Dear Readers, I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to share (or expound upon) the news that the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries have received their THIRD Agatha Award nomination! The nod for In Myrtle Peril (MHM #4) follows on the heels of nominations for Premeditated Myrtle (MHM #1) in 2021 and Cold-Blooded Myrtle (MHM #3) in 2022.
And I am doubly (trebly?) thrilled to say that I’ll be attending the awards ceremony at Malice Domestic again this year! This exuberant conference celebrates mystery writing of all kinds, and the Agatha Awards honor mysteries in the tradition typified by Dame Agatha Christie’s “cozy” whodunits, in which the violence appears offscreen, and the enjoyment is in the solving of a clever puzzle.
If you’ve already run through your own catalogue of Christie’s mysteries in print, and would like to join me in celebrating via a Christie movie marathon, I have a couple of recent recommendations to share.
First up, last year’s Britbox miniseries Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? is one of the most delightful Christie adaptations I’ve screened. Adapted by Hugh Laurie, it follows veteran and golf pro Bobby Jones and his friend, the Irrepressible Lady Frankie Derwent, as they unravel the cryptic last words of a dying man. This adaptation of Christie’s 1934 novel features spirited performances, an irresistibly twisty script, and magnificent costumes (three words: orange palazzo pants).
Next up is a madcap comedy about a murder on the set of Christie’s long-running play The Mousetrap. This play is famous for being barred from film adaptations as long as it was still running in London’s West End—which it did from 1956 until the pandemic closed London’s theaters in March 2020. See How They Run takes a twist on the play’s success with a look into the perils of selling film rights. (Note to self…) Check your favorite streaming service to find last year’s best big-screen mystery, chock full of Easter eggs and throwbacks for mystery fans.
Don’t forget to check out the fine works by all of this year’s Agatha nominees, and join me in congratulating my fellow honorees!
See you in Bethesda!
