beautiful young Ellie outside a ruined house called ‘The Towers’, but known to local as Gipsy’s Acre. Michael had the area in mind for the house of his dreams, but does not have the means to build or buy it. However, Ellie turns out to a wealthy heiress and, before long they have married secretly with the help of Ellie’s companion Greta. Soon, Ellie has commissioned the building of their dream house on Gipsy’s Acre – even though both Michael and Ellie have been warned off by old Mrs Lee, who insists that the land has been cursed by gypsies, who were turned off the land.

From the beginning, you feel that something terrible will happen and this is a dark novel, with many plot twists and turns and a surprising ending. I am delighted that I finally got around to reading it and that, as always, Agatha Christie did not disappoint.

I like all of the Agatha Christie books, especially Miss Marple Hercules Poirot. Endless night is not one of those stories, but I like it very much. I first read it in 1969, and fell in love with the story. It is darker than most of Dame Agatha, but it's a good mystery thriller. It has a great twist at the end that surprised me the first time that I read it. I just read the book again and I still love it. It's well written, suspenseful, and enjoyable. I recommend it highly.

This cozy murder mystery was a re-read for me, once shortly after its initial publication in 1967 and then again just last week. I have the Pocket Books paperback edition which first became available in 1969.

THE STORY: A roustabout and buoyant young man encounters a pretty young girl near a prime, if a bit decrepit, large and aging estate in the English countryside not far from London: Gipsy's [sic] Acre. They soon fall in love and ultimately acquire the property, (by means which you will learn by reading the book), hoping to live there together "happily ever after."

But an old hag of a local Gypsy sternly cautions the pair that the land is cursed and, after having read their fortunes, belligerently warns the two to abandon the area forever; however, the amorous pair rejects the idea of bending to the superstitious rantings of a crank fortune-teller and so they proceed to pursue a life together, tearing down the old mansion and constructing an avant-garde dwelling, siteing it strategically on the iniquitous property.

A number of intriguing characters highlight the story, from my view at the cost of more than a little hyperbole on Christie's part.

Christie often spun her tales in First Person such as she did in here from the perspective of the fictional protagonist/narrator, Mike Rogers. Unfortunately, this account lacks the detailed atmosphere of the story environment as well as that of the people, all of which has previously defined the excellence of Christie's more renowned works such as The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection). These notable voids in wallpaper can often occur throughout this and other genres of prose as a direct caveat of the First Person writing style but there is yet another specific reason for the attenuation of ambiance in this instance which I will discuss momentarily.

The flavor of the story seems a hybrid of a typical Christie cozy murder case blended with one of her sprawling romance yarns which she penned under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott, ergo: Absent in the Spring (Westmacott). I initially saw this element as a positive touch since the work represented something new and different. But sadly, this story goes NOWHERE for about 100 pages -- redundant dialogue and text abounds. There is a specific reason as to why this happened which also accounts for the general lack of atmosphere which we have come to expect from Christie:

(MINOR SPOILER AHEAD!)

If you have read all the Miss Marple stories in either The Regatta Mystery And Other Stories - The Agatha Christie Mystery Collection (originally published in 1939) or in Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories then you will have encountered a brief entry entitled: "The Case of the Caretaker." This abbreviated Miss Marple mystery of only fifteen pages lays out the entire plot of "Endless Night," (which does not include Miss Marple.)

So it would appear that Christie seized upon a previously written story idea and proceeded to engorge it with literary filler to create the book under review here. I have no problem with that except that the enlarged account clearly lacks the author's legendary distinction. Rewriting these shorter mysteries was something that Christie did from time to time. A well-known example was when, among other aspects, she re-penned "The Regatta Mystery" to supplant the more celebrated Detective Hercule Poirot with the lesser Detective Parker Pyne.

In her autobiography, Agatha Christie An Autobiography, Christie comments that during certain difficult periods she wrote stories which she didn't even recall later along in her life. That could indeed be the case here considering that she eventually authored a total of over eighty books and plays -- having read them all I'll certainly give her the benefit of the doubt.

One personal blog website which I encountered during my supplemental research for this review characterized "The Case of the Caretaker" as "irritatingly predictable." To a somewhat lesser degree I would describe "Endless Night" in much the same way.

In summary, if you are a big Christie fan like me you'll of course want to read "Endless Night" -- however, if you're a more casual reader of cozy murder mysteries I would steer you toward some of Christie's superior works. If you wish to take in a good whodunit involving a multiple of Christie's preeminent sleuths, try reading Cards on the Table (Hercule Poirot).

This is a stand -alone novel by Agatha Christie and is one that I had not read before. I have to admit that Christie is undoubtedly my favourite author of all time and, whether re-visiting favourite characters such as Poirot, or coming to one of her books for the first time, it always feels as though you are reading something familiar. In fact, immersing yourself in a Christie novel is rather like slipping into a warm pool and being taken effortlessly on a journey – she is the most capable plotter and absolutely joyous to read.

In this book we meet Michael Rogers; a rather shiftless young man, whose aimless lifestyle is about to change when he comes across the beautiful young Ellie outside a ruined house called ‘The Towers’, but known to local as Gipsy’s Acre. Michael had the area in mind for the house of his dreams, but does not have the means to build or buy it. However, Ellie turns out to a wealthy heiress and, before long they have married secretly with the help of Ellie’s companion Greta. Soon, Ellie has commissioned the building of their dream house on Gipsy’s Acre – even though both Michael and Ellie have been warned off by old Mrs Lee, who insists that the land has been cursed by gypsies, who were turned off the land.

From the beginning, you feel that something terrible will happen and this is a dark novel, with many plot twists and turns and a surprising ending. I am delighted that I finally got around to reading it and that, as always, Agatha Christie did not disappoint.

I like all of the Agatha Christie books, especially Miss Marple Hercules Poirot. Endless night is not one of those stories, but I like it very much. I first read it in 1969, and fell in love with the story. It is darker than most of Dame Agatha, but it's a good mystery thriller. It has a great twist at the end that surprised me the first time that I read it. I just read the book again and I still love it. It's well written, suspenseful, and enjoyable. I recommend it highly.

This cozy murder mystery was a re-read for me, once shortly after its initial publication in 1967 and then again just last week. I have the Pocket Books paperback edition which first became available in 1969.

THE STORY: A roustabout and buoyant young man encounters a pretty young girl near a prime, if a bit decrepit, large and aging estate in the English countryside not far from London: Gipsy's [sic] Acre. They soon fall in love and ultimately acquire the property, (by means which you will learn by reading the book), hoping to live there together "happily ever after."

But an old hag of a local Gypsy sternly cautions the pair that the land is cursed and, after having read their fortunes, belligerently warns the two to abandon the area forever; however, the amorous pair rejects the idea of bending to the superstitious rantings of a crank fortune-teller and so they proceed to pursue a life together, tearing down the old mansion and constructing an avant-garde dwelling, siteing it strategically on the iniquitous property.

A number of intriguing characters highlight the story, from my view at the cost of more than a little hyperbole on Christie's part.

Christie often spun her tales in First Person such as she did in here from the perspective of the fictional protagonist/narrator, Mike Rogers. Unfortunately, this account lacks the detailed atmosphere of the story environment as well as that of the people, all of which has previously defined the excellence of Christie's more renowned works such as The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection). These notable voids in wallpaper can often occur throughout this and other genres of prose as a direct caveat of the First Person writing style but there is yet another specific reason for the attenuation of ambiance in this instance which I will discuss momentarily.

The flavor of the story seems a hybrid of a typical Christie cozy murder case blended with one of her sprawling romance yarns which she penned under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott, ergo: Absent in the Spring (Westmacott). I initially saw this element as a positive touch since the work represented something new and different. But sadly, this story goes NOWHERE for about 100 pages -- redundant dialogue and text abounds. There is a specific reason as to why this happened which also accounts for the general lack of atmosphere which we have come to expect from Christie:

(MINOR SPOILER AHEAD!)

If you have read all the Miss Marple stories in either The Regatta Mystery And Other Stories - The Agatha Christie Mystery Collection (originally published in 1939) or in Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories then you will have encountered a brief entry entitled: "The Case of the Caretaker." This abbreviated Miss Marple mystery of only fifteen pages lays out the entire plot of "Endless Night," (which does not include Miss Marple.)

So it would appear that Christie seized upon a previously written story idea and proceeded to engorge it with literary filler to create the book under review here. I have no problem with that except that the enlarged account clearly lacks the author's legendary distinction. Rewriting these shorter mysteries was something that Christie did from time to time. A well-known example was when, among other aspects, she re-penned "The Regatta Mystery" to supplant the more celebrated Detective Hercule Poirot with the lesser Detective Parker Pyne.

In her autobiography, Agatha Christie An Autobiography, Christie comments that during certain difficult periods she wrote stories which she didn't even recall later along in her life. That could indeed be the case here considering that she eventually authored a total of over eighty books and plays -- having read them all I'll certainly give her the benefit of the doubt.

One personal blog website which I encountered during my supplemental research for this review characterized "The Case of the Caretaker" as "irritatingly predictable." To a somewhat lesser degree I would describe "Endless Night" in much the same way.

In summary, if you are a big Christie fan like me you'll of course want to read "Endless Night" -- however, if you're a more casual reader of cozy murder mysteries I would steer you toward some of Christie's superior works. If you wish to take in a good whodunit involving a multiple of Christie's preeminent sleuths, try reading Cards on the Table (Hercule Poirot).

I started reading this book many, many years ago. It was my first Agatha Christie mystery and my first venture into the genre. The book was extraordinarily well written and quite a page-turner. When I reached the last chapter...I lost the book. I dashed to the store and no more copies were available. For two years, every bookstore I entering brought an inquiry, but the title seemingly vanished. Finally, some Christie controversy surfaced, made headlines and prompted the release of some "lesser titles" on the heels of the publicity. I re-acquired the novel and, since time had past and my recollection had faded, I started again at Chapter 1. I offer no spoilers, but I would have been more satisfied had I never experience the reveal of the last chapter. Some 40 years later, I still cannot talk about Agatha Christie without relating my disappointment at this experience. You have been advised. Note that a second star was added as a acknowledgement of the author's exceptional writing ability...

