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.
