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Mystery/Thriller

Annotated Agatha Christie Bingo

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Christine Ro

Staff Writer

Christine writes about books for Literary Hub, VICE, and the Ploughshares blog. She occasionally writes about other topics, because someone once told her (although it seemed implausible) that there’s life outside of books. Blog: https://www.christinero.com

The Narratologist has a great series of literary bingo cards, which gently skewer the preoccupations of famous authors. Charles Dickens Bingo includes squares for “fallen woman suicide” and “blackmail,” for instance. Rainbow Rowell Bingo features “pining” and “Curvy Girl.”

Agatha Christie is no stranger to tropes. Certain types of characters and settings pop up again and again in her works, though each plot is distinctive. Here’s an Agatha Christie bingo card, followed by links to each square.

Agatha Christie Bingo

Someone eats, or is likened to, an egg

Multiple murders to hide key murder

Poison

Will

Hastings distracted by a redhead auburn hair

Miss Marple knits

Military man bores everyone

Obsessive attention to timeline

Casual racism

Clues in conversation

Suffocating family

The Servant Problem

Plucky young woman

Hot guys are bastards

Inquest adjourned a fortnight

Actors!

Smudged or charred document

Moustaches

Delicate English sensibilities

Intimidatingly efficient secretary

Country house

Train hijinks

Gardening obsession

Matchmaking

 

With thanks to fellow Book Rioters Kathleen Keenan, Jessica Plummer, and María Cristina García Lynch