[MINI REVIEWS] Crime Fiction Edition #1

title: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1)
author: Agatha Christie
genre: crime fiction
published: October 30, 2012 by William Morrow
format: paperback, 247 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Fully Booked
rating: 3 / 5 stars
goodreads

Hercule Poirot solves his first case in the Agatha Christie novel that started it all, now in a fully restored edition that features a “missing chapter” along with commentary from Christie expert John Curran. 

Who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorp and how did the murderer penetrate and escape from her locked bedroom? Suspects abound in the quaint village of Styles St. Mary—from the heiress's fawning new husband to her two stepsons, her volatile housekeeper, and a pretty nurse who works in a hospital dispensary. 

With impeccable timing, and making his unforgettable debut, the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is on the case.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is Agatha Christie's debut novel. As her debut novel and someone who has read a couple of her books prior to this one, I have to admit that I was partly disappointed with this one. This is probably more of a it's-not'you-it's-me case. It may have been my reading mood or my long-time break from whodunit mysteries. I've been reading too much thriller crime fictions that the 'whodunit' mystery feels stale for me.

However, mystery-wise, The Mysterious Affair at Styles really had me guessing. It's highly advisable you take note of things - like jot down things, the whereabouts of so-and-so. It'll make the whole whodunit solving more engaging, in my opinion. Reading this reminded me of why I like Hercule Poirot over her other detectives. The storytelling is much more engaging because of the third-person narration by Poirot's colleague, which in this case is Arthur Hastings. Hastings stands as the voice of the reader who asks the questions we have in mind or who points out the obvious and create speculations to make the entire mystery more interesting.

For whodunit mysteries, you can never go wrong with an Agatha Christie novel. The Mysterious Affair at Styles is an engaging read although quite a tedious mystery because of the details you have to take note of. Don't forget to bring your handy-dandy notebook while solving the mystery because it'll help you so much if you want to solve it before Poirot explains. Also, this edition also includes an introduction which pushed me to grab an Agatha Christie biography at some point and the originally written Chapter 12 of the novel 😉

title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1)
author: Stieg Larsson;
genre: crime fiction
published: September 30, 2008 by Vintage (first published August 2005)
format: Mass Market Paperback, 644 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 4 / 5 stars
goodreads

An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel. 

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

This is one of those novels that I've been holding off because of its overwhelming popularity. And you know me and overly hyped books. I get scared that I might not like it. I ended up reading this because of my overly insisting best friend 😅

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows Mikael Blomkvist who was pitted in a libel case and was pushed to solve the mystery of Harriet Vanger's disappearance. It also features Lisbeth Salander, a hacker who is considered legally incompetent because of the events in the past. The mystery aspect of this novel is really intriguing and highly engaging. It was one of my biggest motivation in reading this novel because it's huge (and I don't like huge books). It's like many non-police procedural crime fiction. It's got connected cold cases, detectives with their own dark pasts and problems, and really thrilling revelation. I expected it, to be honest, but it didn't ruin my excitement of the events in the revelation. Blomkvist and Salander really compliments each other and their teamwork in the Harriet Vanger case was such a good read.

Overall, despite being wholly overrated, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a thrilling crime fiction that kept me hooked on that mystery and completely interested all throughout. Admittedly, there are a lot of descriptions, however, mystery-solving-wise, it's all very exciting jumping from one clue to another while figuring things out. Definitely a recommended read!

title: Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter #1)
author: Thomas Harris
genre: crime fiction
published: January 6, 2009 by Berkley (first published November 16, 1981)
format: paperback, 445 pages
purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
rating: 3 / 5 stars
goodreads

A second family has been massacred by the terrifying serial killer the press has christened ?The Tooth Fairy.? Special Agent Jack Crawford turns to the one man who can help restart a failed investigation?Will Graham. Graham is the greatest profiler the FBI ever had, but the physical and mental scars of capturing Hannibal Lecter have caused Graham to go into early retirement. Now, Graham must turn to Lecter for help.

Low rating for my high expectations.

Red Dragon follows Will Graham as he investigates the murder of two entirely unrelated families who were said to be done by what the media called 'The Tooth Fairy.' This really felt like any crazy other serial killer novel I read with a murderer with a twisted mind and a detective with a broken past. Add to that the news reporter side character. This book is, of course, thrilling as it is but I honestly don't see the hype (?). Admittedly, I do like reading the perspective of the murderer and his twisted mind. There's enough background for why he's doing what he's doing. What disappointed me is that there was not enough Hannibal Lecter. That is basically just my expectations. There was enough part of him just not entirely all over the book that would really engage you into his character and all the excitement that is Hannibal Lecter. I wish there more (and maybe there is in Silence of the Lambs which I am not very motivated to read at this point but soon maybe).

Overall, Red Dragon really felt like your usual crime fiction with a serial killer. There's enough backstory for the serial killer to somehow see where he's coming from and there's Will Graham, an excellent investigator who was scared because of previous events. It's still a recommended read for fans of crime fiction especially those who like the type with serial killers.

let's connect!