A highly enjoyable murder mystery, Sparkling Cyanide features none of Agatha Christie's recurring sleuths, but 'sparkles' nonetheless with a cast of familiar but well-drawn characters.

A lovely but airheaded young wife has been done in by the eponymous poison, and who's to blame? The list of suspects comprises several highly-plausible possibilities, featuring the victim's cuckolded husband, plus her uneasy lover and his iron-willed wife.

The story is excellent for period detail (1940s) and for strong pacing and dialogue. The only downside is the ending, which is satisfactory in 'whodunit' terms, but disappointing in its technicalities.

Never the less, this one's recommended. ( )

Although intriguing and stumping, it was also a little lacking in clues, and somewhat disappointing that the killer is someone who seems to come out of no where. How could anyone guess it was ... I challenge anyone to correctly guess the murder without cheating and reading the last page.

I am a great fan of mystery novels and, despite its shortcomings, this was one of the better who-done-its I have read for a long time. It's easy to see why the woman is rated one of the best writers of her genre. ( )

Another good murder in retrospect ( )

This is another one of those mysteries where the original murder happened in the past and somehow the story needs to be untangled. This is another one of those books where there is an element of romance, which feels less contrived than some of her other books. Parts of the story are also focalised through different characters and the change in perspective makes this an interesting and entertaining read. ( )

As with many of Christie's novels, this is less a murder mystery than it is a romance. This is one of the more satisfying, told from the point of view of each of the suspects in turn. I particularly enjoyed the character of Sandra Faraday. ( )