SPOILERS

I bought this book because it's considered to be one of Christie's 10 Best. But I wasn't far into it before I suspected that it was a reboot of Death on the Nile, only told from the male's viewpoint. By the time I got a third of the way into it, I was sure. I finished it anyway because why not? But it was a lazy effort and not what I would expect from Agatha Christie (the "Bad Seed" element was pretty lame as well).

Why anyone who had read or seen Death on the Nile would be surprised by any of this is a mystery in itself. There was even a bit of Poe's Tell Tale Heart thrown in for good measure.

Okay if one has never read or seen any of the plays/books mashed together to create Endless Night. Otherwise, a pass, and hardly one of her 10 Best.

Michael Rogers is a simple chauffeur, whose only contact with wealth is through his rich and famous passengers. While dropping off a passenger in Kingston Bishop, Rogers discovers "the Towers," a decrepit Victorian house up for auction. He immediately falls in love with the beautiful location, Gipsy's Acre, the house is build on, but of course he can only dream of owning such a property. Then the impossible happens: he falls in love with the wealthy Ellie Goodman. Before long, they are Mr. and Mrs. Rogers and Gipsy's Acre is theirs. But when Mrs. Lee warns them of the curse, their luck seems to have come to an end.
Of Endless Night (1967) Agatha Christie claimed that it was one of her favourites and I can certainly see why. The ingenious plot manages to avoid death itself for no less than the first three quarters of the book. Only near the denouement does the book become a detective story. At first the story tends to be perceived as long and tedious, but when all clues finally come together, the significance of that happened before can only amaze the reader.
Quite remarkable for an Agatha Christie novel is the strongly developed characters. Whereas Christie in most of her later works seems engulfed by the idea that the modern youth is lazy and completely useless, in Endless Night she clearly proves the opposite. Never are the main characters depicted as a caricature. When you know the solution to the mystery you will understand that she did this with a reason.

I am pretty sure I have read all of Agatha Christie's books, yet I
keep coming back to them. A Young man who seemingly goes from job
to job comes upon a remarkably ugly huge very old house in the
country from London. The view from the house of the ocean is absolutely
gorgeous and he would give anything to buy the land and build his
own dream home on it but alas, he does not have that kind of money.
He kept coming back to see the wonderous site when one day he sees
a beautiful young girl standing near it. He decided he wanted that
site and the girl to go with it. He learns when talking to her
that she is a very rich American heiress. They fall in love and
get married without her stepmother and other assorted relatives find
out. They build their dream house with her money and get Santonix,
a famous architect who builds very unusual houses to build theirs.
The villagers try to warn them away insisting the gound is cursed
from a murder occuring there many years before. That does not deter
them from staying there. Let me say this: all is not what it seems.
One of Christie's best but I admit with most of her books, I keep
saying the same thing. No modern mystery author comes even close to
the true genius of Christie.

This novel is so different from her other work I read. It's ominous. It's dark. There's evil. There's intrigue. The characters are some of the more complex ones she has written. This book definitely took me by surprise. Who knew Agatha Christie could write such Gothic tales????

but wonderful in its own way. This is one of Christie's 'non-series' books - no Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence etc. Also it is MUCH darker and more serious than her usual work, this is not one to give a 'younger or more sensitive reader'. It is, however, an example of just how talented an author Christie was, capable of much more than clever, formulistic detective stories.
This moody, 1967 novel is told by Mike Rogers, a young man who drifted from job to job looking for something, he wasn't sure of just what. He found his passion in a place, Gipsy Acre, a piece of ground that he wanted to buy and build a marvelous house on, a house designed by a famous architect he had met. The problem was that Mike had no money, and very little chance of ever getting the kind of money he would need for this dream. By chance he met a beautiful young woman who happened to be fabulously wealthy. They fell in love, married and.......well, read the book.
Again, this is definitely not a 'cozy' mystery, it is dark, disturbing and scary. It is one of those books that will stay with you and haunt you for years to come. As with all Christies the clues are all there for you to follow, you may or may not guess the killer and there is definitely a Christie twist at the finish.

Critics tend to debate what era can most appropriately be called Agatha Christie's "golden era"--and there is much to be said for her work in the 1930s, the 1940s, and the 1950s. But like her earliest works of the 1920s, her later works of the 1960s are negelected. And in the case of ENDLESS NIGHT this is an oversight indeed.

ENDLESS NIGHT presents us with Mike, a restless young man who has drifted from job to job without seeming to find any true satisfaction--and a young man who is fascinated by "Gipsy's Acre," a plot of land in rural England said to be cursed by the Gipsies who once lived there and who were driven away. While walking the property, which has come up for sale, he meets an attractive young American woman, and a whirlwind courtship ensues. It is not until well into the relationship that the woman, Ellie, discloses that she is rich. And not just rich: she is the heiress to a fabulous fortune.

The two marry and hire a noted architect to construct the perfect home on Gipsy's Acre--but no sooner are they installed then the property's legendary curse begins to unfold. A local gipsy woman warns them of bad luck; rocks are flung through windows; a bird is found pinned to the front door with a dagger. And they are surrounded by Ellie's relatives and business relations, all of whom seem to have hidden agendas and none of whom like the fact that Ellie has been torn from their control.

Many Christie novels can be read in a single sitting, but ENDLESS NIGHT has an unusually slow build--and Christie defies her detractors, who often accused her of purely mechanical construction, by creating an atmosphere that collects into deepest darkness before the novel's startling conclusion. As she often did, Christie lifts a plot twist from a previous novel for this later tale, and those who have read her more famous books may spot the trick; even so, this is not a copy of an earlier work, for the device upon which the inevitable crime hangs is used in a remarkably different way, and instead of the neatly drawn crime-detection-solution path of most of her works, ENDLESS NIGHT is a multiple character study that gradually descends into a Hitchcockian horror. Perhaps the finest of her late work, and strongly recommended.

--GFT (the store.com Reviewer)--

I actually read this book over 20years ago, but felt compelled to write this recommendation, since this book was one that I could never forget.
I thought it was ground-breaking for the time, and left such an indelible mark on me. The style of this book is very different from her previous books, and the pace is perhaps slower too, but climaxes to a startling and shocking end.
The revelation of the schemers and murderer blew me away, and left an everlasting impression on the child that I was at the time.
I fear reading this one again, as the years that have passed may spoil the milieu and tone that I had felt to be such an integral part of this mystery.
Hats off, Mrs.Christie. You have immortalised yourself.

I bought this audio book to occupy me during a few days' 'holiday at home' and couldn't have chosen better - it's the perfect relaxation to sit back and have a vocally very talented actor tell such a dark, intriguing story.

Although a great Christie fan, this is, amazingly it now seems, a story I've never read, but I shall now buy the book also, because as with all Christie stories, knowing the outcome doesn't detract from the rereading or relistening pleasure. The false leads and red herrings are dropped into the narrative with such skill that although they are small and subtle they still take you along a variety of wrong paths. The final unravelling is, whilst not completely unexpected by that point, satisfyingly dramatic and dark. And even at - almost - the very end, Agatha Christie dares to tempt you with the possibility of a near impossible alternative ending. Brilliant!

I must be very careful with what I say for fear of ruining this book or possibly other Agatha Christie's for you. The reviews that are here have the potential to spoil more than one great mystery of hers. I suggest not reading any of the reviews on this page. Look simply at the average star rating for this book and go off of that.
To give you what you're looking for without comparing this book with others, I found Endless Night to be a fantastic mystery. It is the only Christie that I have read more than once. It's wonderfully creepy, although not a traditional "murder mystery." A few very well placed surprises catch you off your guard and make this one of the most original books she's written. I highly recommend it.
I also recommend that you move on to another web page. You've got to be careful when reading reviews of mysteries. Someone's bound to say too much, which is the case here. I strongly, STRONGLY urge you to read no further in these critiques.

This is a Christie mystery without one of her 3 main detectives (Poirot, Miss Marple, and Tommy & Tuppence). That, in itself, is not unusual, but it differs from her other books dramatically as well. Even ignoring the basic structural differences, it seems to me that usually her murderers are relatively straightforward in their psychologies. In this one, however, she touches on evil of a more absolute nature. I have searched and failed to find the poem that I memorized--which I'm pretty sure was in this book. It goes:

Every night and every morn, some to misery are born.

Every morn and every night, some are born to sweet delight.

Some are born to sweet delight, some are born to endless night.

I think it gives the essence of what the book is trying to say--far beyond being a mystery novel. If you want to see Christie in more serious, perhaps enigmatic, statement, read the book. Don't expect the usual Christie.

I read Agatha Christie's "Endless Night" almost 40 ago and did not like it at all then. As other reviewers have noted, it is not a typical Christie mystery. Not only did it stray from Christie's classic crime/deduction/solution process, but it lacked the humor that is one of her hallmarks.

I thought I'd try it again to see whether age and experience would make me more appreciative. Well, yes and no. I still do not like the dark, heavy, suspense-building structure of the novel. I still definitely miss the humor. But this time around, knowing the "twist" at the end, I could admire her "fair play" -- the clues are all provided.

I have to respect Ms Christie for her willingness to experiment so late in her career. In "Endless Night" she has produced a good, well-plotted, suspense novel. Nevertheless, I wish she had written another Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple book.

I just finished an Agatha Christie and it feels so nice everytime I pick up and finish one of her books. It's an awesome feeling that knows no bounds.
Reading "Endless Night" was a rollercoaster experience. The title is taken from William Blake's poem and is as eerie as the story. The action takes place on Gipsy's Acre - a land cursed by the gypsies, where deaths and paranormal activities is an every-day routine.
Enters a young man Michael Rogers who dreams of building a house there - poor to the core in search of his dream being fulfilled. Then he encounters on Ellie - a young heiress and falls in love - towards his destiny and dream of livinh happily ever after. But
will their happy life be long lived at the cursed land? Will they see the dawn of light or be lost forever in Endless night?
Read it and love it the way I did!

