The Hollow and The Pursuit of Love: Mini Reviews

The Hollow (1946) by Agatha Christie

🔫 I'm sure I've read Agatha Christie's The Hollow, though I don't understand why I couldn't remember it being that good. It's a Poirot's story, though his involvement wasn't much. He even appeared midway through the story. Poirot happens to be a neighbor of the Angkatells' country house, where John Christow and his wife, Gerda were staying for the summer. Also staying are Edward and David Angkatell, Henrietta Savernake, and Midge Hardcastle.

🔫 John Christow was shot dead near the pool, only minutes before Poirot was about to arrive for dinner. Poirot felt that the scene was staged for his eyes. And this proved to be a crucial point in the investigation of this, apparently, crime passionell. Three women loved Doctor John Christow differently. His wife Gerda worshipped the ground he walks on, Henrietta provided intellectual mind he could discuss his works with, while Veronica Cray is an actress and his old flame. Who, of the three, was the murderer?

🔫 I loved a psychological mystery like this one. A crime within the closed circle of relatives, where we, the readers, could investigate the case by following the thoughts and gestures of each suspect, while Poirot was in the background, guiding us to the right path. Excellent! My new favorite, too!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Pursuit of Love (1945) by Nancy Mitford

❤ Having read two satisfying Mitford's before (Pigeon Pie and Wigs on the Green), I was looking forward to read The Pursuit of Love, which, some synopsis daubed as Mitford's funniest. I was disappointed. It's not remotely as funny as I've expected, though I think it's unexpectedly more poignant than the two, especially in the end.

❤ The story is told from the POV of Fanny Logan, who had been brought up alongside her cousin, Linda Radlett, whose pursuit of love made the center of the story. Living between the two wars in England, the Radletts from Alconleigh is an eccentric and rough-on-the-edges family. Linda and Fanny had been forming their ideals of love from childhood. And it is quite interesting to follow the realization in life of these, especially Linda's, views and ideals of love and marriage. It's a wickedly satirized misguided love adventures, with the main attraction of eccentric characters. The jokes were mainly dry, and it's not something I'll cherish for a comfort reading.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

From Jansson, to Montgomery, to McCall Smith: Mini Reviews

Starting from February, my blogging time would be reduced to, perhaps, one post a week or two. No, I'm not in one of those blogger-block phases. I am, actually, taking part in weekend tax certification course (for my work), which will be going on until end of May. Thus, there will be very limited time for me to do reviews. I will keep reading, and participating in reading events, but unfortunately, my reviews will be very-very short. Now, here are my mini reviews for three books I have read these past two weeks.

The Summer Book (1972) by Tove Jansson

🏕 Sophia, six, and her grandmother, are staying in a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland. This book contains vignettes of their summer activities; a unique experience you'll ever have when staying by yourselves in a tiny island. They are exploring the island, midsummer boating and watching bonfires, and, for Sophia, sleeping in a scout's tent.

🏕 All the while, they are discussing about life and nature - a discussion that an elderly woman and a six year old precocious child could possibly have. The book isn't a plot driven story - indeed it hasn't any - but more of a character driven one. The nature - the woods, the sea - is the most important of all, as it invites us to its embrace. It's a subtle, but also poignant read. Not my favorite, but the summer description and activities are quite refreshing.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Blue Castle (1926) by L.M. Montgomery

💙 Valancy Stirling - what an unusual name! - has been brought up by a snobbish, overbearing mother. She is more like his deceased father, though, a child with free spirit. But her "imprisonment" within the family (numerous aunts and uncles) made her insecure and clumsy. Moreover, Valancy, being not beautiful, is still single in her thirties. She had had no life at all, and only her imaginary Blue Castle and books of a certain writer that keep her alive, well, barely. But all these would soon change after she got a diagnosis of severe heart problem, with one year more to live. Having nothing to lose, Valancy now determined to live her life as she wants it to be. Forget all the family conviction; it's her life, so she makes her own rules. Including marrying the man she loves; no matter what others say, and even, no matter whether the man really loves her or not. The question is, will she be happy? Or will her life be ruined by her decision?

💙 I loved Valancy's transformation. It only proves, again, what we've learned from novels, that society often ruined one's life with its dictatorial rules. How freeing it is to be what one wants to be!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (1998) by Alexander McCall Smith

🕵🏽‍♀️ Precious Ramotswe, a widow, is opening the first ever female detective agency ever in Bostwana. This book, the first of a series, tells us Mma Ramotswe's personal life and struggles, in the social and cultural background of Africa near the turn of 21st century. Almost one third of the story is about her life, while the rest are first mysteries she solved, from missing husbands, as well as cheating ones; to a more serious and dangerous case - the missing of an eleven-year-old boy. 

🕵🏽‍♀️ All in all, it's a fascinating and quite funny book with interesting bits of African people and culture. I loved Mma Ramotswe's unperturbed character - a good quality in a detective. Now I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025: FEBRUARY #AgathaChristieSS25

For February, we will be reading one Miss Marple's story, and the other with no detective. 
You can find the complete reading list here, and please submit link to your reviews of this months' stories on the comment section of this post. Happy reading!

THE TUESDAY NIGHT CLUB

First published in 1932, this was the first story in Miss Marple's The Thirteen Problems. It was the first meeting of the newly formed Tuesday Night Club, where each must tell a mystery, and they would discuss as a group. It opens with Sir Henry's story. Three people were poisoned at dinner, but only one has died.

THE LISTERDALE MYSTERY

The story was first published in a collection in June 1934, under The Listerdale Mystery. It was not published in the US until the 1971 collection The Golden Ball and Other Stories. This was also the first story in the collection. Down on her luck and living with family in a boarding house, Mrs St Vincent comes across an advert to rent a beautiful house with a benevolent landlord.