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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Another overrated read - 3.5*
I am a dedicated fan of mysteries both on TV and in books. I am particularly fond of Hercules Poirot but I don't find the TV portrayal of Miss Marple as engaging and interesting. So I decided to give it another try by reading the original by Agatha Christie.
Now, I did enjoy this book, I enjoyed the characters- they were very strong in this book and kept me reading until the end. The thing I found most disappointing is I guessed the murderer in the first chapter. Now, some people may argue that this is not a bad thing but when you have read books, such as Sherlock Holmes and Harry Bosch, where you have to really theorise and "work" to find out who the murderer was, I was disappointed in this. I did not pride Marple with her discovery, of course, she put the pieces of the jigsaw together but I already had guessed who was the murderer was, why and when. She was not the mighty detective that the Vicar perceived her as; she was a regular woman who was just smarter than the rest. Any sane and focused person could have realised who the murder was. The red herrings were so obvious, they may as well have been labelled.
This book is interesting, it is effective in engaging a mystery and is one of those cosy mysteries. Unfortunately, for myself, in a mystery I prefer for my heart to be racing and I don't want to be right. I don't want to be the detective that's what the detective is for. I want to be a spectator and watch the mystery unfold. Is that too much to ask?
I am a dedicated fan of mysteries both on TV and in books. I am particularly fond of Hercules Poirot but I don't find the TV portrayal of Miss Marple as engaging and interesting. So I decided to give it another try by reading the original by Agatha Christie.
Now, I did enjoy this book, I enjoyed the characters- they were very strong in this book and kept me reading until the end. The thing I found most disappointing is I guessed the murderer in the first chapter. Now, some people may argue that this is not a bad thing but when you have read books, such as Sherlock Holmes and Harry Bosch, where you have to really theorise and "work" to find out who the murderer was, I was disappointed in this. I did not pride Marple with her discovery, of course, she put the pieces of the jigsaw together but I already had guessed who was the murderer was, why and when. She was not the mighty detective that the Vicar perceived her as; she was a regular woman who was just smarter than the rest. Any sane and focused person could have realised who the murder was. The red herrings were so obvious, they may as well have been labelled.
This book is interesting, it is effective in engaging a mystery and is one of those cosy mysteries. Unfortunately, for myself, in a mystery I prefer for my heart to be racing and I don't want to be right. I don't want to be the detective that's what the detective is for. I want to be a spectator and watch the mystery unfold. Is that too much to ask?
My first Agatha Christie. Totally clueless until the very end, what a maze of storylines.
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Maybe I just don't love Miss Marple, because I really love Agatha Christie but can never really get into the Miss Marple mysteries. This one was just ok for me, still fun and kept me guessing but just not up to par with my favorites. The background and build up weren't too strong, and that kept me from being wholly invested in the plot I think. 3.5/5 overall.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
I really enjoyed re-reading (or re-listening actually) Miss Marple's first "case". It's been many years since the first time I read this mystery, and I found that I was as confused and surprised as before. Ms Christie does a wonderful job (as usually) of throwing you off the scent, and just as you think you have it all figured out, something else is thrown in to make you start over again. My only gripe (small, small one) is that Miss Marple is much in the background and only pops up here and there. But, it makes sense as this is the novel where she is introduced. A great AC mystery!
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first novel of Dear Miss Marple with a murder right in her silent neighborhood of St Mary Mead. The murder too is not an ordinary one as it is a close room mystery at the Vicarage's home.
Agatha fairly introduces her local sleuth and it is vastly different than her professional detective Hercule Poirot. The story establishes that in this series the clues are more social although it does follow the same approach of understanding the psychology of a criminal.
I enjoyed this novel and I must say that I am attracted to the 'boring' village life that Agatha paints for it has so much to unravel from the everyday conversations. Whole and sole it is yet another mystery with well-written characters, and maybe just a little stretched murder.
Side note: I think I tend to remember and connect with the characters of the Marple series more than in Poirot. Although I do enjoy the analysis, order, and method of the sleek detective.
Agatha fairly introduces her local sleuth and it is vastly different than her professional detective Hercule Poirot. The story establishes that in this series the clues are more social although it does follow the same approach of understanding the psychology of a criminal.
I enjoyed this novel and I must say that I am attracted to the 'boring' village life that Agatha paints for it has so much to unravel from the everyday conversations. Whole and sole it is yet another mystery with well-written characters, and maybe just a little stretched murder.
Side note: I think I tend to remember and connect with the characters of the Marple series more than in Poirot. Although I do enjoy the analysis, order, and method of the sleek detective.
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes