The Man in The Brown Suit - Agatha Christie (1924)

I've read about twenty books of Agatha Christie and found out that her books usually has slow and rather boring plot. What's most thrilling is usually only on the last forty pages when the truth is being revealed. Well, The Man in The Brown Suit is different! It has been thrilling and exciting since the prologue. It spent me only two days to finish it, a brand new record for me finishing a book of Agatha Christie series.

The prologue is about a Russian dancer Nadina who is as well a spy works for someone called 'Colonel'. 'Colonel' is a dodgy man, he is involved in many crimes yet he is so cunning that nobody knows and can capture him. He has big influence and can make anybody his scapegoats to run away from his own responsibility. Nadina helps his boss in a diamond robbery in South Africa, and she now tries to trick and backmail him back with the help of her husband.

The story is then centered on Anne Beddingfield, a stubborn, hard-boiled and strongwilled young girl whose archaelogist father has just died of lung disease. His father is her only family left and from now on she has to live her own life. She accidentaly suspects an accident which makes a man with smell of camphor died crushed by a subway. Then a doctor comes to check him, concludes that he has died and left away. An agreement letter to see a house in Marlow is found in his pocket. But our Anne has another evidence from this man, a piece of paper with a writing on it. Not long after this incident, a beautiful young woman is found murdered in a house in Marlow, a place this man ought to be seeing. The caretaker witnesses that not long after the woman comes into the house, there is a young man comes in and then leave with pale face.

Triggered by a curiosity and thirst of a life full of freedom and adventures, Anne tries to solve this case, by following the note, going to place written on it. A voyage journey to South Africa using Kilmorden Castle awaits her.

She meets some people on the ship, suspecting everybody, making friends, falling in love, and endangering herself by deeply involved in the case, confronting with Colonel, and all this case is started by a diamond robbery in South Africa not long ago...

I think the type of the story is pretty similar to "The Big Four". But honestly I like this one, more. It's thrilling and makes you wonder what will happen next. I am amazed by how brave and reckless Anne is, daring to involve herself in such a danger.

This book containts quite much romance, and my conclusion is, everybody has their own matching matte. Wild woman like Anne deserves another wild man after all.

However, I found some irrelevant hints in this book which rather bothers me. Anne Beddingfield's background as a daughter of a professor of archaeology isn't related at all with her upcoming adventures. Her past is interesting but has no use.

Crooked House - Agatha Christie (1949)

Looking up for this title because it is stated as one of most recommended Agatha Christie's book in ratings I found in several websites. After half reading it I realized I've read this one before, but in Bahasa ndonesia which has a total different title: "Buku Catatan Josephine". Silly me reading one book twice^^".

Well, Crooked House is started when Charles, a young police officer comes and proposes his beloved, Sophia Leonides. However, she refuses the proposal, at least until the murder case of his wealthy 85 year old grandfather Aristide Leonides is solved. Aristide is clearly poisoned by one of his households, which are a young wife Brenda, his two sons Philips and Roger and their wives Magda and Clementine. He also has a relative named Edith de Haviland and three grandchildren: Sophia, Eustace and Josephine. And there is Laurence Brown, a tutor that teaches Eustace and Josephine in the house.

Aristide is a powerful rich tyrant, he loves having his weaker and dependant family surrounds him. He is also adored by his sons. And each of his family member has their own specific --if it can be stated as one-- different motivation to have Aristide died. Jealousy between brothers, a will to set free from the house, a fear of loosing money after having to deal with bankruptcy, and so on.

The case continues as somebody tries to kill Josephine. This little girl loves playing detective and investigating. She has a black notebook where she writes down whatever she finds out. So, it's likely that the culprit who killed Aristide is scared of some informations she may have.

Then Charles finds a set of love letters between Brenda and Laurence. Although both of them deny it, they are arrested.

After Josephine comes back from hospital, the Nanny is found dead after drinking cocoa that should have been drunk by Josephine. The police officers are afraid they have arrested the wrong criminal.

Finally, after another circumtance happens, the real culprit is revealed by a letter written by one of the household with a black notebook inside it.

Although it is stated as one of the best, I personally disagree. I just give 3 of 5 to this book. It is just another Agatha Christie book. And although Christie herself enjoy writing this book, I personally didn't really enjoy reading the book, nor the conclusion presented in the end. It was shocking, yes, it is out of what everyone will think. However, the way the truth is revealed is kinda too flat and easy, Charles is a passive and slow investigator in my opinion. Another person acts more real actions as a detective than he does. And the ending scene is a bit necessity. Like an episode of a soap opera, everything goes slowly as how the director wants it to be. I think I have a too high expectation knowing it's stated as "one of the best". But hey, I also have a high standard for "Curtain" for it is the very last, "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" for my bro highly recommends me and "And Then There Were None" for what's written on the back of the book seems really interesting, but those books didn't fail to impress me. I am satisfied with those titles, but not with The Crooked House.  Well, everybody may have different point of view, sooooo, you have to read it by yourself to find out. Kindly tell me your different opinion about this book :D