How a New Book and a New Film Ignite Nostalgia for Old Books, Films

This is how we do it: Kenneth Branagh’s new “Death on the Nile” film might send viewers back to enjoy the (better) 2004 version starring David Suchet.
I am not one of those people who thinks that nothing new can ever improve on a beloved old favorite.
And to be honest, I’m not even that much of a fan of Agatha Christie’s mystery stories and novels.
But two new entries into the mystery entertainment genre make me feel that the older versions were better.
First up is the new novel by Anthony Horowitz, who is one of my favorite mystery writers — but not in print. He’s the writer behind many of the best Agatha Christie BBC productions, and the creator and writer of the completely genius “Foyle’s War.”
He is also the writer of the very popular Young Adult Alex Rider adventures.
‘A Line To Kill’
Generally I have enjoyed his new mystery novels, two of which feature Susan Ryeland, a retired publishing executive; and two of which feature Horowitz himself, and the fictional detective Daniel Hawthorne.
The newest title in the Hawthorne series is “A Line To Kill” (which is a publishing “in” joke; Horowitz likes “in” jokes and puzzles within puzzles and stories within stories).
The first two mysteries in this series were fine but a little rough around the edges. In this newest title, it became clear to me that even Horowitz, who wrote so many great television mystery scripts, hasn’t quite nailed down what Christie did so well, in creating the character of Hercule Poirot.
As much as Poirot is egotistical and annoying, he’s also lovable in his own way, and his brilliance is apparent. When he solves a mystery, you feel as though he truly and actually is smarter than everyone else.
Sherlock Holmes is the same way: Annoying but admirable.
Horowitz’s detective Hawthorne is mainly offensive, and doesn’t seem particularly gifted as a crime solver. He comes across mainly as what English detective novels often call “a plod.”
The latest Horowitz/Hawthorne mystery, while perfectly fine and enjoyable, makes me above all nostalgic for Christie and for Hercule Poirot and his sidekick, Captain Arthur Hastings.
In sum, if you’re undecided about whether to try out the new Horowitz book, I’d politely say, “Have you read all of Agatha Christie’s yet?”
‘Death on the Nile’
I have similar feelings about the lush new “Death on the Nile” from director/actor Kenneth Branagh.
There have been many versions of this film and they’re all charming in their own way, but this one falls short. The casting in particular seems like it was done blindfolded, with darts; and while we know that Branagh is a gifted director, his gifts are not wildly in evidence in this latest film version of a classic Agatha Christie.
And so in addition to saying, “Have you read the original Christie novel?” for this one, I’d also suggest that you find the “Death on the Nile” starring actor David Suchet. His versions are unparalleled, in my opinion.
You can find most of the Suchet productions on DVD at your local library, on various streaming services and sometimes on Hoopla, which is the streaming service offered by most of our area libraries. You can also find many full-length Suchet Poirot’s on YouTube.
The Branagh version is not available on streaming yet, but apparently will be on either HBO Max or Disney Plus.
AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.
Ready for her first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School, Liliana Cawley, 7, would soon join her second grade class, but first she posed for a photo to mark the occasion.Photo by Leila Hawken
Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik shows off the new gear. Brand new police cruisers arrived last week.
MILLERTON — The Millerton Police Department has received two new patrol cars to replace vehicles destroyed in the February 2025 fire at the Village Water and Highway Department.
The new Ford Interceptors are custom-built for law enforcement. “They’re more rugged than a Ford Explorer,” said Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik, noting the all-wheel drive, heavy-duty suspension and larger tires and engine. “They call it the ‘Police Package.’”
Olenik worked with The Cruiser’s Division in Mamaroneck, New York, to design the vehicles.
“We really want to thank the Pine Plains Police Department for their tremendous support,” Olenik said. After the fire, “they were the first ones to come forward and offer help.”