I was completely shocked at the conclusion of this story. I never guessed that Mike killed his wife or the others. I realized the hints were there as I read the end. marvelous story, by s wonderful author

I have read 30+ Agatha Christie novels and most of them share the same structure:
1) Murder occurs
2) Introduction of main characters, one of whom is the murderer
3) (This one takes up the bulk of the book) conversations with characters that reveal different clues.
4) Glorious finale where everything is explained and the villain is caught, usually with a clever twist that I cannot foresee most of the times.
And it is always very rational, everything has a reason and everybody has a self-serving motive, nothing is left to chance.
This book, however, plays by different rules. The story starts with a love affair that goes on and on, and more than halfway through the book I had to double-check if the author is actually Christie because no one had been killed yet. In itself, it was actually quite good, the characters were interesting, and they even went through some psychological development, which is not very typical for AC books. Sadly, however, the end was somewhat disappointing.
(*Mild spoilers ahead!*)
First, maybe I'm just picky but the plot device has already been used in an earlier book. I'm not saying which one but if you have read it, 'Endless Night' might be spoiled for you. Second, the main villains were identifiable long before the end (especially if you have some earlier experience with Christie's plots). I kept hoping for a surprising turn that would give me someone else to suspect but this never happened.
Also, the ending wasn't exactly coherent and rational (one might argue that it had great psychology; that's a matter of taste). If you have read Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' to the very end then you know what I mean. It also voided some of the earlier character development that had been the most interesting part of the book for me.
All in all, if you look for a nice analytical exercise for one's mind that her books usually offer, it's a letdown (hence my 3 stars).
If you are OK with a psychological thriller, this book might be for you. However, there are many other writers that know the psychological crime genre better, so I still can't recommend this book whole-heartedly, unless you're specifically interested in everything that Dame Agatha offers.

Once again, Christie does not disappoint. I found the story very engaging all the way through. I know some reviewers were disappointed by the initial slow pace, but I didn't mind at all. The novel is not very long and I've read 600+ page books with slower beginnings. After reaching the plot twist, I wanted to re-read the entire book to possibly pick up on clues that I suppose were already apparent but I just didn't bring myself to think of while I was immersed in the story. Pretty haunting ending.

Endless Night is not Agatha Christie's best mystery, nor is it ranked among the favorites by Agatha Christie fans. Judged by the standards of the genre it is easily dismissed, most commonly with a reference to her reuse of a plot technique she introduced many years earlier. But whatever it lacks as a mystery, Endless Night is among the best stories Christie ever wrote.

While Christie's own legacy may have precluded her branching out creatively, if indeed she had any desire to do so, her popularity afforded her over half a century to hone her skills as a writer. In terms of the depth of her characters, Endless Night is the pinnacle of her career. In contrast to her earlier works where a cast of stock characters are carried by a continuous stream of plot twists and (in most cases) the strong central character of Poirot or Miss Marple, Endless Night gives us characters than can stand on their own. The tragic central figure of Michael Rogers is illuminated by the plot not simply swept along as a piece of it.

At heart this story is not a murder mystery but a tragedy. Having purchased enough Agatha Christie books to fill three shelves I mean no disrespect when I say that I am certain that an element of her massive sales lies in the fact that most of her books are not ideal for a second reading, at least until sufficient time has passed that the details of the plot have been forgotten. But by 1967 Christie had matured as a writer and gave us Endless Night, a novel that resonates all the more deeply upon a second reading. It is no wonder that she listed it among her personal favorites.

Michael Rogers, a man who lives with his own way, falls in love with Ellie Guteman, a 21 years old American girl, who turns out to be the richest girl in America. They get married and build house on Gypsy's Acre. Soon the newleyweds find out that they are supposed to pay more intention with the curse that falls upon the land.
I've been a fan of Christie since I was, like, 12 years old. I've read almost all of her crime novels and I must say, if you're a truly Christie fan, you won't get disappointed with this one.
Endless Night was more melodramatic than the others I've read. The murder wasn't come until half of the book and even so, there wasn't any rapid investigation like when she writes about Poirot and Miss Marple. But the ending was surely Christie's style

If you prefer Dame Christie's more quintessential English mysteries with the small village, the body in the library, this is more exotic in a dramtic way. There are even gypsies. It was written in the 1960's so has a more contemporary feel to it. I liked it as something new and experimental but my favorites of Christie's are her more traditional mysteries. Might not start with this one, but when you want something a little different, read on!

"Endless Night", written late in Agatha Christie's career, shows well her gifts for clever plot lines and spare but effective characterizations, as well as Christie's solid ability to remain current to the times in which she wrote, which spanned the end of the World War I through the early 1970s. Much has been written about Christie's genius for constructing original puzzles, but her writing in books like this makes such expositions superfluous.
The solution to this mystery is as ingenious as the solutions to the crimes in "Murder on the Orient Express", "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", and "Ten Little Indians." This book is truly a mystery lover's delight.
DO NOT READ ANY REVIEWS REVEALING THE PLOT DEVICE!!!! This is one of the true mystery novels that should be read for the delight of its construction!

I was so moved by this book that I wish to share my exhilarating read w/ others in hopes of encouraging them to read it.

