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Sparkling Cyanide
Summary
In Sparkling Cyanide, Agatha Christie seats six—including a murderer—around a dining table set for seven, one year to the day that a beautiful heiress was poisoned in that very room.
Six people sit down to a sumptuous meal at a table laid for seven. In front of the empty place is a sprig of rosemary—"rosemary for remembrance." A strange sentiment considering no one is likely to forget the night, exactly a year ago, that Rosemary Barton died at exactly the same table, her beautiful face unrecognizable, convulsed with pain and horror.
But then Rosemary had always been memorable—she had the ability to arouse strong passions in most people she met. In one case, strong enough to kill. . . .
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Reviews
In which a party of seven is reduced to six after an uncomfortable dinner; and, a year, later, six becomes five…
"Sparkling Cyanide" (or "Remembered Death", as it was released in the US, leading me to assume that the publishers’ mandate was just to get the word “Murder” or “Death” into every title) is an expanded retelling of "Yellow Iris", a Poirot short story, which was effectively adapted for the David Suchet series in the early ’90s. It’s a lovely idea, and told damn well, featuring a detective – Colonel Johnnie Race – who had previously appeared in "The Man in the Brown Suit", and would return to Christie’s world twice, as a friend of Poirot’s. (It’s lovely that – while Christie remained staunchly opposed to ‘uniting’ Poirot and Marple – nearly all of her books tie in to an overarching ‘Universe’ [yes, I apologise for sounding like an anorak], with St. Mary Mead referenced in a Poirot novel, for example)
Race is an adept, if stoic, detective, and the story is well told – with a beautiful premise and a clever title. For me, the solution is a little too… unlikely, but – while that’s obviously a major element of the story – it doesn’t really detract from the rest.
"Sparkling Cyanide" (or "Remembered Death", as it was released in the US, leading me to assume that the publishers’ mandate was just to get the word “Murder” or “Death” into every title) is an expanded retelling of "Yellow Iris", a Poirot short story, which was effectively adapted for the David Suchet series in the early ’90s. It’s a lovely idea, and told damn well, featuring a detective – Colonel Johnnie Race – who had previously appeared in "The Man in the Brown Suit", and would return to Christie’s world twice, as a friend of Poirot’s. (It’s lovely that – while Christie remained staunchly opposed to ‘uniting’ Poirot and Marple – nearly all of her books tie in to an overarching ‘Universe’ [yes, I apologise for sounding like an anorak], with St. Mary Mead referenced in a Poirot novel, for example)
Race is an adept, if stoic, detective, and the story is well told – with a beautiful premise and a clever title. For me, the solution is a little too… unlikely, but – while that’s obviously a major element of the story – it doesn’t really detract from the rest.
This is an expansion and rewrite of the short story "Yellow Iris," published in 1937, which featured Hercule Poirot as a detective. Colonel John Race is the detective in the novel, which retains its 1930s setting, despite being published in 1947. I enjoyed reading this, although I thought the main character, Iris, was a rather a cipher, and her romance very contrived. She and her suitor seem to have fallen in love at first glance, and decided to marry very quickly. ("Some enchanted evening . . .")Then I got to the very disappointing conclusion. Christie has written a chapter on several of the characters, detailing their thoughts and personalities, but she lied by omission. After such a detailed description of the perpetrator, it seems to me like cheating to suddenly reveal an almost completely concealed motive, one that contradicts what we have learned about the character, despite the apparent frankness.
A very ingenious plot that starts a bit too slowly and develops into lots of surprises. Highly recommend it for fans of Christie or mystery novels.
? ? ? ? ? Luxembourg of what was known to be the side effects of post-flu depression...
All of Rosemary's inheritance from her family goes to her sister Iris; should anything happen to Iris, the money goes to Aunt Lucilla Drake (whose only son, Victor, is a very bad lot).
George has received anonymous letters to the effect that Rosemary was poisoned and after discussing the matter w/ his old friend, Colonel Race, decides to lay a trap for the murderer at another dinner at the Luxembourg, by the end of the evening George too is dead from poisoning....
