They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie

280 pages
Published by Dodd, Mead & Company in 1951
Reprinted in  2002 by St. Martin's Paperbacks of St. martin's Press
New York, NY

I must confess I was a little hesitant when I picked up They Came to Baghdad from my local library. All summer long I had suffered from a sort of reading-funk which has kept me from finishing little more than a dozen books. So when I saw this novel, written by one of my favorite authors, was not one of her more famous "who-dunnit" murder mysteries, but instead a little-known adventure/espionage thriller set in post WWII Iraq I was not thrilled.

But determined to give it a chance (after all I am still endeavoring to read my way through all of Agatha Christie's novels in order of publication) I pressed on. And I am happy to tell you my first impression was wrong!

The Plot:
"Baghdad is holding a secret superpower summit, but the word is out, and an underground organization in the Middle East is plotting to sabotage the talks. Into this explosive situation appears Victoria Jones, a young woman with a yearning for adventure who gets more than she bargains for when a wounded spy dies in her hotel room. The only man who can save the summit is dead. Can Victoria make sense of his dying words: Lucifer…Basrah…Lefarge.…" (Harper Collins Publisher)

My Thoughts:
They Came to Baghdad now ranks as one of my all-time favorite novels by Agatha Christie. As I mentioned above, at first I was rather hesitant in reading this novel. I didn't have high expectations that it would be a thrilling read and I really didn't like the heroine, Victoria Jones, when she first enters the scene. But I kept reading and it wasn't long before I was hooked.

As I mentioned above, They Came to Baghdad is not your average Agatha Christie who-dunnit murder mystery, but instead a post-WWII espionage suspense thriller that include a few murders. The main story is set in Iraq during the early 1950s and while it revolves around Victoria Jones there is plenty of time for "sight-seeing" along the way and Christie makes time for it. At this time in her life, Agatha Christie was married to archaeologist Max Mallowan and spent a great deal of her time with him on digs in the Middle East. Her knowledge of the area and the work is woven seamlessly into this story without detracting from the thrilling story plot.

As the story draws to an end I am happy to report I changed my mind about Victoria Jones. Her character truly matures as the story progresses and as the lose ends are tied up I was delighted with the foreshadowing for Victoria that Christie included in the closing paragraph.

All in all, I must admit I was definitely surprised with this novel. In my opinion it's a definite winner and a top favorite for me. I highly recommend it to those readers who are looking for a variant from the typical English countryside murder mystery or those who love a good spy tale.

Up next, I'll return to Hercule Poirot and the English country village in Mrs. McGinty's Dead.

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Related Links:

• Harper Collins Publishers: Buy a copy of They Came to Baghdad
• AgathaChristie.com: They Came to Baghdad
• Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Carnival

My Other Agatha Christie Reviews:

*Novels published from 1920-1923 see note below.

The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)
The Secret of Chimneys (1925)
The Big Four (1927)
The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)
The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
The Sittaford Mystery (1931)
Peril at End House (1932)
Lord Edgware Dies (1933)
Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1934)
Three Act Tragedy (1935)
Death in the Clouds (1935)
The A.B.C. Murders (1936)
Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)
Cards on the Table (1936)
Dumb Witness (1937)
Death on the Nile (1937)
Appointment With Death (1938)
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938)
Murder Is Easy (1939)
And Then There Were None (1939)
Sad Cypress (1939)
One, Two Buckle My Shoe (1940)
Evil Under the Sun (1941)
N or M? (1941)
The Body in the Library (1942)
Five Little Pigs (1942)
The Moving Finger (1942)

Towards Zero  (1944)
Death Comes As the End (1944)
Sparkling Cyanide (1945)
The Hollow (1946) 
Taken At the Flood (1948) 
Crooked House (1949) 
A Murder is Announced (1950)

Absent In the Spring by Mary Westmacott (a.k.a. Agatha Christie) (1944)

Agatha Christie, An Autobiography

* Christie's novels written from 1920 (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) through 1923 (Murder on the Links) I read before I began this blog hence no reviews are currently available.

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

255 pages

Published 1938, reprinted 2007

Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc

New York, NY

Although I may be a little behind in posting reviews I have been keeping up my reading of Agatha Christie's crime novels. As you may recall I have set the goal to read through all of Dame Agatha Christie's murder mystery novels by date of publication. I began this personal challenge in 2008 and have to date read 22 of her novels (I skipped one that I'd read not long before starting this challenge). Appointment With Death was Christie's 23rd mystery novel and the 15th to have Hercule Poirot as the lead detective.

