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This is the spoiler thread for The Clocks - post all your spoilers here!

This is another book where Poirot isn't involved until the later part. Instead we have Inspector Hardcastle, and his friend Colin Lamb. Lamb is also a friend of Poirot, and it is he, who involves Poirot in the mystery as a challenge. I did guess one of the mysteries here quite early on, as I thought it was pretty obvious, but a second theme was something of a surprise. A good easy read as usual, but seemed a bit drawn out for Christie.

I enjoyed it as a good easy, fun read and listen, but did seem a lot of coincidences- like Colin just happened to be on hand as the girl runs out screaming! And again, the spy angle - another group I’m in is about to read a Helen MacInnes spy thriller, makes me wonder if Christie was thinking about moving into Cold War thrillers...but, as always, I enjoyed myself (thanks in large part to Hugh Fraser’s excellent voice acting!) Looking forward to my annual Halloween listen to Hallowe'en Party, I love the way he does Ariadne Oliver!

Agree this was good fun to read. Poirot really seemed to be enjoying himself in this one. I quite like the thought of Poirot sitting reading John Dickson Carr!

Was Colin Lamb's father in a previous book?

I read somewhere that he is the son of Superintendent Battle, although in the TV version he's actually called Race, making him the son of Colonel Race (both Battle and Race were in Cards on the Table).

Rosina wrote: "I read somewhere that he is the son of Superintendent Battle, although in the TV version he's actually called Race, making him the son of Colonel Race (both Battle and Race were in Cards on the Tab..."

Thank you, I wondered about that! Was wondering- Race? Battle? Japp? Whose son is he supposed to be?

I didn't think it was Japp. What clues would show it was Battle or Race?

I joined in this read because I thought this was a title I hadn't read. I remembered I had read it when I read Edna's musings.

I liked it. Liked the literary side discussions.

I do always find any Christie's that feature espionage a bit creaky though.

Rosina wrote: "I read somewhere that he is the son of Superintendent Battle, although in the TV version he's actually called Race, making him the son of Colonel Race (both Battle and Race were in Cards on the Tab..."

Thank you!

I really enjoyed this one, I do like the touches of espionage added. I did recognize that the clue about the crescent was upside down but that was never really pursued later-was it just that house #19 was the important one after all?

I also really enjoyed the idea of Poirot reading mystery novels-Christie does really seem to like the rather meta discussions of mystery novels and their authors.

Susan in NC wrote: "I enjoyed it as a good easy, fun read and listen, but did seem a lot of coincidences- like Colin just happened to be on hand as the girl runs out screaming! And again, the spy angle - another group..."

I adore Hugh's reading as well Susan, particularly his Ariadne. However, I feel like either audiobook wasn't the right vehicle for me for this book, or my mind wandered a lot, because when it came to the end, I didn't have a clue who the neighbors were that were tied up into the scheming. They all seemed to meld together in my mind.
The best part in my opinion was the exchange between Colin and young Geraldine. Christie wrote precocious children quite well. I don't think I would have wanted her as a neighbor though!

I found this a real chore to get through. And I always sigh a little when it becomes apparent that Christie is injecting espionage into a plot; it's not something she had any aptitude for and every time I come across it I find it sounds so fake.
There are a smattering of interesting passages in this book but it's heavy and stodgy overall and the ending is unconvincing and desperately disappointing.

I enjoyed listening to this for all the bits and pieces: Poirot reading mysteries, the bookstore, the conversation with the spying child, Poirot's friendship with his friend's son are just some of the examples. I liked both Lamb and the policeman and the changing point of view.

But, perhaps because I didn't have a print copy to reinforce information, I have questions!

Was there any reason why the woman who found the body happened to be the daughter of the flat's owner? Did her boss know they were connected, thus choosing her of the employees for further confusion?

Could Poirot really have solved the murder with the clues he had? Was there any reason to think Mrs Bland was a second wife and sister of the boss?

And coincidences abound!

So, like Colin, I was disappointed in the ending and agree Christie should avoid espionage. But I found it a light and entertaining listen.

Great beginning, decent middle, atrocious end. Absolutely uncalled for and unexplained coincidences.

Like Sandy and Colin I distrust Christie when she meddles with espionage. Can one say she never did a good job of it?

Bicky wrote: "Great beginning, decent middle, atrocious end. Absolutely uncalled for and unexplained coincidences.

Like Sandy and Colin I distrust Christie when she meddles with espionage. Can one say she never..."

I enjoyed N or M?, despite not being a huge Tommy and Tuppence fan in general.

