Agatha Christie Quotes that Will Help You Solve Some of Life’s Mysteries

Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling authors of all time and an icon in the world of mystery novels. Here is a great list of her quotes curated by the Medialaze review team which help solve some of life’s mysteries:

Very few of us are what we seem.

The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.

Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that’s no reason not to give it.

Instinct is a marvelous thing. It can neither be explained nor ignored.

It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.

I don’t think necessity is the mother of invention. Invention arises directly from idleness, possibly also from laziness. To save oneself trouble.

Fear is incomplete knowledge.

If you place your head in a lion’s mouth, then you cannot complain one day if he happens to bite it off.

An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.

Time is the best killer.

A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.

But surely for everything you love you have to pay some price.

The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.

Everything must be taken into account. If the fact will not fit the theory – let the theory go.

You gave too much rein to your imagination. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.

The young people think the old people are fools — but the old people know the young people are fools.

Words, madmoiselle, are only the outer clothing of ideas.

Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them.

An appreciative listener is always stimulating.

I often wonder why the whole world is so prone to generalize. Generalizations are seldom if ever true and are usually utterly inaccurate.

For more great mystery, head over to Medialaze today.

Popular Mystery Books For Kids

Children love a good mystery book just as much as adults. However, they obviously have to be toned down to cater for a younger audience. There are some amazing examples of kids mystery books on sites like Medialaze. Here are some of the most popular mystery books for kids you can read today.

Julian, Secret Agent by Ann Cameron

After spotting a most wanted poster in their local shop, two brothers and their friend decide to become neighbourhood crime busters. Although they have success in finding lost dogs and toddlers, they get involved in a more serious case.

Invisible! by Robert Swindells

This is the story of Rosie who is a new girl at school. She also has an amazing talent, she can turn invisible. However, when her father is accused of a bank robbery, she and her friends have to use her ability to save him. You can read this book on sites like Medialaze.

The Extraordinary Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes is a classic character in fiction and this is a collection of eight classic stories from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This collection will bring the unique detective to a new generation of people who will love the timeless intrigue and colorful characters.

To read more mystery books from classic authors, head over to Medialaze and check out their library. You may find your child's next favorite author.

Agatha Christie Quotes that Will Help You Solve Some of Life’s Mysteries

An icon in the world of mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels, Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling authors of all time, and here we have some of her most famous quotes, curated by the Medialaze review team.

Very few of us are what we seem.

The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.

Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that’s no reason not to give it.

Instinct is a marvelous thing. It can neither be explained nor ignored.

It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.

I don’t think necessity is the mother of invention. Invention arises directly from idleness, possibly also from laziness. To save oneself trouble.

Fear is incomplete knowledge.

If you place your head in a lion’s mouth, then you cannot complain one day if he happens to bite it off.

An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her.

Time is the best killer.

A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.

But surely for everything you love you have to pay some price.

The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.

Everything must be taken into account. If the fact will not fit the theory – let the theory go.

You gave too much rein to your imagination. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.

The young people think the old people are fools — but the old people know the young people are fools.

Words, madmoiselle, are only the outer clothing of ideas.

Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them.

An appreciative listener is always stimulating.

I often wonder why the whole world is so prone to generalize. Generalizations are seldom if ever true and are usually utterly inaccurate.

For plenty more mystery eBooks and novels, check out Medialaze today.

Mystery books to add some suspense to your day

If you love a good mystery, you will love these books and eBooks curated by the Medialaze review team.

Intensity by Dean Koontz

This pressure-cooker of a novel takes place over a single weekend, closely tracking college student Chyna Shepherd’s movements. She attempts to outwit sociopathic murderer Edgler Vess. If she can stay one step ahead of him, his plans to kill again just might be thwarted — but all this hangs in the balance, as the two remain neck-and-neck the entire book. Seriously, if you want to be sweating bullets while you read, Intensity is for you.

Misery by Stephen King,

“I’m your biggest fan,” was a perfectly innocent compliment until Misery: a novel about an acclaimed author, Paul Sheldon, being held captive by a deranged fan, Annie Wilkes. Of course, in a story populated by just two people in a remote Colorado cabin, the suspense has to be pretty damn good. Luckily, King delivers. From Wilkes’ unpredictable outbursts and creative methods of torment to Sheldon’s increasing desperation, you’ll find yourself simultaneously transfixed and terrified right up to the very last page.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

One of Christie’s most sacred murder mysteries, Murder on the Orient Express, is essentially the reverse of And Then There Were None. Instead of one killer and multiple victims, the murder is an isolated incident — and everyone aboard the Orient Express is a suspect. Fortunately, esteemed inspector Hercule Poirot (and his equally venerable mustache) are on the case. But when each new clue seems to lead him in a different direction, Poirot realizes he’ll have to dig a bit deeper than circumstantial evidence to uncover the true culprit.

