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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
I found this to be entertaining and I also enjoyed the "villain's" motive.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A joke that had somehow gone wrong - that had proved dangerous, done by a person who never dreamt that it would be dangerous...
About: A famous actress moves into Miss Marple's village and when she hosts a charitable fete the whole community show up, eager to take a glimpse at celebrity. However when one lifelong fan ends up dead, it appears they've been poisoned - but the poison seems to have been meant for another...
The Good
I enjoyed the mystery being cloaked in the glamour and scandal of a Hollywood actress's life. All the love affairs, secret children and dramatics on set I thought were well included into the intrigue. I also really loved the atmosphere of the pivotal moment: when actress Marina Briggs sees something that freezes her in place, and then moments later a guest is poisoned. There's a real element of horror to the moment and when we find out later that the poison was from her glass - that she was the intended victim, it really dramatizes it further. We're desperate to know who or what she was looking at.
The Bad
The pace is very cosy and slow, which is not necessarily a bad thing as it is enjoyable to read, it's just not gripping. I found a lot of the conversations, while realistic and adding to the charm of an old country life, were repetitive. Everyone says the same thing about what kind of person the victim was and most people's observations were similar in nature so you don't think you're learning anything particularly new.
The Somewhat Iffy
Overall
A cosy murder mystery that has great atmosphere but is a bit slow paced and has a few unnecessary twists.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side is my very first Agatha Christie! It just happened to be what my library had at the time, and I'm not sure if it was the best foray into the Miss Marple series as a first-timer, but I had fun reading it!
I've been dealing with a nagging cold this Labor Day weekend, and I figured this would be the perfect reading cure, but I found myself a little out of place with all the character names. I kept forgetting who was who for the longest time. All the quaint English names just sort of ran together in my sick-brain. And of course there were a few references to past murders that I haven't read yet. Miss Marple's polite snark was super funny and I look forward to getting more comfortable in the series universe.
A rather less composed looking Miss Marple doodle.
I've been dealing with a nagging cold this Labor Day weekend, and I figured this would be the perfect reading cure, but I found myself a little out of place with all the character names. I kept forgetting who was who for the longest time. All the quaint English names just sort of ran together in my sick-brain. And of course there were a few references to past murders that I haven't read yet. Miss Marple's polite snark was super funny and I look forward to getting more comfortable in the series universe.
A rather less composed looking Miss Marple doodle.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
I read only few Agatha Christie's books (and I love her so much - she's the only author that makes me to focus on reading right now) but this one had a very similiar reveal to one I read before. However, still amazing.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes