in a way her more typical cozy mystery only skirts the edges of.
In The Pale Horse, the characters explore the topic directly. A beloved parish priest takes confession from a dying woman. She gives him a list of names - and is murdered on the way home.
All the people on the list are dead. Everyone of them apparently of natural causes, with someone benefitting to a hefty sum.
As the police and private citizen sleuth look into it, a murder for hire by remote control scheme seems to be in effect. But you can't bring that into court. Sacrificed cocks, whirring boxes, and bets on a convenient death do not add up to a murder charge. Is there a real-world link or happenstance? Or is it just supernatural inscrutability? What sort of person could engineer such a scheme? Would he/she be an impressive person, or someone who's always being overlooked?
They Came to Baghdad
starts with government wheezes moaning about the secrecy that cannot be preserved, indeed, is long since lost. There are characters whose alliance is mysterious, and there is our heroine, romantic Victoria plain Jones, who can tell a whopper more believably than the truth.
On many levels, this is an enjoyable travel/adventure yarn, somewhat similar to The Man in the Brown Suit from early in Christie's career. However, TCtB is also one of Christie's international suspense thrillers. A conspiracy of vague politics is trying to take over the world. In the nature of stories, the conspiracy is, at the last second, overcome. More than many Christies, this one draws on traditional religious imagery, including a Milton quote correctly and incorrectly given.
Which IS better, to reign in Hell or to serve in Heaven?
http://www.agathachristie.com/stories/the-pale-horse
http://agathachristie.wikia.com/wiki/The_Pale_Horse
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Came_to_Baghdad
http://agathachristie.wikia.com/wiki/They_Came_to_Baghdad
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