Reviews

I really wish Miss Marple had more of a presence within her own series. However, I did still enjoy this one. The beginning explanation of Bertram's Hotel kind of reminded me of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and I loved it. I didn't enjoy every part of this book and every storyline within as it felt like there were too many things going on in the end. That might just be me though....
However I did enjoy the super sus meeting with the owner of the hotel

midici's review against another edition

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3.0

I love Miss Marple mysteries. She's an old lady who eavesdrops her way into uncovering mysteries and murders which is a fantastic conceit that I like reading. In this particular novel Miss Marple decides to go stay at Bertram's Hotel in London, as a sort of holiday. There is a lot of work done to make Bertram's seem like a very specific kind of hotel. It has a sort of 'back in time' charm, a luxurious sense that you are staying in a place that has not caught up to modern times and has no intention of doing so.

There is an interesting cast of characters staying at the hotel. An infamous, well-off lady of world-wide renown whom no one would expect to see at Bertram's. An absent-minded priest. Gossiping old ladies (one of whom is Miss Marple). A former soldier who guards the door and those within. And a young women with a strange family history, who is obsessed with discovering who will benefit from her death.

I really enjoyed the way the large crime-ring tied back into the story of the on-going family drama with Bess Sedgewick and Elvira. It was also one of the first novels by Agatha Christie I have read where the guilty party is not really caught, or charged.

gilliske's review against another edition

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2.0

Dit was het eerste Miss Marple mysterie van Agatha Christie dat ik las.
Helaas bleek het een beetje teleurstellend. Ik verwachtte Miss Marple als een soort vrouwelijke Hercules Poirot te zien optreden: speurend naar een moordenaar en iedereen verrassend met haar opmerkzaamheid en deductie vermogen. Helaas echter is in dit verhaal de rol van Miss Marple zeer beperkt, bijna onbeduidend. Hoewel ze regelmatig opduikt in het verhaal speelt ze er geen belangrijke rol in en is zij niet degene die het hele mysterie ontrafelt en uiteindelijk de dader ontmaskert.

Het mysterie zelf was echter zeker niet slecht bedacht, maar naar mijn gevoel iets te weinig uitgewerkt. Het plot rond de moord zelf zit wel goed in mekaar -en ik geef toe dat het daar eigenlijk echt om draait, maar toch stoorde ik mij aan de beperkte uitwerking van de verhaallijn rond de georganiseerde misdaad. Deze maakt toch ook een zeer groot deel uit van het verhaal en wordt eigenlijk maar oppervlakkig aangeraakt.

lisas_library_factory's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a very unusal Christie novel. The arc of suspence was rather long as the actual crime happened very late in the plot. Nevertheless, Christie manages to intertwine many exciting subplots to a thrilling story so that this book becomes a page turner. Miss Marple has a very special role in this one as well. Rather then being the main dedentive herself, she seems to be absent most of the time. In the end however, she was there all along and turns out to be an important assistant to the Chief-Inspector.

hidingzeus's review against another edition

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4.0

This one got dramatic! The high stakes, the intrigue!

thompson626's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

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