At dinner were the same people as the prior year's fatal dinner: Iris (George's sister-in-law & Rosemary's younger sister); Ruth (George's secretary whom both George & Rosemary relied on to take care of all details and who is in love w/ George); Anthony Browne (a shady character now in love w/ Iris); Stephen Farraday (a minor MP & Rosemary's eager to escape lover); and Alexandra Farraday (Stehphen's wife who would do anything to keep her marriage intact).
As a few days pass, it becomes apparent that Iris is also in danger, she is nearly run down by a car, and then she is found in her room w/ the door sealed and her head next to the grate w/ the gas running......
There is no loss for suspects, and most all disliked Rosemary....
I liked the story, I liked the characters and I found the story so intriguing that I read it in one sitting.
All of Rosemary's inheritance from her family goes to her sister Iris; should anything happen to Iris, the money goes to Aunt Lucilla Drake (whose only son, Victor, is a very bad lot).
George has received anonymous letters to the effect that Rosemary was poisoned and after discussing the matter w/ his old friend, Colonel Race, decides to lay a trap for the murderer at another dinner at the Luxembourg, by the end of the evening George too is dead from poisoning....
At dinner were the same people as the prior year's fatal dinner: Iris (George's sister-in-law & Rosemary's younger sister); Ruth (George's secretary whom both George & Rosemary relied on to take care of all details and who is in love w/ George); Anthony Browne (a shady character now in love w/ Iris); Stephen Farraday (a minor MP & Rosemary's eager to escape lover); and Alexandra Farraday (Stehphen's wife who would do anything to keep her marriage intact).
As a few days pass, it becomes apparent that Iris is also in danger, she is nearly run down by a car, and then she is found in her room w/ the door sealed and her head next to the grate w/ the gas running......
There is no loss for suspects, and most all disliked Rosemary....
I liked the story, I liked the characters and I found the story so intriguing that I read it in one sitting.
A suicide that didn't seem likely at a birthday party full of people who had all sorts of reasons to want the person unalive.Another good Christie mystery.
Avery slow start but picked up about midway. not a great Christie mystery it revolves around the death of Rosemary Barton and the approaching 1 year anniversary of her death. Each prime suspect is introduced in the beginning chapters which I found a unique and positive.
As one may guess there is another murder upon the anniversary and so goes the mystery.
As one may guess there is another murder upon the anniversary and so goes the mystery.
Dame Agatha never fails to entertain and intrigue with her mysteries. This one involves the fateful deaths of two people, and the web of intrigue surrounding them. Not a Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, but still involving excellent detective work and well-drawn characters. The plot kept me guessing until the last minute.
Book Description The Queen of Mystery has come to Harper Collins! Agatha Christie, the acknowledged mistress of suspense—creator of indomitable sleuth Miss Marple, meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and so many other unforgettable characters—brings her entire oeuvre of ingenious whodunits, locked room mysteries, and perplexing puzzles to William Morrow Paperbacks. In Sparkling Cyanide, Christie seats six—including a murderer—around a dining table set for seven , one year to the day that a beautiful heiress was poisoned in that very room.
My Review This was a light easy read but very enjoyable. It had a good plot with well-drawn characters and kept me guessing until the very end. I liked the fact that everyone had a motive which made guessing the murderer a lot harder. I had not read a Christie book for a couple of years and it was good to read one again. I look forward to reading more of her books which I haven't read yet.
My Review This was a light easy read but very enjoyable. It had a good plot with well-drawn characters and kept me guessing until the very end. I liked the fact that everyone had a motive which made guessing the murderer a lot harder. I had not read a Christie book for a couple of years and it was good to read one again. I look forward to reading more of her books which I haven't read yet.
