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smartinez9's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
One of her more interesting psychological cases—not so much a concrete murder mystery.
Cw: Anti-semitism and casual use of racial slurs
One of her more interesting psychological cases—not so much a concrete murder mystery.
Cw: Anti-semitism and casual use of racial slurs
ketutar's review against another edition
3.0
Slightly confusing...
it's very much a romance novel. It ends weirdly. Not satisfactory.
But I love Lucy :-D Wonderful character.
it's very much a romance novel. It ends weirdly. Not satisfactory.
But I love Lucy :-D Wonderful character.
pbraue13's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
syringaflower's review against another edition
2.0
More confusing than it had to be, however the ending did pick up the pace.
My biggest problem was that I did not like the cast and predicted the ending from the moment the murder happened. I prefer to be surprised!
My biggest problem was that I did not like the cast and predicted the ending from the moment the murder happened. I prefer to be surprised!
vaiettuverso's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
grasmops's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
lubrn's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
2.75
ale_irigoyen's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-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
4.25
Lucy Angkatell invites her relatives to The Hollow for the weekend, she also invites Hercule Poirot for lunch since he's staying at a cottage nearby. The family is entertained by the love-square playing in front of their eyes; John Christow has a wife, but it doesn't stop him from having an affair with Henrietta, at the same time, Edward Angkatell has been in love with her since they were children, but let's not forget about Midge, she has watched Edward and Henrietta dancing around each other for years. A fifth player comes to the stage that first night at The Hollow, Veronica Cray, she was John's fiancée fifteen years ago. Now, as lunch approaches a gunshot is heard, and John falls into the pool just as Poirot is arriving to The Hollow. Gerda, John's wife, was holding a revolver and is seen not only by Poirot, but by John's mistress and rival. Everything is pointing to the wife, but Poirot can't help but feel the scene was staged to look that way, it itches his detective brain, and he'll find out what's real and what's not.
Christie wrote this one differently to her other Poirot mysteries. It felt like one of her standalone mysteries with the occasional Poirot appearance; and though I usually don't like that when reading a Poirot novel, this time it made sense. The first third of the book was slow, but it helped to understand the family's dynamics and understand the characters' personalities. Christie had me second guessing every chapter. The ending was the thing that I liked less.
Christie wrote this one differently to her other Poirot mysteries. It felt like one of her standalone mysteries with the occasional Poirot appearance; and though I usually don't like that when reading a Poirot novel, this time it made sense. The first third of the book was slow, but it helped to understand the family's dynamics and understand the characters' personalities. Christie had me second guessing every chapter. The ending was the thing that I liked less.
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
4.0
A story about characters (whoever said that her stories were all plot and no character work was wrong). Her character study of Henrietta, the sculptor, is really quite well done - with some very keen observations on being an artist and how that removes you from "real" life - always observing, always thinking with one part of your mind how to turn something into art.
There is some "set in it's time" offensiveness thrown out; one wincing moment is definitely in character for the person who says it, but then there are the others that are just pure British Empire.
The ending does feel satisfying: that it could only have happened this way, that everyone has behaved according to character, and only one person could have done it in the end.
There is some "set in it's time" offensiveness thrown out; one wincing moment is definitely in character for the person who says it, but then there are the others that are just pure British Empire.
The ending does feel satisfying: that it could only have happened this way, that everyone has behaved according to character, and only one person could have done it in the end.