Like many reviewers here, I am a fan of AC. And yet, I'd have to agree w/ the majority here that Endless Night is by far the most unconventional work of AC. Again, I'd agree w/ most of the critques in that the story moves w/ consistency, yet a bit slower for an AC. Indeed Endless Night can be undoubtedly labeled a mystery, but not the typical mystery that one would come to expect from an AC book. The plot is heavily laced w/ melodrama, evil beyond comprehension, and an impending doom that seems to get under the skin of a compassionate reader. Out of all of the 8 AC novels that I've read, I never sympathized w/ any of AC's characters until I read this piece. My heart bled for the victim as much as for the perpetrator. So much so, that I woke up the next day STILL contemplating these characters!! The only reservation I had about it was that AC managed to overlook a cpl of minuscule details that were never explained at the end. To the avg reader, it may not matter, but for the analyticals at heart, it may. Overall, an EXCELLENT READ!!!!

Endless Night is sort of an interesting Agatha Christie phenomenon. It's not one of her more original mysteries--the major plot devices are borrowed from "Death on the Nile" and "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd"--both of which are superior mysteries. However, I maintain that it's well worth reading, if only for the extremely well-done ending. I simply got the chills upon reading it and found it rather tragic, even if one has little sympathy for the murderer. The ending displays the interest by the author in the psychology of her characters also seen in mysteries like "Sad Cypress" and "The Hollow."

Normally when I start to read a book written by Agatha Christie, I can't put it down. Not this book. It was uninteresting from the first chapter, so after reading six chapters I stopped wasting my time and gave up trying to understand the plot (if there even was one.) I'm not going to buy another book written after the 1940s.

I've been a fan of Agatha Christie mysteries ever since high school, and the praise is well deserved that she had the capacity to lead readers down twisted and dimly lit paths strewn with red herrings whilst leaving the real clues in plain sight. This book is no exception. For as well versed as I always thought I was in discerning fake leads from genuine revelations, this one completely surprised me and is worth five stars of enthusiasm.
Christina Hamlett
Author of Eire Apparent

I do not link this book to others by this writer, but judge it on its own merits. The book is narrated by an intelligent and (moderately) educated working class man who becomes involved with a seriously wealthy and sheltered young woman. The book is a successful psychological study of this relationship but in the second half of the book mystery genre requirements kick in. I enjoyed much more the first half, which some have called slow, than the second, which some have called predictable. You should read this if you are interested in what it might have been like for both parties for a young working class man to go out with an heiress at that time when it was starting to become fashionable for young upper class ladies to go for a 'bit of rough', (some may remember the relevant Monty Python sketch), though Agatha's Christie's older generation take on this is inevitably about ten years out of date.

"Endless Night" was written late in Christie's career (1967), yet it is one of the best things she ever wrote. The murder happens very late in the story, and Christie's ability to surprise her audience, even after fifty years, is as strong as ever. She does re-use old tricks (what magician does not?), but her sheer ingenuity is as evident here as in anything she ever wrote, and there is an atmosphere of evil about this one that Christie was not always able to create. Not to be missed!

Who says Agatha Christie only produces stock charaters? This is a very deft portrayal of a man, with a different background from many of her main characters, with personality, and quirks. The novel transcends into the suspense genre, and Dame Agatha very effectively comes up with an unreliable narrator for a (for her) rather unusual mystery. One of my favorites, along with "Sleeping Murder."

The "Endless Night" is a fine novel written outside the famous Poirot series. Agatha Christie did a marvelous job on the setting and the main theme of the novel. The novel is a two-prong approach to a mystery/thriller and a mystery/horror. The reader remains wondering and awaiting for the murder and in the process attempts many guesses. However interesting is the setting, end is that much disappointing. I say this because as the reader ventures towards the end, the conclusion becomes obvious. But then again it is the case with majority of the novels by Agatha. I, therefore, believe that her novels should be read for variety of interesting ideas and past time reading rather than a nutcracker mystery. I am a fan of Agatha, especially when it comes to early 20th century settings and the adventures Poirot.

Except for Christie's masterpieces -- And Then There Were None, Orient Express, and Roger Ackroyd -- all the culprits are guess-able if you think "who is the most unlikely person." I enjoyed reading this until the murderer was revealed.

This mystery is a small masterpiece. Though it doesn't feature Christie's beloved detectives, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot -- in fact, it doesn't have a detective in it at all--it's a stunning depiction of what M. Poirot is fond of calling "the psychology" of a murderer. This isn't a book to begin with if you've never read any Christie, but if you're already a fan, it's definitely worth a read. (Christie, in her own quiet way, was also quite a social commentator, and this book, along with some of her others written in this period, will show you what she thought of the "sixties.")

Endless Night is not a typical Agatha Christie. If you're looking for Poirot or Miss Marple you won't find them here. Instead you get a moody, highly suspenseful almost gothic novel about a young man who dreams an impossible dream and makes it come true.....for a price. The ending is the most second most shocking one Christie ever wrote. My only complaint is with this edition. The picture on the cover hasn't a thing to do with the book.

