the WORST & BEST AGATHA CHRISTIE BOOKS 🕵🏻‍♀️ my six favorite & least favorite so far {VLOGMAS 2022}

[@timmeyer9191]

La-Teece (Lettice). I know it looks like lettuce. Still, Murder at the Vicarage is one of her best, I think.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

Oh funny, the audio I found pronounced it like the vegetable.

[@timmeyer9191]

@@ChantelReadsAllDay well, I could be wrong myself. ☺️

[@DaleRibbons]

I'm glad you listed 'The Moving Figure'. It's one of my favorites. I don't actually a list of my favorites. Haven't ever thought about it until recently. Murder On the Orient Express would probably be the top. Loved that one. One I really liked that doesn't seem high on anybody else's list is Hallowe'en Party. Maybe because it's centered around my favorite holiday? Least favorite is easy to name. Elephants Can Remember. It's similar to one of your least favorites. It is incredibly dull.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

I'll try to keep that in mind when I get to Elephants Can Remember and set my expectations low!

[@timmeyer9191]

Peril at End House was great up until she added something for a side character all for the sake of a trope. I remember getting really angry about that.

[@mitzireadsandwrites]

I've just started reading Agatha Christie and I'm loving it! And Then There Were None is still my favorite, but I'm planning on reading 4:50 From Paddington this month, so now I'm super excited about trying it, too.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

I hope you enjoy it!

[@prideandpaperback]

I love love love Agatha, so this was an extra fun video for me! One of my goals for 2023 is to read at least one Agatha a month.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

What are some of your favorites?

[@crystalh28]

The only Agatha Christie book I have read is Murder on the Orient Express. I really need to make it goal to read more of them this year. Thank you for the recommendations, Chantel!

[@timmeyer9191]

You might like Five Little Pigs better if you watch the David Suchet Poirot adaptation done for tv. The books makes more sense afterwards or the reader can connect with the characters more.

[@nothingspecial163]

I agree. Even though it wasn't 100% faithful to the original story (yet pretty faithful compared to other adaptations), watching the adaptation was just easier than reading the book which was slightly boring, mainly cause it's a cold case

[@timmeyer9191]

@nothingspecial163 and using the blue-grey filter for the present and the yellow filter for the past helped with the transitions. Also, the use of Erik Satie's piano piece gave it an eerie and tragic ambiance. Not to mention some really fine performances from the cast. Toby Stephen's breakdown was particularly noteworthy.

[@maryadair5051]

Two of my favorites are Halloween Party and Ten Little Indians, which I think is the same as And Then There Were None. I get confused with all the title changes that have been made😵. I have so many Agatha Christie books on my shelf that I won't have to buy any for a long time to come!! So far the Secret Adversities is my least favorite , I DNF it. Really enjoy your videos, always putting new books on my list to read!! 📚🇱🇷💜

[@DaleRibbons]

You named two of my favorites. Glad to see I'm not the only one who likes Halloween Party.

[@leanneroot4159]

Oh my goodness...my first Agatha Christi book I ever read, was Murder or Roger Ackroyd!! It was sooo good! Too good....and now every Agatha book has lots to live up to! Good recommendations! I'm making it a goal to slowly make my way through all of her books

[@mrsmaggiekoch]

My favorite author aa a child was CS Lewis, my favorite in adolescence was Jane Austen, and my favorite as an adult is Agatha Christie. (Though all three have equal places in my heart.) Your videos have been a big part of falling in love with Christie, feeling like a little 2 person book club every time you try to solve the mysteries. So thank you!

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

That's a great line up of authors! I love that it feels like a two person book club, that's so perfect!

[@grozmeistere7504]

I think my favourite is still Death on the Nile for the glamour and drama and the great characters. Also the movie adaptation with Ustinov is sooo fun! Seeing those English People cooking in the Egyptian sun in their stiff three-layered suits and dresses cracks me up every time!

