"Hallowe'en Party". Is Agatha Christie worth the hype?

In case you are unaware or simply never fathomed the idea of watching the classic TV show "murder she wrote", Agatha Christie is a - real -  mystery author and the TV show is based around her and her books. 

Agatha Christie (known as the 'Queen of Mystery') is a woman of talent by far, but some don't see it that way. She's not only sold more than a billion copies, but she's only been out-sold by the Bible and Shakespeare. Quite an impressive resume, but have her writings truly stood the test of time? I took my local Barnes and Nobles to find out.

I am a fan of detective books - Nancy Drew to be precise - and decided to venture into the "grown up" section, seeing as how my beloved ND is considered a teen series. After a few recommendations, I was sent in the direction of Mrs. Agatha Christie and her apparently very well known series starring the famous character, Hercule Poirot.

I'll be honest with you all, I wasn't the slightest bit aware of who she was or her work. I apologize in advance, but it is what it is. 

While Agatha Christie has 33 Hercule Poirot mystery novels, I chose to go with "Hallowe'en Party". Perhaps due to my fondness of the eccentric holiday. Once I purchased my newest addition, I headed home to indulge in the murder mystery.

First impression's after Chapter 1: Her writings are NOT for those who enjoy laid-back simple readings. Although who knows, maybe her style would be your cup of tea. For myself I tend to lean more towards something that's easy on the eyes, yet captivating with a beautiful flow. 

I'm not necessarily saying this book isn't written well, but I will say that I just simply wasn't a fan. There were a few irrelevant details that caused the book to make a few minor detours and a little repetitive. The characters didn't seem to set apart from one another besides Mr. Poirot himself. Also the ending was a bit obvious. I was able to pick out the killer with a pretty clear indication that I was in fact correct, somewhat early on. Which dragged on the book a bit. I so desperately wanted to believe that an intense twist would take place - as I was told Agatha Christie often included in her mysteries - but what sadly a bit disappointed. The "Halloween" theme didn't last much either, except for a bit of sadistic event. Which I'm not a fan of. I guess one could argue that the holiday itself has a bit of evil in it, but I'm more in it for the funny costumes, bright colors, silly food creations, and candy. Plus the Disney shows surrounding October always crack me up.

I went back to the Barnes and Nobles, running into the girl who recommended the book. She asked me my take and I told her that I simply wasn't as big of a fan as Miss Drew. The kind lady recommended I try a few of her more popular titles ("Murder on Orient Express", "The ABC Murders", and "Witness for the Prosecution", to name a few)

Apparently this particular book wasn't a huge hit when it was first written and isn't necessarily a huge hit now. Would've been great if she had let me know prior to buying it, but ce la vie I suppose. 

So, is Agatha Christie an excellent writer? Or is she simply to stay in the past? While I don't exactly enjoy the specific style (you can call me simple minded, but I like what I like), I don't think calling her anything less than "an amazing woman of her time", would be fair game. I do plan on reading "Murder on Orient Express", as it's apparently perfect for a first time Agatha Christie reader. I do plan on updating once I've gathered the funds to make a bookstore run. Unfortunately things happen and at this moment, bookstores are out of my league. Again, ce la vie. 

What kind of books do you enjoy? Or perhaps you have a read you've been interested in, but don't know if it's worth the time? I'd be happy to read it for you and let you know a yay or nay! Or maybe you would just like a second opinion? Or maybe you'd even like to have a book discussion?! 

What I'd give to be a lady back in the day. *sigh* I feel as if I've traveled to another time zone. One that I - sometimes - just don't belong in. Having Taco's readily available along with Hodad's is pretty awesome though. As the Chewbacca lady said "it's the little things!"