The Plot:
"'You do see, don't you, that she's got to be Killed?' Hercule Poirot overhears a young man saying these chilling words, then days later, the man's stepmother, known to all as a sadistic tyrant, is found dead. But beyond a puncture wound to the wrist, the exact cause of the woman's death is unknown -- and murder is only one possibility. In his meticulous fashion, the exacting Belgian sleuth interviews each of the victim's beleaguered family members, then becomes interested in other members of the vacationing part: a doctor whose hypodermic syringe has gone missing, a domineering English matron, and an energetic young woman with an interest in the victim's son. While few mourn the dead woman's passing, suspense mounts as Poirot closes in on the circumstances surrounding her murky death." (Summary courtesy of the publisher)

My Thoughts:

Appointment With Death was a fast read, which I finished in less than 24 hours. On it's face I liked it, but I can't say it was anywhere near Christie's best.

For starters, I know Christie enjoyed basing her mysteries in areas of the world she had visited or lived, but having just finished Death on the Nile this novel felt a little repetitive by having the setting be yet another location in the Middle East and again while Hercule Poirot is on holiday.

Then there's the plot. I loved the whole line "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" -- it really hooked me into the story, but while some stories can drag on too long past the peak of the crime, this one I felt was too short, too simple in it's telling. It was as if I knew the ending before I reached it. Yet, I've never read the book, nor have I seen any film adaptation.

On the flip side, I really thought the story plot's characters and in particular, the murder victim were clever and unique. Normally the victim(s) range between the disliked to the ill-fated, but in Appointment With Death the victim is painted as such an evil person that the reader can't help but breathe a sigh of relief when they are bumped off.

And yet as much as I liked the uniqueness of the villain, again I felt as though I already knew the ending. I can't put my finger on it, but to say that I was able to guess who the murderer was before Poirot began his investigations and the love story though sweet was very obvious as were the "happily ever after" endings that Christie gave to several of the main characters.

Still, I can't say I disliked the story, just that it wasn't a favorite. In my opinion if you had to pick one Christie mystery to read that was set in the Middle East you should read Death On the Nile.

Up next, Hercule Poirot's Christmas.

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My other Agatha Christie Reviews:
The Man in the Brown Suit
The Secret of Chimneys
The Big Four
The Mystery of the Blue Train
The Seven Dials Mystery
The Murder at the Vicarage
The Sittaford Mystery
Peril at End House
Lord Edgware Dies
Murder on the Orient Express
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Three Act Tragedy
Death in the Clouds
The A.B.C. Murders
Murder in Mesopotamia
Cards on the Table
Dumb Witness
Death on the Nile

Journey To Bethlehem by Delos W. Lovelace

215 pages
Published 1953
Thomas Y. Crowell Company
New York, NY

As might be evident from the title, Journey To Bethlehem is a fictional retelling of the Christmas story -- the journey that Joseph and Mary took to Bethlehem that ended with the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

I stumbled upon this little known historical novel while browsing online for inexpensive used copies of books written by Maud Hart Lovelace and her husband, Delos W. Lovelace during my October 2009 Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge.

At the time I was not only surprised to find that Delos had penned a historical novel set in Biblical times, but also that it was the first time I'd heard of the book. Why was that, I wondered, but in reading Journey To Bethlehem I came to understand these facts a little better.

First, Journey To Bethlehem is a good read, but not a powerful read. I liked it, but didn't love it. I was fascinated with the depth of research that Delos must have undergone in order to produce a story that accurately portrayed life 1,950 years prior to the author's life.

Then of course Delos did take several liberties with the famous Bible story, but that is pretty much the norm for any historical novel. The book is based on real people and some real events. Some of the supporting cast are likewise based on real people and some are fictional, but could be based upon real people. The liberty is taken with the conversations and several events that take place throughout the book. However, if the reader can remember Journey To Bethlehem was intended as fiction and not non-fiction or an addition to the Bible than these liberties should not be a problem. And this is the view I chose to take. (In fact, in a lot of ways Journey To Bethlehem reminded me of other historical biblical fiction like The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George and The Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke, though perhaps [and no offense to Delos] not quite as good.)