[@mariatimofeeva6954]

Thank you for the video! My top favourite books of Agatha Christie's are (in random order): The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (the most interesting motive) Crooked House (unusual ending - who the killer is) The Murder on the Links (one of the earliest author's books, twisted plot) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (just a must read novel) Murder on the Orient Express (the striking and unforgettable ending, also I like the actions of Poirot here) And Then There Were None (the classic detective story, can not help including it in the list)

[@daviesfed]

I only read one book of her yesterday. It was Murder on the Orient Express. What do you think of that one? For me personally its 3,5/5 (Since you didnt mentioned that book here, I guess you also believe that book is somewhere in the middle) Its ok, not great but not terrible. Beginning is a bit slow and confusing because we have to be introduced to so many characters in a short novel. We have to connect their titules, names, relationships. Then murder happens it starts to be interesting like WHO DONE IT, but after half book is done, Ive realised where it goes from there and the end was pretty much as expected. We had so many clues and statments in order to try to reslove the mystery but in the end it all doesnt matter. Poirot found his own way to connect the dots but I dont understand how all sudden we finds all of it. Also I wasnt sure if the train was in a move or its stopped still in the snow. Aghata didnt even tried to describe the enviroment snow, cold weather, view outside...

[@RadellasReadingRoom]

Lovely video! Re: Blue Train I've read the short story that it was built out from, The Plymouth Express, and I'd say that's much better. It was a neat, concise story, so adding elements to make it novel-length probably didn't do it any favours. Re: Five Little Pigs I highly recommend the David Suchet adaptation. I totally agree that the book is dry and repetitive but I really like the story and I think film is a better way of conveying flashbacks and all these people remembering events differently.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

Ooh, I'll check that out, thanks!

[@jesusdelcanto9715]

I've been reading AC for many years. My favourites are A murder is announced, Pale Horse, Death comes as the end and The Moving Finger. I strongly suggest to read AC Secret Notebooks by John Curran, but only when you have covered most of her work (since it gives away the solutions).

[@timmeyer9191]

I know many people list off the Big ones as their favorites many of times like Death on the Nile, And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express. All great, and I would put these high on my list as well. However, there are some overlooked gems like Dead Man's Folly (a personal favorite). N or M? (A T&T thriller). And even though I couldn't really figure out the protagonist, I would recommend Towards Zero for the crime is crazy genius.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

I read an loved Towards Zero this summer!

[@soozie4him308]

Chantel, I’m so glad that I stumbled upon your BookTube channel! I think my taste in writing is similar to yours. Yesterday I read A Quilt for Christmas and found it perfect for what I needed at the time!! Agatha Christie was one of my favorite authors when I was in Junior High (grades 7 and 8). I read a ton of them, then In Cold Blood was written by Truman Capote and I thought it was just another mystery and I wanted to read it. My parents actually reserved it at the library and they didn’t do that often! In Cold Blood was written in 1966 and I was in 7th grade. It’s the only book my parents asked me NOT to read. They explained that unlike my Agatha Christie’s, In Cold Blood was a TRUE story and they thought I should wait a few more years. Being a fairly compliant child, I didn’t read it and still haven’t read it to this day! I plan to read it in 2023. I will turn 70 in a few weeks. What would be the best way to write you and recommend some books I think you’d like? Email or just in a comment on one of your videos? Hubby and I have 3 grown daughters and 8 grandkids. I do a reading club with the kids in the summer.

[@Sebastian-lw5qb]

Postern of Fate is the last novel Christie ever wrote. And she probably was really ill at that time.

[@ericcawith2cs11]

I am loving your Vlogmas content! I just got into Agatha Christie. I have only read The Mysterious Affair at Styles so far. I bought The Murder on the Links, and ordered Midwinter Murder (on your recommendation). I decided to read the Poirot books in order of release, and experience the ups and downs as I go, as if I were getting them brand new when Agatha was publishing them. I don't care how long it takes. I want to start Miss Marple soon to, But I cant decide if I want to read the short story collection first, or dive into the series. I also want to get And Then There Where None, but I can only read so many books at a time and can't decide if I want to read another Poirot, a Marple, or a Stand alone next. AGH! I am axiously awaiting book 2 in the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. (A Voice in the Wind was soooo good and heartbreaking, my first FR book)And I am waiting to get my Classic Christmas Stories (that you had mentioned in a previous Vlogmas video), and I discovered the Christmas Carol I have was actually an abridged version (bummed), so waiting for the unabridged 200th Anniversary Edition to arrive.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

I hope you enjoy whichever of her books you pick up next!

[@NatalyaVins-blueflower775]

My favourites so far: And then there were none The ABC Murders Lord Edgeware Dies The murder at the Vicarage Dead man's folly The moving finger Peril at Endhouse My least favorite: A Pocket full of Rye A Carribean mystery The Halloween Party After the funeral Dumb witness

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

There are a few off of each of your lists that I haven't read yet, curious to see where they land for me!

[@NatalyaVins-blueflower775]

@@ChantelReadsAllDay I read 33 of her books so far. I haven't read any of her spy/political thriller novels yet so it will be interesting to see how I like them.

[@psalm19creations]

And Then There Were None and Peril at End House are two of my favorites also! A couple of my other favorites are Death on the Nile and Nemesis (though you really should read A Caribbean Mystery before you read Nemesis, as they deal with a couple crossover characters). My least favorite was A Body in the Library. It was also my first Miss Marple and I was expecting her to be in the book more, like Hercule Poirot.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

Oh, good to know about A Caribbean Mystery & Nemesis, I own Nemesis but don't think I have the other one, I'll have to make a note to myself not to read that yet. Oh, and yes, I also didn't really enjoy A Body in the Library, odd that one didn't make the list!

[@psalm19creations]

@@ChantelReadsAllDay It can happen, especially considering how many you've read.

[@pilgrimlearning9530]

I discovered AC because of your channel and have enjoyed all of hers that I've read so far. I enjoyed Endless Night, but I did read it after you explained it a while back. And I love Ms Marple, she is such a an interesting character, and my gran and I were even discussing her the other day.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

Um, I love that you were discussing Miss Marple with your gran! (And that you call her your gran!)

[@ChautonaHavig]

I always wondered if A Postern of Fate was written as i was BECAUSE they were older so trying to show them as not as sharp as they used to be but they THINK they are, etc. 4:50 to Paddington is my fave, but I loved Why Didn't they Ask Evans? and They Came to Baghdad as well. Those are definite faves. I know movies aren't your thing, but you really should see the 4:50 to (or is it from?) Paddington with Joan Hickson. It's brilliant.

[@bookmama26]

I’ve been waiting for this video!!! Love hearing more about your favorites (and least favorites). My favorite is still And Then There Were None, but I did really enjoy Death on the Nile! Currently reading Peril at End House and I’m loving the main character 😊

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

So fun, message me when you are done Peril at End House, I want to hear your thoughts!

[@beautifulminutiae]

Ha, Passenger to Frankfurt is my very least favorite as well. In addition to me not knowing it was a “thriller,” the plot didn’t make any sense 😂 And I also didn’t like Murder at the Vicarage. I’m not a huge Miss Marple fan anyway, but I felt like her personality was different in this one. She seemed more mean-spirited and gossipy and I was annoyed every single time she was on the page. It’s hard to choose favorites, but Murder of Roger Ackroyd is definitely number 1! Some other favorites that immediately come to mind are Murder on the Orient Express, And Them There Were None, Crooked House, Death Comes as the End (just because it soooo different than her other), Endless Night 😂 and Cards on the Table.

[@rebecca_is_book-hooked]

I love Agatha Christie! I’m trying to collect and read all of her works. Been reading 1 per month. I recently started the Miss Marple books. My favorite Miss Marples so far are Body in the Library and A Murder is Announced.

[@beautifulminutiae]

Also, smart of you to space out your Christie reads 😂 I read dozens of them in a row and I’ve lost the details of so many of them.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

Even with spacing them out I can get them confused, I can't imagine reading so many so close together!

[@abundanceintheson_316]

I have read six Agatha Christie novels. I really enjoyed this video as it will help me as I delve more into Agatha Christie books. She is a fairly new to me author. My least favorite was "By the Pricking of the Thumbs". It was so much more creepy than I expected or wanted from a "Tommy & Tuppence" novel. Also, I was upset because "Betty" was not mentioned at all...did they adopt her? Or not? It was just a nagging curiosity the whole book. My favorite (so far...which isn't saying much) would have to be "4:50 to Paddington" & "N or M?".

[@CestKevvie]

I've not yet read Passenger to Frankfurt. Endless Night disappointed me too. How could you dislike Five Little Pigs?!? The worst Agatha Christie I've ever read is the Clocks. No other mystery has ever enraged me like that one. Peril at End House is one of my favorites too!!

