Destination Unknown

By: Agatha Christie

Narrated by: Emilia Fox

Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

When a number of leading scientists disappear without a trace, concern grows within the international intelligence community. And the one woman who appears to hold the key to the mystery is dying from injuries sustained in a plane crash.

Meanwhile, in a Casablanca hotel room, Hilary Craven prepares to take her own life. But her suicide attempt is about to be interrupted by a man who will offer her an altogether more thrilling way to die....

This title was previously published as So Many Steps to Death.

©1954 Agatha Christie Limited (P)2004 HarperCollins Publishers

Kind of like a "Pinky and the Brain" story

Where does Destination Unknown rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Average.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, because Agatha Christie never fails to deliver. But the story is quite cheesy and predictable at times.

Which character – as performed by Emilia Fox – was your favorite?

Aristides! She could really portrait him as a Marvel villain.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

It's a good book, but not your typical Agatha Christie. The story doesn't hold all that well and the villain is quite cartoonish. Several loose ends. But it must have something to it, because I had read it many years ago and I could still remember parts of it. I think the first time I read it I thought it was better.

One of Ms. Christie's best books! Great storyline

Slow start but plot sped up nicely after chapter 3. A definite read for any serious Agatha Christie fan! Enjoyed the book immensely.

Made me sad

Totally bored me.. One of the very few Agatha Christie novels I had not read before.. Very slow and unreal, it doesn't suit the author at all.

Unusual for Agatha Christie

This book was not like most other Agatha Christie novels - no Hercule Poirot & no Miss Marple. It is a 1950s version of “The Secret Adversary” (1929). However, instead of facing the Bolsheviks, this protagonist, Hilary Craven, must uncover the evil doings of the Soviets.

I enjoyed the plot and main character’s development. The reader is excellent.

I love Emilia Fox- brilliant performance

As this isn’t one of the more famous Agatha Christie stories - you are really left to the end unraveling the mystery. I loved the narrator - she does such a great job with all the voices and makes it so much fun.

Great mystery!

Great mystery! Never saw it coming and the book kept me glued to my earbuds.

Not my favorite

I love Agatha Christie. Here I feel like the plot speeds up and slows down at the wrong moments... Or like she just tried to cram in the ending. Glad I heard it, but won't re-listen the way I do many of her other stories.

Typical Agatha Christie Fare

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I don't think that everyone would be interested in Agatha Christie. Her early works are her strongest, but she goes downhill in her later years.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The storyline wasn't too bad, but by the end, it was rather predictable.

Have you listened to any of Emilia Fox’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She did a good job with the reading. I would listen to something else by her.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Perhaps...

That last chapter, though!

I had some trouble staying engaged in this story, but that ending was worth it!

Very good for what it is

Full of twists and turns, the story is set in the Cold War era but with Christie’s fondness for obscure masterminds behind the scenes. Reliably diverting and satisfying.