Tara wrote: "I enjoyed N or M?, despite not being a huge Tommy and Tuppence fan in general. "

Thanks, I will try it out, despite Tommy and Tuppence!

Bicky wrote: "Great beginning, decent middle, atrocious end. Absolutely uncalled for and unexplained coincidences.

Like Sandy and Colin I distrust Christie when she meddles with espionage. Can one say she never..."

I could! I'm not a Tommy & Tuppence fan.

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "I could! I'm not a Tommy & Tuppence fan."

Strange, So many of us who are not!

I’ve just finished. The scene where Colin first visits Poirot, Poirot asks him about his father, the good superintendent. That suggests Battle is Colin’s father, not Race.

Victoria wrote: "I’ve just finished. The scene where Colin first visits Poirot, Poirot asks him about his father, the good superintendent. That suggests Battle is Colin’s father, not Race."

Thank you for noticing.

Tara wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I enjoyed it as a good easy, fun read and listen, but did seem a lot of coincidences- like Colin just happened to be on hand as the girl runs out screaming! And again, the spy a..."

True, that kid didn’t miss a thing...but yes, I also enjoyed the unsentimental way Christie wrote children. Just getting into our other October Poirot, Hallowe'en Party - listening to audio as well with the great Hugh! Yes, Ariadne is on hand, as well, and retired Spence, so it’s a lovely reunion- and not a spy in sight, for those tiring of that angle! But the interesting thing, as it relates to your comment about the way she writes children, is this one revolves around the murder of a child, and a rather insufferable one at that. Poirot interviewing people about the girl, and asking their honest opinion, is interesting- the girl is dead, so no one wants to say anything mean, but as he tries to make them understand, the victim’s personality often leads to clues.

Susan in NC wrote: "Tara wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "I enjoyed it as a good easy, fun read and listen, but did seem a lot of coincidences- like Colin just happened to be on hand as the girl runs out screaming! And aga..."

Susan, there is a lot of "I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but..." only to proceed to do exactly that.

Yes!

I absolutely loved the scene with the child and the spy glass, but forgot about it instantly. I share the same questions as mentioned above, Sheila’s mother was the connection known beforehand and then why? Why all the clocks anyway?

I think I equally love and dislike this one. Such fun to read yet... makes no real sense

Jessica wrote: "I absolutely loved the scene with the child and the spy glass, but forgot about it instantly. I share the same questions as mentioned above, Sheila’s mother was the connection known beforehand and ..."

Totally agree Jessica. I tend not to like the later Suchet Poirot seasons, but I thought this one was pretty well done (in terms of understanding the storyline), although there were some plot elements made rather obvious early on.

The final twist of coincidence was just too much, and quite unnecessary. That Sheila had a nebulous background of course meant that she was more suspect, but it didn't have to resolve itself within the case!

That she ran into Colin at the start of the case is the initiating coincidence, and acceptable (if she hadn't, Poirot wouldn't have been involved). That the murderous plot involved her, almost randomly, doesn't really worry me - if not her, someone else. And the weirdness about the clocks is just Miss Martindale following the rather convoluted plot laid down in one of the unpublished detective stories written by an author she worked for, to confuse a 'simple' murder. That the simple murderers unknowingly chose the home of a spy is pushing it ... But that that spy is the mother of the girl chosen at random to find the body is a step too far!

What did surprise me was that no one had looked at the note upside down ... It was surely 50/50 which way up you held it on each reading!

Rosina wrote: "The final twist of coincidence was just too much, and quite unnecessary. ... What did surprise me was that no one had looked at the note upside down ... It was surely 50/50 which way up you held it on each reading! ."

The final twist was beyond unnecessary, I don't remember a Poirot/Marple novel with such a heavy dose of gratuitous coincidence.
The odds are in favour of looking at it as 61 etc. because of the letterhead.

As Jill has noted in the other thread the ending came as a very unpleasant shock. By then, one knew who one of the murderers was because of Edna. One had perhaps caught the reference to a sister who should not have existed. One knew the purpose of the clocks etc. because of the reference to Alice and simplicity. One suspected that Miss Pembarsh was Susan's mother. One knew that 61 should actually be read as 19. Therefore one suspected that she was a spy and reasonably concluded that the murder also had something to do with the spying business. The real mystery left to be explained was why Susan was involved in such a manner by her own mother.

To our distress in the end we are informed that the spying business and the daughter business were just coincidences. We have really gone through the looking glass.

Thanks for this, Judy! The spoiler discussions are hands-down the best part of GoodReads. Enjoying these comments immensely.