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emorm's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
amberlivian's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
smartinez9's review against another edition
4.0
A very enjoyable one, with more of a paranormal/spooky atmosphere than is typical for Christie.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audio book read by Hugh Fraser
3.5***
Is it possible to kill someone by remote control – that is, black magic?
A woman on her deathbed asks for a priest – a Roman Catholic priest to be exact. After he leaves her bedside he stops in a café to ponder what she told him. He scribbles down a list of names on a scrap of paper, and because he has a hole in his pocket, puts the paper inside his shoe. On his way back to the parish, however, he is brutally murdered – a seeming robbery. But that scrap of paper wasn’t found by the robber, and it piques the interest of the police, and that of Mark Easterbrook and his sidekick, Ginger Corrigan. The mystery involves three middle-aged women living in a former tavern – The Pale Horse – and dabbling in the occult, a disbarred attorney who likes to take odd wagers, a wealthy industrialist crippled by polio, and a list of people connected only by the fact that they are all deceased. Mrs. Ariadne Oliver makes a brief appearance, and does provide some valuable assistance. Still, I was caught completely unawares at the ending. I just love how Agatha Christie weaves her plots. She really deserves her reputation as the Queen of Mystery Writers.
Hugh Fraser – known to millions as Captain Hastings, assisting Hercule Poirot in A&E’s [i]Poirot[/i] and in the Agatha Christie [i]Mystery![/i] series on PBS – does a fine job of narrating. He has good pacing and an expressive voice which he moderates wonderfully to distinguish the various characters.
3.5***
Is it possible to kill someone by remote control – that is, black magic?
A woman on her deathbed asks for a priest – a Roman Catholic priest to be exact. After he leaves her bedside he stops in a café to ponder what she told him. He scribbles down a list of names on a scrap of paper, and because he has a hole in his pocket, puts the paper inside his shoe. On his way back to the parish, however, he is brutally murdered – a seeming robbery. But that scrap of paper wasn’t found by the robber, and it piques the interest of the police, and that of Mark Easterbrook and his sidekick, Ginger Corrigan. The mystery involves three middle-aged women living in a former tavern – The Pale Horse – and dabbling in the occult, a disbarred attorney who likes to take odd wagers, a wealthy industrialist crippled by polio, and a list of people connected only by the fact that they are all deceased. Mrs. Ariadne Oliver makes a brief appearance, and does provide some valuable assistance. Still, I was caught completely unawares at the ending. I just love how Agatha Christie weaves her plots. She really deserves her reputation as the Queen of Mystery Writers.
Hugh Fraser – known to millions as Captain Hastings, assisting Hercule Poirot in A&E’s [i]Poirot[/i] and in the Agatha Christie [i]Mystery![/i] series on PBS – does a fine job of narrating. He has good pacing and an expressive voice which he moderates wonderfully to distinguish the various characters.
autumnal54's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
3.0
I read this for book club. I have not read Agatha Christie before, just seen movies and tv.
I expexted 1920s 30s vibes, but this was set in around 1960 and seemed quite modern. The plot was not a locked room mystery and included writers and the police and the usual posh society people. There was a fun supernatural element and a bit of pseudo science too. I did not guess who the murderer was, I was not sucked in by the obvious red herring either. I thought the doctor dunnit. In that way it was a success and I enjoyed it.
I expexted 1920s 30s vibes, but this was set in around 1960 and seemed quite modern. The plot was not a locked room mystery and included writers and the police and the usual posh society people. There was a fun supernatural element and a bit of pseudo science too. I did not guess who the murderer was, I was not sucked in by the obvious red herring either. I thought the doctor dunnit. In that way it was a success and I enjoyed it.
radio_nuclides's review against another edition
dark
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? It's complicated
3.5
theladydoor's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
sappypatheticm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Suicide and Car accident
kim5309's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really enjoyed this Agatha Christie adventure. There is no Poirot, Marple or Tommy & Tuppence. Ariadne Oliver makes a brief but important cameo. Although this is a murder mystery, it doesn't play by the golden age of mystery rules.
Mark Easterbrook, writer and academic, is living the dream in London but he is oh so bored until he hears about the Pale Horse and 3 local witches. Suddenly he finds himself embroiled in the occult and a mysterious string of murders.
Mark Easterbrook, writer and academic, is living the dream in London but he is oh so bored until he hears about the Pale Horse and 3 local witches. Suddenly he finds himself embroiled in the occult and a mysterious string of murders.