Reviews

Nemesis by Agatha Christie

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thenovelbook's review against another edition

2.0

Based on the title alone, I thought this would have some kind of epic feel to it, but I was wrong — and I guess part of the point is that Miss Marple doesn't really do epic. She's an unlikely instrument of justice, but she's effective anyway. Fair enough. So that's completely fine; I don't begrudge the title. It's just that the book still felt a bit lower quality in construction than most of Agatha Christie's work. It starts out in what feels like a choose-your-own-adventure story for poor old Miss Marple. She's been instructed via a letter from a recently deceased friend to investigate something – but what? She has no idea. So she spends a good third of the book vacillating on questions of should she go here or go there, should she check up on this person or that... it feels like that part of the book goes on too long, and then when she does sort of get going with an idea, there aren't that many layers or points of interest.

It's worth noting that this was a late-career novel, published the year before Elephants Can Remember (the problems of which, and possible explanation for, I discuss here). Suffice it to say, Christie was doing her best in spite of the mental and physical challenges of aging. And there's no shame in that. But for something really fantastic, I'd aim for one of her early or mid-career works.

Incidentally, the Goodreads synopsis is inaccurate. Miss Marple is not being asked to investigate the murder of her friend. She's just being asked to investigate (waving my hand nebulously) a thing, which she has to discover on her own.

dnandrews797's review against another edition

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4.0

This was my second favourite Mrs. Marple mystery. I absolutely love the air of unease surrounding this mysterious happening an old friend of Mrs Marple’s wants her to investigate for him posthumously. It keeps Mrs Marple and the audience both guessing. The change of scenery is refreshing and the culprit in the end and the reasoning behind the murders is one of the best ones Agatha Christie has done. Jane Marple is indeed Nemesis, and always will be.

kriziaannacastro's review against another edition

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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

3.0

katiegilley's review against another edition

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4.0

This was my first Christie book in more than a decade and I realized how much I missed Miss Jane Marple! This is the second to last book in the Miss Marple series. Miss Marple is called on by an old friend to solve an injustice -- without giving much more information than that. Off we go on an English Country Houses tour and meet the most interesting cast of characters and visit the loveliest gardens and churches in the countryside.

I would have given this 5 stars but I've been a bit unfair. Despite knowing that Christie is a person from a different time, I was quite surprised at how much this failed the #metoo movement. I kept hoping Miss Jane Marple would be a revolutionary and correct the men in this novel, but alas -- it was a different time!