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thecheshirecat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kikikissmybattery's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emma14's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
lisas_library_factory's review against another edition
4.0
This months pick for the #ReadChristie2023 challenge was another Miss Marple novel, which was right up my alley: An old Victorian manor, a family constellation, a mysterious sorrounding with a borstal for criminal youngsters, a gruesome murder and a diverse set of characters aka suspects.
The arc of suspense in this plot was particularly high, which sometimes had me at the edge of my seat and other times made me very impatient.
This is in any case a quick read and maybe even a good starting point to get to know the work of Agatha Christie.
The arc of suspense in this plot was particularly high, which sometimes had me at the edge of my seat and other times made me very impatient.
This is in any case a quick read and maybe even a good starting point to get to know the work of Agatha Christie.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Jane Marple’s childhood friend and schoolmate, Ruth, expresses her concern about her sister, Carrie Louise, and asks Miss Marple to go for a visit and try to find out what is happening. Carrie Louise has always been rather idealistic and she hasn’t had much luck with her marriages, though she has been left with considerable wealth and a large country estate. Miss Marple arrives to find that Carrie Louise’s current husband has helped her turn the estate into a home for delinquent boys, with a large staff of doctors, therapists and teachers. Her daughter, granddaughter and two stepsons are also currently at the estate. Her former brother-in-law, Christian Gulbrandsen, who is a director of the trust that funds the estate, arrives unexpectedly to confer with her husband, Lewis Serrocold. Before they can meet with the other directors, however, Gulbrandsen is murdered and someone has tried to poison Carrie Louise. Just what is going on?
I love Agatha Christie and have enjoyed other Miss Marple mysteries, but this one misses the mark. It is far too convoluted, and yet very slow going despite everything that is happening. There is the central murder; the evidence of poisoning; a clearly unhinged paranoid patient who apparently is trusted enough to be Lewis Serrocold’s assistant; a possible love triangle between Carrie Louise’s granddaughter, her angry American husband, and at least one (if not both) of Carrie’s stepsons; and a juvenile delinquent who is a master lock picker and claims to have witnessed something important on one of his nocturnal jaunts away from the dormitory.
Christie has proved that she is more than capable of juggling many storylines to build suspense and thwart the reader’s efforts to figure out the solution before the author chooses to reveal it. But rather than tight plotting with twists and turns, this novel’s storyline seemed to just meander without purpose (other than to fill pages). The final reveal was done in the form of a letter, neatly tying up all loose ends in a couple of paragraphs rather than giving us the confrontation and reveal in real time. I had been bored for much of the book and was glad it was over, but I felt that I hadn’t read a Christie novel at all, but something written by a less-skilled author to imitate the Queen of Crime.
I love Agatha Christie and have enjoyed other Miss Marple mysteries, but this one misses the mark. It is far too convoluted, and yet very slow going despite everything that is happening. There is the central murder; the evidence of poisoning; a clearly unhinged paranoid patient who apparently is trusted enough to be Lewis Serrocold’s assistant; a possible love triangle between Carrie Louise’s granddaughter, her angry American husband, and at least one (if not both) of Carrie’s stepsons; and a juvenile delinquent who is a master lock picker and claims to have witnessed something important on one of his nocturnal jaunts away from the dormitory.
Christie has proved that she is more than capable of juggling many storylines to build suspense and thwart the reader’s efforts to figure out the solution before the author chooses to reveal it. But rather than tight plotting with twists and turns, this novel’s storyline seemed to just meander without purpose (other than to fill pages). The final reveal was done in the form of a letter, neatly tying up all loose ends in a couple of paragraphs rather than giving us the confrontation and reveal in real time. I had been bored for much of the book and was glad it was over, but I felt that I hadn’t read a Christie novel at all, but something written by a less-skilled author to imitate the Queen of Crime.
hidingzeus's review against another edition
3.75
I really loved how much Miss Marple there was in this one!
yevheniia's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cmcrockford's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
My first Christie and there's even more class subtext than I expected (probably what Rian Johnston is copying in the Benoit Blanc films even more than any parlor scene). The racism is shocking and unfortunately makes sense for the writer and the characters she's writing - they're largely British in the 20th century and by default bigoted. Caveat emptor though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Infidelity, Grief, and Classism
kba76's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A deceptively simple story whose success owes much to the allusions and misdirections referenced in the title.
A mutual acquaintance asks Miss Marple to head to the residence of a close friend, as she fears something untoward is taking place. The friend, Carrie, is oblivious, but welcomes Jane to her home…which also happens to house a number of delinquent youths as part of a grand philanthropic scheme.
Miss Marple immediately senses something is off, but there are a number of potential suspects. When one of the family is shot it seems fairly clear who is to blame. But not to Jane, who - naturally - works out what’s going on.
As always with Christie, I find myself transported in time. This means some references/sentiments do seem antiquated and out of place, but the plotting is always to be admired.
A mutual acquaintance asks Miss Marple to head to the residence of a close friend, as she fears something untoward is taking place. The friend, Carrie, is oblivious, but welcomes Jane to her home…which also happens to house a number of delinquent youths as part of a grand philanthropic scheme.
Miss Marple immediately senses something is off, but there are a number of potential suspects. When one of the family is shot it seems fairly clear who is to blame. But not to Jane, who - naturally - works out what’s going on.
As always with Christie, I find myself transported in time. This means some references/sentiments do seem antiquated and out of place, but the plotting is always to be admired.