Chris Diggins
@cdiggins.bsky.social
Writer, critic, professional GM, sleepy boy. He/him
19. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas: In a lot of ways this feels like a second run at the previous book. A family gathered together under the thumb of a tyrannical parent, suddenly freed by a murder that sows fear and suspicion amongst the survivors. I like the ending of this one better too
January 19, 2026 at 6:15 PM
19. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas: In a lot of ways this feels like a second run at the previous book. A family gathered together under the thumb of a tyrannical parent, suddenly freed by a murder that sows fear and suspicion amongst the survivors. I like the ending of this one better too
18. Appointment with Death: The ending to this one is pretty disappointing, not because it’s implausible or comes out of nowhere, but it feels like kind of a cop-out. Hard to say more without spoilers, but it frustrates an otherwise fun mystery with a perfectly villainous victim
January 18, 2026 at 12:39 AM
18. Appointment with Death: The ending to this one is pretty disappointing, not because it’s implausible or comes out of nowhere, but it feels like kind of a cop-out. Hard to say more without spoilers, but it frustrates an otherwise fun mystery with a perfectly villainous victim
17. Murder in the Mews: Another short story collection, although these ones are much longer so there’s only four total. They’re also much less self-consciously styled after Sherlock Holmes and feel more like Poirot. Both aspects make this a much more entertaining collection of bite-sized mysteries
January 16, 2026 at 1:26 AM
17. Murder in the Mews: Another short story collection, although these ones are much longer so there’s only four total. They’re also much less self-consciously styled after Sherlock Holmes and feel more like Poirot. Both aspects make this a much more entertaining collection of bite-sized mysteries
16. Death on the Nile: I think this is the longest she’s ever gone before the death happens, it’s like halfway through the novel. It makes sense though, because there’s an absolutely enormous ensemble here and they need a lot of set-up. And it pays off, because they’re very memorable. A classic
January 15, 2026 at 12:10 AM
16. Death on the Nile: I think this is the longest she’s ever gone before the death happens, it’s like halfway through the novel. It makes sense though, because there’s an absolutely enormous ensemble here and they need a lot of set-up. And it pays off, because they’re very memorable. A classic
homegoo is what everyone turns into after the Third Impact
January 14, 2026 at 4:57 AM
homegoo is what everyone turns into after the Third Impact
15. Dumb Witness: The last appearance of Hastings until the end! I’ll miss the moron, but Christie has proved Poirot works perfectly well on his own. As for the story, it feels like Poirot as proto-Columbo, digging at something seemingly innocuous. A particularly strong cast of suspects makes it fun
January 12, 2026 at 6:30 PM
15. Dumb Witness: The last appearance of Hastings until the end! I’ll miss the moron, but Christie has proved Poirot works perfectly well on his own. As for the story, it feels like Poirot as proto-Columbo, digging at something seemingly innocuous. A particularly strong cast of suspects makes it fun
14. Cards on the Table: Apparently this one is divisive because very little happens, plot-wise. While true, I found the in-depth focus on the process of investigating really fascinating, especially since she varied it up with Superintendent Battle and Ariadne Oliver's methods. Another favorite!
January 11, 2026 at 10:24 PM
14. Cards on the Table: Apparently this one is divisive because very little happens, plot-wise. While true, I found the in-depth focus on the process of investigating really fascinating, especially since she varied it up with Superintendent Battle and Ariadne Oliver's methods. Another favorite!
