This is the second collection of Agatha Christie short stories I have read and enjoyed, since reading Midwinter Murder a while ago. Although the Poirot cases are my favourites, I enjoyed the variety of different stories with spring as the common theme. Christie never fails to impress me with her red herrings and the way she brings everything together neatly in the end.

There are a few outdated references in the stories (especially anti-semitism) but I acknowledge that they were written in a different era and set within a different context, where certain terms and stereotypes were more commonly adopted.

With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A Confection Of Christie..
Another delicious confection of Christie, this time a Spring collection of twelve sinister short stories featuring the most famous of sleuths. Always a delight, always eminently readable and a perfect collection for an enjoyable few hours comfort reading of mysteries in traditional vein.

Every time I read a book by Agatha Christie I'm reminded what a great writer she was and why she is considered the 'queen of crime' by many people. This collection of short stories includes several featuring Poirot, several with Miss Marple, and others that standalone or feature her less famous detective creations. Some of these I've read before but Christie was so prolific that you forget the details of all but her best known mysteries.

I'm not entirely sure what they have to do with spring - a couple have gardening related themes or incidents in them, but if I'd been given the collection in an unmarked jacket and told to guess the theme I wouldn't have been able to. Not that it really matters, it's just an excuse to freshen up a collection of good short stories.

Some authors are better at novels or at short stories, but Christie is equally capable at both. Her writing is always easy to read and how she came up with so many fiendishly complicated crimes I don't know. She was one of those writers who both had great ideas and could execute them well.

Anyone who enjoys crime and mystery novels should give these a go - it would be a good starting point for a reader who has not tried Christie before and wants a taste before a novel, but also a good gift for a Christie fan as the little vignettes with favourites like Poirot and Marple are fun for those who know and love the characters.

4 Stars
One Liner: It’s Christie, guys!

The book is a collection of twelve short stories with mysteries and adventures that occur during springtime or in the gardens. Since it is a Christie collection, I’m not too bothered about the theme. I only want to read and reread her works.
The book brings together the cases solved by Miss Marple, Poirot, Mr. Quin, Tommy & Tuppence, and a few regular stories with no special detectives. I list them all below (without ratings). Some of them aren’t that good (which is fine too).
However, I’m glad to see that the stories seem to be mostly from earlier publications and are without modern-day rewrites to suit certain sensibilities. Some of the terms can make people uncomfortable, but it is important to realize that the words had different meanings back then, and people used terms that are now deemed offensive. Not their fault if the authors can’t time travel.
Since I don’t believe in editing older writings in the name of whatever, I applaud the publisher’s decision to use the original (or older) text in the book. If you can’t discuss different periods when reading books, you aren’t likely to discuss the dark web, which is more harmful, IMO.
Anyway, back to the decidedly sinister spring. ;)

