I can see why you reacted like you did, Frndorfoe, but if you don't mind my saying so, he has something of a point when it comes to The Thirteen Problems. Personally, I consider the short story collection as one of the best of all-time for several reasons which I might rant about some day. Although you are right, and some stories really are chillingly appropriate for a Hallowe'en atmosphere (The Blue Geranium, The Idol House of Astarte, The Blood-Stained Pavement), most of the stories are rather comfy intellectual puzzles (after all, they ARE playing a game; the best examples are Ingots of Gold and The Tuesday Night Club, neither which can be described as "chilling" in the least).

When looking for "Hallowe'en" ACs, 'supernatural' mysteries are often the best when it comes to atmosphere. The Pale Horse is my personal favourite, but the others I'd include are The Sittaford Mystery, and, as was mentioned, Sleeping Murder. I find it a shame AC didn't write more of these, as I have a particular affinity for them, far more than for her rather mediocre adventure novels.

To each his/her own, go leafs. I found the atmosphere of people gathering and talking about (mostly) unpunished crimes kind of chilling. Old sins casting long shadows and some of the criminals getting punished not by the law but by the hands of God and some of the stories having a supernatural element. etc. But I guess I was wrong. I'm sorry. I guess I don't know anything.

No one is right and no one is wrong. We are all individuals who have different views on the same subjsct. And thats healthy. Debate is a great thing because it can get us to look at something from another perspective (one that previously hadn't occured to us) and see if it enchances our appreciation of it or detracts from it. Each and every point of view is valuable.

I love reading everyones posts and learn something new everytime I log on.

Oh, and currently I am rereading One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.

I agree with you Puffinjill, I meant to say that you can a different opinion and say that in your opinion someone else was wrong without sounding like you mean offence which  I didn't, I do think like go-leafs said that The Blue Geranium, The Idle House of Astarte and The Blood-stained Pavement might feel eerie but as they die at the hand of Humans who are revealed thanks to Miss Marple, I don't think of the stories themselves as eerie, I think some in The Hound of Death are though but can't remember which ones, I haven't read The Pasle Horse or The Sittorford Mystery so don't know about those. 

I am currently reading Death in the Clouds and still in the first few chapters.  AC is having Jane Grey and Norman Gale become better acquainted by having tea together to discuss the murder case they have become involved in.  I like the way AC describes each of their thoughts about the other as they are definitely attracted to each other.  As usual, Poirot is thoroughly using his little gray cells and studying the psychology of the murderer while Inspector Japp is stuck on the physical evidence.  I am going to finish the book and then watch the DVD.  The movie makers changed soooo much from the book, so I like to re-read the books to stay intune with true Agatha Christie.

Wow it didn't mean to get in a Big debate.. and anyways I've read Thirteen Problems over the summer. I do think it was kind of a Halloween Book the atmosphere was Halloweeny. Right now Im reading The Sittaford Mystery. It will be my first Non-Series Book. I've been wanting to read it for ages.

Btw: I wasn't too fond of Murder in the Mespot  because it was a bit slow and the characters were a bit dull (not including Mrs. Leinder) and the solution was a bit strange for me.

P.S. Come Noverber this thread will have been going for a year with over 150 Posts!! Thanks to All who Posted!

Oh, Oh, Oh!! I hope you like The Sittaford Mystery! I think it's got some great characters in it. It's a favourite of mine to read in the winter months as the weather then mirrors the setting in the plot and it's a great one to curl up with on a dark and blustery winters night. Let me know what you think of Emily Trefusis!

I can see where you are coming from when you say Murder in Mesepotamia is a bit slow to get going. I do like the book, as it's interesting to have the tale narrated by Amy Letheran, but I found it hard to like Mrs Leidner (dull she was not, but the sort of female most women wouldn't warm to) and subsequently care what happened to her. Or perhaps I'm just mean...

I have just finished Hickery Dickery Dock but I must say  I didn't realy recognise Hercule Poirot in it.

I'm reading Why Didn't They Ask Evans (don't spoil it for me thanks)

It's one of my favourites, TheButlerDidIt, and I wouldn't DREAM of giving away the plot for you!! I do so hope you enjoy it too!

Me Too TheButlerDidIT - Great Name, The secod best I have seen, it really captureds the feel of Histrical Novels (Like my favourite) even though the idea is an Urban Myth although I read it was created by the person who finished Dorothy L Sayers last book which she started writing before her Death and so was finished by someone else, My favourite Username I have seen on here is the last line said by Joan Hickson on when she playes Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side - I can't rermember if it is the last thing Miss Marple says in the Book  I apologise for my Puzzling Post but I do like my puzzles feel free to ignore it if you wan't to, I haven't seen a post from the person lately so cannot ask her or him if that is where he or she gotit from or wether he or she is a fan of Keeping Up Appearances and/or other Programmes opr plays with the same Atmosphere (I think that ios the word I am looking for please someone tell me a more suitable word if there is one) 

Right now I am reading The body in the library.

I have just finished The Sittaford Mystery and enjoyed it very much.I heard that a recent Miss Marple television production of this book. However did they work MM into the plot? I also thought that Emily Trefusis is a sort of prototype Lucy Eylesbarrow, a confident young woman who can look after herself but also use her feminine charms and who has to choose  between two suitors.

I didn't see it, ampman, mainly because I couldn't bear to see haow they ripped the plot apart to insert Miss Marple. I love The Sittaford Mystery and couldn't see why it needed to be adapted as a Marple.

I agree with your comments on Emily Trefusis. She is a bright spark!!

i am reading now "the body in the library" and i like it very much but i cannot understand who is murder yet !

I am on Chapter 7, I don't find it creepy but then I tend to find things either unpleasant or not and I am a man in my 40s so perhaps that is why, I find writing where incest or child Murderers aree concerned unpleasant but not Haloween Party. I found Miss Knight in The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side Disturbing creepy and Horrible.

I have just started Poirot Investigates, It is ages since I have read books with Hastings asnd Japp.  This weekend I have watched  I am looking forward to see what changes were made for the Series I enjoy so much  Cards On The Table on Video and listened to The Companion, The Christmas Tragedy and Halloween Party on Audio Cassette, I have really enjpyed them, Stephanie Cole's voice really suits the role as Ariadne Oliver but there again so does Julia MacKenzie's voiced and Zoe Wanamaker's  

I am about to begin The Mystery Of The Blue Train, the next on the chronological list for rereading. I really like this one (despite AC disliking it and others thinking it's a bit thin) so I'm looking forward to reading it again. Just finishing of a volume of Patricia Highsmith short stories.

Let us know if you enjoy Poirot Investigates, Tommy.

I just got from the library AC's 'Detectives and Young Adventurer's 50 Short Stories' (publuished by Harper 2008) and was absolutely chuffed to see included some Christmas stories and rareities that she wrote in the 60's for children.

It seems that in 1965 she published Star Over Bethlehem and other stories under her full name Agatha Christie Mallowan and there are six short stories that are really quite delightful.

Finding this has quite made my week as it's the first time I had even heard of these stories. They are not of the crime genre at all and are quite religious, but very sweet.

Has anyone else ever heard of them, read them or have the original publication?

I also just started Hercule Poirot's Christmas and and enjoying how horrible old Simeon Lee is thoroughly. A good murder will get me through the holiday crazies.

Merry Christmas to all of my new friends on these posts. I hope you have a happy and safe holiday with lots of excellent reading!!