Just Finished Reading Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

One of my deficiencies in reading is that somehow I have missed on reading some authors who are renowned in their craft.  Mystery writer Agatha Christie is one of these, and I just finished reading only her second Hercule Poirot story, Sad Cypress from 1940.  Poirot is the Belgian detective who adds a facet of humanity to the mystery sleuth, a more compelling character than Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.  He is enlisted by a physician concerned that a young woman on trial for murdering a romantic rival by poison is innocent.  The defendant in question is Elinor Carlisle, whose engagement to her longtime friend from childhood Roddy gets broken off after he goes for pretty Mary Gerrard, who has been caring for Elinor's ill aunt Laura Welman.  Someone has sent Elinor an anonymous note claiming that Mary appears to be ingratiating herself to the very wealthy invalid in hope of receiving some of her inheritance...Elinor is widely considered to be Mrs. Welman's closest relative and the primary beneficiary should she pass away.  And with the other characters involved, the mystery develops as to who the real murderer is.  Don't worry, I haven't given away too much of the story...barely scratched the surface as a matter of fact...

I like these short mystery novels...I read through Sue Grafton's entire Alphabet Mystery series featuring California private eye Kinsey Millhone.  Sad Cypress...the title is derived from a line in a Shakespeare play...is just one of 33 Christie wrote with Hercule Poirot.  I think I'll be reading more and more of his exploits in the future...