For more great mystery novels and eBooks, check out Medialaze.

The Best Mystery Books for Kids

Get your children reading with an exciting mystery book curated by the review team at Medialaze.

Howliday Inn by James Howe

Not a great place to visit, and you wouldn’t want to live there

The Monroes have gone on vacation, leaving Harold and Chester at Chateau Bow-Wow — not precisely a four-star hotel. On the animals’ very first night there, the silence is pierced by a peculiar wake-up call — an unearthly howl that makes Chester observe that the place should be called Howliday Inn.

But the mysterious cries in the night (Chester is convinced there are werewolves afoot) are just the beginning of the frightening goings-on. Soon animals start disappearing, and there are whispers of murder. Is checkout time at Chateau Bow-Wow going to come earlier than Harold and Chester anticipated?

Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver

Edgar Award nominee for Best Juvenile Mystery

The book is about, among other things: the strongest boy in the world, a talking cockatoo, a faulty mind reader, a beautiful bearded lady and a nervous magician, an old museum, and a shrunken head.

Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife-thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events.

When the museum’s Amazonian shrunken head is stolen, the four are determined to get it back. But their search leads them to a series of murders and an explosive secret about their pasts.

This sensational new series—a 2016 Edgar nominee for Best Juvenile book and New York Times bestseller—combines the unparalleled storytelling gifts of Lauren Oliver with the rich knowledge of the notorious relics collector H. C. Chester.

You will love all the mystery content at Medialaze. Head over there today!

Thriller eBooks That Provide Great Entertainment

A good thriller eBook grabs all of your attention and leaves you in suspense when the story plot ends. They can help you burn your calories after you have finished reading. Here are some of the most popular thriller eBooks that will increase your oxygen intake.

Megan Miranda's The Girl From Widow Hills

Olivia disappears from her hometown one night while she is sleepwalking. Luckily, she is found safe and sounds several days later. Having experienced the life of fame from a young age, Olivia decides to move away and change her name. She starts sleepwalking days later after her 20th anniversary, only to wake up next to the dead body of a friend she knew. The mystery created in this book has earned it a place among the top 2020 best thriller novels.

His & Hers - Alice Feeney

As usual, there are two sides to every arising story. In most cases, the truth lies somewhere in-between the suggested answers. Alice Feeney features a solid psychopath whose past secrets are revealed when Jack and Anna find themselves mixed up in the case.

His & Her - Alice Feeney

Alice Feeney’s “His & Her’s “ is about Kate Rhodes’ recent installment of the Ben Kitto series. The series causes Scilly Isles’ Deputy Chief of Police to race against time and battle all the possible threats and murder cases.

If you are looking for heart-pumping thriller ebooks that will make you break a sweat, visit Medialaze.com.

The stories behind two of mystery literature most famous detectives

They are two of the most iconic detectives in mystery fiction, but did you know that they based partly on real-life people? Authors often draw on real-life experiences to create fictional characters and often the stories behind their inspiration are as fascinating themselves.

Here are the stories behind two of mystery literature most famous detectives

Miss Marple

Agatha Christie’s famous detective was inspired by several people and places in the author’s life. The character is thought to have been based on Christie’s step-grandmother who was known as Margaret Miller. Christie once said of Miss Marple that she was “the sort of old lady who would have been rather like some of my step grandmother's Ealing cronies – old ladies whom I have met in so many villages where I have gone to stay as a girl".

It’s believed the Christie got the name for the character from Marple Railway Station near Manchester or Marple House in Stockport.

Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle had already begun to write stories about his now-legendary detective Sherlock Holmes before he met Dr. Joseph Bell in 1877, but the surgeon had a significant influence on his future writings.

Doyle was intrigued by Bell’s powers of deduction and reasoning and how he could arrive at accurate conclusions often with little evidence or information. Bell worked as a surgeon at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary when Doyle first met him, but he achieved a level of notoriety by his association with the fictional detective. He even went so far as to assist police in Scotland with their investigations.

Uncover more mystery fiction with the books from www.medialaze.com.

Mystery books to read now

Fans of mystery will love these oldies but goodies.