[@richardt1346]

I think the best really is And Then There Were None - but there are great classics like Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express. My personal favourites include A Caribbean Mystery and The Man in the Brown Suit. The weakest book is in my opinion Postern of Fate, but I also found Elephants Can Remember to be really hard work.

[@samjohnson7869]

I loved the murder at the vicarage. I find it rather humorous and really like the characters. Also enjoy the mystery. I liked 5 little pigs also. But everyone has different tastes 😃 i agree, postern of fate was not good. The characters just rambled on about nothing and the killer showed up so late in the book that it was impossible to guess since they weren't even mentioned 9/10 of the book ..

[@jenndflash]

My favorite is definitely And Then There Were None. My least favorite is The Secret Adversaries. I have read more Agatha Christie this year than ever (6) I hope to read more in 2023.

[@oskarm646]

I have read 20 this year hah

[@banannakis6723]

I did not like Murder At The Vicarage either and I think I hold it against the book because it had been so hyped by other fans and I just didn't feel the same joy. I had several issues with the book, one I wasn't a fan of narration by the vicar, especially his views on certain topics and people, felt pretty narrowminded and dated. Two the mystery was not at all entertaining, it was super obvious to me what was going on and I just felt frustrated by the characters trying to solve what was going on, when it was clear from the start. That little cop-out distraction towards the end of the book with the red herring character also annoyed me, it felt like a sad jump-the-shark moment to me. Third the writing was bitter to me, I get that Christie was probably working through the anger, pain, and humiliation of her divorce of her first marriage. She wanted to give a voice to old maids after one of her spinster female characters was aged down into a young woman in a play. Christie's writing just felt angry and bitter to me, like this was the book she was using as therapy and I just had secondhand ick from reading it.

[@Rachaelinwonderland998]

Her first novel came out in 1920

[@timmeyer9191]

I DNF'd Passenger From Frankfurt and I can't remember a thing about Postern of Fate.

[@lisaryan4362]

Thank you so much I like hearing your opinion I like some of the books such as parrotlet end house clocks the Halloween book murder of Rodger ackroyd the death of Miss McGillicuddy I love the one the 450 from Paddington that was one of my favorites there's a little romance in that book

[@ChristianFaithAndFiction]

I didn't like Endless Night, or Appointment With Death. I also love Tommy and Tuppence.

[@Guilherme5988]

The Mystery of the Blue Train is far from being among the worse Agatha Christie books. However, I agree Endless Night is terrible. I read it with high expectations and it was a great deception. I liked The Murder at the Vicarage. It was the second Christie book i ever read. Paddington was my first and the one who made me starting read more Christie books. I loved reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Peril at End House an And Then There was None. These three are my three favorites. I did not liked the Moving Finger, though it has some interesting stuff about the psychological aspects of people who writtes anonymous letters. I still did not read none of Tommy&Tuppence's novels

[@EmilysScrollmate]

I think i might read more Agatha Christie

[@elleo9920]

Best Dame Agatha books (in my humble opinion) And Then There Were None Death on the Nile Crooked House Cards on the Table 5 Little Pigs Murder on the Orient Express After the Funeral Appointment with Death

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

That's a good list! I think the only ones I haven't read from your list are After the Funeral and Cards on the Table.

[@EmilysScrollmate]

I have only read and then they were none.

[@Sebastian-lw5qb]

I've read all of her books so far, and IMO Passenger to Frankfurt remains the worst.

[@ChantelReadsAllDay]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that one was terrible!

[@monaedoyle3631]

I haven’t read any Agatha Christie books.

[@denisejeffery3602]

You don't know what you're missing. Her books got me into Murder mystery and I love them all.

[@jesstiara4351]

Yayyyy

[@lilliedoubleyou3865]

Hi five! You and I appear to be the only Christie fans out there NOT to like "Five Little Pigs." I really didn't like the adaptation, and the book only fared a little better, but why so much hype? I wonder if it's because the ratio of female characters to male characters in terms of importance is higher?

[@jolenestaker-lovingarkansa7497]

I watched the old movie based on the book and then the book “And Then There Were None”. Then I watched the more recent UK series. Now I want to read one with Ms Marple.

[@fshepinc]

Sorry - I couldn’t make it through your video. When you misgendered the hero/narrator of Passenger To Frankfort I figured the rest of your commentary wouldn’t be that valuable (even though I agree it’s not one of Christie’s better books).