Words on Wednesday: My Favorite Agatha Christie stories, and Others' Nominees

 This list led me to consider my own favorites.  i'll
kick off with my response to her list:
  • The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: i hated it when i first read it; this time around it wasn't so bad and i can regard it as one of the reasons i like this author.
  • Murder on the Orient Express:  Ok, i've never completely understood why this is one of her great ones & so popular.  Yes, it's very good, but i'd never call it a favorite.
  • The Moving Finger: i'm not sure why, but this one IS one of my favorites.
  • And Then There Were None: Another one i hated, and this one i haven't reread.
  • Toward Zero: This one just barely misses my favorites list.
  • Crooked House:  Eh, an enjoyable example of her work.
  • A Murder is Announced: Ding Ding Ding - definitely a favorite of mine
  • Ordeal by Innocence: i was totally amazed by the twist so i guess that means i see it as a great accomplishment, but the situation makes me uneasy -  there can't be a good solution.
  • Endless Night: Another one i hated first time around; after all this time, and mainly by coming into it KNOWING how it ends, i kinda liked it, though it will never be a favorite of mine.

 So here's my own favorites.  It was originally much longer, but i came back a couple of times to make sure it had just my favorites of my favorites.

Miss Marple
The Body in the Library
The Moving Finger
A Murder is Announced
4:50 From Paddington (What Mrs. McGillacuddy Saw!)

Hercule Poirot
The Mystery of the Blue Train
Peril at End House
Cards on the Table (with Superintendemt Battle, Ariadne Oliver, & Colonel Race)
The Labours of Hercules
Hickory Dickory Dock
Cat Among the Pigeons
Hallowe'en Party

Superintendent Battle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superintendent_Battle
Cards on the Table (with Superintendemt Battle, Ariadne Oliver, & Colonel Race)

Colonel Race

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recurring_characters_in_the_Hercule_Poirot_stories#Colonel_Race
The Man in the Brown Suit
Cards on the Table (with Superintendemt Battle, Ariadne Oliver, & Colonel Race)

The Secret Adversary
Partners in Crime
N or M?
Postern of Fate  Notice that this list includes all but one of the T&T stories.

Others
They Came to Baghdad
The Golden Ball and Other Stories  well, most of the stories.  The supernatural ones i dislike or actually hate.  But the romantic fantasies are so fun.
Parker Pyne Stories: Parker Pyne Investigates, The Problem at Pollensa Bay, The Regatta Mystery 
 http://www.poirot.us/pyne.php
The Mysterious Mr. Quinn    http://www.poirot.us/quin.php
Star Over Bethlehem  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Over_Bethlehem#Short_stories

In a category by itself in The Sittaford Mystery. While overall it's not in even the first cut of my favorite stories (though a creditable, enjoyable entry to the Christie canon), it features one of my all-time favorite Christie characters, Emily Trefusis, in her solo outing.

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