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Continue reading →: My year with Agatha: Adventure and archaeologyIn 1928, Agatha the adventuress set off on a solo journey to the Middle East. The journey took her on the Orient Express and then across the desert by bus to Baghdad. Adventure and an introduction to archaeology awaited.
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Continue reading →: My year with Agatha: the story of Three Blind MiceAgatha Christie’s The Mousetrap started its life as a radio play. When Agatha adapted it for the stage, she thought it would run for eight months. The Mousetrap went on to become the longest running play in theatrical history. Let’s peek behind the curtain of this iconic whodunnit.
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Continue reading →: My year with Agatha: Wartime spies and sleuthsIn 1941 Agatha Christie published her wartime thriller N or M? It was an interesting exploration into wartime Britain, hostilities towards foreigners, and suspicions about spies lurking around every corner. It also brought Agatha to the attention of MI-5.
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Continue reading →: Review: The Walnut Tree: women, violence and the law by Kate MorganMarriage or misery is how some historical novelists presented the choices available to women from the Georgian period onwards, but what about the stories of women who endured marriage AND misery? The history of women, violence and the law is explored in Kate Morgan’s book The Walnut Tree.
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Continue reading →: My year with Agatha: the allure of EgyptIn the 1930s, Agatha wrote one of her most beloved detective stories, Death on the Nile. Egypt had captured Agatha’s imagination from her first visit when she was seventeen, and throughout her life she returned frequently, writing short stories, two novels and a play, all inspired by the landscapes and…
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Continue reading →: Review: That Dark Spring by Susannah StapletonSusannah Stapleton’s newest book, That Dark Spring has a tagline that is guaranteed to send tingles down the spine of true crime buffs. It reads, ‘a true story of death and desire in 1920s Provence.’ A simple sentence, and yet a tantalizing prospect.
Hello,
I’m Melissa
I’m a Librarian with an Agatha Christie obsession. You’ll often find me with my nose in a book. My areas of interest for my research and writing include: the history of crime and policing, true crime & crime writing, Victorian era literature, British history, folk and fairy tales, children’s literature, local and family history, special collections, libraries, and oral histories.
I’m currently based in Melbourne, Australia, but previously lived in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In the library with Mel 