The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie [Review]

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6) by Agatha Christie
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: April 4, 2025

Hercule Poirot
1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles
2. The Murder on the Links
3. Poirot Investigates
4. The Murder of Roger Akroyd
5. The Big Four
6. The Mystery of the Blue Train - Paperback | Kindle
7. Black Coffee
8. Peril at End House
9. Lord Edgeware Dies
10. Murder on the Orient Express
11. Three Act Tragedy
12. Death in the Clouds
13. The ABC Murders
14. Murder in Mesopotamia
15. Cards on the Table
16. Dead Man's Mirror
17. Dumb Witness
18. Death on the Nile
19. Appointment with Death
20. Hercule Poirot's Christmas
21. Sad Cypress
22. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
23. Evil Under the Sun
24. Five Little Pigs
25. The Hollow
26. The Labors of Hercules
27. Taken at the Flood
28. Mrs. McGinty's Dead
29. After the Funeral
30. Hickory Dickory Dock
31. Dead Man's Folly
32. Cat Among the Pigeons
33. Double Sin and Other Stories
34. The Clocks
35. Third Girl
36. Hallowe'en Party
37. Elephants Can Remember
38. Curtain

Agatha Christie
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

A mysterious woman, a legendary cursed jewel, and a night train from London to the French Riviera -- ingredients for the perfect romance or the perfect crime?

When the Blue Train stops, the jewel is missing, and the woman is found dead in her compartment. It's the perfect mystery, filled with passion, greed, deceit, and confusion.

Is Hercule Poirot the perfect detective to solve it?

Thoughts on The Mystery of the Blue Train: Happenstance (and some bad luck for the person committing the crime) has Hercule Poirot aboard the Blue Train when a murder is committed. Add in a young woman who has just come into a tidy inheritance and who is both observant and practical and the bad guys really don't stand a chance.

But before Poirot works his magic with his little gray cells, the crime has to happen. The setup is complicated (or is it?) and involves an unhappy marriage, priceless jewels, infidelity (on more than one count), and some big players. It really is only luck (of either the good or bad variety depending on who's looking at it) that puts Poirot and Katherine in the right place at the right time to become part of the investigation.

A whole lot of planning, a little theatrical flare, danger, potential romance, and one wily detective who can't seem to stop investigating when crime happens around him. *thumbs up*

Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie [Review]

Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories (Miss Marple Mysteries #13) by Agatha Christie
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 13, 2025

Miss Marple Mysteries
1. The Murder at the Vicarage
2. The Body in the Library
3. The Moving Finger
4. Sleeping Murder
5. A Murder is Announced
6. They Do It With Mirrors
7. A Pocket Full of Rye
8. 4:50 From Paddington
9. The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side
10. A Caribbean Mystery
11. At Bertram's Hotel
12. Nemesis
13. The Complete Short Stories - Paperback | Kindle

Agatha Christie
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Described by her friend Dolly Bantry as “the typical old maid of fiction,” Miss Marple has lived almost her entire life in the sleepy hamlet of St. Mary Mead. Yet, by observing village life she has gained an unparalleled insight into human nature—and used it to devastating effect. As her friend Sir Henry Clithering, the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard, has been heard to say: “She’s just the finest detective God ever made”—and many Agatha Christie fans would agree.

Thoughts on Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories: First things first - short stories are REALLY hit or miss with me. I either love them or I hate them. To be fair, I think I tend to veer more toward love when I already know the characters (although there are definite exceptions to that), so Miss Marple and her quirky village parallels did already have a leg up in that regard.

Frankly, these shorts rocked. Hard. Miss Marple and her fluttery, fluffy brilliance kept me smiling. From the Tuesday night club where several individuals try to stump one another with complicated crimes (and which Miss Marple figures out every time) to her *knowing* who did the deed and putting her trust in Sir Henry's hands to make things stick, Miss Marple is her usual gentle, sharp self. She might ramble a bit when trying to explain, but she always knows who committed the crime. Good stuff all around.

