One of Agatha Christie’s personal favorites, Endless Night is a critically acclaimed classic crime thriller from the beloved queen of mystery.When penniless Michael Rogers discovers the beautiful house at Gypsy’s Acre and then meets the heiress Ellie, it seems that all his dreams have come true at once. But he ignores an old woman’s warning of an ancient curse, and evil begins to stir in … curse, and evil begins to stir in paradise. As Michael soon learns: Gypsy’s Acre is the place where fatal “accidents” happen.more
Endless Night, Agatha Christie, 1967
My favorite quote: “‘Nobody shall drive us away,’ I said. ‘We’re going to be happy here.’ We said it like a challenge to fate.”
Notable characters: Michael Rogers, a young man who can’t quite figure out what he wants to do with his life; Fenella Goodman, a business-smart heiress; Greta Andersen, Fenella’s overbearing companion; Esther Lee, the local gypsy
Most memorable scene: As it is with many Agatha Christie novels, the scene that stand out to most is that moment when it all comes together and you learn who (and how) dunit. Endless Night is no exception … but the big reveal here is extra EXTRA shocking. I never see it coming with old Agatha, but this time, I was shook …
Greatest strengths: Agatha Christie’s ability to play hide-and-seek with the reader is, as we all know, absolutely unrivaled … but here, in Endless Night, her skills are downright humbling …
Standout achievements: This book somehow made me feel simultaneously cozy and disquieted. It’s like a warm blanket wrapped snug around you … that just keeps getting tighter and tighter and tighter …
Fun Facts: This book came out the day before Halloween in 1967
Other media: The 1972 film of the same name starring Hayley Mills What it taught me: That good gothic vibes can go anywhere … even in a murder mystery
How it inspired me: Whenever I write a scene with my character Edna Furlocke in the Crimson Cove series, Esther Lee from Endless Night is never too far from my mind. Of all the creepy old local women who make ominous predictions about the fate the main characters, I guess Esther just gives my crank that little extra turn or something
Additional thoughts: This is it. My favorite Agatha Christie novel. And I’ve thought about it a lot. For years, it was a toss-up between And Then There None and Endless Night — but at last, I have made the big decision … one of the biggest decisions in my career as a reader (okay, not really, but it makes me feel important, so just leave me alone) and that is this: Endless Night is my all-time favorite Agatha Christie novel
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
a really good book
Hands down my favorite Agatha Christie novel. The way this book is written is so different from her other books–the fear is more psychological than anything.
As always with Agatha Christie, clues are easy to overlook and the truth is overshadowed with misleading information. Only Occam’s razor can save the reader from reaching the wrong conclusions. Miss Marple, however, never errs.
Here’s a standalone mystery by Ms. Christie. Be patient with its slow start. The narrator/main character describes his background. As the reader begins to wonder when/where the murder is going to happen, the suspense begins to grow. You know it’s going to happen…it’s a murder mystery! Various characters are introduced, murders occur, potential clues are suggested, and suspicions develop as you try to solve the crime.
It took me a couple of tries to get into this story, but once I did, it was very interesting.
I love a good Agatha Christie and this is a good one!