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

Speaking of disappearing, Vanishing Girls is a 2015 YA book from Lauren Oliver, the author of the much-praised Before I Fall. Our narrator is Nicole (“Nick”), and the titular girls are Dara and Madeline: the first, Nick’s sister, and the second a nine-year-old girl who vanishes shortly after Dara. Nick realizes that only she sees the link between these two cases, and must take matters into her own hands to figure out what happened to the girls — despite knowing she’ll be endangered in the process.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

More young, endangered girls feature in The Virgin Suicides, but this time they’re a danger to themselves. The Lisbon family is thrown into disarray when the youngest daughter, Cecelia, inexplicably kills herself, and her sisters Lux, Bonnie, Mary, and Therese are put on suicide watch. But of course, their parents’ restrictions only make the girls more inclined to rebel — especially Lux. The Virgin Suicides is another novel that wouldn’t normally be described as “suspense”; yet the tension between the girls and their parents, and the aura of mystery that surrounds them in the eyes of the neighborhood boys (who narrate the novel), make for a spellbinding read.

White Is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

This modern work of cosmic horror from Helen Oyeyemi is another atypical suspense novel — not exactly thrilling, but penetratingly creepy. Miranda Silver has just lost her mother, and her habits are growing stranger and stranger: namely, eating mass quantities of chalk and attempting to communicate with the spirit world. When she disappears, her family knows she isn’t truly gone — they only have to look for her in the right place. But do they even want to find her, and what will happen when they do?

Where Are the Children? by Mary Higgins Clark

Imagine losing your husband, having your children brutally murdered, and then being accused of carrying out the massacre yourself. Imagine moving across the country to leave all that behind, marrying again, and starting a new family… only for the same pattern to start anew. This is the horror of Where Are the Children?, a deeply unsettling work of suspense that takes a mother’s worst nightmare and makes it real — not once, but twice.

For plenty more mystery content, check out www.medialaze.com.

How to write a mystery novel

Mystery novels are packed with all the exciting things; thrills, suspense, crime, interesting characters and of course, the element of mystery. They can make for some of the most interesting reads for a variety of audiences. If you’re an aspiring author, here’s how to write a mystery novel.

Suspense - The number one rule when it comes to suspense is to give your reader information. You can’t expect readers to be worried or on edge if they have nothing to be anxious about. That’s why you need to feed the reader with information in order to experience suspense. For instance, if you tell readers a bomb will go off in 5 minutes, then they’ll be waiting for it to happen.

Contrast - You need to balance one extreme for the other extreme, for instance, having a bit of humor to balance out the level of suspense in the novel. If a novel is constantly one level of extreme, then it’ll soon lose that edge. You need to get the balance right to make it more relatable and interesting for the reader.

Setting - When it comes to the whereabouts of your book, don’t just use the setting as merely a background, you’ll want to incorporate it into the plot in some way. It’s essential to incorporate the background in the drama, and somehow connect it with the flow of the story. This can be to do with where a crime was committed for example.

Momentum - It’s important in any good book to keep the pace of the story interesting. This could be done by switching locations, a sudden drama or changing up the pace of the story, such as fast forwarding in time.

Discover more mystery content here at www.medialaze.com.

True crime books which have been adapted for the small and big screen

We often discover many real-life mysteries through TV series and movies, but many of those works are based on excellently-researched and well-written books. Here are a couple of true crime books which have gone on to be adapted for the small and big screen.

Black Klansman

The 2018 movie adaptation of Ron Stallworth’s books won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay, which should make the book itself a must-read. Black Klansman tells the real-life story of Colorado detective Ron Stallworth who starts out investigating the activities of the Ku Klux Klan by posing as an interested potential and ends up going undercover in the notorious white supremacist group.

In the book, Stallworth details how he and a fellow detective gathered information about the Klan by attending meetings and speaking to members on the phone and subsequently sabotaged many of their activities.

At times, it paints a bleak picture of a divided America, but also details the extraordinary efforts of Stallworth and his colleagues to confront the hate.

Dirty John (and Other True Stories of Outlaws and Outsiders) by Christopher Goffard

The book is a collection of writings by LA Times journalist Christopher Goffard, who began writing about the underbelly of LA life a decade or so ago. One of the stories he uncovered was that of the conman who terrorizes a family in California and which formed the basis of the 2017 podcast Dirty John. From that sprang the Netflix series starring Connie Britton and Eric Bana, which is a fictionalized account of the Dirty John. In this book, readers can discover the origin of that story, as well as many other, told in Goffard’s unique and compelling writing style.

For more nonfiction mysteries to uncover check out the books at www.medialaze.com.

