Often referred to as the "Queen of Crime" or "Queen of Mystery", Agatha Christie is the world's best-selling mystery writer and is considered a master of suspense, plotting, and characterisation. Some critics, however, have regarded Christie's plotting as superior to her skill with other literary elements. Novelist Raymond Chandler criticised her in his essay "The Simple Art of Murder", and American literary critic Edmund Wilson was dismissive of Christie and the detective fiction genre generally in his New Yorker essay, "Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?" In The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman, Poirot and Hastings are in their rooms with a neighbour, Dr Hawker, when the medical man's housekeeper arrives with the message that a client, Count Foscatini, has phoned for the doctor, crying out for help. Count Foscatini has been Dr Hawker's patient, and he immediately leaves to see him. Poirot and Hastings accompany him. When they arrive they are told that Count Foscatini has two visitors dining with him while his valet, Mr Graves, left. They ring the bell, but there is no response. Poirot goes to get the police while the manager opens the door. They enter seeing the table in the dining room with the remains of the food and chairs pushed aside. Count Foscatini is dead, sitting in his chair bent forward, with his right hand holding the telephone… Enjoy free online English audiobook “The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman”, a breathtaking novel by Agatha Christie.