And that's just it. I've read some of Delos' writing and while I liked Journey To Bethlehem I didn't enjoy it as much as some of his other works. I felt the story was a little slow and that the climax of the story -- the arrival of the Christ child -- wasn't quite as powerful as it could have been. Still, I am really glad I found this book and that it was available for a low enough price that I could add it to my personal library.

I started this book in December with the intention of reviewing for Christmas, but one thing after another prevented me from finishing it until my family and I were on a cross-country drive for the holidays. At that point I decided to save my review until the new year. And while most of you are putting away all thoughts of Christmas until next year I encourage you to add this to your 2010 TBR list if you are looking for a different retelling of the Christmas story, even if that isn't for another eleven months.

The only downside to adding this book to your TBR list is that it isn't widely available. None of my local libraries possessed a copy, including the ILL program. However, I was able to find a ex-library copy for under $10 online, so maybe you'll be able to do the same.

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Note: For those curious, the Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge will return to A Library is a Hospital for the Mind in October 2010, so start planning!

Not sure what you will read? No worries, you can obtain a partial list of Lovelace books on Wikipedia, or at the Betsy Tacy Society website (here, here, here, and here), or check out some of the books I read and reviewed in 2009.

Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie

213 pages
Published 1935, reprinted 1985
A Bantom Book
published by arrangement with Dodd, Mead & Company
New York, NY

Published in the summer of 1936, both in the UK and the US, Murder in Mesopotamia is the 12th Hercule Poirot novel by Agatha Christie.

For those unfamiliar with the Middle East, the "Mesopotamia" in the title refers to the Tigris-Euphrates region in the eastern Mediterranean, which is largely composed of Iraq, northeastern Syria, and parts of Turkey and Iran. Ms. Christie spent some time in this area of the world with her second husband, Sir Max Mallowan, who was an archaeologist. And it is clearly evident that the Mediterranean had special meaning to Ms. Christie, for she dedicated Murder in Mesopotamia, the first of several novels set in and around the Middle East: "to my many archaeological friends in Iraq and Syria."

The Plot:
"When Amy Leatheran agrees to look after archaeologist Dr. Leidner’s wife at a dig near Hassanieh, she finds herself taking on more than just nursing duties – she also has to help solve murders. Fortunately for Amy, Hercule Poirot is visiting the excavation site. But will the great detective be in time to prevent a multiple murderer from striking again?" (Summary courtesy of AgathaChristie.com)

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed solving Murder in Mesopotamia. I found the story's setting to be both unique and interesting. I particularly liked it because I knew Ms. Christie drew upon personal experience when writing this novel. The narration style of this book was somewhat unique in that the narrator was a stranger to the reader and in that sense reminded me a little of The Man in the Brown Suit and The Mystery of the Blue Train. As I have found to be the case with most of her crime novels, the plot was fast moving and interesting, the characters were diverse, and the mystery a little tricky. But unlike several of Agatha Christie's early mysteries I actually managed to solve this one before it was revealed to the reader. I was so pleased with myself!

One fun note is that although Murder in Mesopotamia was published in 1936, the events occur three years in the past in 1933. Readers of Murder on the Orient Express will recall Hercule Poirot has just returned from Mesopotamia when he travels on the Orient Express and solves that murder. (Click on the title to read my review of the novel.)

As I've mentioned before, I used to dislike Hercule Poirot. I'm not sure why as I had not read many of the novels where he was featured. I think from the little I knew of his character I thought him vain and annoying, but I've since changed my opinion. Over the last year I've read twelve novels where he solves the crime and I've really come to admire the character Ms. Christie created as well as the detective. Perhaps he can be a bit vain, but I think within reason. Of course, ask me again when I reach the end of the Poirot mysteries if I've changed my mind. I read once that Agatha Christie was glad to be done with Poirot when she finished her final novel starring the Belgian detective.

For those interested in watching a film version this novel, David Suchet stars in the role of Hercule Poirot in the 2001 adaptation for the Agatha Christie's Poirot series. Suchet, in my opinion is the best actor to play Poirot. Although I have yet to see this movie I read that the character of Captain Hastings was added to the story (he does not make an appearance in the book), which resulted in reducing Amy Leatheran's character drastically.

