While the Light Lasts and Other Stories

It starts with a tale of despair that defines romance in The House of Dreams. Written in her early years, the signature style is so subtle that it might only be realized in hindsight. Surely not the best of her creations, it could really be her path to lesser fame had not a novelist friend came to her aid with encouraging directions. That it was required for the budding author was acknowledged by Christie when she paid her respect to Philpotts while already established in a literary career. It is followed by The Actress, a thrillingly fascinating narrative that is short but crisp. This drama is intensely psychological, revealing the inherent cowardice that is exploited to stage the apparently vicious trap. Thrills continues in The Edge, which befits the title in varied ways as the frustrated dame fights the desperate wife in a battle of nerves with a fatal climax that is deceptively tragic. Each piece has afterword which gives a little bit of perspective to the works. The following features Poirot in the mystery with title Christmas Adventure, which is though a reread, but the title was different while the charm similarly satiating. The Lonely God is romance weaved in mystery that blesses the same with the delightful Heavenly appeal. The twist in the tale was predictable yet satisfactorily welcome as the long lost artist meets the lost love at the feet of the Deity with apparently a dearth of worshipers but still standing supreme with the sacrifices that a God can only offer. Disappointment will be in store while reading Manx Gold but the afterword will be more than a satisfactory justification of its apparent vague treasure chase. Written for attracting tourists for the Isle of Man, the clues are strewn in the text for its readers to detect. Within a Wall is a black romance with a crooked sense of desire. While the silent lover seeks love in helping the needy, the calm companion longs the same in possesiveness. The touch of cunning returns with Poirot in unravelling The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest that contained a murdered body, hidden apparently in a room full of guests and their attendees. Being the original to 'The Mystery of the Spanish Chest', perspective played the vital pivot to identify the criminal while evidences supported the hypothesis. Guilt and comfort play a black tale in While the Light Lasts, where the apparent relief to the anxious heart paints a tragedy that lies hidden from the coarser eyes. It seemed to reflect a certain status conscious author giving vent to her ambitious nature camouflaged in a manner, which is both convenient and elegant.