My least favourite is Dead Man's Folly. I found I couldn't quite read it to the end, so skipped some chapters. I didn't like the characters sans Poirot, I found the solution too easy, also it just seems to lack something, like there's some spark missing that makes it brilliant.

What's interesting is a book someone hates, is another's favourite. Which is a good thing, because it'll be boring if we were of all the same opnions.

Agree that Do..mirrors isn't one of the best. Although I liked Edgar Lawson, I wondered what he'd come out with next. I hated Gina though!

i have not read Dead Man's Folly so i can't give you my opinion.

but i don't think Gina is bad, that is in her blood 

I don't think Gina's bad, just annoying!! She has a good husband and goes dallying around with those two brothers. She was treating over peoples feelings and being selfish. I don't think the readrers meant to like her.

I wanted to cheer when her sister insulted her, what was it she said "shameless hussy?" or something, LOL.

Agree, she is annoying

but I still think she gave alittle comedy to the book (though she has some dramatic moments)

she is woman that people love to hate

MissQuin

I wanted to cheer when her sister insulted her, what was it she said "shameless hussy?" or something, LOL.

Actually I think it was her aunt Mildred who insulted her.Mildred and Gina 's mother, Pippa, were sisters.

What does LOL stand for? I 'm not good with initials.

As I 've mentioned in another post, my worst AC 's novel so far was Appointment With Death.I found the story, the characters and especially the end too fake and unconvincing.I discovered though that almost noone else seems to be sharing my opinion, so now I 'm reading it again, in case I 've done it wrong.

i don't think Appointment With Death is the worst but that is not mean you need to check yourself, so you didn't like it that is only make you special

LOL is "laughs out loud". I was laughing at the word hussy. Just seems amusing. I watched the recent adapt and Gina was really adopted, Mildred was Carries' birth daughter. So sisters. The family relationships in that book are are rather puzzling. theres two brothers and their realted to Carrie because their from her huband from her second marriage. It's so confusing.

 true, i remember when i read the few first chapters i always got stock and i ask myself "wait who is this?" it took me hours to remember the all characters

Hi, I think the worst book is Sparkin Cyanide. And almost all the short stories from the book The Veiled Lady. The Hound of Death. Double Sin because they talk about ghosts, strange magic, and paranormal things. But anyway there are other very good stories, I like very much The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael, Wasp's Nest and Double Sin

I'm afraid my least favourite AC would have to be Elephants Can Remember. I find it rambling and lacking in direction. Also the characters (excluding Poirot and Mrs Oliver) are uninteresting and unappealling and, therefore, I find I couldn't care less about them or how the solution to the story affects them. AC usually had such a great way of making her characters come to life and involving her reading audience in their plight, but these are misjudged and fall way short of her usual standard. I hate to say I don't like anything of AC's as her books give me such pleasure but, with this one, I can only feel disapointment.

You have to bear in mind that Elephants Can Remember and Postern of Fate were written when Christie was in her eighties, and had suffered a sharp decline in health - indeed I feel that her last truly great book was the compelling Endless Night, written in 1967.

Totally agree about the ghastly Gina in They do it with Mirrors, and the murderer's trick is so obvious. It's one of my least favourites, along with The Sittaford Mystery, which I think is a bit of a muddle with too many loose ends to the plot and an implausible motive for the murder.

For me the worst has to be 'Passenger to Frankfurt'.  I know it's one of the later books when AC wasn't at her sparkling best, but I'm not a great fan of the spy thriller type of thing anyway.  I have read it twice, but I think that will now be my lot for that one.  Totally agree with 'The Hound of Death' stories and 'Elephants'.  But I love 'Appointment with Death' - it's one of my top 20

another story is "tape measure murder", you solve this one beacouse you don't have almost any clue but it's still realy bad.

the motive? i could invent that

the murderer? any body could have fit to this motive but how many characters do we have?

in conclusion, bad story.

I also think Sitaford mystery a bit of a dud. it got off to a great start. Then Charles and Emily were introuduced and everything went downhill. The solution is really prosaic.

But apratt from that I can usually see something good in every story, except dead Mans folly.

I like tape measure murder. Ok the titles a giveaway, but if it had a different name it ould be a good un. Thel ine

"ya, ya whose a Crippen?!" spoken to a possible murderer is funny, at least it is to me. ;)

Yes, I know Nofret, that Elephants Can Remember was written towards the end of AC's life and that's one of the reasons why I feel a bit mean not liking it. After all, she had give us all so many wonderful books for so many years and it's hardly surprising that, at over 80, her prowess began to falter slightly.

Miss Eylesbarrow, have you listened to the audio book of Passenger To Frankfurt? It's one I find I prefer to listen to rather than read. Perhaps you might enjoy it more this way too? Having said that, I also have Elephants Can Remember on CD and it that has never really grown on me!

MissQuin

I also think Sitaford mystery a bit of a dud. it got off to a great start. Then Charles and Emily were introuduced and everything went downhill. The solution is really prosaic.

But apratt from that I can usually see something good in every story, except dead Mans folly.

I like tape measure murder. Ok the titles a giveaway, but if it had a different name it ould be a good un. Thel ine

"ya, ya whose a Crippen?!" spoken to a possible murderer is funny, at least it is to me. ;)

i just re-read tape measure murder, still, the title is a bad choise.

as a short story it's OK (even good story) but, a briliant murder mystery it's not.

but still nice story

Hi again, I´m new in this page (I became a member just yesterday) and I don´t know very well how it works, but I´m a big fan of AC. It´s a little difficult for me, because I´m from Argentina and the tittles of the books changes too much in the translation, but I study hardly English (I go to a British Academy twice a week since i was a child) The people of the forum. Are they all English or American? American, I hate this term, America isn´t USA, America is América, including all the countries of this continent, I´M AMERICAN TOO...

Please help me!

I really did not like Halloween Party, it was too weird and I just cant imagine a time when it would have been ok to be flippant about a murdered child no matter how "ghastly" she was.

The same goes for Third Girl just too strange.

There was one I loved and hated at the same time, Endless Night. Genius writting, great plot and I feel a little ahead of its time its just I found it so so sad. I enjoyed it and couldnt bear it at the same time.

Confused? Me too!!!

Miss Eylesbarrow, have you listened to the audio book of Passenger To Frankfurt? It's one I find I prefer to listen to rather than read. Perhaps you might enjoy it more this way too? Having said that, I also have Elephants Can Remember on CD and it that has never really grown on me!

No Puffinjill, I haven't listened to either on audiobook - I think I'd have to borrow a copy before actually splashing out the cash myself.  I'm not convinced that they would really grow on me . 

Hallowe'en Party and Dead Man's Folly are two which were not in my top 20 originally, but since getting the audio books they have become favourites - particularly DMF, I always find the ending of Hallowe'en Party a bit silly. It doesn't quite live up to the quality of the rest of the book.

Actually, don't bother to borrow a copy of Passenger To Frankfurt, Miss Eylesbarrow. After posting my comments I listened to my copy again and suddenly wondered what on earth I found interesting about it the last time I played it!! Perhaps I fell asleep last time and dreamt I liked it!!!

Hallowe'en Party was one that grew on me after listening to it but, unfortunately, David Suchet's reading of Dead Man's Folly spoilt my enjoyment of a book I used to like to read quite a bit. Now, if I do reread it, all I can hear in my head is DS's characterisation and it's not the same.