Agatha Christie: Evil under the Sun (first published in 1941)
Poirot is usually associated with the novels Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, but there are also many other stories about his investigations. The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920 and soon brought fame to the author and also to her fictional detective. Hercule Poirot investigates in a total of 33 novels and 7 short story collections. Since The Mysterious Affair at Styles, there have been many movie, theater, cartoon and graphic novel adaptations. There was even a video game made about the Belgian detective, and his most famous movie actor is David Suchet. Adaptation of the stories is still happening in the form of movies and series. Thanks to Sophie Hannah, we can see the world’s most famous detective investigating again in book pages.
Poirot needs a break and hopes to spend his holiday in peace at the secluded holiday resort. However, his plan is thwarted by the arrival of the famous Arlena Stuart, who immediately arouses strong emotions in the guests. What I liked most in the story is the portrayal of the characters. The author is very good at creating atmosphere. That is why I reread the novels even when I already know who the murderer is. In this novel – in addition to the investigation – we can read about female roles, growing up and how the English relate to the merits of their own nation. I recommend it to everyone, especially in the summer, when it is a perfect read for a holiday.
Agatha Christie is the Queen of Crime. Her works have been translated into 103 languages and, with 2 billion copies sold, she is the best-selling fiction writer of all time. Her plays have already been played 25,000 times and Mousetrap holds the record for the longest running drama in the world. During her life, she wrote 66 detective novels, 14 volumes of short stories, 17 plays, 3 volumes of poems and 2 autobiographical novels. She is also the author of romantic novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Most of the murders she wrote about were done by poison and three-quarters of her murderers were women. In addition to her two most famous detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, Parker Pyne, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, and the enigmatic Mr. Quin also solve mysteries.
