Sparking Cyanide

From AudioFile
Rosemary Barton drinks a glass of champagne at her birthday party and promptly dies of cyanide poisoning. A year later, six people--among them her sister, her husband, and her lovers--think about her murder. Christie's well-drawn characters are introduced in a novel way: Each relates his or her memories of Rosemary in a separate chapter, revealing plenty of motives. Robin Bailey develops these characters beautifully, easily handling the book's changing viewpoint. His portrayals of George, Rosemary's stuffy but sympathetic husband, and Iris, her younger sister, are particularly deft. Christie fans in particular and mystery buffs in general will enjoy listening to this fine production. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
At her birthday party, Rosemary Barton imbibes a celebratory glass of sparkling champagne and promptly keels over dead — of cyanide poisoning. The coroner’s verdict is death by suicide. But was it really? Despite the coroner’s conclusion, Rosemary’s husband, George, receives anonymous letters informing him that his wife’s death was a case of murder. In an effort to trap the perpetrator, George calls the original party together on the anniversary of Rosemary’s death. “Christie keeps her readers ... guessing to the end.” — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Download Description
E-book exclusive extra: Christie biographer Charles Osborne's essay on Sparkling Cyanide. Six people sit down to a sumptuous meal at a table laid for seven. A sprig of rosemary -- 'rosemary for remembrance' -- marks the empty place. It is the first anniversary of the horrific death by cyanide-laced champagne of the beautiful and troublesome Rosemary Barton. The assembled guests are the same participants at the meal a year prior, and Rosemary's widower, George Barton, is determined to prove that one of them is a murderer. But George's dinner party, and his plans for justice, will go terribly awry, as another death will come to haunt this date. Colonel Race of the British Secret Service, friend of Hercule Poirot (and a featured player in Cards on the Table and Death on the Nile), is on the scene to investigate.


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At her birthday party, Rosemary Barton imbibes a celebratory glass of sparkling champagne and promptly keels over dead — of cyanide poisoning. The coroner's verdict is death by suicide. But was it really? Despite the coroner's conclusion, Rosemary's husband, George, receives anonymous letters informing him that his wife's death was a case of murder. In an effort to trap the perpetrator, George calls the original party together on the anniversary of Rosemary's death.


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