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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
A rather silly beginning, in which we learn that the stranger who could have corroborated an accused murderer's alibi was hit by a truck, developed a case of short-term amnesia, and promptly departed for a two-year polar expedition, thus missing the publicity about the trial and the call for him to come forward. By the time the witness and his memory both return, the prisoner has already died of pneumonia, but the poor man feels honor-bound to inform the surviving relatives of the deceased that he was innocent of killing his mother. Of course, this means that someone else in her inner circle likely murdered her instead, and over the rest of the book, they descend into mutual accusations and tense suspicion.
I do like these elements of the psychological thriller, but the effect is weakened by author Agatha Christie's need to bind it up with her typical whodunnit plot. If the dead man were guilty after all and everyone's relationships were soured for nothing, or if the ultimate truth never came out in the end, that would have been a bolder and more effective writing decision, in my opinion. But as presented, the reveal seems arbitrary and perfunctory, especially after the apparent culprit runs away, everyone else swiftly reconciles, and the novel closes on an abrupt marriage proposal between two characters who barely know one another but are now confessing their undying love. With such a disappointing start and finish, even the livelier middle can't save this title from itself.
[Content warning for racism and gore.]
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I do like these elements of the psychological thriller, but the effect is weakened by author Agatha Christie's need to bind it up with her typical whodunnit plot. If the dead man were guilty after all and everyone's relationships were soured for nothing, or if the ultimate truth never came out in the end, that would have been a bolder and more effective writing decision, in my opinion. But as presented, the reveal seems arbitrary and perfunctory, especially after the apparent culprit runs away, everyone else swiftly reconciles, and the novel closes on an abrupt marriage proposal between two characters who barely know one another but are now confessing their undying love. With such a disappointing start and finish, even the livelier middle can't save this title from itself.
[Content warning for racism and gore.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
That was... Interesting. I thought I knew who done it; but in the end I was completely wrong! I didn't pay attention to any of Dr. Arthur Calagary's investigation. I was so caught up in all the dialogue between the other characters, that I missed the dots. I'm glad my favorite character didn't die(laugh out loud). Also, the very ending took me by surprise. It really dated the book. Overall, it was a fun read.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
Fun, quick read, Agatha typical except this one more about the people affected by a revelation of innocence and what it does to them all.