The Market Basing Mystery
Captain Hastings, Poirot, and Inspector Japp visit Market Basing village for a small holiday. However, the case of the not-a-suicide of Walter Protheroe interrupts their plans. It’s up to Poirot to determine if it is suicide or murder and the reason behind the death. A short and simple case solved by Poirot without his usual dramatics. Easy to guess if you pay attention to the subtle clues.
The Case of the Missing Lady
When an explorer returns home to London and finds his fiancée missing, he goes to a detective agency by Tommy & Tuppence. Now, it’s up to the couple to find out what happened to the missing lady. It’s a quirky case with a twist at the end. As with most T&T stories, this one offers a few chuckles and smirks.
The Herb of Death
It’s Mrs. Bantry’s turn to tell a story for others to guess the crime/ criminal. Miss Marple is right there, listening to how a group of people fell ill after eating foxglove leaves (being mistaken for sage). Was it accidental or intentional? When you have little Miss Marple, you know the case will be solved in her style by comparing human nature and oddities and deducing the reasons.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Hercule Poirot gets a vague and mysterious letter from an old lady asking for help. He responds only to find out that she has passed away. Intrigued, he sets out to find the truth. Like many other cases, Poirot gets to the root of the matter using his love for order and logic. This one has Miss Lemon in an active role, something I enjoy much.
Swan Song
This is the story of a famous soprano singer with a bit of mystery thrown in. It is one of the weaker stories in the collection with a straightforward plot. The hints are easy enough to guess. It doesn’t have any of the famous detectives, so pretty much something you can read and forget.
Miss Marple Tells a Story
As the title goes, Miss Marple shares how her lawyer brought his client to her for advice about the case of his murdered wife. Miss Marple listens to their story, asks a couple of questions, and presents the solution. This is a neat little story in the dear ol’ bird’s voice. ;)
Have You Got Everything You Want?
How does Mr. Parker Pyne help a young woman on a train journey from England to Istanbul? Mr. Pyne is no doubt successful after a small hiccup. However, being a man who solves the issues of the heart, he goes the extra mile to tie up the loose ends. Some readers may find his opinions stereotypical and offensive. So remember that the books weren’t written for contemporary readers.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings visit Grand Metropolitan for a weekend trip. They meet Mr. and Mrs. Opalsen after dinner, and soon, there’s news of the theft and an appeal from Mrs. Opalsen to find her pearls. How does Poirot solve the case? It’s a fun story with loads of dramatic characters. A satisfactory solution, which isn’t that apparent until towards the end.
Ingots of Gold
Raymond shares his experience about a mini adventure in Cornwall, which is, of course, solved easily by Miss Marple. How is the criminal? Where is the gold? What had happened? Raymond, being a writer, adds some dramatic flair to the story, and Miss Marple sweetly bursts his bubble.
The Soul of the Croupier
And finally, we have a story with the mysterious Mr. Quin and dear old Mr. Satterthwaite. Mr. Satterthwaite is on a holiday in Monte Carlo, thinking about the changing society. He notices Countess Czarnova has taken up a new pet, a young American, already impressed by her charm. But Mr. Satterthwaite sees something isn’t right and wonders how to set it right when Mr. Quin enters to help him. The story is more of a study of characters than a mystery. I love stories with Mr. Quin, and this is no exception.
The Girl in the Train
George Rowland is on the streets after his uncle kicks him out one morning. He decides on a whim to travel to a remote place called Rowland castle. The train journey proves to be more eventful than George could have ever guessed. After all, it’s not every day that a beautiful young girl runs into a stranger's first-class cabin. This is a humorous cozy mystery with a touch of romance. A lighthearted story with some laughs, drama, and a few social observations woven into the plot.
Greenshaw’s Folly
The last story in the collection has Miss Marple helping her nephew Raymond solve yet another case. Miss Greenshaw of Greenshaw Folly is an eccentric character but someone in grave danger. Though the danger isn’t Miss Marple leads the police to criminals. An interesting story with a good deal of dramatics.

To summarize, Sinister Spring is a delightful collection of different types of mysteries written by the Queen of Crime over the years. Pick it up if you want something light and entertaining.
Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Excellent collection of short stories by the greatest crime writer, Agatha Christie. Featuring all of her most famous sleuths a treasure trove of stories to read and wonder at.

Highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful compilation of Agatha Christie’s spring themed short stories.
Usually when reading a compilation some stories are better than others , but this collection are all of the same excellent calibre.
Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple make an appearance and this book makes for an essential read for any Christie fan.
This anthology is a great read for fans of traditional crime stories.
A must read!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK.

Great for any fan of the Queen of Crime. I love the short stories as they are very pacy and get straight into the mystery and wrapped up in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!

I’m always thrilled with the opportunity to read Agatha Christie. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity. Agatha Christie was my first experience with books written for an adult readership.
I will always have a soft spot for her work and for her introduction to mysteries and her understanding of the human psyche. Agatha Christie was ingenious in plot development and character development and these short stories don’t disappoint. Many will be familiar to fans, but still a pleasure to re-read.

This wonderful compendium of short stories from Agatha Christie features Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple solving crimes in their own inimitable style. The stories are as fiendishly clever as the longer stories and feature the “ locked room “ scenario that are a trademark in Agatha Christie stories .There is a new genre of crime books called cosy crime but Agatha Christie’s approach and devilishly seemingly simple but complex tales remove her from this world with a darkness that just stirs the surface. Even within this collection she effortlessly manages to pull us into her web of human deception and evil intentions .In some ways this a ‘fun collection’ that could be read in one sitting or gradually over the next few months as summer approaches….Spring is arriving and it is certainly sinister. A great read for lovers of traditional period crime and detective novels .

A delightful collection of short stories from the mistress of mystery. The collection contains stories with various famous characters like Ms Marple, and Poirot, and are each short enough that the reader has time to read one with only 10 minutes to spare

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Sinister Spring' by Agatha Christie.

