This is my third Golden Age challenge to my readers (though a tad less complicated than Ellery Queen’s) and it is a return to probably the most well known Golden Age writer, Agatha Christie. Unlike my first challenge though, the titles of Agatha Christie’s works this time, are not to be guessed using front covers, but by solving cryptic clues of varying difficulty. As usual post your answers in the comments section below and answers will posted up next Friday.
Cryptic Clue No. 1: A crime takes place on a mode of transport which links to one of Picasso’s painting periods.
Cryptic Clue No. 2: A Michael Jackson song lyric is found in this Christie novel title.
Cryptic Clue No. 3: A furry onlooker is on hand to give Poirot assistance in solving the mystery in this Christie title.
Cryptic Clue No. 4: A foreboding mobile digit.
Cryptic Clue No. 5: This Christie title is moving in the direction of nothing.
Cryptic Clue No. 6: Poison really glitters in this Christie novel.
Cryptic Clue No. 7: A Jane Austen family features in this Christie title.
Cryptic Clue No. 8: An item found at home, which gives a sense of finality.
Cryptic Clue No. 9: A baker’s dozen of conundrums.
Cryptic Clue No. 10: An anaemic equine.
Cryptic Clue No. 11: I bet the killer was really teed off when he was discovered in this Christie story.
Cryptic Clue No. 12: A depressed conifer.
Cryptic Clue No. 13: Concise emptiness.
Cryptic Clue No. 14: A new homeowner’s nightmare.
Cryptic Clue No. 15: Snow white’s companions, a popular soft drink and the hills of Rome share something in common with this Christie title.
Good luck and have fun!
Prefer a different puzzle format? Let me know in the comments section below and you never know it might get to appear in future challenges.
Haven’t done my first two challenges? (and why haven’t you?) Click on the links below:
crossexaminingcrime 
I usually lack the patience for this type of riddles, but I thought I’d try my hand at this one. The ones I think I have figured out:
1. The Mystery Of The Blue Train
4. Towards Zero
5. Destination Unknown
6. Sparkling Cyanide
9. The Thirteen Problems
10. The Pale Horse
11. Murder On The Links
12. Sad Cypress
15. The Seven Dials Mystery
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1: The Mystery of the Blue Train
2: Oh, yes, that’s from that wonderful song by M. Jackson, and the lyric goes something like this: I’m starting with the murder with mirrors/I’m asking him to change his ways/And no message could have been any clearer/If you want to make the world a better place/Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
3: Dumb Witness
4: The Moving Finger
5. Towards Zero
6: Sparkling Cyanide
7: At Bertram’s Hotel
8: Postern of Fate
9: The Thirteen Problems
10: The Pale Horse
11: Murder on the Links
12: Sad Cypress
13: The Hollow
14: Crooked House
15: The Seven Dials Mystery
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haha I so wish number 2 was the correct answer. But it can definitely have hilarity points.
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Okay, going from memory:
1: The Mystery of the Blue Train
2: They Came to BADgdad
3: Dumb Witness
4: The Moving Finger
5: Towards Zero
6: Sparkling Cyanide
7: Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (dunno, not read any Austen)
8: Peril at End House
9: The Thirteen Problems
10: The Pale Horse
11: Murder on the Links
12: Sad Cyprus
13: The Hollow
14: The Hound of Death (well, it would be, wouldn’t it?)
or
14: Destination Unknown (because if you didn’t know where your new house was…that’d be pretty bad)
15: The Seven Dials Mystery
Another great idea, Kate. Tempted to steal this one off you…
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Thanks for taking part. And please do steal the idea, as I would definitely take part. No idea how good I would be though.
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Looks like Brad got nearly all of them, but I’ll make a guess on some I think that aren’t correct in his list.
2. The A.B.C. Murders (from the old Jackson Five hit “ABC”)
8. Hickory Dickory Death
13. Endless Night
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Not looking at anyone else’s yet. These are my guesses:
1) Mystery of the Blue Train
3) Dumb Witness
4) Moving Finger
5) Towards Zero
6) Sparkling Cyanide
8) Curtain
9) 13 problems
10) Pale Horse
11) Murder on the Links
12) Sad Cypress
14) Crooked House
15) 7 dials mystery
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Curtain! Of course!
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Hmmm… *scratches head*
1. Mystery of the Blue Train
2. They Do It with Mirrors/ The Mirror Crack’d (something along the lines of ‘Man in the Mirror’?)
3. Dumb Witness
4. Moving Finger
5. Towards Zero
6. Sparkling Cyanide
7. At Bertram’s Hotel
8. Curtain
9. Thirteen Problems
10. Pale Horse
11. Murder on the Links
12. Sad Cypress
13. The Hollow
14. Spider’s Web (by ‘Agatha Christie’s works’ are her plays included?)
15. Seven Dials Mystery
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1: The Mystery of the Blue Train
2: The ABC Murders
3: Dumb Witness
4: The Moving Finger
5. Towards Zero
6: Sparkling Cyanide
7: At Bertram’s Hotel
8: Curtain
9: The Thirteen Problems
10: The Pale Horse
11: Murder on the Links
12: Sad Cypress
13: The Hollow
14: Crooked House
15: The Seven Dials Mystery
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I got about eight of these straight off and I think Santosh has got it right. I so wanted there to be a Christie title ‘The Tea Tray of Death’ for no. 8 – maybe that could be the title for the next ill-advised Christie pastiche?
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haha yeah those tea trays are lethal! And so very British.
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Okay…my guesswork on 14 of the 15…
1. The Mystery of the Blue Train
2. [ Sure wish I knew some Michael Jackson lyrics…]
3. Dumb Witness
4. The Moving Finger
5. Towards Zero
6. Sparkling Cyanide
7. At Bertram’s Hotel
8. Curtain
9. The Thirteen Problems (OR 13 Clues for Miss Marple)
10. Pale Horse
11. Murder on the Links
12. Sad Cypress
13. The Hollow
14. Crooked House
15. The Seven Dials Mystery
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Thanks for taking part Les and before doing this I didn’t realise how much MJ lyrics were uncommon knowledge, not that I’m expert myself – the one lyric I know is in the quiz!
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[…] readers on this blog concerning Agatha Christie and deciphering her titles from her front covers or riddles, I thought this week I should turn my attention to another pillar of the Golden Age detective […]
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[…] the week again where I revealed the answers to last week’s puzzle, which required readers to guess Agatha Christie titles from riddles. Lots of you took part, though it seems Michael Jackson lyrics are less memorable than I thought. […]
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[…] Solve These Agatha Christie Titles Cryptic Clues […]
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