Title: The Rose and the Yew Tree

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 218

Rating: 7/10

Agatha Christie - The Rose and the Yew Tree

The Rose and the Yew Tree is one of Christie’s pseudonymous novels, originally published under the pen name of Mary Westmacott. The novels which Christie wrote as Westmacott are usually referred to as romance novels, and while there’s a healthy dose of romance involved here, it’s more of a human interest novel than anything else.

Loosely speaking, the story follows the ruthless John Gabriel in his attempt to make it as a politician in a sleepy village, a man who would happily represent any political party so long as he could gain power. It’s an interesting look back at a time that is no more, and to the types of character that you no longer get to meet - it’s also surprisingly exciting, despite the subject matter.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting great things - as usual, Agatha Christie surprised me. If you only read her because you’re in to crime novels then this isn’t for you, but if you’re a fan in general of literature from her era then you’re going to love this - it puts her on a par with Hemingway, Graham Greene and other great writers of her generation.

Agatha Christie

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