Book Review: Endless Night

Given the general themes of mystery and murder, Agatha Christie's books have always been a relaxing read, engrossing and mystifying at the same time. But imagine to my surprise when I unexpectedly found myself feverishly turning pages with Endless Night, a novel worthy of placing it among her best like And Then There Were None and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

Endless Night
As for the story, the less I divulge the better, for it's a terrific psychological mystery about an ambitious-but-poor Michael Rodgers (also the narrator) and his American heiress wife Ellie Guteman who settle in Gipsy's Acre, a cursed land, and how just as they begin to enjoy their marital life, what begins as mysterious threats and warnings culminates in a devastating tragedy.

One of Christie's late outings (written in 1967) and a stark departure from her past works, Endless Night revives a plot pattern employed in Ackroyd but with a sinister psychological undercurrent that is very much palpable all through the narrative. With well fleshed out characters and a richly evocative setting, it's a testament to Christie's inexhaustible imagination that this whodunit, despite a slow start, makes for a thrilling read.

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