Most reviews of the adaption seem to be counsel for the prosecution in the murder case against ITV. I'd rather be witness for the defense. I read my first Christie, "Endless Night", in the late sixties and was fascinated. Fortunately I read some of the old crime novels before I had the newest Christie, "By the Pricking of my Thumbs", as a present. It began rather well but declined into endless conversations of nonsense and the plot was bad structured with many loose ends. So I was about to give up Christie, but offered her a second chance, read "Five Little Pigs" and fascination turned into addiction. Most of her novels I've read 4-7 times and except for Bobby Jones and Frankie Derwent ("Why didn't They ask Evans?"), T&T must be the most bumbling amateurs, Christie ever created. In the adaption they're at least living people, not pieces from a cupboard. Tuppece is performed with sympathy and affection and has a perfect alibi for her drinking problem. Her husband, as a MI6 colonel, is spending most of his time travelling around the world doing "business", but in the end rediscovering her existence. Sounds pretty much like late Christie and works better than the novel.
Review of By the Pricking of My Thumbs