Lame. I like a good Agatha Christie, this isn't one of them. Her attempt at narration as a semi-delinquent shiftless young man doesn't come off at all, hardly surprising when the author is a woman pushing 80. None of it rang true, and a chapter or two in you can easily tell who the culprit is going to be. Christie should have quit while she was ahead.

I had picked up a hint somewhere that this was not exactly among Agatha Christie's best novels, and, if anything, it was perhaps typical of what's seen as a decline in her last decade. Not, therefore, entertaining high expectations, I picked this up on a Sunday afternoon and was pleased to find it a pretty engaging story. Rather uncommon for an AC novel, the crime does not even happen till far into the work; here is a case where you pretty much know (or think you do) the setting and the dramatis personae, and even the clues, BEFORE the misdeed is committed, which makes for a nice twist I thought. It is a richly evil story. Mike, the narrator and main dramatis persona, is pretty deftly drawn. In fact I feel he's got more substance and complexity to him than any other AC character that comes to mind at the moment. There is a scene that proves a crossroads in this story, which Mike himself recognizes as such, and it is poignant indeed. On the other hand I think the basic plot, with the oil heiress, strains credence a bit, even for a mystery novel (--and yet maybe this is part of the game). Some characters, like Lippincott and Cora, strike me a bit as creaky stereotypes. Also, like some other late AC novels (Postern of Fate and Elephants Can Remember come to mind), the writing and fleshing-out has a--how to put it--a somehow professional, methodical, almost mechanical aspect, to my mind. It's hard to explain, but I wonder if perhaps AC in her late years limited her work, perhaps developing the basic outline but letting skilled assistants fill in much of it. Finally, there is what I felt a certain degree of excess towards the end that mars the story for me, somewhat. It's still a pretty good story regardless.

I've only read around 25 AC novels over the years (barely got my feet wet, compared to other reviewers here I see!). I guess my favorite by her would be Murder of Roger Ackroyd, And Then There Were None, Murder in Retrospect and Sleeping Murder.

I must be very careful with what I say for fear of ruining this book or possibly other Agatha Christie's for you. The reviews that are here have the potential to spoil more than one great mystery of hers. I suggest not reading any of the reviews on this page. Look simply at the average star rating for this book and go off of that.

To give you what you're looking for without comparing this book with others, I found Endless Night to be a fantastic mystery. It is the only Christie that I have read more than once. It's wonderfully creepy, although not a traditional "murder mystery." A few very well placed surprises catch you off your guard and make this one of the most original books she's written. I highly recommend it.

I also recommend that you move on to another web page. You've got to be careful when reading reviews of mysteries. Someone's bound to say too much, which is the case here. I strongly, STRONGLY urge you to read no further in these critiques.

UPDATE: It appears that since I wrote this review, many of the spoiler reviews have disappeared. You may be able to read on without spoilers, but I suggest sticking with the "helpful" reviews.

One of Christies best, in my opinion. Held my interest from start to finish, and no, you cannot see the ending coming in the first chapter! Excellent book, and one Christie herself said was the most "evil" book she had written. I went back to reread it immediatly after finishing. Scene in the begining with the gypsy, excellant understated writing.

Agatha Christie's Endless Night is far more than a great read, a psychological thriller and a riveting mystery: it's one of the most insightful
books about a sociopathic predator and his beguiling mask of sanity I have read.

If I could use one word to describe the overall tone of this book, it would be...haunting. And in the end, disturbing. But oh so worth the read! I won't bore you with the details of the plot, but trust me. This book will stay with you long after you read it. It's definitely not in the same vein as Christie's other works, but perhaps all the more brilliant for it. A must read, if you are a fan of mystery novels in any sense.

I love Agatha Christie & I really think this story, although a bit outside of her normal writing style, is HER BEST! A page turner & twists and turns that you NEVER see coming! I really loved it! And I couldn't stop talking about it!
All Agatha Christie novels are not created equal...THIS is the BEST EVER!

Narrated in the first person Micheal Rogers becomes one of the most intriguing characters in Agatha Christie's book. The book itself it's my personal favorite as it steps out the writer's comfort zone creating a malevolent atmosphere that keeps the reader in tension from the beginning to the very end.

I have only read two or three Christie mysteries. This one was very good. Yes, the beginning was rather slow; it meandered here and there to what seemed meaningless tangents. However, by the end of the book, it all comes together. The second half of the book is a real page turner. By the time you get that far, you won't want to put it down.

I do not really understand how could all of the reviewers recommend this book. I did not think it was that good it was rather slow and sorry to say boring.
If you have read many books by Agatha Christie and want to read this book go ahead but you might not like because it is not so thrilling.
If you really want to read some good stuff by Mrs Christie go for "The Secret adversery" a tommy and Tuppence mystery it is not really bad and you might like it.
If you want to read good mysteries I would recommend Georges Simenon's Maigret's Novels they are really good and M. Simenon is big time better than Mrs Christie (sorry to say that but try and see)

Based on the reviews here, I decided to read the book. While it is an interesting novel (albeit unconventional for Agatha Christie) and the characters are very well developed, it ends with far too many loose strings. There are many parts of the story left unexplained after the main mystery is solved. It seems as though Christie was on a deadline and didn't have time to tie it all together.
Maybe it needed Poirot ...

