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Hercule Poirot's Christmas
Agatha Christie
#UC3052 Hardcover, 271 pages; 2008 (1938) $10.46

  Well into her career as the most popular mystery writer of all time, Agatha Christie received a complaint from her brother-in-law that her stories had become anemic. He longed for "a good violent murder with lots of blood." In this holiday story written especially for her demanding relation, Christie's brilliant detective Poirot is obliged to spend his Christmas investigating a ghastly murder in a mansion full of shady suspects. Bitter sibling rivalries and a fortune in diamonds form just part of the impenetrable maze. This classic mystery is recommended for anyone who won't mind dining on a series of red herrings this holiday season. (BB)