Reviews

The Unexpected Guest by Charles Osborne, Agatha Christie

christy1201's review

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mysterious medium-paced

4.25

Complicated,plot twist,unexpected end

melissa_who_reads's review

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2.0

A novelization of Agatha Christie's play. I had never read it (and obviously had never seen the play). So it was all new to me. Found the descriptive language not very Agatha, though the dialog obviously was. A decent who-dun-it, with many twists and turns in the plot ... although the portrayal of the vaguely "mentally defective" half-brother of the murdered man was ... more plot device than accurate.

A man, who has run his car into a ditch, stumbles into a house (through the French windows) and discovers a murder has just taken place. The victim is a man in a wheelchair; his wife is standing nearby, in shock, holding the gun. She confesses to the murder, and the "unexpected guest" takes it upon himself to shield her from the crime. As events unfold, all is not what it seems on the surface.

Fun to read a "new" Agatha, but it's not as good as her own novels.

gray_stasch's review

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mysterious tense fast-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

2.25

mschrock8's review against another edition

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3.0

Borrowed on Hoopla through JCPL.

Listening length three hr 30 min

xlxa_x's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

theflamingopriss's review

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

juliagiff's review

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1.0

Well that didn’t age well.

Won’t go into it for sake of spoilers, but jeesh, so many issues here, the very last revelation being one of them.

The one thing I can say about this book is that unlike most Christie stories, it starts off very clear, and then gets progressively muddled - an interesting use of narrative.

Spare yourself a few hours, read “And then there were none” instead.

eckermama's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

amyreading2024's review

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4.0

The play format made it an enjoyable bottle episode. So many motives in one house. Some sad storylines. Enjoyed the regional humor, following the first character introduced, and the poetry-loving sergeant. Was surprised to be found laughing at the end.

shadypinesma's review

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5.0

Fabulous. Classic Christie. And it happened to change my life by igniting a trip to London to see the Mousetrap.