In summary, on a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate Murder in Mesopotamia a 3.5. I really enjoyed it, but I missed Captain Hastings and the English setting. And while the setting was unique and interesting, I can't say it was a favorite, but still it's a definite must read for fans of Hercule Poirot. Borrow vs. buy this book, unless you intend to collect the complete works of the Queen of Crime, Dame Agatha Christie.

Up next: Another Poirot mystery, Cards On the Table, review to come later this month.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

I must admit that before last month's book club meeting I'd never heard of Reading Lolita in Tehran, even though it has remained on the New York Times bestseller list since it was first published in 2003. At the last book club meeting the group decided to pick three books to read before our next meeting (in April). Although widely different in their subject matter all three of the books involve the Middle East or Islamic and Muslim cultures. It was decided that members of the book club could read all three books, any two of the books, or even just one depending on their tastes and how many time allowed. The three books chosen were: Now They Call Me Infidel, Three Cups of Tea, and Reading Lolita in Tehran. I selected Reading Lolita in Tehran for two reasons, first because it was easily accessible at my local library and second, because the idea of women in another culture studying Western literature and discussing it in a classroom or book club setting sounded interesting. And it was...

From the Publisher:
We all have dreams—things we fantasize about doing and generally never get around to. This is the story of Azar Nafisi’s dream and of the nightmare that made it come true.

For two years before she left Iran in 1997, Nafisi gathered seven young women at her house every Thursday morning to read and discuss forbidden works of Western literature. They were all former students whom she had taught at university. Some came from conservative and religious families, others were progressive and secular; several had spent time in jail. They were shy and uncomfortable at first, unaccustomed to being asked to speak their minds, but soon they began to open up and to speak more freely, not only about the novels they were reading but also about themselves, their dreams and disappointments. Their stories intertwined with those they were reading—Pride and Prejudice, Washington Square, Daisy Miller and Lolita—their Lolita, as they imagined her in Tehran.

Nafisi’s account flashes back to the early days of the revolution, when she first started teaching at the University of Tehran amid the swirl of protests and demonstrations. In those frenetic days, the students took control of the university, expelled faculty members and purged the curriculum. When a radical Islamist in Nafisi’s class questioned her decision to teach The Great Gatsby, which he saw as an immoral work that preached falsehoods of “the Great Satan,” she decided to let him put Gatsby on trial and stood as the sole witness for the defense.

Azar Nafisi’s luminous tale offers a fascinating portrait of the Iran-Iraq war viewed from Tehran and gives us a rare glimpse, from the inside, of women’s lives in revolutionary Iran. It is a work of great passion and poetic beauty, written with a startlingly original voice.

My thoughts
For the most part I enjoyed Reading Lolita in Tehran, but it was a difficult book to read. Even though it was only 347 pages it took me over two weeks to finish it.

When I began Reading Lolita in Tehran I expected a book that would teach me more about 19th and 20th century classics as seen through the eyes of women from another culture, but I was in for a surprise. Yes, I did learn more about the classics discussed (incidentally all of which, with the one exclusion of Pride and Prejudice, I've never read). Through her memoir Nafisi and her students do a great job of dissecting the novels and getting inside the characters and authors minds, not that I always agreed with them, but what I didn't expect was to come away knowing so much more about Iran as a country and the Islamic culture during the late 1970s through the mid 1990s.

But as I mentioned the book was a difficult read. For starters, this is no fictional work. It is a memoir and reads like a memoir. At times I found myself bored, but I pushed on and was rewarded as the boring parts are limited. The Islamic culture itself was difficult to read about because it is a depressing world where morals are upside down, where women are suppressed and punished for being women, and where citizens are forbidden their God-given unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Last, and because I knew nothing about so many of the books discussed, the information contained in Reading Lolita in Tehran was a lot to take in. I think it might have been easier had I read the works before reading a memoir where the works are discussed in such detail and in contrast to a culture that is so different from my own.

That said, Reading Lolita in Tehran remains an interesting book and I'm glad I read it, but I'm also glad I'm done reading it. I am looking forward to discussing it with the other women in my book club. On a scale of 1-5, 1 being horrible and 5 being excellent I would rate it a 3. It was ok, but not one I plan to re-read or purchase for my library. I'd advise interested readers to borrow a copy from their local library.