MALICE DOMESTIC 9

MALICE DOMESTIC 9
Agatha Christie, Joan Hess, Robert Bernard, Jan Burke, Kate Charles, Marjorie Eccles, Teri Holbrook, Gwen Moffat, Marcia Talley, Dorothy Cannell, Charles Todd, Ann Granger, Walter Satterthwait, Carolyn Wheat, Susan Moody, and edited by Joan Hess
Avon Twilight – April 2000
ISBN: 0380804832 - Paperback
Cozy Type Anthology

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.com
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In the mood for a good Agatha Christie type story? Malice Domestic 9 gives tribute to the talented, matchless mystery author in their 14 original traditional mystery stories. Each story carries a British flavor and sports the Christie flair.

I carry a list of books I am looking for with me all the time. Being a Christie fan, there was a time I had a very long list of her books. Every once in a while, I would go into our local used bookstore, find Dame Christie’s books, hunker down and go through them all and check off the ones I found. This is a sign of a true fan, and I’m not the only one out there. You can imagine my delight when I looked at the Malice Domestic 9 cover and seen the yellow “Special Tribute to Agatha Christie” label.

Along with the other stories is a Christie’s original The Case of the Discontented Soldier. Major Wilbraham finds England too tame. He has answered Parker Pyne’s advertisement in hopes of drumming up some excitement, and he does. I have to say Robert Barnard’s story is one of my absolute favorites. Nothing to Lose is about a complaining elderly woman who moves into a nursing home and stirs up trouble – loved the ending! Another I favored was Kate Charles story, Murder at the Vicarage, about a vicar and too many spinsters. Ms. Charles character is a mystery writer named Ms. St. James – a “monopoly” play on words maybe? You don’t want to miss Gween Moffatt’s The Dark Tower, which offers a brief mystery with her spinster sleuth Miss Pink. Honestly there were a couple of the stories that couldn’t keep my attention, but that’s ok, it only means they were meant for someone else. Did I feel that the authors captured Christie’s work? Yes, I do, and what’s more, their individual talents added to this pleasant read.

Don’t miss out on this one. It’s a wonderful anthology written by Christie fans, for Christie fans. This one goes on the keeper shelf with my other eight Malice Domestic anthologies.