Saturday, 19 September 2026

Auguries of Innocence

The September selection for the Read Christie 2026 Challenge, 'Best According to Agatha', is another novel I had not heard of - Endless Night (1967). This is standalone novel - not featuring Poirot, Marple, or the Beresfords - and reportedly one of Christie's favourite among her 74 novels.

Michael Rogers, age twenty-two, is a restless but charming young man. In his short life he has tried his hand at many jobs and wooed many young women, unable to commit to anything or anyone. Mike currently works as a chauffeur and hopes to earn enough money to eventually buy his dream home for his dream wife. The problem is that he is broke and doesn't seem to have much of a plan. When he comes across a property called Gipsy's Acre, a beautiful spot in the English countryside, Mike imagines it is the perfect location for his house. But there are rumours of a curse on the property.  

By chance he encounters Ellie Guteman, a young American heiress, who is also admiring the property. The two are an unlikely pair, but they quickly fall in love and marry, much to the chagrin of Ellie's imposing family. Initially Mike appears lost in the world of the super-rich, with Ellie being advised by lawyers and bankers and her constant companion, Greta. The couple soon appoint a mysterious architect, Santonix, to build their dream home at Gipsy's Acre. Shortly after they move in they are haunted by the curse - with bricks lobbed through the windows and an old woman warning them to stay away.
 
I will refrain from spoiling the story by telling more of the plot. Suffice it to say that while Endless Night could be mistaken for a gothic romance, this is definitely an Agatha Christie. But Endless Night is so different to the typical Christie whodunnit. It doesn't begin with a murder. There are no quirky detectives, no gathering of suspects, no unravelling of clues. But there are layers of intrigue as the suspense builds to a page-turning finish. The twist in the final chapters almost made me want to go back to the start to see what I missed along the way.

The title of this novel comes from this verse in the William Blake poem, Auguries of Innocence (1863):
Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born.
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to sweet delight,
Some are born to endless night.

Christie uses Blake's verse well throughout the novel. Written in her later years, Christie has refined her skills as a storyteller. This novel brings through important themes of the late 1960s - including class and gender. Having read nine of her books this year, in my view Endless Night is one of her best and well worth reading.

My reviews of other Agatha Christie novels are available on this blog: 

  • The Labours of Hercules (1947) 
  • The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948) 
  • Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952) 
  • A Caribbean Mystery (1964) 
  • By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968) 
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