Mystery fiction which peels back the layers

One thing we know for sure in mystery fiction is that nothing is ever as it initially seems. If it was, the police would have everything wrapped up in the first few chapters. However, what is also apparent is that when they tug at one little thread, a lot of different things can start to unravel. Here are a couple of mystery novels which involve peeling back the layers.

Deadly Secrets by Terry Odell

Gordon Hepler didn’t bank on a desk job when he joined the police force and rose through the ranks, but Mapleton, Colorado is a quiet town and his promise to his former boss and mentor means he has to deal with the mundane day-to-day stuff.

However, it isn’t long before he’s back on the street when a series of traumatic events rock the sleepy down and Hepler quickly makes the connections. First a fatal car accident, then a mugging, a burglary and then a gruesome murder all throw a spotlight on Mapleton. Hepler must find out what’s behind it all while uncovering some pretty dark secrets about the town’s inhabitants.

The Dark Town I: When You’re Gone by Marguerite O'Callaghan

The first of a new mystery trilogy, When You’re Gone begins with the disappearance of Lydia’s twin sister Kate. She alerts that police and the CCTV footage shows that she was at a London nightclub shortly before her disappearance.

While the police pursue a sex-trafficking lead, Lydia does some investigating of her own and discovers some dark secrets about her sister which involve some seeding places and people. Can Lydia get to the bottom of Kate’s secret life before it’s too late?

For more multi-layered mysteries check out the books at www.medialaze.com.

Cracking the case: Why a murder mystery weekend may be for you

If you are the sort of person who loves reading mystery novels and often has it all figured before you reach the end, then you might also be the type to revel in a murder mystery weekend. It is a fun and challenging pursuit for fans of mystery fiction and invites those taking part to crack the case, while enjoying a break in a country house or other grand setting.

In England, many period properties are the settings for murder mystery weekends or dinners and have the advantage of evoking the works of Agatha Christie, with costumes and setting seeming to have leapt straight of the pages of her best known books.

The US also has a well-established tradition of murder mystery breaks, with historic houses, rural settings or indeed more central locations playing host to ‘whodunits’.

What happens at a murder mystery weekend?

Guests much work together in teams to solve a murder. Actors in costumes will often play out a scene and the guests themselves can be suspects. Different clues are given at it is up to the ‘investigators’ to pick up on them and use them to crack the case.

Murder mystery weekends not only promote teamwork, they also encourage critical thinking and are a great workout for the ‘little grey cells’ as Hercule Poirot would call them.

They are also a great way for friends to bond over a common interest while providing a stimulating exercise for a weekend away and the prevalence of this type of entertainment means they are often high-quality productions.

For more murder mystery stories, check out www.medialaze.com.

April Fool’s Day and the mystery of the Swiss spaghetti tree

April Fool’s Day is a day for playing pranks on people and generally trying to fool them by spinning tall tales. It’s a tradition which many in the media have latched onto as well, with many newspapers running spoof stories on April 1 and TV news programs containing far-fetched reports which they pass off as fact.

This kind of practice has been going on for decades, but one such story had British TV viewers in the 1957 stumped. On April 1 of that year, the BBC’s main current affairs show Panorama ran a story about a family in Switzerland who had a spaghetti tree. The report showed the family ‘harvesting’ the spaghetti tree and cooking and eating it. It was given and added air of authenticity by respected broadcaster Richard Dimbleby doing the voiceover.

This was also at a time when there were very few television networks operating and not many shows on them, so people believed much of what they saw without questioning it. The April 1 report on Panorama was believed to have been watched by around eight million people.

Another factor was that spaghetti was pretty rare in Britain at the time and many people may not have realized that it didn’t in fact grow on trees. The plot thickened further when people began to phone the BBC the following day to ask for advice on how they might grow their own spaghetti tree.

However, the BBC were eventually forced to come clean and explain to viewers that the whole thing had been a hoax.

For more real-life mysteries check out the books at www.medialaze.com.

Take a flick through these books which were adapted for Netflix

One of the great things about on-demand TV services like Netflix is that you can burn through an entire series of your favorite show without having to wait a week for the next instalment. Well, that was how it was supposed to be. Now, the latest episodes of many of the most popular shows are drip fed to viewers on a weekly basis.

However, did you know that many of the most talked-about shows on Netflix started out as books? So rather than wait for the instalment to drop, or even to dive deeper into the story, why not check out these books.

You by Caroline Kepnes

What looks like it might be shaping up to be sweet love story between two shy protagonists quickly morphs into a disturbing psychological thriller when bookstore worker Joe brings his obsession with Guinevere, an up and coming writer, to a whole new level. However, Guinevere is not all she seem either and it is very much a case of ‘don’t judge these books by their covers’.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

There is something ironic about the fact that there are few people who haven’t seen that image of a scared Sandra Bullock with a blindfold on. Bird Box has proved a hit on Netflix, but the novel by Josh Malerman is a terrifying, dystopian thriller which will keep readers gripped and scared in equal measures.

