Return Ticket for the Orient Express

  Sometimes a literary character – and an author – just doesn’t quit, staying popular generation after generation. Sometimes we call that a classic – Scarlett O’Hara, Oliver Twist, Jane Eyre, Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Sometimes we call that Hercule Poirot.

Agatha Christie is the modern world’s most successful author (yes, even more than J.K. Rowling and Nora Roberts), third only to The Bible and Shakespeare, and has sold over two BILLION copies of her works (that’s 165 stories). Rowling only ranks ninth or so, with an estimated 500 million in sales. Sure, you can use the Gone With the Wind excuse that Rowling only hit big in 1997, while Christie’s first novel was published in 1920, so it has had a lot more years to gather sales (GWTW remains the highest-grossing film of all time, adjusted for inflation, due to its 1939 release date. Yes, more than Star Wars). Either way, there’s a reason for that.

Christie’s first and most popular detective is Hercule Poirot (the other being Miss Marple), a retired Belgian police officer with peculiarly meticulous habits and a brilliant mind for solving crimes, well-known for his thick black curling mustache – the only fictional character to ever have an obituary on the front of the New York Times. Poirot first appears in The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)and goes on for more than 33 novels, 50 short stories, and a stage play. You may have heard of his most famous case: Murder on the Orient Express.

Originally published in 1934, Orient Express tells the story of a murder (obviously) that occurs on a train going from Istanbul to Calais, France, which Poirot, a passenger on the train, slowly unravels. The Orient Express is a real train service that began in 1883 and ran from Turkey to France, ending its official run in 2009 – operating in three centuries!

Numerous film and television adaptions of both Orient Express and Poirot’s mysteries have been made over the years, most notably the 1974 film adaption of Orient Express starring Albert Finney – the only actor to receive an Oscar Nomination for playing Poirot, though he didn’t win (Ingrid Bergman won as Supporting Actress for the role of Greta Ohlsson). The library has many volumes of television adaptions of Poirot’s mysteries. If comedy and spoofs are more your style, check out 1976’s Murder by Death, with James Coco as Milo Perrier (Poirot), Elsa Lanchester as Jessica Marbles (Miss Marple) and a host of top-name stars poking fun at all the famous detectives.

Low and behold, Murder on the Orient Express is once again returning to the big screen on November 10, 2017, with a – dare I say it? – killer cast. Kenneth Branagh, British superstar of myriad films including Henry V, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dunkirk, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and so many more, takes the lead as Poirot – not as short as Poirot is supposed to be, but ever since Hollywood ridiculously cast 5’6” Tom Cruise as 6’5” Jack Reacher, all rules are off. Add in Penelope Cruz, Dame Judy Dench, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi, Johnny Depp, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer and more, and it’s worth the price of admission just for the cast and the gorgeous period costumes and vehicles. Of course there’s already a furor raging among the purists about his mustache.

Kenneth Branagh is a superb actor but an even superior director, and with him in the director’s seat  and the blessings of Agatha Christie’s estate, the film promises to be everything we want it to be. So prepare by reading a couple of Poirot’s mysteries, or check out a couple of other adaptions, and then watch the film. Or, give the movie a shot and then follow up with a binge of Poirot stories. When you run out, there’s always Miss Marple.

New Fiction Coming Soon! May/June 2016

new fiction

Want a little heads up on when your favorite author is publishing a new book?  Here are some of the new fiction hardcover books coming out in May and June.  Clicking on the title will bring you to our catalog where you can place a hold if you’d like.

MAY

aunt dimityAtherton, NancyAunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure Discovering a beautiful garnet bracelet belonging to Aunt Dimity, Lori learns the story of a doomed love affair from Dimity’s youth and is asked to return the bracelet to a long-ago suitor, an endeavor that is complicated by discovery that the bracelet could be part of a lost national treasure.

boar islandBarr, NevadaBoar Island – When her paraplegic friend’s adopted daughter attempts suicide in the face of cyber-bullying and stalking, National Park Service Ranger Anna Pigeon investigates the person behind the increasingly violent harassment, who follows the troubled teen when Anna tries to move her to a safe haven.

tall tailBrown, Rita MaeTall TailWhen a confidante to the former governor of Virginia dies under suspicious circumstances, Harry and her furry detective cohorts look for answers in the eighteenth century, where they discover a secret ancestry that originated in brutality and silence.

