Booking Through Thursday

I had a post ready for today, but I liked this suggestion from Chris even better, so … thanks, Chris!

Here’s something for Valentine’s Day.

Have you ever fallen out of love with a favorite author? Was the last book you read by the author so bad, you broke up with them and haven’t read their work since? Could they ever lure you back?


Agatha Christie! When first I read her, I was in high school and eager to impress myself with my marvelous brain. Oh, deluded adolescence! I enjoyed Agatha Christie's books but always felt cheated out of the chance to solve the murder from the clues given in the book. Came the day I read a book where the murderer was "obvious" because of his resemblance to someone who was, supposedly, unrelated to him. I still remember my exasperation upon reading something such as, "The moment I saw you I knew you were his son!" But the reader was never told anything about that and could not conclude as the detective did.
I threw the book, and Agatha, aside for years, only picking her up one day when there was nothing else to read. Thankfully, maturity had brought perspective; I understood that, in life, the journey is the thing while the destination is almost beside the point. I enjoyed Agatha as never before. I was particularly impressed by her mastery in suspense and her economy with words, something I still can only hope to achieve.
Years later still, an estwhile penpal in Great Britain sent me a bundle of Agathas, first editions, but paperback and tattered. I loved them. I wish I could write one hundred pages of crackling, good mystery as she did.