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Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection)
 
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Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection) (Paperback)

by Agatha Christie (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £5.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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  • This item: Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection) by Agatha Christie

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Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; Masterpiece Ed edition (7 May 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007136803
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007136803
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 86,547 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Synopsis
An elderly widow is murdered at a clifftop seaside house...What is the connection between a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player? To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a houseparty gathers at Gull's Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. It's all part of a carefully paid plan -- for murder!

About the Author
Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She has sold over 2 billion novels worldwide and has been translated into more languages than any other single writer.

Born on 15 September 1890 in Devon, England, her career spanned six decades in which time she published 80 novels and short story collections and 19 plays. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles published in 1920, was written as a result of a challenge from her sister. In it she would introduce to the world Hercule Poirot, one of the most famous fictional characters of all time. Poirot would appear in over 80 novels and short stories. Nine years later Agatha created Miss Marple - a spinster sleuth who would become so popular she would rival Poirot in the nation's affections.

Her writing won her many fans including the royal family. When Queen Mary was approaching her 80th birthday, the BBC asked how she would want them to celebrate it. She requested a new Christie play! Three Blind Mice was duly written for the radio; it would later be adapted into The Mousetrap and become the longest continuously running play in history.

Although best known for her detective fiction, Christie also wrote a number of books that give us insight into her world. Her autobiography, published the year after her death provides a full, and often humorous, account of her life and Come, Tell Me How You Live chronicles her travels as the wife of a world famous archaeologist, on digs in the Middle East.

Agatha Christie had a truly remarkable life; she was a very private lady though her love of travel and archaeology shines through in her work. Her most famous novel Murder on the Orient Express celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2009 and was inspired by her own travels on the train, when she too became stranded due to weather.

After a hugely successful career and a very happy life Agatha died peacefully on 12 January 1976.

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of Christie's vey best., 16 Jul 2006
By M. Elliott (Mansfield, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Towards Zero is one of Agatha Christie's very best books. The characterisation is excellent with lots of well drawn rounded characters. The setting of the cornish coast in September is also very atmospeheric.

However this book is so good as Christie places the main murder late on in the book viewing, as is the case,murder being the end of a series of events rather than the start.

The solution is totally unexpected but if you look back through the book and the characters it is the only possible solution that would work.

A true classic
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An overlooked classic, 9 April 2007
By C. Knowles "Coljaz" (Sheffield, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I have been a Christie fan for 35 years, and I agree with the previous reviewer. To my mind this is one of the best books she ever wrote. Perhaps because it does not feature Poirot or Marple it never really seems to get the attention it deserves. Christie is often criticised for being Plot Plot Plot and precious little atmosphere. It is suggested that creating a convincing atmosphere is beyond her. Well this is the book which disproves that theory. You could cut the atmosphere in this one with a knife. From the word go a strange, menacing, almost dreamlike aura hangs over this book. It is, apart from a (very) tangenital similarity to 'Murder Is Easy' in terms of motivation, quite unlike anything else she wrote. It seems to be one of those Christies that readers come to half-heartedly once they have exhausted the Poirots and Marples but I would place it pretty high on her list of classic titles, in fact I am not sure that I wouldn't place it at number one!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant mystery, featuring Inspector Battle., 6 Jun 2001
By W. O'NEILL "Sochalien anglais" (Wirral, England.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Towards Zero (The Christie Collection) (Paperback)
Battle is one of her lesser known detectives, but I take my hat off to him for getting this one right! From the very start, there is a stormy tension over the group, matched by the sultry weather outside. The two enormous twists will leave you amazed and the wickedness of the killer is high even by Agatha standards! The second one I read and after the awful 'Clocks', a wonderful introduction. An essential read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Towards Zero "Book" v Towards Zero "TV Adaptation"
I picked up this book to read because I had recently seen the ITV adaptation of MARPLE (2008). I knew Miss Marple was not in the book, so wanted to see how true to the book they... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Joanne D'Arcy

5.0 out of 5 stars The murder of Audrey Strange
This is without doubt the best Agatha Christie crime novel I have ever read. It surpassess "Roger Ackroyd" for plot, characters, scene, prose. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Jane Baker

2.0 out of 5 stars Towards Zero
Disappointing. Christie sets up an interesting plot but fails to do anything with it. The book feels as if it's all beginning but no middle. Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2005 by Rich

3.0 out of 5 stars More twists and turns than a maze!
This is story features one of Agatha Christie's lesser known detectives, Superintendent Battle who is in five of Agatha Christie's novels. Read more
Published on 4 Mar 2004 by Suzanne Moore

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual detective story - Christie at her best !
Traditional whodunnit beginning unusually with an unnamed person writing a plan for murder, to take place at the end of the story. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly entertaining and old-fashioned murder mystery
Not one of the best known Christies, which is a huge injustice as Towards Zero has a clever, original plot with plenty of twists and red herrings and a plethora of fascinating... Read more
Published on 13 Nov 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Another top rate Christie
Different (in some ways) from most, with an excellent plot. Very very few people would possibly guess the outcome of this particular one (even my sister and she gets most).
Published on 29 Oct 1999 by mikemoroney2

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