"Me, I work with my brains and am not ashamed of it."

Reading Agatha Christie is always such a treat. I know I'm in for a good time, so I clear out my schedule, put on my comfiest outfit, and settle in for a few hours of fun and cozy-murdering. And Death on the Nile sure delivers.

Wealthy heiress Linnet Ridgeway has it all: beauty, charm, and money. And now she has love too, marrying the man of her dreams and starting their lives together with a honeymoon in Egypt. But this exotic trip to a faraway locale is turning up a surprising number of familiar faces. And when their cruise along the Nile turns deadly, Hercule Poirot must step in and solve the case.

The pacing, at least initially, feels more luxurious than some of Christie's other mysteries. We don't jump immediately into the cozy-murdering. Instead, we settle in to meet the full cast of characters and really dive into Linnet's story. I found her character to be compelling, and the circumstances leading up to her marriage interesting and a bit scandalous.

And once we get to the mystery, it's as fun as any whodunnit I've read. Because we already got to know all the players before the murder even happened, there isn't that awkward chunk when we have to meet and establish everyone. Instead, we can really focus on the mystery, and it is a good one. It has so many juicy elements: intrigue, love, backstabbing, money, and deception. And we are treated to all the clues and red herrings we've come to know and love from the genre.

One thing I particularly enjoy about Agatha Christie's mysteries is the crispness of her reveal. They are always simple and logical, yet also completely surprising. It is her hallmark, one that I've searched far and wide and have found very few authors who can match. Often, other reveals are either too simple (so you see it coming from a mile away), or are so convoluted and outlandish that it borders on nonsensical. But with Christie, there's always that eureka moment when everything comes together in the most satisfying and logical conclusion.

Sometimes I wonder how our literary world would've been if Agatha Christie never came along, what a terrible loss we never would've known. Thankfully, we don't need to contemplate such an unspeakable scenario. We do have her and reading her books is always the most delightful of experiences.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Ooh, is someone getting cozy-murdered during the most festive time of the year? Sign me up! That should put me right in the holiday spirit.

Wizened patriarch Simeon Lee wants his family around him for Christmas. So he puts out the call, and his children all answer, coming from far and wide to gather for the holidays. But when he's brutally murdered, no one seems that upset. In fact, they all appear somewhat relieved to be rid of the old man and his tyrannical ways. But who among them actually did the deed? Well, Hercule Poirot will find out.

What a perfectly plotted locked-room mystery this turned out to be. Just about every time I read Agatha Christie, I stand in awe of her genius, and this time it's no different. This has all of her hallmarks: a small cast of characters, clues and red herrings galore, and a reveal that is sure to surprise the pants off any reader.

Speaking of the reveal, I didn't see it coming. And that's what I love about Agatha Christie. Until the actual moment when Poirot gathers everyone together and unveils his hand, I had no idea what was going on. Of course the clues were all there. And on top of which, I've read this book before, although the last time was a decade ago. Obviously, I haven't become a better armchair detective in the meantime.

Every time I pick up an Agatha Christie, I'm just filled with glee and anticipation. I know only goodness awaits me. Add in the festive atmosphere, and this one hits all the right notes for the perfect holiday whodunnit.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars

Even among Agatha Christie's amazing murder mysteries, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd stands out as one of the most extraordinary.

I first read this more than 20 years ago in high school, and was so stunned by the ending that I remembered it through all these years. Recently, I wanted to reread it and see if I still love it just as much, even though I already know the ending going in. And sure enough, it's just as brilliant as I remembered.

This story has all the characteristics that make an Agatha Christie whodunnit remarkable—a confounding murder, a small but seemingly unlikely list of suspects, an abundance of clues and red herrings everywhere, and an ending that will leave you amazed. It was really fun to revisit this story that has stood out in my memory for so long.

In many ways, Agatha Christie was a pioneer in her genre, and this story is one example where you can see her influence in the books that have come since then. For me, she remains the undisputed queen of mystery. I only wish I can scrub my memory so I can enjoy this story over and over again.

Readaroo Rating: 5 stars!

Say what you will about Hercule Poirot and his "little grey cells," but there's a reason he is Agatha Christie's most celebrated detective. And Murder on the Orient Express is his most famous case.

Our Belgian detective is aboard the fabled Orient Express when a snowstorm stops the train on its tracks. When morning comes, it is discovered that a passenger has been stabbed to death in his locked compartment. With the snow outside, it becomes clear that the murderer must still be on the train, and it is up to Poirot to figure out who it is.

This is my favorite type of murder mystery—a locked room. The suspects have nowhere to go and the guilty party must be one of them. What follows is a brilliantly twisty whodunnit with red herrings and interesting characters who all have something to hide. And when the solution is revealed, I'm blown away by the cleverness and how the clues were there all along.

The only quibble I have is that Poirot goes and interviews each person one by one, which is then recorded in detail. This format is pretty common in quite a few Poirot books, but it isn't my preferred style. It can get boring and repetitive to hear each person describe the same event with just a slightly different spin. But that's usually over soon enough, and then we can get back to the exciting parts.

I first started reading Agatha Christie in 8th grade, partly to learn English and partly because my younger self found murders fascinating. Thus began my love affair with Agatha Christie and she remains one of my favorite authors of all time. Often books we enjoy in our childhood do not hold up to rereadings as an adult, but this one sure does.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars