Agatha Christie’s “Hickory Dickory Dock”

“Hickory Dickory Dock” is another murder mystery from Agatha Christie. Detective Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s very own Sherlock Holmes makes an appearance in this mystery novel that is a cozy murder mystery set in a hostel on Hickory Road, London. Other than the name of the lane, the novel has no connection with the children’s rhyme, something unexpected from Agatha Christie. The novel starts off with a series of petty thefts that happen inside the hostel which seem trivial. But, Hercule Poirot and his obsession with order and method interests him in these absurd “disappearances”. He senses there is something more serious behind these thefts, will he be able to crack it before it is too late?

The novel starts off slow, but gains pace once a murder happens at the hostel. The police investigation and Poirot’s conversation with the students bottles up the suspense that keeps the readers engrossed. There are certain racial and political stereotypes, considering the novel was written in 1950s. Though the novel has the Poirot brand, this novel does not have the usual psychological angle to the investigation which Poirot believes in. The overwhelming list of characters and their diverse backgrounds are at times difficult to track and needs keen attention. 

Agatha Christie

The climax is underwhelming, there is not much logical explanation around Poirot’s inference of the murderer from the list of suspects. Though the twist in the end is unexpected, the missing rationale behind how Poirot jumps to conclusions that turn out to be true and “Poirot just knows!” act is out of character for Hercule Poirot. There are a few sparks of brilliance in this murder mystery, but that isn’t enough to keep up the Poirot brand!

“Never Lie” by Freida McFadden

“Never Lie” from Freida McFadden, the author of “The Housemaid” series is a standalone psychological thriller that is set in a deserted manor. Tricia and Ethan, newlyweds decide to visit a manor they are interested in buying. The manor is huge and is situated in a secluded place that is cutoff from the city. The real estate agent who was supposed to show them around doesn’t turn up and it starts to snow heavily when they reach the place. They are stuck in a blizzard and forced to stay in the manor. 

They come to know that the house was previously owned by Dr.Hale, a psychiatrist who went missing few years back. There are also rumours that she was murdered by her boyfriend. Tricia accidentally stumbles upon a secret room full of tapes containing the recordings of patients of Dr.Hale. As she starts listening to the tapes, she learns about the chain of events that lead up to the mysterious disappearance of Dr.Hale. With this solid premise, does “Never Lie” live up to the hype?

The novel starts off with a striking resemblance to Alice Feeney’s “Rock Paper Scissors”. Most of the action happens inside the manor and the interesting sequence of events told in a non-linear fashion sets up a brilliant cozy mystery. The different POVs of the primary characters keeps the novel moving, but the novel picks up rapid pace once the mysteries start to unravel in the second half. Everyone holds a secret and tries to protect it no matter what. The events unfurl in a seamless fashion and keeps us guessing until the climactic end. There are few instances where the happenings are logically unsatisfying but that doesn’t reduce the tension building up. Despite some logical flaws, this novel is intriguing and has some genuine twists!

Lucy Foley’s “The Paris Apartment”

“The Paris Apartment” is a locked room mystery that is set in an eerie apartment in Paris. The novel sets off on a high note - Jess, a young woman who has left her job in less than ideal circumstances arrives at Paris to stay with her step-brother Ben, but finds him missing. While she is on pursuit to find Ben, she stumbles upon secrets that the apartment and its residents hold. Are these secrets the reason for Ben’s disappearance? Was Jess too late to save Ben? With this intriguing premise, does the novel live up to the expectations?

The novel is presented with each character narrating their side of the story, very similar to Lucy Foley’s “The Guest List”. The timeline is sometimes confusing in the non-linear narrative style that the novel adopts. There is enough depth to the backstories of each of the characters, but the novel takes too much time to establish the relationship between the characters and the mystery connection each one of them has with Ben. The novel presents twisted relationships, dysfunctional families and the inner battles which the characters go through in a convincing manner.

The revelation towards the climax is a great twist, but do the readers have to go through the snail-paced build up to that revelation? Though the mystery in the novel piles up, there is not much happening within the confined atmosphere of the Paris apartment and it makes us wonder at one point where the novel is headed.

The Paris Apartment - Despite a brilliant and convincing twist at the end, the novel tests our patience with its slow paced narration. 

"The Housemaid's Secret" by Freida McFadden

"The Housemaid's Secret" by Freida McFadden is a spiritual sequel to her previous thriller "The Housemaid" that has a similar storyline. Millie, the housemaid and Enzo, the gardener from her previous novel are retained in this sequel. While it is natural to draw comparisons with the prequel, does the author succeed in her story telling to make this a gripping thriller?

Millie who has been helping married women and rescuing them from domestic abuse after her similar encounter with Nina Winchester in the prequel enters the house of a zillionaire only to find his wife Wendy mysteriously locking herself up in the guest bedroom. When Millie tries to talk to her about the situation, she learns about yet another episode of domestic abuse which she might need to help with. Will Millie be able to rescue Wendy standing up against the resources Wendy's husband has at his disposal?

The novel moves at a rapid pace right from the start and there is no point where the intensity drops. Even when the storyline gets predictable because of the prequel, the novel keeps the readers engaged with enough elements of suspense. The climactic end is strewn with a lot of twists but the author manages them without becoming an overdose. 

A brilliant sequel that has a similar storyline as the prequel but with a better execution this time around!