Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie

"Sparkling Cyanide" by Agatha Christie. The book is published by Harper in 1992 and is 226 pages long. This is neither a Hercule Poirot mystery nor a Miss Marple mystery. The detective is Colonel Race, a rarity. A classic whodunit.

Rosemary, a rich and extremely beautiful heiress, who received all her money from her godfather, dies after drinking glass of sparkling wine laced with cyanide after a toast during a party in a restaurant. She was married to a man older than her (George) and had extra marital affairs. Police term her death as a suicide.

There are a number of suspects. Ruth Lessing (Agatha's pun does not go unnoticed) secretary of George, who secretly wants to marry George. Antony Brown, Rosemary's lover who has done jail and whose past is now reveled. Steven Faraday, a politician and Rosemary's lover who is annoyed that she wants him to divorce his wife, forgo his career and marry her. Alexandra (Sandra) Faraday, Steven's wife, who knew about the affair. George Barton, Rosemary's husband, who knew and accepted her love affairs. Iris, Rosemary's younger sister who will inherit her fortune when she turns 21?

George gets letters indicating that Rosemary did not commit suicide but was murdered. Instead of going to police George devices a trap and invites Colonel Race to investigate. Everything appears to be set when there is another murder exactly in the same fashion. Now police come into the picture and Inspector Kemp starts investigations with Colonel Race.

Were these murders? Or were they suicides? Who was the second victim? Can the investigators succeed in pinning down the murderer? Whodunit?

It was interesting to read Agatha mystery without Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. It's a classic case where everyone seems to have a motive but no one seems to be the murderer. The story is laid decently, though not spectacularly, as usual.

The murderer is not the least suspected in this story but the most suspected for a change.

An OK read. Read if you have time.

A nice quiet holiday by Aditya Sudarshan

"A nice quiet holiday" a debut novel by Aditya Sudarshan. This is a murder mystery.

Anant, the narrator and a young lawyer, works as law cleark to Justice Shinde. Shinde decides to take Anant with him to a nice quiet holiday, in the mountains, to Bhairavgadh at his friend Shikhar Pant's house. A number of guests are invited. Pant's  writer cousin (Kailash), a couple (Mittal's) who run a NGO for AIDS, Pant's friend (Mr. Anand) with his young son (Avinash) & Pant's family  homeopath (Dr. Nath) with his two sons and young beautiful daughter (Mallika). There are two servants and a dog in the house in addition to this ensemble.

There is a public unrest against the NGO for publishing obscene material. Kailash's influence avoids arrest of Mittal's. Then Kailash is murdered. The judge encourages Anant to become amateur investigator. He startes investigating and at the same time is smitten by Mallika's charms.

A book goes missing with other unrelated things, children who are playing hide and seek give a clue, there is a blackmailer, there seems to be no motive for murder. Anant stumbles and fumbles trying to find clues and reports to the judge.

Who is the murderer? Is he in the house? Is there another murder? How is the murderer identified? What role does the judge play?

In a murder mystery you expect at least some and preferably many twists. Needle of suspicion should always be pointing to someone and change as the story goes. In this story, no one is a suspect. You hardly feel that an investigation is ongoing.

Love story takes front seat in one section over mystery. Story is slow and uninteresting. Motive for murder is also not very convincing. Book doesn't end for a while, even after the murderer is caught and motives and deductions are explained.

The book is insipid. Avoid.