Received this from a Bookmooch.com member in Maryland

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Published by the Detective Book Club. Contains two novels:

The Case of the Queenly Contestant by Erle Stanley Gardner - A Perry Mason Mystery

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Chrisite - A Hercule Poirot Mystery

The Case of the Queenly Contestant finished reading 11/2/22

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I really enjoyed this somewhat dated Perry Mason mystery. I've only read a couple of others in the series but have for the most part enjoyed them. In this one a woman named Ellen Adair approaches Mason because she wants to find out what her rights are regarding privacy. A hometown newspaper is publishing a piece on her because twenty years earlier she had won a beauty contest and had supposedly gone to Hollywood for a screen test. But Ellen doesn't want anything about her to be made public. After going to Hollywood, she disappeared from the public eye and she wants it to remain that way. But is that all there is to the story? Well no. Turns out she had dated a prominent young man who inherited a large company. The man went to Europe after Ellen supposedly became pregnant by him. And now her illegitimate son stands to inherit millions. But did she really have the baby? Or is she involved in a scam to try to get the money? And then someone from her past is murdered and Ellen is the prime suspect...

I thought this was a fun and enjoyable escapade involving the Perry Mason I remember from the old TV series starring Raymond Burr. Della Street and Paul Drake are both there along with Lt. Tragg for the prosecution. This one was published in 1967--before cell phones, microwave ovens, and even air conditioning in some cases. Overall, very nostalgic! I have a few other Mason mysteries on my shelves that I really should try to read sometime soon.

Hallowe'en Party - finished reading 11/4/22.

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This is Christie's thirty-first full-length novel featuring Hercule Poirot. Published in 1969, it is close to the end of Christie's long career—she died in 1976 at age 85. In this one, Poirot's friend, writer Ariadne Oliver, travels to the town of Woodleigh Common to visit her friend Judith Butler and to help organize a Halloween party for the children at the local school. Several games are planned for the party including bobbing for apples. While the planning is going on, the children ask Oliver about her writing of murders and mystery. Then a young thirteen year-old girl named Joyce claims that she witnessed a murder a few years ago but did not realize it was murder until recently. No one pays Joyce any attention but later she is found drowned in the tub used to bob of apples. Everyone assumes that she is killed by a local lunatic but Oliver calls her friend Poirot because she thinks Joyce's claim to have witnessed a murder may have drawn out a killer. Poirot arrives on the scene and agrees with Oliver and sets out to bring the murderer to justice. This leads to some other unsolved murders that happened in the past few years. Are these murders related and if so, who is the culprit?

This was as usual a good Christie mystery that keeps you guessing up till the end. Although I didn't think this was anywhere near Christie's best, I would still give it a good recommendation. I haven't come close to reading all of Christie's output but I enjoy reading these now and then. I'll be looking forward to more.

Sending as a RABCK to bamaforever. Enjoy!

Thank you so much perryfran!