Well, I'm not entirely sure this story is going to involve a country house per se, but Agatha Christie is always good, far too much time has passed since I picked up a Miss Marple mystery, and I need to get cracking on my Vintage Mystery Bingo card (I've only read one so far). I am reading Josephine Tey's The Man in the Queue at the moment as well, but I am nothing if not greedy when it comes to books and so am going to binge a little on mysteries right now. So both books will count towards my Bingo.
I've been (very slowly) making my way through the Miss Marple mysteries in the order Agatha Christie published them: Murder at the Vicarage (1930), The Thirteen Problems (Short Stories--1932) which I read a few years back but cannot find a proper post on them, The Body in the Library (1942), The Moving Finger (1943), Sleeping Murder (published in 1972 but written during WWII), A Murder is Announced (the book I am just now starting--1960) . . . and to follow: 4.50 From Paddington (1957), Greenshaw's Folly (1960), The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1962), A Caribbean Mystery (1964), At Bertram's Hotel (1965), They Do it with Mirrors (1952), A Pocket Full of Rye (1953), Nemesis (1971), Miss Marple's Final Cases (short stories--1979). I see that the list given on the Agatha Christie website puts the books in a different reading order, so I might have to reassess my reading plans. (No wonder I couldn't find my link to Sleeping Murder--I've not yet read it).
Oh well. As I've started A Murder is Announced and she has already sucked me into the story, no use switching gears at this point. The story involves one of those mystery games played at a party where one person pretends to be murdered and the rest are suspects and try and suss out just who did it. In this case, however, someone actually is murdered. It's the humor that got me. I think this is going to be a fun read. In the opening chapters a mother and her grown son are sitting at the breakfast table reading their respective newspapers, and the mother is making a running commentary of what she's reading:
"Bull mastiff puppies," read out Mrs. Settenham. "I really don't know how people manage to feed big dogs nowadays--I really don't . . . H'm, Selina Lawrence is advertising for a cook again. I could tell her it's just a waste of time advertising in these days. She hasn't put her address, only a box number--that's quite fatal--I could have told her so--servants simply insist on knowing where they are going. They like a good address . . . False teeth--I can't think why false teeth are so popular. Best prices paid . . . Beautiful bulbs. Our special selection. They sound rather cheap . . . Here's a girl wants an Interesting post--would travel. I daresay! Who wouldn't? Dachshunds . . . I've never really cared for dachshunds myself--I don't mean because they're German, because we've got all over that--I just don't care for them, that's all. Yes, Mrs. Finch?"
And no, Mrs. Finch can't clear the dishes yet as Edmund was still eating his breakfast!
isn't that great? Can't you just picture this in your mind? And Mrs. Settenham who thinks she knows everything and knows best and is most likely the worst busybody, but she's going to be entertaining as all get out to picture in my mind as I am reading!
Just what I need right now.
And unrelated to my Tuesday teaser, though this is a mystery project . . . Remember when I shared this detail of a needlework project that I am working on? I have finished it. Literally finished it. Last night I pulled out my sewing machine (how long has it been--I almost forgot how to work it!) and it sits here ready to go into the mail. I have taken photos and will share them when the mystery project has arrived at its destination. My first proper needlework finish of the year, which is not shabby at all considering I not only began it from scratch, but only in the last few weeks picked up needle and thread in earnest. Maybe I am out of my needlework rut, which would be a good thing indeed.