The Seven Dials Mystery (Superintendent Battle Book 2) by Agatha Christie

 

The Seven Dials Mystery (Superintendent Battle Book 2) by Agatha Christie.

This edition published 18th July 2019 by Harper Collins. 

Originally published 1929.

From the cover of the book:

A healthy young man dies in his sleep, despite the ringing of seven separate alarm clocks…

Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper; so the other house guests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6.30 a.m.

But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank had backfired with tragic consequences.

For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words ‘Seven Dials’ were to take on a new and chilling significance…

***********

Industrial big-wig Sir Oswald Coote, and his wife Lady Coote, host a party at the grand house they have rented for the season, Chimneys. One of the guests, Gerry Wade, is in the habit of sleeping in (much to the distress of Lady Coote), so the other young members of the party decide to play a practical joke on him.

Jimmy Thesiger, Ronny Devereux, Bill Eversleigh, Rupert "Pongo" Bateman, and a bevy of assorted high-spirited gals place eight alarm clocks in Jerry's room, hoping to shock him awake. However, the jolly jape fails to hit its mark, as Jerry is discovered dead in his bed the next morning - apparently having overdosed on sleeping medication.

Lord Caterham and his daughter Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent subsequently move back to Chimneys after Lord and Lady Coote have vacated, and speculate on the odds of another mysterious death related to the house (after the events of The Secret of Chimneys). Driving up to London a while later, Ronny Devereaux jumps in front of Bundle's car. Fearing she has run him over, she discovers he has actually been shot. He proceeds to die, muttering the words "Seven Dials..." and "Tell...Jimmy Thesiger.".

Bundle realises Jerry's death must have been suspicious as the Seven Dials' reference seems related to why one of the eight alarm clocks was thrown out of the window - the other seven having been lined up on the mantle piece. A new investigation with Superintendent Battle beckons...

I have to admit that I have not read The Secret of Chimneys (yet), which I regret if it is anywhere near as delightful as its follow-up, The Seven Dials Mystery, which brings some of the characters back together for a brand new investigation.

At the centre of the story, plucky Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent gets caught up in a cracking mystery following an unfortunate country house party hosted by Lord and Lady Coote in her ancestral home, Chimneys. What follows is an absolute riot of an adventure making the most of a devilishly convoluted plot around a rumoured crime gang called the Seven Dials.

Christie really keeps you guessing about who the deceitful rotters are in this story, and I did not suspect where this was going until the delightful ending where the lovely Superintendent Battle explains everything in a very Poirot-like way. But the best thing about it is the characters with all the delicious P.G. Wodehouse-esque laughs that result from their shenanigans and comic conversations. I have not guffawed so much at any Christie mystery before, which made this such a treat. Special mentions for Bundle (who I adored), the hapless Bill (an unlikely hero), the loveably morose Lady Coote (always looking on the dark side of life), golf-obsessed Lord Caterham (who yearns for a quiet life), and the ridiculous 'Socks' (subtly confusing amphibious with ambidextrous).

What a perfect pick to celebrate this month's prompt of Butlers for the theme of Characters and Careers too, through the eminently capable Tredwell, the butler at Chimneys (also Jimmy's manservant, Stevens, with his ability to turn his hand to many requests without comment). The Butlers theme seems particularly pertinent to this book given the P.G. Wodehouse vibe.

By the way, Emilia Fox is in tip-top form as the narrator of the audio book - how I loved her Lady Coote!

The Seven Dials Mystery is available to buy now in multiple formats.

About the author:

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in over 70 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 20 plays, and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.