Agatha Christie is one of those household names that you just know off the bat. 'Sinister Spring' is a new collection by Christie featuring little short stories she wrote before she passed away. I'll be honest, none of these connected with me. They don't have that heart, that Christie spark, that her other books had so I was personally gutted. It's a nice seasonal piece though.

The publisher here has collated a collection of short stories of golden age mysteries by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. As a fan of Christie, I have read some of these before, although possibly I have read more, but forgotten them! There are 12 in all:

The Market Basing Mystery
The Case of the Missing Lady
The Herb of Death
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Swan Song
Miss Marple Tells a Story
Have You Got Everything You Want?
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
Ingots of Gold
The Soul of the Croupier
The Girl in a Train
Greenshaw's Folly

The stories include a familiar set of Christie characters, such as Hercule Poirot doing what he does best, finding stolen jewels and more, Miss Marple solving fiendish crimes where nothing is as it appears as in Greenshaw's Folly, Tommy and Tuppence with their Detective Agency, Mr Satterthwaite, Mr Quin, and Parker Pyne. My favourite stories were Swan Song and The Soul of the Croupier, neither of whom featured any of Christie's well known characters. This is a great collection for those readers who have never read any of the author's short stories, or those fans who wish to reacquaint themselves with them. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Everything you know and love about Agatha Christie novels in one big now. I really loved this one. Will definitely purchase it for my own collection

Sinister Spring by Agatha Christie
Publication date: 2 March 2023
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
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An all-new collection of spring-themed mysteries from the master of the genre. The days are growing warmer and the nights are growing shorter… It's the perfect time to relax in the garden with this spring-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie.
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Some of the short stories centre around gardens; I guess that's what gave this collection its spring theme? But let's be honest, that's a pretty loose theme here.

However, if you are a Christie fan, as I am, this is an enjoyable collection, a really quick read where Miss Marple is the sharpest mind at the dinner table and Poirot's little grey cells thwart wicked villains.

I already knew some of those stories, and interestingly, two of my favourites were "sans" Poirot and Marple. The Soul of the Croupier was a story of love, long-lasting hate and enduring pride, while Swan Song was a very atmospheric opera-centred revenge story.

Now, may I have the summer collection please? 😊
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I have loved Agatha Christie books for more years than I can remember and this collection of short stories does not disappoint. With stories involving the esteemed Hercule Poirot, the gentle Miss Marple, the youthfully exuberant Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, Parker Pyne, Mr Satterthwaite and Mr Harley Quin, there is something here for everyone. Whether you are a newcomer to the world of Agatha Christie or a seasoned veteran such as myself, it is a lovely collection to dip in and out of.

This is a delightful collection of Agatha Christie short stories that have some connection to the spring season. The book contains a good mix of stories featuring her recurring characters--Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, Mr. Parker Pyne, Mr. Satterthwaite, and Harley Quin. If you're new to Agatha Christie, this would be an excellent introduction to her work. If you've been reading Christie for years, like I have (about half a century now!), it's like a lovely visit with old friends and a couple of surprises thrown in. This collection is the latest in the seasonal series, all of which are wonderful and well worth reading. Every time I sit down with a Christie I know I am going to have a happy reading experience and this book was no exception. It did not disappoint and I highly recommend it.

i am ashamed to say i had never read any Agatha Christie books prior to this collection. She has always been an author that i have been dying to pick up and read but i have always delayed reading her books out of fear of disappointment. but, i have to say that this collection has definitely encouraged me to pick up her books in the future.

marple and poirot are geniuses and i can definitely see why everyone loves them! they are honestly so smart with how they solve crimes. it is fantastic!

i’d recommend this to christie fans and for those you want to start getting into her books and want a brief introduction to some of her characters.

thank you for allowing me to read this book prior to publication in march. i HAVE to pick up some books by agatha christie now!

This was never going be anything but five stars from me as huge Christie fan. This an another great collection of short stories if you are a fan some will be familiar. Featuring Poirot and Marple among others this book is like a bee buzzing on a spring day picture perfect until it’s not. As usual full of wit, observations beyond the time and of course delightfully sinister. Will be buying this when it’s published to sit along aside the other two books in the collection I can’t wait for the fourth. Cover is beautiful and am sure in the hardback form it will look stunning.