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Agatha Christie – Appointment with Death | Review

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 266

Rating: 3/5

This one was a little bit of a disappointment, and it’s the first Agatha Christie novel that I’ve read for a while that I haven’t particularly enjoyed. I think part of the reason for that is the pacing. The first half of the book was dedicated to the setup, despite the fact that it’s pretty clear who’s going to die.

It’s also hard to care too much about the murder victim because she’s deliberately written as an unpleasant old hag. In fact, the ending of the book is a cliché too – once the murderer has been revealed, they commit suicide, and then a newspaper report is printed saying that it was an accidental death because the gun went off by accident while they were cleaning it. It feels like that happens surprisingly often, and I get kind of annoyed when Poirot et. al just allow the truth of the case to be swept under the carpet.

Still, there are also some redeeming features, and even a less enjoyable Agatha Christie novel is better than most other books. I just don’t think this is one that I’d come back to and re-read in a hurry when there are so many other great Agatha Christie books on the market. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, I’d suggest And Then There Were None or Death on the Nile. Although I did at least like the archaeological elements of this story, It just didn’t grip me.

British writer of crime and detective fiction, Dame Agatha Christie (1891 – 1976). (Photo by Walter Bird/Getty Images)

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John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller – 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over | Review

Title: 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over

Author: John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 390

Rating: 4*/5

John Lloyd, James Harkin and Anne Miller – 1,423 Qi Facts to Bowl You Over

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this book for free for review purposes.

I’ve read and reviewed a few of these books so far, and so we’re now at the point where Faber & Faber just automatically pop a copy of every new one as and when they’re released. There’s not too much that I can say here that I haven’t said for the previous ones. It’s aesthetically pleasing, interesting and easy to either dip in and out of or to read from cover to cover.

What I will say is that this particular collection feels somehow more “up to date” than previous releases have, possibly because it includes a bunch of facts about technology, the internet and social media. But honestly, while slightly over 1,400 facts might seem intimidating, I binged my way through the entire book in an afternoon. What can I say? I love trivia.

I’m not sure what else I can tell you here to sell you on the book, and so I figure I’m just going to share a few facts until I hit my word count. So here we go. A clock’s second hand is really it’s third hand. People who buy “bags for life” are safer drivers. In 2017, Doris Day discovered she was two years older than she thought she was. If you stood on top of a mountain on the moon and fired a gun at the horizon, you could shoot yourself in the back. In 2010, Fiji lost its original Declaration of Independence and had to ask Britain for a photocopy.

Still not convinced? Here are some more. The award ceremony for obituary writers is called “The Grimmies“. Richard Nixon once ordered a nuclear strike on North Korea while drunk. In 2004, a pine tree planted in memory of George Harrison died after an infestation of beetles. And of course, people who read books live longer than those who don’t. I like that last fact. It bodes well for me, and presumably for you too. If these facts haven’t swayed you then I guess this book isn’t for you. If they have, go ahead and get it.