Nemesis by Agatha Christie [Review]

Nemesis (Miss Marple Mysteries #12) by Agatha Christie
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 7, 2025

Miss Marple Mysteries
1. The Murder at the Vicarage
2. The Body in the Library
3. The Moving Finger
4. Sleeping Murder
5. A Murder is Announced
6. They Do It With Mirrors
7. A Pocket Full of Rye
8. 4:50 From Paddington
9. The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side
10. A Caribbean Mystery
11. At Bertram's Hotel
12. Nemesis - Paperback | Kindle
13. The Complete Short Stories

Agatha Christie
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

In utter disbelief, Miss Marple read the letter addressed to her from the recently deceased Mr. Rafiel—an acquaintance she had met briefly on her travels. He had left instructions for her to investigate a crime after his death. The only problem was, he had failed to tell her who was involved or where and when the crime had been committed. It was most intriguing.

Soon she is faced with a new crime—the ultimate crime—murder. It seems someone is adamant that past evils remained buried. . . .

Thoughts on Nemesis: The unflappable Miss Marple has been asked to investigate a crime that happened years ago. The catch? The person requesting her help, Mr. Rafiel, has himself recently passed away and he gave only the vaguest hints as to what he wants from her. In fact, Miss Marple is given barely anything to go on regarding the crime in question (including what the crime actually was) and only her sharp mind and belief in Mr. Rafiel's plan (which is entirely unknown to her) keeps her moving in the right direction.

As it turns out, trusting Miss Marple to figure things out is pretty genius. She sees things others might overlook and she puts these random events in order with surprising ease until the big picture reveals itself. Even with the barest of clues and no idea of the actual crime committed, Miss Marple begins to unravel the mystery that affected more than one life.

Miss Marple might be slowing down physically as the years catch up with her, but her mind is as sharp as ever. And she's not one to let an injustice lie. I always enjoy spending time with Miss Marple and her gentle investigations and this was no exception.

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie [Review]

At Bertram's Hotel (Miss Marple Mysteries #11) by Agatha Christie
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 4, 2025

Miss Marple Mysteries
1. The Murder at the Vicarage
2. The Body in the Library
3. The Moving Finger
4. Sleeping Murder
5. A Murder is Announced
6. They Do It With Mirrors
7. A Pocket Full of Rye
8. 4:50 From Paddington
9. The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side
10. A Caribbean Mystery
11. At Bertram's Hotel - Paperback | Kindle
12. Nemesis
13. The Complete Short Stories

Agatha Christie
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

An old-fashioned London hotel is not quite as reputable as it makes out to be.…

When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she’s looking for at Bertram’s Hotel: traditional decor, impeccable service, and an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly-polished veneer.

Yet, not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric guest makes his way to the airport on the wrong day.…

Thoughts on At Bertram's Hotel: Unfortunately for those trying to crime, Miss Marple happens to be spending a holiday soaking in the old-world charm of Bertram's Hotel. While it's highly possible to police would have caught up to said criming eventually, Miss Marple and her keen eye and even keener ability to make connections between events moved the timetable up on the catching.

Because Miss Marple sees things. More than that, the parallels she can draw between individuals she meets and individuals in her village makes her wickedly good at anticipating what's coming. And when you team up a sharp-eyed investigator with Miss Marple? THINGS HAPPEN. And by that I mean, the big picture begins to reveal itself rather quickly.

Some serious crime, a hotel that oozes charm, coincidences that are too coincidental, and Miss Marple doing that thing she does. Which means the bad guys don't stand a chance. *thumbs up*

I Married Amreth by Regine Abel [Review]

I Married Amreth (Prime Mating Agency #14) by Regine Abel
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 2, 2025

Prime Mating Agency
1. I Married a Lizardman
2. I Married a Naga
3. I Married a Birdman
4. I Married a Merman
5. I Married a Minotaur
6. I Married a Dragon
7. I Married a Beast
8. I Married a Dryad
9. I Married Wonjin
10. I Married an Incubus
11. I Married Krogal
12. I Married a Mothman
13. I Married a Catman
14. I Married Amreth - Paperback | Kindle

Regine Abel
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

He’s the dark angel of her dreams.

When Ciara attends the Intergalactic Medicine Symposium, the last thing she expects is to run into Kayog, an infallible empathic matchmaker, who declares he knows who her soulmate is. Her excitement at the prospect of meeting Amreth, a magnificent and powerful Obosian Hell Lord, is crushed when a pirate attack results in her near-death and abduction.

