Endless Night by Agatha Christie

December 4, 2023

November's read Christie Challenge's theme was on Greed.

And greed is certainly the driving factor in Endless Night. This one is not a Poirot story. It's a standalone Christie book about a "poor rich" girl Ellie and a "penniless" Michael Rogers. Michael our protagonist of the story is the adventurous kind of guy. He never stays at one job. He is someone who cannot 'settle' in his life.

And yet on one fateful day when he meets Ellie outside an old mansion colloquially known as Gypsy's Acre. He decides that's where his future lies. He decides to build his dream house and settle with the love of his life Ellie. An old woman (gypsy) warns them of an ancient evil curse that is set upon the land. They ignore the lady and get married and move into the Gypsy Acre. What follows is a twisted tale of Greed with power hungry relatives sweeping in for Ellie's money and a lovely Greta.

This one has been a lesson in patience for me. Endless Night has been lying with me for years. I tried picking it up a few years ago and i was not able to get into it. Then I saw it as the book recommendation for November and i realised this is the time to read it. But then again I found it difficult to pick up. Not because the prose was difficult. But because of certain life events that troubled me. But when the story got picked up a hundred or so pages in. This gripped me. Took me to a tour of the human mind. A messed up mind.

Endless Night truly has one of my favourite twists in a Christie book. Almost as good as the twist in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd! And a seasoned Christie reader would know how perfect that was. I loved this book. As the year comes to an end. I am proud of myself having accomplished this challenge. And with only one book to go. I hope to end this year on a good note. :)

"Some are born of sweet Delights Some are born of endless night"