Mindhunter by John E Douglas

John E Douglas documents his quarter-of-a-century of service in the FBI in this behind-the-scenes look at some of the most gruesome cases he has had to deal with. Douglas has come face-to-face with some of the most notorious killers in American history including Ted Bundy and Charles Manson.

Discover more gripping mystery and thriller books at www.medialaze.com.

Three must read mystery books for kids

From Sherlock Holmes to Inspector Morse, everyone loves a mystery. And when it comes to a good mystery, you are never too young to enjoy a tale that keeps you guessing from start to finish. For younger readers in Grades 3 to 8 there are a plethora of fantastic mystery reads out there, but we’ve narrowed it down to our five favorite yarns that are guaranteed to delight.

1. The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton

There is nothing better than classic mystery and adventure rolled into one and the Famous Five series is one of the best examples of this. George (Georgina). Julian, Dick, Anne and Timmy the dog cannot help but stumble across mysteries that must be solved with danger and adventure at every turn.

2. The Diamond Brothers Detective Agency series by Anthony Horowitz

This series of mysteries is a wonderful retelling of some of the great adult mysteries such as the Maltese Falcon and North by Northwest, for children. With an older brother that is constantly bungling his way through cases and the sharp, quick-witted younger brother that is the real case solver, these are wonderfully engaging books.

3. The Black Stallion Mystery by Walter Farley

Part of the classic series about the Black Stallion, The Black Stallion Mystery is a story about Alec and the black stallion journeying around the world in search of the horse that sired the black stallion. Convinced that the horse is still alive, Alec goes to Spain and then Arabia risking his life with action, suspense, an unknown enemy and a ghostly horse.

To find more thrilling mystery books for kids, check out www.medialaze.com where you’ll find even more engrossing mysteries for young readers to fall in love with.

Uncovering the mystery: The evolution of crime fiction

Like many genres, the world of crime fiction has evolved and changed quite a bit over the years. From the days of Sherlock Holmes, the mystery novel has undergone many different overhauls and changes, right up to the present day with more diverse and sophisticated characters and storylines.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes was seen as the quintessential Victorian detective and spawned many similar novels and characters. However, the advent of the 20th century saw a new wave of crime fiction, particularly from the United States with authors such as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett creating characters such as Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade, who went on to achieve even greater fame on the big screen. This new approach of the hard-boiled police detective proved a big hit with readers.

However, there remained a popular and vibrant British mystery tradition, not least with one the first superstar authors Agatha Christie, whose novels featuring Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, often mirrored a sense of adventure in her own life.

One of the major features of more modern mystery novels is that identity of the investigators and the duties the end up having to perform. It’s no longer just about studiously deducing clues and coming up with a well-thought-out conclusion.

Detectives these days often more closely resemble action heroes. The protagonist in a mystery novel isn’t always a member of the police force – they can be an FBI agent, a skilled amateur or a newspaper reporter seeking to get to bottom of something. Often, they are conflicted and flawed, blurring the lines somewhat between good and bad. However, what is clear is that crime fiction is no less engaging than it ever was.

From more tales of mystery check out the books at www.medialaze.com.

Researching your family tree: Some useful tips

Researching your family tree can be a daunting, yet ultimately rewarding process. Digging into your families past can unearth some fascinating stories but how do you go about it? Here are a few tips to get your start in your genealogical quest.

Start with the here and now

It may sound pretty obvious, but take the present day as your starting point and work backward from there. Use what you do know to find out what you do. As you go back a generation, you will gradually find the holes in your research that need to be filled.

Talk to ask many family members as you can

Some people may not be able to remember exact times and dates, but they may be able to help point you in the right direction. Find out if people were known by other names if there was something noteworthy about them which may lead on to something else. Even amusing stories or memories which seem pretty superficial or unimportant can contain valuable nuggets of information and can place a person at a certain time and place.

Write it all down

It’s important to make a note of everything you find out as you don’t know when some piece of information is going to come in handy. Trying to recall some detail from memory alone will be almost impossible so it’s much better to write everything down.

Check out official documents

Finding out about relatives from 100 years may seem daunting, but there is a good chance their name might crop up in official documents somewhere. Check census records, military records or if they were a member of a professional organization or trade Union.

Dig deep into some fictional and real-life mysteries with the books from www.medialaze.com.