This is my third (I think) read of this particular Christie, and I found it to be a lot of fun this time around. I absolutely love Bundle, and George Lomax (Codders) is a hysterically funny, biting caricature of a certain type of British gentleman, puffed up with his own importance and significantly overestimating his importance and intellect. The proposal incident reminds me of Mr. Collins proposing to Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice (I suspect that Christie intended that particular comparison).

I would love to see a modern, high quality adaptation of both Chimneys and Seven Dials, with a focus on Bundle Brent, who really comes into her own in this particular book. Her high spirits are delightful, but lurking beneath that somewhat dizzy front, there's a smart, capable and interesting woman. I don't think that Bundle will ever be serious, but I could see her doing legitimate war work, probably involving parachuting into occupied France and infiltrating the Nazis, and then hiking her way back to the coast. She's intrepid.

Anyway, I've picked my next Christie Comfort Read. I'm fast-fowarding to later in her career, but before the decline really started, when Christie was still writing at the height of her powers, and it's a Poirot.

Anybody want to take a guess?

I am posting pictures of flowers since DC is just gray and rainy. I don't recall what a blue sky even looks like these days. Hopefully June is sunny, but no so hot I feel like I will melt outside.

I don't mind posting this today, because no matter how much you all make fun of me for reading fast, there is no way I am finishing a book before tomorrow. I am pooped (in honor of Holly from "The Outsider" or better yet poopy).

I only read 26 books this month. And as you can see, I didn't have a lot of five star reads, mostly they were 3 stars. I did have some books that I wish now I had just DNFed, but eh, too late now. I absolutely loved the one Agatha Christie and Rosamunde Pilcher books I read. I absolutely loathed that Agatha Christie biography. I am still mad at wasting my time on that thing. Here is my rundown of books!

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Superintendent Battle remains inscrutable as ever in his second book, but this time Bundle Brent gets the chance to shine that was denied her in The Secret of Chimneys. And shine she does, so brightly that she nearly blinds poor Battle. While Seven Dials doesn’t seem to have quite the same sarcastic Clue vibe as Chimneys, it is still a rollicking good read. What it lacks in profuse absurdity it more than makes up for in Bundle’s kick-assery.

Wow. This was so good. I took a while to read this one since the first few pages didn't grab me at all. However, when I finally went back to it, I was totally engrossed. We have the second book in the Superintendent Battle series. I read "Cards on the Table" a few years back and realized that was considered the 3rd book in his series and decided to work back from book 1. I finished "The Secret of Chimneys" and just gave it three stars. Christie does such a great job with not showing her hand until the very end. Believe me I went what the what at the ending and had to go back and re-read after all is revealed.

"The Seven Dials Mystery" starts off with house guests staying at Chimneys. It seems to be a lively group of bright young things who decide to play a joke on one of the young men who seems to oversleep every day. The joke goes off without an issue, but then a young man, Gerry Wade, is found dead. 

"The Seven Dials Mystery" for the most part follows two characters throughout. Lady Eileen Brent (otherwise known as Bundle) and  Jimmy Thesinger. Jimmy was staying at Chimneys when Gerry died, and many think it was an accidental overdose. However, when Bundle comes across another man who was staying at Chimneys who was shot to death, she and Jimmy team up to figure out what connection there is between these deaths and a place called Seven Dials. 

Bundle was awesome. I loved her. I wish that we got another book starring her. She was definitely a mini-Miss Marple/Poirot. Once she realizes that something is going on, she is determined to do whatever it takes to solved the mystery of Seven Dials. She does go and meet with Superintendent Battle who I liked way much more in this one than in book #1. 

Jimmy Thesinger seems happy to play a fool (not an ass) and realizes that things are pretty deep when Bundle brings him the connections between two deaths and Chimneys. He starts investigating and starts suspecting some higher ups in society.

The book's ending was so freaking awesome I had to go back and re-read this as soon as I finished. 

What the what!!!