They Came to Baghdad audiobook

As a Christie fan I'm wondering how this little gem escaped my notice all these years?I think Victoria may be the most adorable pathological liar you'll ever meet. You can't be mad at her because she's just so honest about it!

Not your usual Agatha Christie mysteryThis one is more thriller than mystery. It has intelligence agents, spys, murders, fraud, conspiracies, an international conference between the Russian premier and the American president and what we would now call terrorists plotting to ignite war. A strong female lead caught up in a tangled web. Who can be trusted?The story begins in London. It quickly moves to Bagdad, a city with which Ms. Christie was familiar. Well written with good descriptions of the city and an archeological dig.

I don’t even have words to describe the madcap charm of this book. No Miss Marple, no Poirot, just a heroine who redefines “spunky” and a plot that will leave you yearning for high jinks in the desert. International intrigue has never been such fun, nor has it probably ever been infiltrated by a mediocre shorthand typist. Miss Victoria Jones, freshly booted from her job, sits in a London park figuring out her next move. Enter a handsome lad named Edward who enchants Victoria but – oh no! – is leaving the next day for a job in Baghdad. Well, what’s to stop her from following him? Armed with a can-do attitude and a remarkable gift for invention (some would call her a pathological liar, but things sound so much better when she makes them up), she’s off to the unknown. Subterfuge, danger, and daring exploits await her as she becomes embroiled in shady dealings and . . . even better! . . . an international conspiracy. In one thrilling episode, a spy stumbles into her hotel room and DIES! Who can resist such drama?! Certainly not the resourceful Victoria, who’s up for anything.Agatha Christie’s seamless style lends itself to this sort of action/adventure caper. But the dialogue is what really wooed me, probably because I listened to the audio version read by Emilia Fox. The voices she does for each character really bring out the comedy. At times I hooted with laughter. An absolutely delightful summer escape!

It was almost like reading a Robert Ludlum novel. Great start, fast paced action spread across different cities, unconnected people , a mastermind brilliantly orchestrating the entire drama and all coming together in the end to give a nice satisfying closure. Written decades ago when espionage , compared to current standards, was novice, the story line holds your attention till the end. Nice gripping drama.

Whenever I pick up a book written by Agatha Christie I know I’m in for a great read. This book isn’t about your usual Poirot or Marple, but it’s more about espionage than murder mystery, but with plenty of twists and turns to keep up with your interest and guessing.They Came to Baghdad puts a hook in you from the very beginning and is an absolute treasure. I hated to see it end. Christie's descriptions of the Middle East culture and scenery are enchanting; you find yourself wishing you could be there in that time and space. The characters are interesting and imaginative. .In true Christie fashion, the clues are hidden in plain sight throughout the novel. Only in the final chapters do the clues come together to reveal the true culprits! The end was totally unexpected. She developed the characters so well that you find yourself believing how they wished to be perceived. She also described Iraq so well that it was almost like virtual reality. I don't want to reveal much about this book. Thus, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did! :)

This is another spy thriller by the master of murder-mystery—there are a couple of murders in here, but the nature of the spy thriller is that we know, more-or-less, why the victims were killed and who ordered the killing, if not the name of the particular thug. The tension, mystery, and excitement come from the good guys trying to accomplish their mission—to save the world in this case—and not be killed in the process.This novel is a standalone, with unique characters, yet it is founded in the same basic premise as ‘Destination Unknown.’ Money and talented people in many fields have been disappearing, and an evil organization is growing, planning to destroy most of the world by encouraging the USSR and the USA to escalate their confrontations. Having used this theme twice, I speculate that Christie was concerned about the possibility of nuclear war between the superpowers. As a good storyteller should, she found a way to put a spin on the cold war and make the prevention of Armageddon depend on a few poorly equipped spies. And this was another opportunity for Christie to let British spies save the day with intelligence, experience, and devotion to the cause of peace.The focus is on Victoria Jones, a typist who goes to Baghdad on a whim and becomes ensnared in the diabolical plot. This is the only plot-point where Christie stumbles: Victoria goes to Baghdad in pursuit of a handsome and charming young man she’s just met in London, who happens to be heading for Baghdad. Christie could easily have set this up more credibly; Victoria could have stumbled into a free way to travel to Baghdad (instead she seeks it out.) However, once you suspend your disbelief on this move, the rest of the story races by with lots of suspense, action, clever detection, and fine spy craft. Written in 1950 or so, Stalin is still in charge of the USSR. Christie doesn’t mention the US president by name, which was the style seven decades ago. (I think it was considered poor manners to use the name of real person in a fictional plot.)This is a wonderful spy novel that holds up well, thanks to Christie’s crisp writing and her imaginative storytelling.

I absolutely loved this book. I listened to the audiobook for this one. Adding to my enjoyment was Emile Fox’s absolutely perfect narration. Victoria Jones is one of my favorite characters I’ve read this year. She’s so vivacious, adventurous, if not slightly crazy. It starts with Victoria getting fired after very successfully making fun of the boss’s wife just to be overheard by the boss. She then then met a handsome chap in the park. The two instantly make a connection but are disappointed that he’s leaving for Baghdad the next day. Can Victoria, fresh with new found time on her hands, get to Baghdad to meet up with her new love interest? An enjoyable mystery unfolds but the star of this one is Victoria Jones who is one of those characters who comes to life in a charming way that makes you want to hang out with her. Very enjoyable!

Great literature? No. Realistic story? No. But a fun spy novel from Agatha Christie.

I enjoy Agatha Christie's stand-alone thrillers even more than her Poirot and Marple mysteries. Of course, this was a reread, as I've read them all multiple times. Highly recommended.

I read this some time in the 1980s and remember thinking it was one of Christie's more enjoyable books. This is a reminder to myself to read it again sometime and see if I still think that's true.It's too bad I still remember who the villain is (it was a particularly surprising reveal to me) because I've forgotten almost everything else about this book.