Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christies books with Miss Marple and Hercule Poiroit have been made iconic with movies and TV series done over and over again, that one tends to forget about other mysteries written by her. This book is one that I had not come across before and it was indeed a pleasure to find a ‘new’ read by one of my favourite authors. Since I had not heard of this book and I found it online I was unsure who the author was despite the listing under her name, but the style of writing was unmistakeably Agatha Christie’s.

The story starts with an investigation into yet another famous scientist (Thomas Betterton) disappearing and the fear that he has defected and gone behind the Iron Curtain. Many countries are concerned as young scientists from different fields have been disappearing for some time now. The first break comes when the wife of Betterton speaks to the investigator and says she wants to go on a holiday as she was finding the circumstances very stressful. They suspect that she is going to join her husband and decide to track her to get to the bottom of the truth. 

However, before the lady can reach her destination she is in an air crash and then the investigator decides to substitute her with another lady who has similar striking red hair and blue eyes. The hope is that the ‘enemy’ are probably working on a cell system and people who are going to contact Mrs Betterton may only have a description with the red hair as a identifying feature. The real Mrs Betterton dies from her injuries and the fake Mrs Betterton starts her holiday following the already set itinerary. Then start the sightseeing trips and keeping alert to clandestine approach by suspicious characters. She is befriended by a couple of ladies; one is an English elderly woman and the other a well-off American lady. She is suspicious of all who want to strike up a conversation and befriend her. 

Then in the middle of one of her journeys she and her fellow travellers disappear with the well organised fake plane crash. She is now alone with others who are also travelling to this unknown destination. What will she find there? Will Betterton denounce her as a fraud? What about her fellow travellers as she feels uneasy with them? Will anyone ever find her now that she has dropped out of sight? What and who are behind this move of gathering of the young brains? What is the purpose of this clandestine gathering? 

It does hold your interest all the way and there are the classic twists that are the trade mark of Agatha Christie’s work. The detail of the emotions and nuances is again very much expected and helps to build the mystery. A good book to read curled up on a settee with a cup of tea on a cold winter day.