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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have never read Agatha Christie which is a bit surprising since I read so much. It’s also a bit surprising since I have seen and enjoyed plays, movies and television series based on her work since I was a kid. And finally it’s probably most surprising since my partner has been a life long fan…to the tune of collecting several editions of some of her books (some of the covers are not to be missed—apparently Christie hated most of them). I thought, I’d try listening to one & he suggested “The Body in the Library” which we watched during the third season of Miss Marple on Mystery! With the fantastic Geraldine McEwan (it’s on the third set of dvd’s). Frankly I was amazed. I know Christie is the grand dame of crime fiction and the grandmother of the mystery series…but I was shocked at how modern the book seemed (it was written in 1942). Sure this was set in the 30’s, but it was so witty, deftly plotted, tightly written, and fun I can’t believe it’s almost 70 years old. Some of the credit goes to the fantastic performance of Stephanie Cole; she’s a prolific tv actress with scads of awards in Britain. I most heartily recommend this audio book, even if you know the tale well.
Christies books may be almost a century old, but they're still so much fun to read.
The only downside I can see reading books this old, is being confronted with the horrible sexism that goes with that period in time. Even if most of her characters are quite wealthy and so have a bit more options than most women would have had. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me... but a good reminder of how far we have come (though not far enough) and how vigilant we have to defend the rights we have now.
Beside that, Christie makes a murder mystery fun.
This book is another of her great puzzles, the characters are funny and the reading is light. Just what I needed after a heavy novel I had before this one. I feel better. Thank you, Agatha!
The only downside I can see reading books this old, is being confronted with the horrible sexism that goes with that period in time. Even if most of her characters are quite wealthy and so have a bit more options than most women would have had. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me... but a good reminder of how far we have come (though not far enough) and how vigilant we have to defend the rights we have now.
Beside that, Christie makes a murder mystery fun.
This book is another of her great puzzles, the characters are funny and the reading is light. Just what I needed after a heavy novel I had before this one. I feel better. Thank you, Agatha!
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Agatha Christie is brilliant, but this one fell flat to me. I’m guessing I just wasn’t in the mood for a murder mystery, so this book was just okay. By that metric, I’m giving it 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yeah, I prefer the 2004 adaptation. And Miss Marple is definitely different than I expected. Just like Poirot. But it's good to finally have the original story in my mind.
Unless I missed it, there is an aspect of the movie that is left out and the direction is slightly diverted in the book and I think it lessens the impact.
Unless I missed it, there is an aspect of the movie that is left out and the direction is slightly diverted in the book and I think it lessens the impact.
It's a good, short read though a little underwhelming. I do think it would be a good story on screen so I might watch the ITV adaptation
A little flimsy, and very class ridden, though I guess that's part of the charm. Still, it kept me amused through my flight, and was a good break between more serious books.
Meh. I didn't guess the ending so good on Christie for that. I didn't especially enjoy this and I don't think Miss Marple is the sleuth for me.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
There are Agatha Christie books I loved more than this one, and other mystery novels I’ve liked more too, but this was still an enjoyable read.
I did not figure out the ending beforehand which was nice. I do feel like the ending was a bit too out there for my liking. The fact thatJosie and Mr. Gaskell were the culprits just didn’t feel possible or realistic enough to me for some reason.
As always, though, Agatha Christie novels are more of a cozy read, even with the murders and stuff, so it was enjoyable for what it was: a short novel with loveable Miss Marple. However, Murder at the Vicarage was better in my opinion.
I did not figure out the ending beforehand which was nice. I do feel like the ending was a bit too out there for my liking. The fact that
As always, though, Agatha Christie novels are more of a cozy read, even with the murders and stuff, so it was enjoyable for what it was: a short novel with loveable Miss Marple. However, Murder at the Vicarage was better in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood, Alcohol