The new police cruisers are outfitted with lights with automatically adjusting brightness to best perform in ambient conditions.Photo by Aly Morrissey
Since February, Millerton officers have been borrowing a patrol car from Pine Plains. With the new vehicles now in service, Olenik said he plans to thank Pine Plains officers by treating them to dinner at Four Brothers in Amenia and having their car detailed
The main entrance to Kent Hollow Mine at 341 South Amenia Road in Amenia.
AMENIA — Amenia residents and a Wassaic business have filed suit against the Town Board and Kent Hollow Inc., alleging a settlement between the town and the mine amounts to illegal contract zoning that allows the circumvention of environmental review.
Petitioners Laurence Levin, Theodore Schiffman and Clark Hill LLC filed the suit on Aug. 22. Town officials were served with documents for the case last week and took first steps in organizing a response to the suit at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4.
The lawsuit is the latest in a multi-year long legal battle surrounding the mine on South Amenia Road. After Kent Hollow Inc. — a subsidiary of Bethel, Connecticut, based homebuilder Steiner Inc. — applied for a state mining permit in 2017, the Amenia code enforcement officer issued the business a notice of violation.
At the time, Kent Hollow Inc. did not possess a special permit to conduct mining operations as required by Amenia zoning code, and the property did not reside in the Special Mining Overlay district established as part of rezoning efforts coinciding with the 2007 adoption of the town’s comprehensive plan.
Kent Hollow Inc. appealed the violation, claiming the use of the property as a mine predates amendments to town and state regulations. The Zoning Board of Appeals denied the appeal citing insufficient evidence in 2019. That spurred Kent Hollow to file two lawsuits — one in the New York State Supreme Court and a federal civil rights lawsuit — challenging the town’s order.
In July 2025, those lawsuits were brought to a close when the Town Board voted at a special meeting to accept a settlement agreement allowing Kent Hollow to continue mining operations under limited hours and quantities.
The most recent suit alleges the 2025 settlement amounts to contract zoning that allows Kent Hollow Inc. to skirt environmental review and the scrutiny of the permitting and rezoning process. Court documents allege Kent Hollow did not adequately prove a continuous, legal nonconforming use.
Supporting the argument, petitioners have submitted the court documents and decision from the 2019 New York Supreme Court case against the town Zoning Board of Appeals, and the documents from the preceding ZBA appeals process including receipts and tax returns from Kent Hollow Inc. purporting to establish the nonconforming use.
Kent Hollow Inc. formed as a subsidiary of housing developer Steiner Inc. and purchased the property in 1971, according to state and county real estate records.
Millerton News reporting from 1971 Amenia planning board meetings detail Kent Hollow’s pursuit of a four-section, 40-unit apartment complex on the property.
The News reported Kent Hollow was granted tentative approval on July 6, 1971, to build eight units on the site with the expectation that more would be built later.
The additional units never came to fruition and Kent Hollow apparently abandoned the housing project, opting to use the property as a gravel mine.
Attorneys for the Town of Amenia or Kent Hollow Inc. have not filed responses to the lawsuit as of press time.
AMENIA — While the courage and perseverance of Revolutionary era patriots is well understood and celebrated, the stories of the fate of British loyalists in New York are not as clear.
Seen as the initial event in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Amenia Historical Society will present a talk titled, “The Plight of a Loyalist in Revolutionary New York,” examining the journal of Cadwallader Colden, Jr., spanning the period of 1777-1779. The speaker will be noted author, genealogist and historian Jay Campbell.
The talk is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Smithfield Presbyterian Church in Amenia. The handicapped-accessible church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road. Refreshments will be served.
Colden was the son of a New York Lieutenant Governor. He was a surveyor, farmer and mercantilist, serving as a judge in Ulster County. His fortunes changed dramatically with the dawn of the Revolutionary War when he remained loyal to the British Crown. His arrest came in 1776, just before the start of his journal.
Campbell is a historian specializing in Hudson Valley history, and the regional stories of Revolutionary era families.