After years of loneliness as a Warden on the prison planet Molvi, Amreth is elated when Kayog informs him he found his soulmate. Devastated to hear she’s been abducted, and even though he’s never met her, he doesn’t hesitate to go rescue his Ciara. Kayog is never wrong. But once he tracks down the kidnappers and connects with his mate, Amreth realizes that nothing is ever as it seems.

As tragic events unfold, will Amreth and Ciara’s efforts help save an entire species from extinction, or will they also fall to the evil external forces threatening them?

Thoughts on I Married Amreth: Kayog is at it again, but he's not exactly working on behalf of the PMA this time. Which isn't saying much because Kayog always does good work whether it's for them or not. So when he realizes Ciara is Amreth's other half after a chance meeting, he's delighted. That delight is short lived, however, since the ship he and Ciara are on is attacked and Ciara is abducted.

Fortunately for Ciara, Amreth isn't about to let his chance to find his soulmate pass him by. As soon as Kayog tells him the situation, he sets out to rescue her. Only...she doesn't exactly need rescuing. Her abduction (and those of her colleagues) puts her on a path to right a terrible wrong and she can't abandon the people who need her without helping them in every way she knows how.

So she and Amreth get to know one another as they work to unravel a mystery that's killing the inhabitants of a planet. There are complications and danger and some VERY bad people behind it all. But Ciara and Amreth have one another to lean on and the more they get to know one another, the deeper their bond (and desire to help the ones affected) becomes.

A little danger, a few familiar faces, new-found friends, the righting of a wrong, a male who fights for what's right, and a lady who refuses to back down even when things get tough. *thumbs up* all around!

The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride by Ruby Dixon [Review]

The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride (Aspect and Anchor #4.5) by Ruby Dixon
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 12, 2025

Aspect and Anchor
0.5. The King's Spinster Bride
1. Bound to the Battle God
2. Sworn to the Shadow God
3. Wed to the Wild God
3.5. The Half-Orc's Maiden Bride
4. Servant to the Spidae
4.5. The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride - Paperback | Kindle

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Valessa is in danger. Her town has been captured by Aventinian raiders, the women taken, and now she's on a ship destined for nowhere good. But when a terrifying, four-armed sea-ogre pirate boards the ships and demands compensation, Valessa's luck changes.

The sea-ogre demands a bride. It's the perfect opportunity for her to escape.

Valessa volunteers. She tells everyone she's very experienced with sea-ogres and knows just how to please them. She's very descriptive about it, too.

Thing is...Valessa's a liar.

She's never met a sea-ogre in her life. But it can't be that hard to keep one man-slash-monster happy, can it?

Thoughts on The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride: Valessa's in a sort of bad place when we first meet her. Both literally and figuratively. She was a slave before she was captured by raiders and things don't really seem to be looking up in any way, shape, or form. Until a broody, not-much-of-a-talker sea-ogre blocks the ship carrying her and demands a bride.

Except Ranan didn't actually want a bride. You remember that "not much of a talker" thing from above? Yeah, the big guy doesn't talk much because his words sometimes get tangled and he misspeaks. He really wanted a bribe, but Vali jumped at the chance to get off the ship and quickly volunteered to be his bride when he uttered the word. Now he's stuck with a human he doesn't know what to do with who can't swim and is hardly suited to life floating on the back of a giant sea-turtle.

On Vali's end, Ranan confuses her. He's surly and broody and barely speaks to her for all he requested a bride. Yet under all the grump is a male with a surprisingly sweet side. He may be terrible at expressing it, but it's there. Wrapped under grunts and scowls.

A little pirating, swimming lessons, more treasure than you can shake a stick at, a surly male who doesn't know what he needs until it falls into his lap, and a lady who is far stronger than she gives herself credit for. GOOD STUFF!

RtP's Week in Review (05/18/25)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Secrets, Lies and Fireflies by Angie Fox [Review] - Verity's at it again!
• Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd by Delihah S. Dawson [Review] - D&D time!
• 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie [Review] - Miss Marple is back!
• The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie [Review] - More Miss Marple!
• A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie [Review] - Even MORE Miss Marple!
• Moaning for the Monsters by Wendi Guff [Review] - Monster love!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young
• Kept by the Kraken (Monstrous Deals #3.5) by Ami Wright
• Graveyard Dog (Charley Davidson) by Darynda Jones
• Currently reading 
• Worshipped by the Werewolf by Ami Wright