Fifty years after her death, Agatha Christie – the indisputable Queen of Crime – remains a staple of the streaming age. Were she able to comment on Netflix’s new take on The Seven Dials Mystery, one imagines her review might have read something like this…
My dear Netflix,
How perfectly thrilling to find oneself trending. One had resigned oneself to an eternity of quiet observation – heaven, as it turns out, is an excellent vantage point from which to spot the clumsy placement of a clue, when your production quite rudely, and rather delightfully, interrupted my peace. It is always a shock to see one’s own literary child returned from the warfront, wearing someone else’s hat.
Your decision to promote Lord Caterham to Lady Caterham, and simultaneously to villainy, is a neat bit of sleight-of-hand. I always thought him a little too good at doing nothing; it is satisfying to see the idle rich finally put to some practical, if homicidal, use. A mother scheming in a drawing-room is, of course, far more economical than my scattered consortium of men in clubs. More modern, too. Why distribute blame when one can hang it all on a hatpin? I do hope you gave the ever-admirable Helena Bonham Carter, a superior brand of tea to plot over. It makes all the difference.
Dr Matip for Herr Eberhard is a swap more suited for the 21st century. I might have made myself on a later date, had I been less preoccupied with the reliable nuisance of a certain Belgian’s moustache. The formula, I see, remains the same. Only the packaging and red herrings have been updated. A lesson, I suppose, in durable goods.
Seven Dials: The Seven Dials Mystery Netflix Tie-in Paperback was released on January 20, 2026. (Source: amazon.in/Generated using AI)
And your expanded Society! In my version, they were a convenient mechanism, like the loose floorboard that hides the will. You have made them a proper production, with costumes and atmosphere. They seem to be having a much better time than I ever allowed them. I rather hope they have unionised.
But your masterstroke, one must concede, is Bundle. Leaving her resolutely unmarried at the end is the adaptation’s most audacious clue. In my day, we tied these things with a matrimonial bow. You leave her with the greatest mystery of all: her own future. It is either profoundly hopeful, or you are keeping her on retainer. I should not blame you. She is, as ever, the only person in the room with any sense.
The whole affair is brisker, louder, and more personally aggrieved than I recall writing it. I must, however, observe that you have permitted the affair to breathe a little too freely. My story was a brisk weekend in the country; yours is a long weekend that threatens to spill into a full week. Three episodes, indeed! One feels the material, like a suspect under a bright light, began to repeat itself simply for want of a timely conclusion. Even a good pudding can suffer from being over-whipped.
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I was also diverted to see your Sergeant Battle portrayed by Martin Freeman, an actor who is widely considered the very model of a loyal Dr. Watson. It creates a curious resonance. I always maintained that Sherlock Holmes was “the one and only”– a figure quite beyond emulation.
Do carry on. It proves the clocks are still ticking, and the guests are still, delightfully, faintly uneasy.
(As I See It is a space for bookish reflection, part personal essay and part love letter to the written word. Bouquets and brickbats to aishwarya.khosla@indianexpress.com)
Aishwarya Khosla is a key editorial figure at The Indian Express, where she spearheads and manages the Books & Literature and Puzzles & Games sections, driving content strategy and execution. Her extensive background across eight years also includes previous roles at Hindustan Times, where she provided dedicated coverage of politics, books, theatre, broader culture, and the Punjabi diaspora.
Aishwarya's specialty lies in book reviews and literary criticism, apart from deep cultural commentary where she focuses on the complex interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She is a proud recipient of The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections. This fellowship required intensive study and research into political campaigns, policy analysis, political strategy, and communications, directly informing the analytical depth of her cultural commentary.
As the dedicated author of The Indian Express newsletters, Meanwhile, Back Home and Books 'n' Bits, Aishwarya provides consistent, curated, and trusted insights directly to the readership. She also hosts the podcast series Casually Obsessed. Her established role and her commitment to examining complex societal themes through a nuanced lens ensure her content is a reliable source of high-quality literary and cultural journalism.
Write to her at aishwaryakhosla.ak@gmail.com or aishwarya.khosla@indianexpress.com. You can follow her on Instagram:
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Seven Dials: The Seven Dials Mystery Netflix Tie-in Paperback was released on January 20, 2026. (Source: amazon.in/Generated using AI)
