3.86 AVERAGE


So, I finished it. And it was good too. I mean, it’s at the same standard as all of Miss Marple books, or maybe just a teeny-weeny bit less. I’m not saying it was bad, no, it was awesome! But, I had pretty much expected this book to be more than what it is. I mean, it was in the must-read list of Agatha Christie’s, along with They Came to Baghdad and others whose names I can’t recall. So, I was a minute percent disappointed, though I wasn’t after I read it. It’s only now that I realize it.

Anyway, it’s a very good read. I just hope They Came to Baghdad will be better, because I’m in the no-time time, and I wouldn’t want to waste that time on books that don’t entertain or bewilder me!
mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark medium-paced
adventurous mysterious medium-paced
adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I really enjoyed myself reading this book. It is a quick, fun read, which has you guessing who the murder is all the way through. Personally I haben‘t read many Miss Marple songs, so I was quite surprised that she seemed to be a side character but maybe that is just the way of the Miss Marple books.
adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
dark funny 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

A fun read. The murderer was brilliantly set up as usual but it wasn't quite it for me. Would've loved to have more of Marple.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

Unusually for a Marple novel, our marvellous sleuth joins the action very quickly after her friend witnesses a murder on a passing train. To gain important intel for this crime, an aging Marple enlists the help of the enigmatic and independent Lucy Eyelesbarrow. The crime itself is clever and crafty (as is most often the case with Dame Christie), however there are a lot of interesting things happening with attitudes towards women in this book. None of the women are taken all that seriously regardless of whether they're old or young. Jane and Elspeth are considered too old, Lucy too beautiful and capable and Emma Crackenthorpe too underwhelming and downtrodden by men. For a while I even found myself worrying that Lucy's situation wasn't as feminist as Christie was trying to make out, that whilst she seemed to have 'fixed the system in her favour' was still mostly perpetuating a value for women around how well she completed domestic chores (and looked good whilst doing it). And given how pathetic all of the men were described, especially in comparison to her, I was disappointed by the end in that respect. Still, the excitement of the crime and layers of the story still win me over.
adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No