I don’t know the actual denominational breakdown of any of these people, but Christian rock/pop has always struck me as one of those things to file under “Protestant nonsense”
January 11, 2026 at 10:19 PM
I don’t know the actual denominational breakdown of any of these people, but Christian rock/pop has always struck me as one of those things to file under “Protestant nonsense”
Potatoes Lyonnaise, though often crispy on the outside, can be quite delectable with a softer, creamier center
January 10, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Potatoes Lyonnaise, though often crispy on the outside, can be quite delectable with a softer, creamier center
13. Murder in Mesopotamia: The ultimate conclusion to this one is wildly implausible, but it’s also one of Poirot’s grandest scenes of summarizing the case at the end. Christie using her experience as an archaeologist’s wife to add a lot of flavor to the setting makes it feel more distinct too
January 10, 2026 at 12:20 AM
13. Murder in Mesopotamia: The ultimate conclusion to this one is wildly implausible, but it’s also one of Poirot’s grandest scenes of summarizing the case at the end. Christie using her experience as an archaeologist’s wife to add a lot of flavor to the setting makes it feel more distinct too
12. The ABC Murders: This might be my favorite so far! She does something a little different, writing essentially a serial killer story decades before their heyday. Of course there’s more of a twist to it here, but it mixes things up in an interesting way and I like how it wraps up
January 8, 2026 at 12:58 AM
12. The ABC Murders: This might be my favorite so far! She does something a little different, writing essentially a serial killer story decades before their heyday. Of course there’s more of a twist to it here, but it mixes things up in an interesting way and I like how it wraps up
11. Death in the Clouds: I hate that I think of this one as “the book with a giant wasp on the cover in that one episode of Doctor Who,” but what can you do. It is a pretty fun adventure, and at this point Poirot has a real flair for playing matchmaker amidst murders
January 8, 2026 at 12:56 AM
11. Death in the Clouds: I hate that I think of this one as “the book with a giant wasp on the cover in that one episode of Doctor Who,” but what can you do. It is a pretty fun adventure, and at this point Poirot has a real flair for playing matchmaker amidst murders
Cuppa soykaf, choomer
January 4, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Cuppa soykaf, choomer
I ASSUME you mean the ending thing but there are other things you could mean and that’s also pretty funny to imagine
January 4, 2026 at 4:08 AM
I ASSUME you mean the ending thing but there are other things you could mean and that’s also pretty funny to imagine
It all depends on whether you and Lu Bu are working towards the same goal or not (and what happens when that changes)
January 3, 2026 at 7:38 PM
It all depends on whether you and Lu Bu are working towards the same goal or not (and what happens when that changes)
10. Three Act Tragedy: To bolster the above point, he's barely in this one! Instead the main viewpoint is some other character, Mr. Satterthwaite, and Poirot isn't around until the last third. It kind of loses out in being both an original story and a Poirot, would have preferred one or the other
January 3, 2026 at 7:35 PM
10. Three Act Tragedy: To bolster the above point, he's barely in this one! Instead the main viewpoint is some other character, Mr. Satterthwaite, and Poirot isn't around until the last third. It kind of loses out in being both an original story and a Poirot, would have preferred one or the other
9. Murder on the Orient Express: It's kind of interesting this has become the most famous Poirot story, because it's very different from the previous ones. Much more serious, with no Hastings and Poirot's eccentricities toned down. Great story, of course, but Christie already tiring of Poirot?
January 3, 2026 at 7:31 PM
9. Murder on the Orient Express: It's kind of interesting this has become the most famous Poirot story, because it's very different from the previous ones. Much more serious, with no Hastings and Poirot's eccentricities toned down. Great story, of course, but Christie already tiring of Poirot?
But how would anyone pursue him?
January 3, 2026 at 7:19 PM
But how would anyone pursue him?
I watched that movie for the first time last year and found the premise of abducting a foreign leader like that so obviously absurd and counter-productive that it made the movie ridiculous
January 3, 2026 at 1:28 PM
I watched that movie for the first time last year and found the premise of abducting a foreign leader like that so obviously absurd and counter-productive that it made the movie ridiculous
trap sprung, self-hatred is another poet indicator
December 31, 2025 at 12:23 AM
trap sprung, self-hatred is another poet indicator
I'm putting this in the folder of things to remind you that you've said when you say you hate poets
December 31, 2025 at 12:04 AM
I'm putting this in the folder of things to remind you that you've said when you say you hate poets
Overall: So far mostly pretty strong, with only one huge dud! Christie’s hit rate was insane. I’m also struck by how funny she is, constantly playing with the reader and their expectations. You can tell she understood her genre inside and out, which allowed her to get creative within it
December 30, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Overall: So far mostly pretty strong, with only one huge dud! Christie’s hit rate was insane. I’m also struck by how funny she is, constantly playing with the reader and their expectations. You can tell she understood her genre inside and out, which allowed her to get creative within it
7. Peril at End House: Christie already experimented with playing with reader’s expectations, which makes her books so fun. I think this marks the point where she gets really sophisticated with it
8. Lord Edgware Dies: Somebody says the name of the book in the book, so I’m obligated to love it
8. Lord Edgware Dies: Somebody says the name of the book in the book, so I’m obligated to love it
December 30, 2025 at 3:37 PM
7. Peril at End House: Christie already experimented with playing with reader’s expectations, which makes her books so fun. I think this marks the point where she gets really sophisticated with it
8. Lord Edgware Dies: Somebody says the name of the book in the book, so I’m obligated to love it
8. Lord Edgware Dies: Somebody says the name of the book in the book, so I’m obligated to love it