Agatha Christie (was: 24 hrs, was: Beedle the Bard)

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "Barry Arrowsmith"
<arrowsmithbt at ...> wrote:

<< AC's cavalier approach to the convention of playing fair with clues
to those of her readers more interested in puzzle-solving >>

Me, I've never tried to solve the puzzles when I read mysteries, so I
don't notice who plays fair.

<< Her stuff was very much of its time (1930s/40s) and her readership
was much less critical than the whodunnit afficianados of today's
authors, IMO. But it's almost traditional to refer to her as the
doyenne of whodunnits, can't think why. Much prefer Rex Stout and Nero
Wolf, myself. Now there's a fascinating central character:
idiosyncratic, prejudiced, selfish and a fully paid-up member of the
awkward squad. >>

And weighs one-seventh of a ton. I can relate to that part. I liked
the window into times past, but eventually got tired of Archie's
remarks about women.

I liked John Dixon Carr. The Gideon Fell ones sometimes made me laugh
until my tummy hurt.