Book Review: Spider's Web

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Spider's Web     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Agatha Christie , Charles Osborne
Class/Genre:   Mystery
St. Martin’s, Nov 2000, $23.95, 240 pp.

In Cobblestone Court, Henry and Clarissa Hailsham-Brown host three guests: Sir Rowland Delahaye, Hugo Birch, and Jeremy Warrender. However, Clarissa soon discovers the corpse of an unknown guest in the drawing room. Knowing her spouse plans to bring home a bigwig, Clarissa decides to hide the body until she can get around to figuring what to do next. In the course of temporarily disposing the deceased, police Inspector Lord arrives, stating he received a tip that murder occurred here.

Clarissa revises her plan to include keeping the police from knowing that someone was in deed murdered in her home. She continues to serve as a gracious host to her guests and her spouse’s dinner company while at the same time deciding to uncover the identities of the body and the killer by herself.

SPIDER’S WEB, the third adaptation of an Agatha Christie play to a novel (see BLACK COFFEE and THE UNEXPECTED GUEST), is pure 100 proof Christie and not lite. The story line contains the elements that have made the renowned author so beloved. Fans of Ms. Christie and anyone who enjoys a featherbrained English amateur sleuth will fully enjoy this tale that shows Charles Osborne fully understands the grandmistress of mystery.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner