Best Non-Series Novel other than And Then There Were None?

lachy.a.w

I'm interested to see what everyone thinks the best non-series novel apart from And Then There Were None is. Out of the ones I've read so far it's Crooked House. Agree or disagree?

Tommy_A_Jones

For me it is a tie between The Sittaford  Mystery and And Then There Were None, both of which when I have finished them I immediately get the urge to start at the beginning, I don't with Crooked House, I am assuming you aren't including The Bundle Books, Towards Zero, Murder Is Easy, Sparkling Cyanide or Pale Horse as each have recurring Characters so strictly speaking can't be called Non-Series books.

Tommy_A_Jones

I made a mistake in my last post and can't see how I can rectify it, I meant o say my favourites are The Sittaford Mystery and Why Didn't They Ask Evans for the reason I gave.

MissQuin

I'd list Murder Is Easy, The Pale Horse and Then There Were None as my favourite non series. . I love the fact that these books are really different to Poirot and Marple. AC had more flexabilty with the characters.

I do like Evans, The Seven Dials Mystery, Crooked house (although someone spoilt the end for me!)  Ordeal By Innocence is enjoyable, although a more quiet book. It takes a while for it to really move in pace, but I found it's a very enjoyable book.

Sparkling Cyanide is ok,The Man In The Brown Suit is mixed for me. Same with Chimneys, liked Bundle and Bill and not the plot. 

I didn't think much of The Sittaford mystery. They Came To Baghdad is ok, but too easy to work out.

Endless Night - I had trouble reading it the first time. It was hard to like the narrator, but I wish I'd stuck to it. I revisited it and found it better, the end is chilling.

Tommy_A_Jones

Nothing would persuade me to read Endless Night again, same with Death Comes As The End and Passenger To Frankfurt (The only one I don't know the Plot to, and I am not reading Sparkling Cyanide (If we are including books with Recurring Characters) I love the Bundle books, Towards Zero and The Man In The Brown Suit, Destination Unknown is better than They Came To Baghdad IMHO and Crooked House is better than Ordeal By Innocence. 

MissQuin

I left out a couple, Destination Unknown- I felt was very good but the end was too short and didn't feel right because of it. 

I love Death Comes As The End- I think she was so clever to come up with a murder set so long ago. Admittedly it has a too easy to work out plot, but it's been said that she altered the end. I have no idea why. If anyone ever finds out, please post it on the forum!

Passenger To Frankfurt- I found it a  very strange book,  disjointed and so open ended. I don't think I could bring myself to read it  again.

Towards Zero is excellent. It could have been a Poirot but it makes a change to have Battle. 

Agathasmykid

For me it is Sittaford Mystery.  I love the setting, and the pacing is great!  It is a great mystery which I certainly didn't figure out until the end.

youngmrquin

If I had to pick one, and just one, I would choose The Pale Horse, not only because I believe it's one of the best Christie's at all (and most underrated), but also because it combines mystery, thriller and the supernatural 

lachy.a.w

Yeah, you can include books with recurring characters - just not ones with Poirot, Miss Marple and T&T

Tommy_A_Jones

It would be The Sittaford Mystery or Why Didn't They Ask Evans? or Towards Zero then, I thought Ordeal By Innocence could have been a Poirot, The beauty of Towards Zero is that it isn't a Poirot but thinking about Poirot helps Battle solve it and having Characters mentioned who aren't in the books makes them better in my view as you are getting more for your money

Leopoldo

I love Crooked House. It's an ingenious plot. Very well conducted. And its end is astonishing.

siddharthSatpathy

Why didn't they ask Evans is my favorite. Also like They came to Baghdad. Chimneys was great as well. really like the character of Anthony Cade. Wish I could be as daring as he. 

Tommy_A_Jones

So do I, I love characters like Him, Bobby Jones, Tommy Beresford, Colin Lamb Jerry Burton, Charles Heywood and Giles although I like the last 2 less

Christopher_Wren

Towards Zero and Easy to kill are in my opinion the best. I loved the solution of Crooked House, but the investigation felt a bit flat, IMO.

I hate Passenger to Frankfurt. It's in my opinion the second-worst book Christie ever wrote.

Tommy_A_Jones

What is the worst then in your opinion Christopher_Wren

Cruesome.Devil.Scope

I love 'Ordeal By Innocence'. Its got a satisfying and fast moving plot.
'Passenger To Frankfurt' and 'Death comes as the end' are the worst non series novels.

Christopher_Wren

Tommy_A_Jones said:

What is the worst then in your opinion Christopher_Wren

Postern of Fate.

StathisZavitsanos

Crooked house was my first Christie That's why I like it. However 

my favorite is They came to Baghdad 

3rdGirl

My favourite non-series books are The Secret of Chimneys and The Seven Dials Mystery. Simply because of Bundle and Lord Caterham. Lord C is quite hilarious and is one of the best secondary characters she has developed. I also like that they are a bit more espionage-y than straight murder mysteries. 

tudes

I love Why they didn't ask Evans. Bobby and Frances are awesome! The Secret of Chimneys (it's a pity that it became a Marple movie), Crooked House (one of my favorites and an excellent ending) and Seven Dials Mystery.

Tommy_A_Jones

I know I am being pedantic but I don't think of the Bundle books as Non-series books as they have Bundle, Lord Caterham, Codders, Bill and Battle, I have difficulty thinking of Murder Is Easy and Towards Zero as Non-series books but I previously said Towards Zero is my Joint favourite Non-series book didn't I? I can't think of The Man In The Brown Suit or Sparkling Cyanide as Non-series books either. 

Tommy_A_Jones

I wish you could still change posts with in 30 minutes, It was The Sittaford Mystery and Why Didn't They Ask Evans? I said were my Joint favorites wasn't it?

tudes

Tommy_A_Jones said:

I know I am being pedantic but I don't think of the Bundle books as Non-series books as they have Bundle, Lord Caterham, Codders, Bill and Battle, I have difficulty thinking of Murder Is Easy and Towards Zero as Non-series books but I previously said Towards Zero is my Joint favourite Non-series book didn't I? I can't think of The Man In The Brown Suit or Sparkling Cyanide as Non-series books either. 

It makes sense, but in my case I'm just following the site -Poirot stories/Marple/ T&T/others

glalonzo0408

I am enjoying Chimney's right now.......

Tommy_A_Jones

An EXCELLENT Book

StathisZavitsanos

Sparkling Cyanide; Very close to Yellow Irish's plot ,don't you think?

Tommy_A_Jones

One is a reworking of the other.

Rin

I shall say Endless Night. It is so wisely written that I can still see some people, who are similar to the characters in the novel, in the current daily life.

Tommy_A_Jones

I am always coming across people who are like Characters in Agatha Christie Books

Rin

Tommy_A_Jones said:

I am always coming across people who are like Characters in Agatha Christie Books

I think that's why her books are brilliant. Agatha Christie observed people and she knew them well. When she wrote them down, they were still normal person with weakness and greatness, not alien from nowhere.

Tommy_A_Jones

I quite agree Rin