Book of the Week: Dead Man's Folly by Agatha Christie

I just read my first Agatha Christie novel called "Dead Man's Folly." After all of the decades I've been enjoying mysteries, it's crazy to think that I just read my first by this amazing author. I can see why she's so famous (Besides, I've not seen much of television or movies from her novels, so don't be surprised). The story is about charity murder mystery game at a celebration (fête) in Devon, U.K. that goes wrong when the "victim" is actually murdered. it features Christie's detective Hercule Poirot. The characters were interesting, and several of them had motives, but the way she weaves them into the storyline and uncovers their backgrounds making them more suspect, was brilliant. The ending took me by surprise. 5 of 5 stars. Today's blog is also about the book and some fun facts.

 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Dead Man's Folly is a 1956 Hercule Poirot novel by Agatha Christie, featuring crime novelist Ariadne Oliver organizing a mock murder hunt for a village fête that turns into a real murder, prompting her to call Poirot for help. The story, set at Nasse House (based on Christie's own Greenway estate), involves a staged murder game where the "victim" is found dead, and Poirot must unravel the complex plot, which includes multiple identities and motives, to find the killer.

FUN FACTS

• Setting: The story is set at Nasse House, which is based on Agatha Christie's own home, Greenway.
• Origin: It was first written as a novella called Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly in 1954, with proceeds intended for church windows, but Christie expanded it into the full novel.
• Adaptations: It has been adapted for radio and television, with a notable TV version starring David Suchet.