 

dominionConnolly, JohnDominion – Emerging from the mysterious Derith wormhole to discover that years have passed in their universe, Syl and Paul are confronted by an Illyri civil war, Earth’s occupation by Others and the dark plans of a new Sisterhood leader.

 

emperor's revengeCussler, CliveThe Emperor’s Revenge – Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon join forces with a former CIA colleague to track down a rogue hacker and a ruthless former Ukrainian naval officer who are behind a violent bank heist that occurred during the Monaco Grand Prix.

girl from summer hillDeveraux, Jude The Girl From Summer Hill – Clashing with a gorgeous Hollywood star who is playing Darcy in a local production of Pride & Prejudice, Casey, a chef who puts her career first and who believes the actor’s brother-in-law’s damning claims, finds herself becoming attracted to him in spite of herself.

haunted destinyGraham, HeatherHaunted Destiny – Assigned to investigate a mysterious serial killer who leaves his victims in churches with saint medallions on their necks, paranormal investigator Jackson Crow and New Orleans agent Jude McCoy team up with piano player Alexi on a haunted cruise ship when the ghost of a victim appears to them.

rock a bye bonesHaines, Carolyn Rock-a-bye BonesCoping with a broken heart and the attack on Scott Hampton’s blues club, Sarah Booth Delaney discovers a baby in a basket on her porch and bloody footsteps leading to her driveway, a situation that places her in the same danger as a troubled mother running for her life.

nightshiftHarris, Charlaine Night Shift – When weapons obtained from Midnight’s local pawn shop are used in a series of dramatic suicides at the main crossroads in town, the vampire Lemuel makes astonishing discoveries about why the community has attracted so many paranormal residents, who must work together to stop the violence.

troublemakerHoward, LindaTroublemaker – Sent to a remote location in a small West Virginian mountain town to lay low after almost being killed in an ambush, Morgan Yancy finds his attraction to part-time police chief and housemate Isabeau Maran adds an unexpected complication to his life.

marrying winterboneKleypas, LisaMarrying Winterborne – Achieving wealth and success through his savage ambitions, tycoon Rhys Winterborne resolves to marry shy, aristocratic Lady Helen Ravenel, who in spite of her gentle upbringing responds to Rhys’s seductions with her own unexpected passions.

blood flagMartini, Steve Blood Flag – Defending a client accused of mercy-killing her father, attorney Paul Madriani is drawn into a treacherous conspiracy involving the victim’s former unit from World War II and a feared Nazi relic. By the best-selling author of The Enemy Inside.

 

prayers the devilMccrumb, SharynPrayers the Devil Answers – Appointed to serve out her late husband’s term as sheriff of their Depression-era Tennessee mountain town, Ellie struggles to reconcile her responsibilities with societal expectations for women and forges unexpected ties with a condemned killer she is scheduled to execute.

15thPatterson, James15th Affair – When an alluring blonde with links to the CIA disappears from the scene of a brutal murder at a luxury hotel, detective Lindsay Boxer is forced to uncover difficult truths about her husband’s secret life.

 

miller's valleyQuindlen, Anna Miller’s Valley – Living in a 1960s farming community in eastern Pennsylvania, Mimi struggles with the family secrets she unearths.

 

everybody's foolRusso, Richard Everybody’s Fool – Returns to the setting of “Nobody’s Fool” to find Sully confronting a daunting health prognosis, which he hides from his loved ones, including his longtime mistress, an increasingly distant best friend, and an obsessive chief of police.

the apartmentSteel, DanielleThe Apartment – Four friends sharing a beautiful loft apartment in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen revel in the glamour of city life before new relationships, job opportunities, and surprising circumstances test the strength of their bond.

 

the island houseThayer, NancyThe Island House – Having spent every summer of her adult life in Nantucket, Kansas City university professor Courtney finds herself caught between two lifestyles and two men before settling into the glamorous life she associates with the seaside and questioning her choice in the face of an unexpected turn.