It's been a year since Rosemary Barton died at a party in her honor. The inquest verdict was suicide, but someone has been sending anonymous notes to her husband, George, suggesting that Rosemary was murdered. George has a plan to unmask the murderer. He invites the same guests to a party in his sister-in-law, Iris's, honor, to be held at the same location. However, things don't turn out according to plan. Did Rosemary commit suicide a year ago, or was she really murdered? If so, who killed her? Was it her husband, George? Or George's secretary, the competent Ruth Lessing, who may have a secret passion for her boss? Or Rosemary's admirer, Anthony Browne, who may not be the man he appears to be? Or her other admirer, Conservative MP Stephen Farraday? Or his jealous wife, Lady Alexandra Farraday? Or could it have been her sister and heir, Iris Marle? George Barton's friend, Colonel Race, is on the scene, and he lends his experience to Scotland Yard as they investigate not one, but two murders.This novel has a ring of familiarity to it even without the presence of one of Christie's more famous sleuths. The characters and plot bear many similarities to a Poirot short story, “Yellow Irises”, although Christie changed enough that one is not a spoiler for the other. There are also some structural similarities to Five Little Pigs (aka Murder in Retrospect). Even though the story lacks something in originality for readers familiar with Christie's earlier works, she gives the familiar elements a new twist that will leave readers guessing.
I believe it was Ogden Nash who wrote "One Christie book is as good as a lib'ry," and I have to concur. I'm sure I've read all the books Agatha Christie published under that name (skipping the Mary Westmacott titles) and yet I can only remember the plots and the culprits in a few obvious ones. So I didn't mind rereading this book (which has two titles) for an online book discussion.
[book: Remembered Death] (or [book: Sparkling Cyanide] opens almost a year after the shocking death of Rosemary Barton at her birthday party in a posh London restaurant. Various people in her life -- her sister, her husband, her husband's secretary, and two men, one of whom may have been her lover -- were present at the death and are now remembering Rosemary. Her husband, in particular, has come to question whether her death really was the suicide that the inquest decided.
There is not really a detective as such in this book. Colonel Race, a character who appears in a few other Christie novels, does put in an appearance, but he really doesn't solve the crimes -- for there will be another death in the story. (By the way, this book was remade into a Poirot for the British TV series.)
The plot, and especially the murder method, may seem a bit farfetched or even incredible to many readers. Christie does make use of a favorite device, having the murdered be an overlooked person. The descriptions of upper- and upper-middle-class England between the wars are those we have come to expect from Christie. The strength of this book is in the characters, and especially in how, through their interior monologues, Christie is able to make us suspect each one in turn and believe each of them capable of murder under the right circumstances. For this reason alone, I felt it was worth the re-reading and, as usual, Christie surprised me again when the culprit was revealed.
[book: Remembered Death] (or [book: Sparkling Cyanide] opens almost a year after the shocking death of Rosemary Barton at her birthday party in a posh London restaurant. Various people in her life -- her sister, her husband, her husband's secretary, and two men, one of whom may have been her lover -- were present at the death and are now remembering Rosemary. Her husband, in particular, has come to question whether her death really was the suicide that the inquest decided.
There is not really a detective as such in this book. Colonel Race, a character who appears in a few other Christie novels, does put in an appearance, but he really doesn't solve the crimes -- for there will be another death in the story. (By the way, this book was remade into a Poirot for the British TV series.)
The plot, and especially the murder method, may seem a bit farfetched or even incredible to many readers. Christie does make use of a favorite device, having the murdered be an overlooked person. The descriptions of upper- and upper-middle-class England between the wars are those we have come to expect from Christie. The strength of this book is in the characters, and especially in how, through their interior monologues, Christie is able to make us suspect each one in turn and believe each of them capable of murder under the right circumstances. For this reason alone, I felt it was worth the re-reading and, as usual, Christie surprised me again when the culprit was revealed.
SPARKLING CYANIDE is very carefully constructed, beginning with 5 people remembering the death of Rosemary Barton from cyanide poisoning just a a year before. The coroner brought a verdict of suicide, but recently George, her husband, has received notes leading him to think that perhaps Rosemary was murdered. There seem to be any number of possible murderers.George decides to set a trap, to hold another celebration at the same nightclub, this time for the birthday of Rosemary's sister Iris. The empty place at the table on the night of Rosemary's death had been for Colonel Johnny Race who had been unable to get there. George Barton had known Colonel Race in India. George invites Race to Iris' birthday party but Race refuses the invitation. Nevertheless George tells everyone that the empty place is for Colonel Race.When George also dies from cyanide poisoning Colonel Race assists Chief Inspector Kemp from Scotland Yard to work out who is the murderer and what the motive is.Colonel Race also appears in THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT (1924), CARDS ON THE TABLE (1936) and DEATH ON THE NILE (1937). It is unusual for him to appear on his own, as he is generally plays a supporting role for others like Hercule Poirot. By SPARKLING CYANIDE he is quite elderly.
Substance: The psychological state of all the suspects is well done. The clues are fair, and the mystery solved by one of the participants. However, the solution itself is not plausible. Interesting as a window on the world of 1945 England.Style: Somewhat more "people oriented" than others she wrote.
This edition is an abridged audiobook on 3 CDs, running time about 3 hours, read by Nigel Anthony. According to LibraryThing, it's the last of four novels featuring Colonel Race.A year ago, a group of people sat down to dinner around a table in the Luxembourg table. One of them was dead by cyanide at the end of the evening, apparently a suicide. But Rosemary's husband tells a friend that he has come to believe that she was murdered, and has set a trap for the murderer in the form of a remembrance dinner on the anniversary of her death. It's a trap that will be sprung in the worst possible way, leaving his friend Colonel Race to tease out the clues -- before a third murder is committed.In a series of flashbacks, Christie shows how each of the people around the table that night had a motive for murdering Rosemary, including her husband. As the action moves forward to the anniversary dinner and its aftermath, each character study is developed further, shedding new light on people's behaviour but often only changing their motive rather than removing it. Race has a problem on his hands -- there is an abundance of suspects for each murder, but any individual suspect really only has all three of method, motive and opportunity for one of the murders. And yet the murders are clearly linked...The solution to the mystery is simple in hindsight, but well concealed by the array of convincing motives on offer. And even when Colonel Race finally understands the pattern of events, the suspense continues, because the pattern points to one more murder that must take place.The mystery is an enjoyable way to pass a few hours, and the book is by and large well read by Anthony. I did find his reading of female characters' dialogue slightly irritating, as he used a slightly falsetto voice which simply sounded silly to me and thus pulled me out of the story slightly. But it's an enjoyable audiobook that I'll be happy to listen to again.
This is the last of the novels that featured Colonel Race and/or Superintendent Battle and it was a very satisfying conclusion. Colonel Race is retired from MI5 (we are finally confirmed in our suspicions of what he was doing for a living) and is involved in this mystery because of friendship. I liked the form of the novel as we are introduced individually to the main characters in the first part of the book and then are introduced to the “puzzle” part of the story. There is even a reference to Superintendent Battle when Race consults Superintendent Kemp who has stepped into his former chief’s shoes upon Battle’s retirement. This one had an added bonus for me—I was guessing about the culprit until the last few pages—and one of the factors took me completely by surprise. I’m not usually that “trusting” in Christie novels.
A highly enjoyable murder mystery, Sparkling Cyanide features none of Agatha Christie's recurring sleuths, but 'sparkles' nonetheless with a cast of familiar but well-drawn characters. A lovely but airheaded young wife has been done in by the eponymous poison, and who's to blame? The list of suspects comprises several highly-plausible possibilities, featuring the victim's cuckolded husband, plus her uneasy lover and his iron-willed wife.The story is excellent for period detail (1940s) and for strong pacing and dialogue. The only downside is the ending, which is satisfactory in 'whodunit' terms, but disappointing in its technicalities.Never the less, this one's recommended.
Although intriguing and stumping, it was also a little lacking in clues, and somewhat disappointing that the killer is someone who seems to come out of no where. How could anyone guess it was ... I challenge anyone to correctly guess the murder without cheating and reading the last page.I am a great fan of mystery novels and, despite its shortcomings, this was one of the better who-done-its I have read for a long time. It's easy to see why the woman is rated one of the best writers of her genre.
Another good murder in retrospect
This is another one of those mysteries where the original murder happened in the past and somehow the story needs to be untangled. This is another one of those books where there is an element of romance, which feels less contrived than some of her other books. Parts of the story are also focalised through different characters and the change in perspective makes this an interesting and entertaining read.
As with many of Christie's novels, this is less a murder mystery than it is a romance. This is one of the more satisfying, told from the point of view of each of the suspects in turn. I particularly enjoyed the character of Sandra Faraday.
Old fashioned with often cardboard characters, but nobody keeps you guessing like old Agatha.
Still a good read.