The Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural by Agatha Christie (Review by Stacey Lorenson)

Rating:  4.0

Short stories are not my usual go-to, but I have always loved Agatha Christie novels.  So, when I got the chance to read The Last Séance I jumped right in!  Christie, dubbed ‘The Queen of Mystery’ lives up to her reputation in this of collection of previously published short stories. These expertly crafted tales focus on all things surrounding the phenomena of the supernatural and its effects upon the innocent (or the not so innocent!).  Murder in all manner of happenstance and circumstances flourish within the pages of this book.  Agatha Christie’s imagination is vividly transcribed into 20 meticulously crafted stories.

Christie takes us back in time to a lyrical, poetic style of writing using, often complex, descriptive vocabulary, that is almost extinct in the writings of today.  The Last Seance skillfully takes the reader on a literary rollercoaster ride; a slow ascent into the setting and introduction of characters followed by  the steady build of the plot and just as she draws you into the the story the bottom drops out and your whisked away to the thrilling ride down to the denouement!  Throughout the book, Christie’s characters are unique, vivid, and psychologically complex.  Well-loved and familiar detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, make occasional appearances in several of the stories.

The Last Séance was a welcome break from my usual routine of a 300 or more-page novel.   I enjoyed the accomplishment of  reading a couple of stories a night as opposed to the prolonged consumption of an entire book.  If you are in need of  short, timely intervals of spooky entertainment, with a deep dive into the paranormal, The Last Séance is just the book for you!!