JUNE

charmersAdler, ElizabethThe Charmers – Inheriting a family villa in the South of France after her aunt’s sudden and mysterious death, Mirabella has a close call with a motorcycle on her way to her new home and realizes that she is being targeted by dangerous people from her aunt’s past.

 

cavedonBradford, Barbara TaylorThe Cavendon Luck Picks up nine years after the events of Cavendon Women, in an epic tale that finds Cecily and Miles drawing on the collective strength of the whole family to protect Cavendon Hall and its clan from the challenges of World War II.

 

melody of murderCameron, StellaMelody of Murder – The arrival of a talented, ambitious and unusual new family leads to mayhem and murder in the peaceful Cotswold village of Folly-on-Weir.

 

liberty'sCoonts, StephenLiberty’s Last StandIn the wake of an assassination attempt by a decorated sniper on the eve of a presidential election, Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini risk everything to uncover a massive conspiracy while helping a new resistance movement rise up against a new enemy.

pursuitEvanovich, JanetThe Pursuit – After rookie lawyer Jessica Monaghan meets with the First Lady, the VIP is killed in a car accident in which Jessica manages to survive. When she suspects the accident was something else and she becomes the next target, she and experienced FBI agent Mark Ryan team up to uncover the plot behind the First Lady’s murder.

guilty mindsFinder, JosephGuilty Minds – Summoned to investigate potentially explosive charges of corruption levied by a gossip website against the chief justice of the Supreme Court, private intelligence operative Nick Heller is given 48 hours to prove that the story is baseless.

 

first comes loveGiffin, Emily  – First Comes LoveWhile Meredith becomes increasingly unsure about the strength of her bond with her seemingly perfect husband and daughter, her once-happily single sister, Josie, frantically dates and considers her options in her desperation to have a baby.

here's to usHilderbrand, Elin Here’s To Us Gathering at a ramshackle Nantucket cottage, a late celebrity chef’s wives and children confront the sources of their bitter rivalries and slowly let go of resentments as they remember positive times and share long-held secrets.

 

born of legendKenyon, SherrilynBorn of Legend – Rescuing a teen boy from a violent mob, a fugitive royal becomes an unlikely ally to the boy’s mother, a rare Andarion Fyreblood whose people are being hunted to extinction by assassins from The League.

 

end of watchKing, StephenEnd of Watch – A conclusion to the best-selling trilogy that also includes the Edgar Award-winningMr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers finds mental patient Brady Hartsfield manifesting powers to commit deadly acts without leaving his hospital room, while retired detective Bill Hodges and his partner investigate a suicide with ties to the Mercedes Massacre.

daredevil snaredLaurens, StephanieThe Daredevil Snared – Hoping to prove himself by taking up his brothers’ covert mission in Freetown and protecting escaped captives in the jungle, hedonistic youngest son Caleb Frobisher falls in love with captive governess Katherine Fortescue, who is being targeted by a sadistic mercenary.

 

tea with jamMyers, Tamar Tea with Jam and Dread – While trying to welcome British royalty to her PennDutch inn and acquaint them with traditional American culture, Magdalena Yoder embarrassingly discovers a mummified corpse in the elevator shaft.

 

defenderPalmer, DianaDefender – Investigating a stalking case involving a Texas millionaire’s daughter-turned-assistant district attorney whose heart he broke three years earlier, FBI agent Paul Fiore struggles to regain her trust after discovering the truth about her nightmarish youth and the damage he caused by leaving her. 

vinegarTyler, Anne Vinegar Girl – A modern retelling of The Taming of the Shrew follows the experiences of a preschool teacher who alienates others by speaking her mind and who manages her family’s home before she is expected by her eccentric father to marry his assistant to prevent the young man’s deportation.

dishonorable Woods, Stuart Dishonorable Intentions – A latest adventure by the Edgar Award-winning author of Chiefs finds New York City cop-turned-rainmaker for a top Manhattan law firm Stone Barrington and his associates confronting a new threat that tests the limits of their collective skills.

