Silence and Circumstance

Silence and Circumstance is mystery set around the eleven days in December 1926 that Agatha Christie mysteriously disappeared. Roy Dimond weaves a story around what could have happened in those eleven days when the world waited for answers. Told through the eyes of Charlotte Fisher, English governess to the Christie household, the tale begins with the arrival of a letter and a huge family row.

The Christie’s live in a house in Sunningdale, Berkshire. Agatha persuades “Carlo” as Charlotte is known, to travel to London on her behalf and attend an urgent meeting. When she returns home the household is empty and the police arrive to announce that Mrs Christie has gone missing.

With the help of many, many famous characters from the world of literature and art they begin a quest to find a missing diary. Mixed with this is Carlo’s introduction to various secret associations of modern artists and thinkers who are trying to bend the future of man towards enlightenment and insight. They warn of the dictators and tyrants of the world who wish to take over the free will of the people.

The style of the writing is a meandering, twisting and turning of the reader’s mind creating a great long mystery with its unravelling of clues and ultimate finale. I did have several issues with the language which hampered my enjoyment of the book, this was December 1926, England. I would have felt happier with handbags, not purses, gardens not yards, promenades not boardwalks, streets not blocks, streams not creeks, no Zebra crossings yet, it’s too cold in December for nearly all butterflies. We take milk more commonly with our tea not cream. I question trains running at midnight from London and taking until late afternoon to reach Sunningdale only a short distance away and we always spell “gray” with an “e” in England.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

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Welcome to my second Year of Good Deeds, a challenge I set myself during April 2013. I decided to do at least one Good Deed a day for a whole year, now I am into my second year.

This week I’ve been doing the following;

March 29th – Last night we changed our clocks and pushed them forward one hour, I do love the long summer days it brings. Visited my parents and helped change some awkward light bulbs for them. Had a late afternoon walk in the park, it’s very windy and there is plenty of litter.

March 30th – My morning at school. I’m reading Pattern of Shadows by Judith Barrow.

March 31st – The online versions of the magazines that I write reviews for are out today for the April editions, so I’ve been promoting them for the authors whose books I have included. It’s still very windy, didn’t stop me walking found plenty of litter to pick up. I’ve read and reviewed 22 books this month.

April 1st – The great April AtoZ Challenge got off to a flying start today. I’m visiting and commenting of loads of other challenge bloggers and sharing their posts to Twitter. Began reading Silence and Circumstance by Roy Dimond.

April 2nd – Day 2 of the April blogging challenge. Had my lunchtime walk and picked up litter.

April 3rd – Reading We Go Again by Michael Cargill. It’s Good Friday and we have the in-laws coming over for tea. A quick walk and litter pick between the showers.

April 4th – Have begun reading The War before Mine by Caroline Ross. Day 4 of the April A to Z and have been off visiting and sharing many, many posts.