I’ve got into a habit, during past reading clubs, of starting off the week with a classic mystery – usually something from the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, although I did make a change for our last event, the #1929Club, when I explored the work of Alice Campbell. However, 1940 features two options from Christie in the form of “Sad Cypress” and “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe“. Both of these were early reads in my Christie journey, back in my teens, and both are well-loved. However, I recall being particularly fond of “One, Two..” and so decided it would be my first book for 1940!
The story starts simply, with Hercule Poirot making a fairly prosaic visit to his dentist, Mr. Morley; on his way out, he encounters a flustered middle aged woman whose shoe buckle falls off and he retrieves it for her. Later on, his dentist commits suicide by shooting himself, thought why he should this is beyond anyone’s guess. From such relatively ordinary events springs a tale which draws in wartime spying, double dealing, high finance and threats to the stability of Great Britain. Yet the solution may be simpler than it initially appears; but can Poirot and Japp get to the bottom of things and determine whether this is suicide or murder, and who is responsible?
In the same way as I was always drawn to “The ABC Mystery” because I spent some of my childhood in Andover (which features in the story), I felt a connection with this book too. The setting of the dentist’s surgery, up some old fashioned stairs, is very similar to the dentist I attended as a child, and so the story sprang to life immediately anyway. However, putting that aside, it really is a wonderfully clever mystery! The dentist, Morley, is an exemplary surgeon who lives a quiet life, and so there’s no reason why he should kill himself. Equally, there’s no reason why he should be murdered; and both Poirot and Japp vascilate throughout the book as to why and how the dentist died.
However, when the detecting duo look into the background of some of the others who attended Mr. Morley for an appointment that day, the investigation widens. There is Alistair Blunt, a discreet yet important financier, whose influence is vital in keeping the country stable through these difficult war years. Also attending is Mr. Barnes, a quiet civil servant who may know more than he seems to… And the volatile Howard Raikes, a close friend of Blunt’s neice, is happy to shout his mouth off about the change needed in the country – but why would he kill a dentist and not make an attempt on, say, Blunt’s life? Then there is Miss Sainsbury Seale, she of the titular buckle, a woman with an exemplary past doing good in India. Finally, there is Morley’s last patient, Mr. Amberiotis, a mysterious character staying at the Savoy. Certainly, there are any number of potential suspects – but who actually killed the man, and what was the motive??? Things take a different turn, though, when some of the other patients who visited the surgery on the day of the death are also found murdered, and the plot thickens…
Whenever I read a Christie, I know I’m in good hands and this book was no exception! The mystery was clever and absorbing, the characters most entertaining and the wartime setting brilliantly conjured. The political element was a strong thread throughout the book, with Christie using her tale to discuss the effects of disruptive influences and the need for stability during wartime; her stance was obviously conservative (with a small c – I don’t actually know her politics) but to be honest she did seem to recognise the feelings of the younger generation, itching for change whilst they witnessed those older and in power drawing them into another conflict. However, as she sensibly has a character point out, there’s no point bringing everything crashing down if you haven’t got anything to replace it with.
What I particularly loved about this book was the relationship between Poirot and Japp as they worked together on the case. Often their interactions can be a bit prickly, with Japp a little mocking of Poirot’s methods, but here they are getting along, respecting each other as colleagues and it’s lovely! Japp is happy to listen to Poirot’s views and the two discuss the case together as equals. They’re obviously two of my favourite characters in Christie’s books, and I wondered whether she had them working together for the common good because of the wartime setting? Whatever the reason, it was great fun! It’s also one of her books where she ties in the plot with a nursery rhyme – always most entertaining, and brilliantly done here of course.
Revisiting Christie’s books is always such a treat; she’s definitely one of my desert island authors and I’ve said before I would happily read her books in chronological order from start to finish – a project for when I finally retire, perhaps. I’m so glad I chose an old favourite to start our week of reading for the #1940Club – a joy from start to finish! 😀
Liz Dexter
Apr 10, 2023 @ 07:24:05
Ooh if you do all the AC’s don’t include the volumes of short stories – they drove my friend Gill a bit round the bend when she did it and did include them!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:50:58
Oh, did they? I quite like her short stories – why did your friend struggle???
Liz Dexter
Apr 12, 2023 @ 22:10:59
Now I’m not sure – I think there were so many volumes and the same stories cropped up in a few of them!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 13, 2023 @ 12:16:04
Ah, could be! They do tend to repackage her work a lot…
A Life in Books
Apr 10, 2023 @ 08:17:27
What a brilliant piece of jacket design! Knocks spots off lots of today’s offerings.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:49:15
It’s great, isn’t it? I have quite a number from that era, and they really are marvellous!