What’s Trending at Cheshire Public Library

what to read

So we’re into the new year.  What did you decide to read?  The newest best-seller, older fiction?   Or maybe you wanted to give the old brain some stimulation by reading some non-fiction.  Let’s see how what you choose to read compares to what’s trending lately at CPL.

Top Five New Fiction

murder houseThe Murder House  James Patterson -Returning to the luxurious Hamptons of her youth to investigate the murders of a Hollywood power broker and his mistress, Detective Jenna Murphy uncovers links between the case and a series of unsolved killings.

memory manMemory Man David Baldacci – More than a year after the most tragic event in Amos Decker’s life, a man confesses to murdering his family and Amos, called to help with the investigation, struggles with the memories.

 

xXSue Grafton – A serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes challenges Kinsey Milhone’s skills to solve the case before she becomes his next victim.

 

saturn runSaturn RunJohn Sanford – When a Caltech intern notices what seems to be a spaceship decelerating towards Saturn, a new space race begins as governments hurry to get their hands on the technology.

 

a banquet ofA Banquet of ConsequencesElizabeth George – Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner Barbara Havers are drawn from Cambridge to London as they investigate any possible connections between the suicide of a young man who leaped to his death from a Dorset cliff and a murder by poisoning in Cambridge.

Rounding out the top ten – Cross JusticeJames Patterson; Scandalous BehaviorStuart Woods; The Theory of DeathFaye Kellerman; Rogue LawyerJohn Grisham; The Melody Lingers Mary Higgins Clark

Top Five Fiction

litigatorsThe LitigatorsJohn Grisham – Law firm partners Oscar Finley and Wally Figg see a chance for huge financial gain when they learn of a pending class action lawsuit against the makers of Krayoxx, a popular cholesterol-reducing drug suspected of causing heart attacks.

 

daddy's goneDaddy’s Gone HuntingMary Higgins Clark – When her sister is wrongly implicated in an explosion that has destroyed her family’s priceless antiques business and killed an employee, Hannah struggles to find clues in the ashes and discovers a life-threatening secret from the past.

orphanOrphan TrainChristina Kline – Close to aging out of the foster care system, Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer takes a community service position helping an elderly woman named Vivian clean out her home and discovers that they are more alike than different as she helps Vivian solve a mystery from her past.

runawayThe Runaway Jury John Grisham – Goes behind the doors of a jury room to reveal what happens among members of a jury in the middle of deliberations as one powerful leader of the jury works to sway the verdict.

 

sing you homeSing You HomeJodie Picoult – Ten years of infertility issues culminate in the destruction of music therapist Zoe Baxter’s marriage, after which she falls in love with another woman and wants to start a family, but her ex-husband, Max, stands in the way.

 

Rounding out the top ten – The GoldfinchDonna Tartt; Top Secret Twenty-oneJanet Evanovich; Winter Street– Erin Hildebrand; The EscapeDavid Baldacci; Loves Music, Loves To DanceMary Higgins Clark

Top Five New Non-Fiction

dead wakeDead Wake: the last crossing of the Lusitania – Erik Larson -A chronicle of the sinking of the Lusitania discusses the factors that led to the tragedy and the contributions of such figures as Woodrow Wilson, bookseller Charles Lauriat, and architect Theodate Pope Riddle.

down the rabbittDown The Rabbit Hole Holly Madison – A former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner describes how her years inside the Playboy Mansion went from a fairytale of A-list celebrity parties to an oppressive regime of strict rules, scheduled sex, and a total loss of identity, so much so that she even contemplated suicide.

killing reaganKilling Reagan – Bill O’reilly – Recounts President Reagan’s career, discussing his time in Hollywood, the beginning of his political career, and overcoming the trauma of an assassination attempt.

 

sparkSpark Joy – Marie Kando – Offers an illustrated guide to organizing closets, folding clothes, and minimizing clutter.

 

eggThe Egg And I – Betty MacDonald – Relates the experiences of a young couple in their attempts to succeed on a run-down chicken farm.

 

 

Rounding out the top ten – The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to New York CityRob Gardner; Fodor’s New York City 2016; $2 A Day: living on almost nothingKathryn Edin; Gluten-Free Girl American Classics ReinventedShauna James Ahern; The Mission Chinese Food CookbookDanny Bowien

Top Five Non-Fiction

hip knit hatsHip Knit Hats: 40 fabulous designs – Offers forty designs for caps, buckets, berets, tams, and felted hats.

