Postern of Fate

Postern of Fate is probably the last book Agatha Christie wrote and along with Elephants and Passenger to Frankfurt it’s kind of a sad mess, though not as bad as those two because Tommy and Tuppence.   I’ve always loved them and wish they’d been a bit more about mysteries and less about espionage, but even in their 70s they’re still the same old T & T, only a bit more rambly and repetitive.    The Beresfords are retiring and have bought a lovely house in a quiet English village to while away their final days… or have they?   They haven’t even finished moving in when an old children’s book reveals a coded message.   Mary Jordan did not die naturally.   But who was she?  And who was Alexander Parkinson, the boy who seems to have written the message.   Time again is something that Dame Agatha really cannot write about any longer at this point.   It is 1973.   Tommy and Tuppence are in their 70s.   Both were active during World War I which means anyone their age or older could have been involved in the case at the time and yet she keeps talking about how long ago it was and everyone must be long dead.   And she keeps emphasizing that the past and the present are not unrelated, like this is some great revelation, but it is moderately entertaining if you enjoy the Beresfords.   They investigate.   Find almost nothing, but somehow flush out a killer who probably could have remained safely on the loose if they hadn’t decided to start killing again.   Oh, well.   The last two were written when she was much younger, so looking forward to that.  I know I read Curtain in my youth, but I don’t remember if I read Sleeping Murder, Miss Marple’s last.

This was the second clue book in Bev’s Follow the Clues.   Seeing as “Postern” has probably never been in another title ever and Fate isn’t much better, I’m using the books Tuppence mentions in the early chapters that they bought from the previous owners.   One of the authors, L.T. Meade (a children’s author I never heard of) also wrote mysteries.   So, I’m giving her Master of Mysteries a try.   I’m worried this may be the end of my clue chain.   No, surely not.   I’ll find something with Master or Mysteries in the title if nothing else.

Don’t think this fits any other challenges.