I loved this book, It was the first one I tried to solve and the Passenger plan nat the front helped me to an extent and trying to solve it gave it thatr extra something, I love locked room mysateries and the books that add Travel which is why it means more to me than other books.

I don't think it is relevent today, I think people are more noticing of their surroundings but in a way I love thisd book so much I don't care and anyway if this book isn't relevent at least one other book I have read isn't relevent for the same reason and I plan on reading both again and I think it is a shame if people are put of a book because it isn't 'relevent' let people who want relevent book go elsewhere although there is plenty of relevence in in Christies work and some I have found have Educated me by telling me things I might not have found out otherwise and finding out those things have encouraged me to find out other things which are related to it.

I admit the details of the book are in places sketchy so I don't remember Jane Grey but from what others have written elsewhere and from seeing the Suchet Adapt, I think she should have been in mkore books but maybe like others she was a prototype for other Characters. 

I'm not sure the point about relevence matters. Like Tommy, I feel that those looking for more gritty, socially realistic storys and characters would not be turning to Agatha Christie to fulfil these needs. In reading Christie the audience is aware that the books were written from the 1920's up until the 1970's and were usually written about those higher up the social scale. The point isn't what these books can tell us about the human condition; the point is the plot and how AC constructs this.

We all love a 'locked room' mystery. Having a reduced number of possible suspects gives the reader the hope that they may be able to get to the solution before the detective. I think the book is a lot of fun and AC writes some delightful characters. Little Mr Clancy always make me smile!

As for Jane Grey, I feel she is a little more one-dimentional that some of AC's other central female characters. She lacks colour (I think the surmane of Grey is well suited!) and isn't particularly adventurous. She is caught up in the drama due to the unhappy accident of being on the same plane and not through choice. Ther are many other characters who would be ahead on my list to have seen repeated in other books. But she serves her purpose well in Death in the Clouds.

I am pleased we agree Puffin, I think if there is grit in Agatha Christie's work people should be allowed not to read between the lines without fear of ridecule, With Death In The Clouds and  other 'Locked Room' stories it is interesting to see how Agatha Christie Confines herself to making the essential Action happen in one room just like Hitchcock did in one of his films where not only did the characters only use 2 rooms but if I remember rightly there were only 2 or 3 Characters.

I am so glad you like Mr Clancy as he is the one Character I remember most - apart from Poirot that is - perhaps it would have been nice to have more of him but there again having 2 Novellists in Poirot books probably wouldn't have worked  

Death in the clouds in one of my favourite Poirots. The scene where Poirot tries out using a blowpipe, in front of a plane full of people was very funny. It s not just working out who did the murder,  but how the murder was done without anyone seeing.

Yes, it is a great episode of the serie. But one thing is a bit dissapointing:

if you know who did it because you've read the book you think that its obvious who did it as the police check the luggage of the passengers and you see the dentists white coat.

As I have said before, I think sometimes you aren't supposed to question things just enjoy them, btw sloerdbl you should have put as spoiuler warning. 

oh but I do enjoy them. I have season 1till 8 on dvd and I watch them a lot, but sometimes you think that they could have done some things different better. And sometimes they change the book totally, but I do enjoy them, because it still ar Agatha Christie's great plots.

Lucky you, I only have ABC Murders and Evil Under The Sun on Video and 2 short stories (I can't remember the names of them and it is too much hassle to get to them now.

I saw Evil Under The Sun a few days ago, it was a good movie. I liked the fact that they changed the daughter of Kenneth Marshall into a son. It seemed better. Very funny secenes in the restaurant of Hastings at the beginning.

But you do have all the books?

I have both versions of Evil Under The Sun and bought all the books when they werew Advertized on ITV afew years ago, I also have Murder On The Orient Express, Death On The Nile, all the JH MM series, Seven Dials and the Original Why Didn't They Ask Evans  and The Secret Adversary. and many Audio Cassettes on Tape and CDs. 

i enjoyed the book...by the time i read this one I was addicted to the poirot series and consuming each book with hnugry need.LOLI reckon this was one of the most interestng books by Agatha Christie. The plot was good and I enjoyed the scenario and the clues and tidbits used eg the blowpipe,the dead wasp, etc

kudos to Miss Christie for writing another fab. book!!!!

Tommy_A_Jones

I loved this book, It was the first one I tried to solve and the Passenger plan nat the front helped me to an extent and trying to solve it gave it thatr extra something, I love locked room mysateries and the books that add Travel which is why it means more to me than other books.

I don't think it is relevent today, I think people are more noticing of their surroundings but in a way I love thisd book so much I don't care and anyway if this book isn't relevent at least one other book I have read isn't relevent for the same reason and I plan on reading both again and I think it is a shame if people are put of a book because it isn't 'relevent' let people who want relevent book go elsewhere although there is plenty of relevence in in Christies work and some I have found have Educated me by telling me things I might not have found out otherwise and finding out those things have encouraged me to find out other things which are related to it.

I admit the details of the book are in places sketchy so I don't remember Jane Grey but from what others have written elsewhere and from seeing the Suchet Adapt, I think she should have been in mkore books but maybe like others she was a prototype for other Characters. 

I agree with these comments but @ Tommy A Jones - do you really think that these days people are more aware of their surroundings? i dont belive so, i think they are more aware or certain things around them but not more aware in general, let me know what you think. I also love a "locked room mystery!" :)

I liked the way the murderer was a kind of "quasi-Hastings", the man Poirot "enlisted" to help him in solving the mystery. I didn't even  suspect the man because of this.

On reflection peoplem aren't more aware these days and are too interested in ourselves than noticing things around us but I do think people would notice in such circumstances as discribed in the Wonderful Death In The Clouds.

I agree with Tommy, nowdays most people are too busy looking at their mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players or Ipods to notice their surroundings.

I think we care less about the social nicities that previous generations followed and. In general, there is less thought to how most people behave in public and, therefore, I'm not sure we think a great deal about those around us. Life is lived at a fast pace these days, with numerous distractions (such as the things you name MissQuin) and these take more of our attention than our fellow human beings.

Having said that, because most people don't think about the 'correct' way to do things or behave, I think any attempt carry out a similar murder WOULD be spotted, for two reasons:-

1) Good social manners would have dictated that you did not stare at your fellow passengers, or idly gaze around at what everyone else is doing. You would keep yourself to yourself and be polite if the situation required any interaction, and,

2) ANY passenger behaving suspiciously in ANY way would IMMEDIATELY be wrestled to the floor by fellow travellers in this post 9/11 world.

Ive puzzled over a small matter in Death in the clouds. Lady Cecily Horbury was carrying a small bottle marked "boracic powder" which Japp easily worked out was really cocaine! Wasn't it illegal? Only Lady Horbury wasn't charged with having it, which seemed odd to me.

It became illegal only fairly recently. This takes place in the early 30s.

One problem I had with the adaptation was Poirot's closing words to Jane, telling her that the killer "loved her."  I much preferred the book, where she's quasi-angry with Poirot for breaking up her romance, and he tells her that the killer probably would've murdered her sooner or later.

I loved this book. It reminds me of an episode of Detective Conan what with the plane murder and all, but I think I'll be scared to fly anywhere now.