Haunted House

After Crow Fair, I read "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. This is the second book I have read this year by Christie, and I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. This one was more narrative than Murder on the Orient Express, and I'm not afraid to admit that the ending took me by surprise. I felt like a little kid as I was reading this book, and it was nice to be reminded that an effective story demands nothing more from the reader than total transportation. To cause your reader to forget where they are, even for a short while, is as noble a literary goal as any other. This book didn't cause me to question my faith or to reconsider my childhood. It didn't force me to reconcile my ambitions with my fears or challenge me with fundamental questions about the meaning of life. It just posed a riddle which was hard to solve, built up the tension, and then revealed everything in  a dramatic climax. Reading it was therapeutic and satisfying. "A good beach book" seems like such a dismissive or patronizing characterization. I'll settle for saying that it was an immersive book, well written with excellent pacing and dialogue. I'm excited to read another book by Christie very soon!