Murder in Mesopotamia
Agatha Christie
1936
Who doesn't know Agatha Christie? She is the most widely published author of all time, only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books are a reliable read -- something to read on a plane, before bed and just to settle in to pass a rainy afternoon.
I just read Murder in Mesopotamia, a Hercule Poirot mystery, which I picked up in the shared library in my building. The setting is Iraq at an archeological dig that is run by a well-known archeologist. Dr. Leidner has recently married, and his lovely new wife has disrupted the team's fraternal culture. She is known to need attention and is dismissed as being hysterical when she reports that someone is stalking and threatening her.
The story is told from the point-of-view of a visiting nurse, who has been hired to soothe Mrs. Leidner. Suffice to say that Mrs. Leidner is soon found dead, and Hercule Poirot is called in to consult.
He is a great character, lulling people into underestimating him as he shrewdly picks through the evidence. Much liked the beloved Miss Marple, this dismissal often traps the killers into outraged confessions.
There is a bit of formula, but there is something to be said for some 80 plus stories that have been a been a consistent trove for readers, TV networks and the stage for more than 80 years.
Agatha Christie's first novel, The Murder in the Vicarage, was published in 1930. The Mousetrap, her most famous play, is one of the longest running productions ever made. She died in 1976.
