In this inspired mix of travel, biography and politics, British newspaperman Eames sets out in the footsteps of Agatha Christie. The result is not only a wry account of a 3,000-mile journey on some lovely trains and insightful look at the adventurous life of Christie but also a revealing portrait of place on the brink of war. His travels include Vienna, Trieste, Ljubiana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sofia, Istanbul, Damascus and Baghdad. It's no accident that Christie's best books are archaeological mysteries set in the Middle East (Egypt, Jordan); In 1928 she set out with her soon-to-be-second-husband archaeologist Max Mallowan aboard the Orient Express.  (MDE89, $16.95)