 

the necklaceThe Necklace – Describes how thirteen women combined forces and funds to jointly purchase a diamond necklace that they would share, revealing how a simple agreement to share a piece of jewelry became a study in friendship, adventure, possibility, and the power of giving back.

scott 2011 postageScott 2011 Standard Postage Stamp Catalog 

 

 

the new prayer shawlThe New Prayer Shawl Companion – This book features 34 prayer shawl patterns that will inspire knitters of all skill levels and features designs for moments of celebration and for times of solace and remembrance.

 

autobriographiesAutobiographies: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas –  A new one-volume edition of an American classic offers the complete memoirs of the eloquent escaped slave, who in the nineteenth century shaped the abolitionist movement and became the most influential African-American of his era.

Rounding out the top ten –  Opera 101; Mars and Venus In the Bedroom; The Commonsense Guide to Running Your Own Business; Chicken Soup for the Parents Soul; After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

What’s Trending at Cheshire Public Library

what's

Do you ever wonder what your fellow patrons are reading?  Or what’s getting checked out the most?  Well, welcome to our new What’s Trending feature! We’re starting off with authors: the top 10 most popular during the previous month and how many times their books circulated. Click the author’s name for a list of their books.

james patterson James Patterson – 145 circulations.  In 2011, it was estimated that one-in-four of all hardcover suspense/thriller novels sold were written by James Patterson. He is the first author to achieve ten million ebook sales, and he holds the Guinness record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers of any author. And his success isn’t based solely on thrillers like the perennially popular Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, and Michael Bennett series. Patterson is now also the current bestselling author in the young adult and middle grade categories.

mary higgins clarkMary Higgins Clark – 52 circulations.  An author of over thirty-five suspense novels and four collections of short stories, each one of her books has been a best seller and many of them have been made into feature films or TV movies.  She has sold over 100 million copies and has eighteen honorary doctorates!

 

janet evanovichJanet Evanovich – 49 circulations.  Although she started out as a Romance author, she now known for her contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum.  She also writes the Lizzy and Diesel series,  the Alexandra Barnaby novels, as well as the Fox and O’Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg. Note: Go read her bio on her website. It’s hysterical.

david baldacciDavid Baldacci – 47 circulations.  A best-selling author who writes thrilling suspense books.  He has carried over the suspense theme into several children’s books as well.  Several of his titles have been adapted for film and television.  He has over one hundred and ten million books in print.

nora robertsNora Roberts – 46 circulations.  This prolific author writes several genres within the Romance genre.  She also writes Mysteries under the pen name of J. D. Robb.  Her books are consistently on the top seller lists.  She was the first author inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.  See a previous post here.

debbie macomberDebbie Macomber – 44 circulations.   She is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her novels, she brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope.

john grishamJohn Grisham – 43 circulations.   A former lawyer, he began his writing career as a hobby after hearing about a court case in 1984.  His hobby quickly became his career after he sold the film rights of his book, The Firm.  He started writing legal thrillers for children ages 9-12 in 2010.

danielle steelDanielle Steel – 39 circulations.   She’s currently the best selling author alive and the fourth bestselling author of all time, with over 800 million copies sold.   Her formula is fairly consistent, often involving rich families facing a crisis, threatened by dark elements such as jail, fraud, blackmail and suicide.

robert b. parkerRobert B. Parker – 37 circulations.   Long acknowledged as the dean of American crime fiction, he was named Grand Master of the Edgar Awards in 2002 by the Mystery Writers of America.  He was renowned for his Spenser novels, featuring the wise-cracking, street-smart Boston private-eye, which  was turned into the television series, Spencer: For Hire. He wrote 9 novels based on the character Jesse Stone and 6 novels based on the character Sunny Randall.

clive cusslerClive Cussler – 35 circulations.   An adventure novelist and underwater explorer, his thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than 20 times.

 

How’s this list stack up against what you’ve checked out recently?  Any of your favorite authors here?  Let us know who your favorite author is.