“Writing Crooked House was pure pleasure and I feel justified in my belief that it is one of my best.” –Agatha ChristieDescribed by the queen of mystery herself as one of her favorites of her published work, Crooked House is a classic Agatha Christie thriller revolving around a devastating family mystery.The Leonides are one big happy family living in a sprawling, ramshackle mansion. That is … big happy family living in a sprawling, ramshackle mansion. That is until the head of the household, Aristide, is murdered with a fatal barbiturate injection.
Suspicion naturally falls on the old man’s young widow, fifty years his junior. But the murderer has reckoned without the tenacity of Charles Hayward, fiancé of the late millionaire’s granddaughter.
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I’m embarrassed to say this is my first Agatha Christie novel — but it won’t be my last! A really fun read with a great twist.
I love Agatha Christie’s classic mysteries. I have read this book before but I want it in my library for the sheer pleasures of reading a masterful mystery author in her prime.
Reportedly, Crooked House was one of Agatha Christie’s favorite books to write. She held onto the idea for years waiting for a time she could write for her own personal enjoyment and thank God she did. However, my favorite part of Crooked House was the characters, not the mystery. Ms. Christie created a fascinating case study of a dysfunctional …
Probably the best one of Agatha Christie’s books that I’ve read so far!
A house full of suspects. A house full of motives. An easy solve for the police, or is it?
I read this in a day. I loved how she so succinctly describes her characters, a couple of lines, and she’s done. Simple but effective.
By keeping the action within one house, the cast is …
Crooked House was written in 1948 but, as with so many Agatha Christie novels, it somehow doesn’t seem all that dated. This book concerns the murder of a wealthy Greek restaurant owner who marries a much younger woman. A will goes missing, a murder occurs, and a child is attacked, but with so many family secrets, possible motives, and …
4.5/5
I really loved this one! This is actually my first read Agatha Christie…I own Murder on the Orient Express (thanks to a sweet friend) but haven’t got to it yet. I definitely see more Christie in my future!
Tightly woven, not overly long (read “no excess filler”) and kept me waffling back and forth on the identity of the murderer until …
Love all of Agatha Christie’s mysteries.
Loved this book. Has great suspense and you just wont be able to put it down.
Read 7.2.2018
This was a very good read [oh how I love Hugh Fraser’s voice – so delicious] and there were so many turns and twists and red herrings that you are kept guessing [well, maybe most people would be, but I guessed early on and then was distracted by someone else and then came back and was right. But I DO read an extraordinary amount of …
This is my first Agatha Christie book. I enjoyed listening to it and there was a surprise ending. As an author, I discovered that a book comprised mostly of dialogue can still be interesting.
A fascinating whodunit by Agatha Christie, this standalone mansion murder mystery will keep you guessing and second-guessing until the very end! Check out my full review at theshortstoryteller(dot)com!
Excellent mystery, as expected, from an excellent author. Will continue reading Agatha Christie.
I am going to try and make it through all of the Christie’s this year and this was a great start. I was pleasantly surprised to learn who the murderer was in this pithy, little story.
Christie will keep her title as the queen with this one!
A very typical and interesting Agatha Christie book!!
I love mysteries in which I can’t predict the end. This one has an apparent conclusion, then BAM, everything comes undone. The solution is something quite different!
really creepy for Christy
The book was good but not great. As is standard for Agatha Christie, the action happens off the page, and the entirety of the book is focused on the explanation and investigation. It dragged a bit, but fortunately, the murderer wasn’t given away.
Agatha Christie’s Crooked House is a wonderful book. The plot is fast moving, characters are memorable and interesting, their descriptions bring them to life.
The Mistress of Mystery with some new twists. I didn’t guess until very close to the end, unusual for my twisted mind
Do you think Agatha Christie is a little too, too English? Prim? A little shallow? Read this one. It is one of her most complex and dark. A wonderful read.