Agatha Christie Tapes

Photo Credit: hugovk

On the 118th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth (September 15) her grandson Mathew Prichard announced that he had unearthed 27 reels of tape onto which Agatha Christie dictated her autobiography.

The tapes had lain undiscovered in a storeroom at Greenway, Agatha Christie’s Devon mansion, for over forty years and Mr Prichard comments that they would probably still be there had he not decided to have a Spring clean. He also adds ‘The one thing you can always credit Agatha Christie with is an enduring capacity to surprise.’

In the tapes, Agatha can be heard comparing Miss Marple with her grandmother, whom she says always expected the worst of anyone and everything and was, ’with almost frightening accuracy, usually proved right.’ She also comments that a meeting between Miss Marple and Poirot would be out of the question ‘Poirot, a complete egoist, would not like being taught his business by an elderly spinster.’

Many thanks to Jay Ashby for letting me know about the Agatha Christie tapes and for pointing me in the direction of the BBC radio 4 Today show where Mathew Prichard and Laura Thompson, author of Christie: An English Mystery, discuss the importance of the recordings. You can listen to the show which includes extracts from the tapes being played by clicking Here.

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A Free & Comprehensive Guide to The World of Agatha Christie

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Agatha Christie Tapes

Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer wrote forty historical novels and it is for this genre that she is primarily known. These are mainly light-hearted romances which are for the most part set in the Regency period, Her heroes are almost always rich, aristocratic, handsome and with magnificent physique, Her heroines, though often feisty and independent are inevitably only too happy to surrender themselves to the safe haven of the arms of the dominant male! These are nice, easy reading and a pleasant way to wile away an hour or two. (And one or two of them, ‘The Toll Gate’ and ‘Regency Buck’ for example, do contain an element of murder and mayhem.)

However, she did write twelve honest to goodness crime novels, which are not at all bad. Some of her characters are wonderful – Vicky and Wally in ‘No Wind of Blame’ for example and her plot lines do keep you guessing. Her detectives, Superintendent Hannasyde and Sergeant (later Chief Inspector) Hemingway are well-drawn, likeable characters and Georgette Heyer’s writing style is relaxed and free-flowing.

I like these books. Although in my opinion they do not have the ‘can’t put down’ quality of a really great whodunit, they are competent, interesting examples of the genre and I would recommend them to any murder mystery addicts.

Georgette Heyer Crime Novel Collection

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Georgette Heyer

Murder Mystery Blog: Towards Zero

‘TOWARDS ZERO’ – I.T.V. (UK) SUNDAY 3 AUGUST 2008



I have avoided watching the last couple of offerings in ITV’s ‘Marple’ series for the reasons set out elsewhere on this website, but as towards zero is a real favourite with me, I had a sort of masochistic curiosity about it. Because of course, MISS MARPLE DOES NOT APPEAR IN ‘TOWARDS ZERO!!’

Why do they do it?? If Agatha Christie had wanted Miss Marple to solve this case, she would have placed her firmly in the heart of the story, but SHE DIDN’T! Instead she made this a case for Superintendent Battle, assisted (quite unofficially) by a young man called Andrew MacWhirter. Andrew is central to the original plot line, but did not feature at all in this TV version and it suffered hugely because of it, not least because it altered the romantic element of the story. And Superintendent Battle’s psychological approach to the statements of the suspects is a significant factor in the eventual unmasking of the villain and he was missed

It has to be said that the programme makers, apart from the above glaring distortion, stuck pretty well to the original plot and had they left ‘Miss Marple’ out of it, it would have been tolerable, but every time the camera panned to Geraldine McEwan, any feeling of involvement was immediately destroyed. I really wonder what Agatha Christie’s grandson Mathew Pritchard can have been thinking of to allow the programme makers to so sabotage his grandmother’s work.

I await with interest Julia McKenzie’s first outing as Miss Marple and I am trying (honestly I am!) to keep an open mind until I have seen the result.

Watch this space!

Murder Mystery Blog: Towards Zero

The Agatha Christie Theatre Production of "And Then There Were None"

Some time ago, I went to see the latest production by The Agatha Christie Theatre Company. This was ‘And Then There Were None’ (currently riding high in the website poll for the best Agatha Christie novel).

Now, those of you who have read my book review of and then there were none will note that I commented that I couldn’t understand why the ending of the play had been made to differ from that of the book. (I have seen this play several times and have directed it myself.) I said at that time that I thought the original ending could quite easily be incorporated into the stage version, which lost some of its impact because of the change.

Now far be it from me to suggest that Bill Kenwright or any of the other producers and/or managers in The Agatha Christie Theatre Company read my website, but this latest production actually DOES keep to the original ending!! And benefits greatly from it, too.

Although I enjoyed the production, I have to say I did find it somewhat disappointing and lacking in suspense and atmosphere, I would not discourage anyone from going to see this play which is still on a nationwide tour. I am not a theatre critic and it could well be that what I consider below par acting and directing other people will think excellent. So if the play comes to a theatre near you, go along to see it. It’s certainly worth the price of a theatre seat, and please let me know what you think.

Murder Mystery Blog: Who Will Be The Next Miss Marple?

Murder Mystery



The champagne corks must be popping wherever there is a real Agatha Christie fan - Geraldine McEwan is retiring from the role of Miss Marple – hooray!! (Actually, that statement is a contradiction in terms because she never was Miss Marple!!) Some perky, self confident, intensely irritating busybody – yes, but Miss Marple? Definitely not.

Maybe I’ll be able to start watching again (but not if the powers that be continue to change the stories out of all recognition.) The names of lots of possible contenders have been bandied about – Judy Dench, Prunella Scales, Joanna Lumley to mention a few – and it will be interesting to see who they come up with.

I’ve done quite a bit of acting in my time and I’m about the right age, might try for the job myself! Well, we can all dream!

Whoever gets the part, two things are certain. One, nobody will ever equal Joan Hickson’s flawless portrayal; and two, it would be very hard for anyone to make a worse job of the business than Geraldine McEwan.

So happy retirement Miss McEwan.

The Wonderful Joan Hickson As Miss Marple



Murder Mystery Blog: Who Will Be The Next Miss Marple?