I have read every Agatha Christie novel, and rank this book as one of the elite 3 or 4 (Along with Ackroyd, Orient Express, 10 Little Indians). The ending of her novels usually make or break them for me, and the ending to this book was unexpected and superior. This is one of the few books that gave me that "spine-chilling" sensation that I wish I experienced during the reading of all mystery novels. Excellent!

Many reviews talk about the contents, the thrill, the surprise
end, etc.
We all know she is a wonderfull writer, but I think that this
book is where she excels herself. Yes, the ending is very surprising! So read it again, and you will get more surprises,
because you will see that she tried to tell it in between the lines. Then you read it again, and maybe you will notice even
more.

In general, I prefer Christie's earlier work, but this was still an enjoyable read. It doesn't quite measure up to the surprise at the end of "And Then There Were None", but the ending was still unexpected. I recommend this book to Christie fans.

I can't say it's not a good book, it's a pretty nice book, gets your attention - this author knows what she's doing, that's for sure. But she isn't very honest with the readers in this piece. When you write a mistery book, you have to give some and hide some, but there's some stuff you just can't hide, otherwise the books looses its sense. Good book, but kinda disappointing.

You must read this book. It is completely unlike any of her other mysteries and will haunt you for days afterwards. It made me reflect about myself like no other novel I've ever read. If you thought Agatha Christie was already a great author before, just wait until you read this.

Having read a great deal of Agatha Christie, this has to be my least favorite so far. It is a very "psychological" novel. I thought it was slow and uninteresting, and I did no feel the ending was well done. I had to really drag myself through this.

I read this book thirty years ago and was shocked by the end. But wanted to read it again because I had forgotten what happened but knew that there was a huge shock at the end. I wasn't disappointed. If you like shocks read this book.

That's what this book seemed to be...Endless. It went ON and ON and ON with irrelevant details about the main couples' relationship. It takes over half this book just for them to get together.

This book is NOT Christie's usual style. This book takes a VERY slow build to an eventual murder that doesn't occur until 3/4 of the way through the book. By that time...you just don't care. The supporting characters appear in only brief moments. Much of the action takes place "off the page" and you just hear about it after-the-fact. Some of these things are significant. Christie does a lot of telling and NOT showing in this book which makes it hard to get involved in. The narrator is just reciting everything in his recollection.

This is also one of Christie's last books and you can definitely tell. Her writing style and format is completely different in this book. She doesn't just stick to the facts and keep the story moving. Instead...she's always up inside the main character's mind, constantly telling us what he's thinking and feeling and NOT keeping the story rolling along. It's almost like she was trying to match the literary style of more contemporary writers of the time--1960's & 70's. It does NOT work. I admire any artist for trying something new, but she needed to stick with the style she does best: intro of suspects, murder, investigation...wrap up.

I love Christie, but I cannot recommend this book. It's not big, but I kept putting it down and it took me weeks to finish it. If you want a great psychological mystery from Christie, go for Sleeping Murder and Toward Zero. These are two of her BEST.

This book looks interesting, but I 'd rather say I was dissappointed, having read almost all Christie's books.

Get it only if you plan to collect every Agatha book. If you are a newbie in the Christie world or you want only the tops, this isn't for you.

I had picked up a hint somewhere that this was not exactly among Agatha Christie's best novels, and, if anything, it was perhaps typical of what's seen as a decline in her last decade. Not, therefore, entertaining high expectations, I picked this up on a Sunday afternoon and was pleased to find it a pretty engaging story. Rather uncommon for an AC novel, the crime does not even happen till far into the work; here is a case where you pretty much know (or think you do) the setting and the dramatis personae, and even the clues, BEFORE the misdeed is committed, which makes for a nice twist I thought. It is a richly evil story. Mike, the narrator and main dramatis persona, is pretty deftly drawn. In fact I feel he's got more substance and complexity to him than any other AC character that comes to mind at the moment. There is a scene that proves a crossroads in this story, which Mike himself recognizes as such, and it is poignant indeed. On the other hand I think the basic plot, with the oil heiress, strains credence a bit, even for a mystery novel (--and yet maybe this is part of the game). Some characters, like Lippincott and Cora, strike me a bit as creaky stereotypes. Also, like some other late AC novels (Postern of Fate and Elephants Can Remember come to mind), the writing and fleshing-out has a--how to put it--a somehow professional, methodical, almost mechanical aspect, to my mind. It's hard to explain, but I wonder if perhaps AC in her late years limited her work, perhaps developing the basic outline but letting skilled assistants fill in much of it. Finally, there is what I felt a certain degree of excess towards the end that mars the story for me, somewhat. It's still a pretty good story regardless.

I've only read around 25 AC novels over the years (barely got my feet wet, compared to other reviewers here I see!). I guess my favorite by her would be Murder of Roger Ackroyd, And Then There Were None, Murder in Retrospect and Sleeping Murder.

You need to know that this audio book is ABRIDGED. While it's entertaining and well read, this version has only 3 short CDs, each one only about 45 minutes long. The unabridged version read by Hugh Fraser is a far better value.