Book Review: Death In The Clouds
‘Murder’ said Norman Gale ‘doesn’t concern the victim and the guilty only. it affects the innocent too. You and I are innocent, but the shadow of murder has touched us'.
ITV have turned many of Agatha Christie’s Poirot mysteries into dramas. And they’re great, don’t get me wrong. But I have yet to see ‘Death in The Clouds’ turned into a drama. Or maybe I just keep missing it? Any who. This one was exciting to me, so when I came across this book on my favourite independent bookseller site, Country House Library (not sponsored) I leapt at it!
Oooo and am I glad that I did, because this drama is a goodie! It seems impossible but isn’t, and, like any good murder mystery does involves some very fanciful tactics! Primarily involving a blow pipe and a poison dart that is only available from South America! Christie does like to flirt with ‘exoticism’, its tantalising to read! Okay so who are the major payers in this jet setting drama? Well you havre the two stewards who are taking care of the passengers in first class, next you have Hercule Poirot who is suffering from a bad tummy so is in and out of slumber during the flight. You then have the two archeologists father and son Armand and Jean Dupont just returned from middle east, Countess Horbury with her maid- estranged from Earl of Horbury, the Hon. Venetia Karr, Miss Jane Grey, mystery writer Daniel Clancy (who is quite honestly having kittens when he finds out its a murder), businessman James Ryder, dentist Norman Gale, Doctor Bryant and of course, our victims Madame Giselle. So we have an interesting cast of characters that make up this little mystery.
This book had many wonderful twists and turns especially when it is found that the blow pipe is tucked under Poirot’s own seat! Making him a suspect and even, to some, the killer in the eyes of the jury at the inquest! Oh boy, so Poirot has his work cut out for him, he must clear his name! To be honest it’s not hard for him to do seeing as they only reason the jury at the Inquest thinks he guilty is because he’s foreign. Rude. At leats Inspector Japp finds it funny. But onto the mystery! How did Giselle die? She was found just before landing with a what looks like a wasps sting on her neck, dr. Bryant is inclined to believe so as many of the passengers had noticed a wasps buzzing around the place-until it too was killed. But Poirot finds, hidden in the fold go Giselle’s dress a poison dart. Therefore death by wasp is up the spout. But nobody saw anything and no-one on this flight has any connection to Giselle (that we know of yet!). How did someone, without anybody seeing blow a poison dart right into the jugular vein in M.Giselle’s neck? It’s impossible, but it isn’t!
This story is mostly told from the viewpoint of the lovely Miss Jane Grey, she’s normal, sweet and kind (also Normal has a thing for her- as does Jean). She gets thrown up in the air when this tragedy strikes and makes an effort to help Poirot to solve the case. In fact she and Norman were rather enjoying themselves in the process! It was such a thrill for them. Despite her plain name, she was born for adventure and seems to take to it with enthusiasm. But, this is a murder and murder is grim and horrible. Everyones nasty secrets start to come to light, as is the case with the Countess Horbury and The Hon. Venetia Karr. But I shaln’t spoil the surprise for you! You’ll have to read the book to find out!
The ending of the book surprised even me, I had prided myself on being able to suss out who the killer is after a few minutes of watching the ITV dramas. But alas the person who I thought was killer was not and the person I least expected, was. As is usually the case. The added details that Christie throws into the book really put you off the scent as to who the killer is! But like the little man poirot himself, the ending is full of controlled but well executed drama. Even if I read this book again, with the full knowledge of who-done-it. The killer would still be my last on my list of prime suspects!