Book Review: Passenger to Frankfurt

Not Agatha Christie’s best work. Sure, it’s a spy novel written toward the end of her life in the late sixties. Considering the Cold War was brewing away nicely, it was a good time to be a spy novelist. Agatha Christie is at her best when the mystery is a murder and not a spy novel.

Students are rioting all over the world – discontent is growing. But Sir Nye is on his way back to England from Malaysia. He has a stopover in Frankfurt when he meets a mysterious woman – Mary Ann, who asks to use his diplomatic passport and take his seat on the flight to London. Intrigued he does so, and why wouldn’t he? She is every bit the femme fatale. Who knew it would lead him down the road of espionage?

I believe the problem lies in this novel’s recycling of old ideas.  For example, that age-old enemy: the Nazis were used as the main enemy, or rather a group inspired by the Nazis – I think I was starting to find it a little ridiculous when the novel dove in and out of conspiracy theories: Hitler didn’t die in the bunker, they used a body double and he actually went and lived the rest of his days in Argentina – or somewhere similar in South America.

What I did like about this book – or maybe I’m reading (lol) too much onto this, but it gave: ‘Eat the Rich’ vibes, not quite Saltburn levels. But it’s there, only with spies. Money and influence were a defining factor in the plot of this book. And Christie looks upon it with disdain. Sure, she loved the old money in her drawing room murders. Perhaps Christie is a snob. Rather than ‘Eat the Rich’ it’s more ‘Eat the Nouveau Riche’?

Did Agatha run out of ideas toward the end of her career? It reminded me a little bit of the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise which, is in stark contrast to the momentous ‘Death on the Nile’ or ‘Murder on the Orient Express’. It’s a shame, I love Agatha Christie, but this one is probably my least favourite. Find me a good Poirot and I’ll delve into that one!