Peril at End House

Ever so often I just get in the mood to read a good mystery. The only problem is that in my mind mystery books are a lot more...mysterious...than they are in real life. This probably comes from my misspent youth as a mystery video game lover. Still, I managed to power through this little Agatha Christie novel without too much boredom. It's about some woman who has had several attempts on her life, so Hercule Poirot wades into battle in order to keep her alive. It's your standard mystery story: everyone is lying, everyone is suspicious, and in the end it was...well, I won't spoil it for you. Like all mysteries, though, it tries to keep you guessing. Honestly, I kind of had it figured out (in a rough way at least, nothing too specific) by about a third of the way in. The problem with mystery books is that you can't ask questions. It's an investigation on rails, which is frustrating since you can't "investigate" they way you'd like. When I got to the end of the book I couldn't help thinking "I could have solved that way faster." So it was okay. Not great, but not bad. If you want to read a mystery book you could certainly do worse. Still, I think you'd be just as well served by watching the BBC version of the story starring David Suchet. I thought it was just as good as the book, but took a lot less time. Sooner or later I'll just have to face the music and accept that even the best mystery novel pales in comparison with a good mystery game, such as the Tex Murphy adventures. Hey, what a coincidence! Tesla Effect comes out tomorrow! Try it if you want the mystery experience with a bit more control!

Unfortunately no mystery novel
can compete with this!

Score:7/10
Read this book if: You like Agatha Christie and the predictably unpredictable twist endings common to the style.
Don't read this book if: You can play a Tex Murphy game instead.