Lisa Hill
Apr 10, 2023 @ 08:47:06
You can see how the TV series Death in Paradise is a spinoff from these AC plots… a suicide that isn’t, but murder seems impossible, and then all the adjacent characters have a motive to kill in their backgrounds.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:48:51
I must confess I’ve never watched Death in Paradise, but I imagine Christie set the template for so many modern crime dramas!
Lisa Hill
Apr 10, 2023 @ 15:35:47
I’m not interested in crime fiction at all, but on a lazy Saturday night, I’m quite content to watch Death in Paradise…
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 16:02:46
🤣❤ I get that…
madamebibilophile
Apr 10, 2023 @ 08:49:25
This isn’t one I’ve read and it sounds great! An interesting puzzle and some reflections on the situation at the time.
That cover is absolutely wonderful!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:48:04
It’s great fun Madame B – a clever mystery, some wonderful repartee between the characters and with the wider world brought in too. And you’re right about the cover – that era of Christie covers is great!
JacquiWine
Apr 10, 2023 @ 09:15:20
Lovely to see you kicking of the week with a classic Christie! I’m pretty sure I read this one back in my youth as the scenario you describe definitely rings a bell. As you say, it’s great to know you’re in safe hands with Dame Agatha as her skills with characterisation and plotting never fail to disappoint. I like what you say about the dynamics between Poirot and Japp here – that’s very interesting to note.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:47:03
I do love to start off with a Christie and this one didn’t disapppoint – she really is on form here, and I did particularly enjoy the relationship between Poirot and Japp in this one – getting along better because of the War crisit maybe!
Elle
Apr 10, 2023 @ 09:38:20
I don’t think I’ve ever read this one! It’s interesting how personal things (like being able to visualise the dentist practice so exactly) can make a difference to your experience of a book. I remember enjoying being able to picture Gervase Fen roaring up and down Oxford streets in his red car (though some more of them have become one-way since Crispin’s time…)
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:45:44
It’s a good one I think – so inventive and brings in lots of wider issues. And yes – being able to picture a setting does bring a book alive!
Simon T [StuckinaBook]
Apr 10, 2023 @ 10:47:02
Hurrah for getting Christie out early doors! I do remember reading this one when I was looking for something light to distract me from worrying about… dental treatment 😀 I chose the wrong book that time, but it is the perfect book for 1940 Club. She was in fine form in 1940, as Sad Cypress is also a good’un, IIRC.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:44:37
Oh yes – I love to start with Agatha, always a wonderful read. And I had to laugh about picking this one up to distract from teeth – really not the best choice, LOL! 1940 was definitely a good year for her, though – I nearly read Sad Cypress as I recall loving that too.
Janette
Apr 10, 2023 @ 10:47:43
I remember really enjoying this one and reading your review makes me want to go back and reread it. I’m definitely going to have to do a proper reread of Christie books at some point. I’ve got Sad Cypress for this week.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:43:12
It’s such a good one isn’t it? I did think about Sad Cypress, because I recall loving it too, but I’m glad I plumped for this one. But yes – a major Christie re-read would be marvellous!
Margot Kinberg
Apr 10, 2023 @ 11:57:12
I like this one a lot, too! I think it show Poirot’s human side, especially as he grapples with the truth once he knows it. I also agree that his friendship with Japp is done quite well here. And Christie raises some interesting questions about society, politics, and so on without overwhelming the book. It was very nice to see the book mentioned here!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:42:03
It does, doesn’t it Margot? He has to make some really difficult moral choices but of course does what you’d expect him to do. And yes, the relationship with Japp is wonderfully done. I did love the way Christie integrated the wider issues – as you say, she didn’t let them take over!
Helen
Apr 10, 2023 @ 12:49:25
I’ve been reading a lot of Christie lately, so I decided to choose some other authors for the club, but this book does sound great and the nursery rhyme ones are always fun! It’s one I haven’t read, although I did love her other 1940 book, Sad Cypress.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 14:40:49
That’s a good idea and I’ll look forward to seeing what you read! I couldn’t decide between this and Sad Cypress for a while, but plumped for this one because I remember loving it so!
heavenali
Apr 10, 2023 @ 16:06:36
Brilliant, many years since I encountered this one. I love a classic Poirot. AC can always be relied on for these club weeks.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 10, 2023 @ 16:14:23
She can, and I can never have too much of Poirot either – love his stories!!
whisperinggums
Apr 11, 2023 @ 00:37:05
I have never read Christie though have seen many of the movies and some of the Miss Marple and Poirot tv shows. I do like the way she evokes the era. I liked your point about not really knowing her politics but that she did understand the need of the young for change.
(Oh, and I did see this book among others on family bookshelves. Everyone read her in the mid-20th century it seemed to me.)
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 11, 2023 @ 12:48:11
Christie’s been a favourite of mine since my teens, and I still have all my originals which is lovely (many picked up second hand at jumble sales!) She certainly was everywhere in the last century I suspect!
Julé Cunningham
Apr 11, 2023 @ 00:41:49
This one does have a nice relationship between Poirot and Japp, it sometimes surprises me how dismissive Japp can be (Lord Edgware Dies), when he should know Poirot invariably solves his tough cases for him! A perfect start to your 1940 reading and that IS a great cover design.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 11, 2023 @ 12:47:17
Yes, Japp is not always so sympathetic to what Poirot things but here there seems a much closer working relationship, which is enjoyable. A wonderful start to the week – and yes, the cover is outstanding!
Reese
Apr 11, 2023 @ 04:36:11
I haven’t read that one in forever myself. Tempting to hunt it up, but I don’t even have a copy of it any more.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 11, 2023 @ 12:45:08
Ah well – maybe a local library?? It’s great fun!
Calmgrove
Apr 11, 2023 @ 09:15:38
Not a Christie I’ve read – but then I’ve not read many of her mysteries! I’m currently enjoying Hugh Laurie’s adaptation of Why Didn’t They Ask Evans on ITV, not least for the Welsh spin that’s put on it; last episode is tonight!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 11, 2023 @ 12:44:09
She’s my favourite comfort read, I think – always reliable! I confess I’ve avoided most recent adaptations as they will mess with her storylines – I prefer the books and my own visualisations of things!
Calmgrove
Apr 12, 2023 @ 10:33:18
I confess I don’t mind most adaptations of novels providing they’re done well, convincingly and with a certain degree of integrity even if they take liberties with the original text. What I can’t stand is an adaptation that fails as a piece of storytelling in its own right because I get distracted by anachronisms, bad acting, poor scripting and plot holes.
That said, not having read ‘Evans’ I’m still enjoying Hugh Laurie’s adaptation despite odd lapses like inconsistent Welsh accents and Guildford High Street and a flint-faced church masquerading as Welsh locations. (At least the location filming used Three Cliffs Bay and Pennard Castle on the Gower, and they are actually in Wales!)
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 12, 2023 @ 16:31:32
I think, tbh, glaring errors aside, it’s probably better to watch these things if you *haven’t* read the book – if it’s one I’ve loved, I do tend to be a bit overcritical. And I don’t mind a bit of adapting – after all, the Suchet Poirots, which I do love, made quite a lot of changes. But I do find most modern adaptations a bit too much – the Rowan Atkinson Maigrets, for example….
1streading
Apr 11, 2023 @ 10:07:07
Always a good choice – and, as you say, often more than one to choose from! I love these old covers.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 11, 2023 @ 12:38:42
Me too – they’re such distinctive covers! And I do find you can’t go wrong with Christie!
1940 Club: All your reviews! #1940Club – Stuck in a Book
Apr 11, 2023 @ 15:51:45
Brona's Books
Apr 12, 2023 @ 04:20:07
I was hoping your review would remind me whether or not I had read this one before (also in my early teens) but nothing doing I’m afraid. Although I do know I had a penchant for the AC’s featuring nursery rhymes, so the odds are in favour of yes. And maybe this is a good enough reason to reread some of the AC’s after all 🙂
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 12, 2023 @ 16:36:16
Absolutely! Re-reading Agatha is always such a pleasure, and she was certainly on form in this one! 😀
mallikabooks15
Apr 12, 2023 @ 18:12:31
Christie is one of my comfort reads too; this is one I last read long ago but I remember the dentist’s clinic and the different patients’ apprehensions wonderfully captured at the start. And I do remember liking the book as well. For my mystery read this week, though I’ve picked a new to me author and book, A Scream in Soho.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 12, 2023 @ 20:20:45
She’s always a reliable author to return to, isn’t she? Will look forward to your thoughts on Scream!
mallikabooks15
Apr 13, 2023 @ 15:53:31
Very much saw; much of my time during the first lockdown in 2020 was spent revisiting Christie!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 13, 2023 @ 16:20:39
Bliss!!!!
thewhippleline
Apr 14, 2023 @ 03:39:29
Great review and thanks for hosting the club – I read Sad Cypress for this week and now this makes me eager to try out this one. My library has the audiobook by Hugh Fraser, too, he always brings her books to life beautifully 🙂
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 14, 2023 @ 12:07:03
Thanks and most welcome! I do wish I’d had time for Sad Cypress. And an audiobook with Hugh Fraser is very appealing – I bet he reads them wonderfully!!
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie – The Book Decoder
Apr 14, 2023 @ 07:34:02