FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Name your top novels and why


Endless Night by Dame Agatha Christie

One of her one-off novels not featuring one of her standard characters.  This is interesting as it looks into criminal madness and how the lead’s mind deteriorates and he realizes that he’s lost far more than he thought, he should’ve been content with Ellie.  Enough said about the plot but different for Christie and haunting.


Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham

Beautifully illustrated and a great tale.  A comfort story too.  First read it to my son when he was 5.  He cried at the end because he didn’t want it to stop.  How many writers can claim to have that effect on folk! And we also love the adaptation starring Terry Jones as Toad and Stephen Fry as a suitably enraged judge! 


The ABC Murders by Dame Agatha Christie

Bearing in mind the time this was written, a novel about a serial killer (or someone who appears to be) is unusual for Christie.  The fact that the killer is only targeting one person but is using known obsessive tendencies to set someone else, who is an obsessive, up is a classic twist.  And the fact the real killer is taunting Poirot adds spice.  Poirot does not like to fail.


The Famous Five novels by Enid Blyton

I loved these books when I was a kid.  I was never keen on Anne (seemed wimpy even to me back then) but I loved George and felt Dick was the best boy.  Face it, Julian was a know-it-all.  The idea of kids being able to better adults was appealing though Blyton could never get away with writing this now if only thanks to the invention of the mobile phone!  But the stories were gripping and good entertainment.  Not sure I’d have liked Blyton as a person from what I’ve heard but her writing style, well, she knew her audience and gave them what they wanted.  Isn’t that what authors are meant to do?