Rating: 
Summary: What would Dame Agatha have thought about this?
Review: The question here is: Is watered-down Agatha Christie as satisfying as the real thing? My answer is: Not hardly. Had this book been a 150-page $4.95 paperback, I might have a different opinion; as a stretched-out 219-page hard-cover selling for $23.95, it's a wonderful lesson in padding. I read it in one sitting--slightly less than two hours--and found myself afterwards wondering why. I'm not sure that novelizing a play is a really worthwhile adventure. On stage, after all, one doesn't need descriptions of things or people in order to comprehend or understand them. One of Christie's specializations was her depth of characterization, and this is totally lacking here. There is almost no description--of anything, including motivation, which was another of her strengths. There is humor in this tale of a British Country House party, with the appropriate twists and turns to the plot to make it an engaging and different sort of tale. It is definitely a period piece--written in 1954, but clearly harking back to the early 30s in mannerisms, if not in fact. When a murder happens, it nearly turns into a farce, what with the body disappearing on a regular basis. As a light, quick read, it is enjoyable, but I kept thinking that, because of its simplicity, it could almost be more successful if marketed as a young adult or new reader book. On the other hand, if the book brings new readers to Christie's large catalog, nicely listed at the beginning of the book, then it will have succeeded admirably. The three stars I've given the book are in no way to be construed as disrespectful of Dame Agatha or her work, or that of the novel-izer, Charles Osborne, who has previously done the same to two of Christie's other plays. Rather, they are an expression of dissatisfaction with the publisher for the stretching out and over-pricing of this volume.
Rating:
Summary: cute and entertaining
Review: The Unexpected Guest was, in my opinion, Osborne's best adaption, so it was hard to follow that. However, like all Christie's stories, this one does have some really well drawn characters. The nosy gardener with the boisterous laugh has to be one of her best supporting players. Even when she's annoying, she's a howl. Not great but still a nice addition to the
A.C. canon.
Rating: 
Summary: Can you adapt?
Review: This is the 3rd and final Osborne adaptation of an Agatha Christie play into novel form. I liked it the best of the three. It reads more like a play than a novel--so if you are expecting the normal Christie novel, you may very well be disappointed. However, if you have read the novels, this is a lovely addition to your list of Christie's and a rare opportunity to envision her plays. True, the plays could just as easily have been bound and published. But, Osborne has apparently done little, if anything, to detract from the plays themselves. So, IMHO, he has done a great service both to Agatha and to the mystery reading public by publishing these works. As for the content, this particular work is a riot! I loved the story, the twists and turns (and there are many of them), the cleverness, etc. It IS after all, a Christie! And a very good one at that. Enjoy!
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