Sad Cypress, by Agatha Christie

I was motivated to read this book after watching the very well done BBC adaptation as part of their Hercule Poirot TV series with David Suchet (who will always be the definitive Hercule Poirot to me!).  One of my favorite episodes so far, although they did change a few things to make the story more dramatic and to give Poirot a bigger role to play.

Basically, here we have a love triangle:  Elinor and her fiance Roddy, young sophisticated Londoners with expectations from a wealthy invalid aunt, who so far in their lives have not had much to worry about, and Mary Gerrard, a childhood friend, the daughter of their aunt's gardener, who reenters their lives as a very attractive young woman after finishing her education in Germany.  Roddy falls in love with Mary, and shortly after their aunt's death, Mary turns up dead and Elinor is accused of poisoning her out of jealousy.  As in the film, it's presented as a courtroom drama, with Elinor in the dock, and flashbacks to tell the reader what happened.  The solution to the puzzle is not what you'd expect, and it was an enjoyable quick read.  Classic Agatha Christie.

Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase

While housecleaning I came across my old Nancy Drew books and couldn't resist re-reading a couple. I first read them more than 20 years ago as a child and forgot the stories sufficiently so as not to remember how they turned out. I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. Yes, the stories and dialogue do sometimes come across as formulaic and simple to an adult, but the story was good enough to hold my interest. I also enjoyed the mid-20th century vintage atmosphere that the story was set in. It reminded me of lots of good times spent reading these books with a flashlight in my room when my parents thought I was asleep! And then being barely able to get up in time to make it to school the next day. These books, along with the Anne of Green Gables series and Louisa May Alcott's books are responsible for developing my longstanding reading habit. Great choice for school age kids! Just make sure yours are not equipped with a flashlight if you don't want them acting like zombies in the morning.

Nancy Drew: The Secret of the Old Clock

I recently came across my old Nancy Drew set and couldn't resist rereading a couple of the books. My mom was a Nancy Drew fan when she was a child and she gave me her vintage set of about 25 books. These books are what helped instill a love of reading (and a love of detective stories) in me that continues to this day. I really did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did!The Secret of the Old Clock is the first in the series, and Nancy's later friends Bess and George and her boyfriend Ned have not made their appearance yet. Some of the characters and dialogue do seem simple and formulaic to me now as an adult, but the story was good enough to hold my interest. These books are a great choice for school age children just starting to read longer books. I remember first starting to read them when I was 8, and lending them to friends who were also Nancy Drew fans. Nice trip down memory lane.