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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
On a snowy afternoon neighbors who have gathered for tea decide to converse with the spirits. When they receive a message that Captain Trevelyan has been murdered, his closest friend starts out on a six mile journey through the snow to see for himself that his friend is well. Unfortunately it seems that the spirits were right.
This is Christie at her best. A limited number of suspects. A village isolated by snow. Multiple motives. As always there are plentiful clues and red herrings. A very enjoyable read.
This is Christie at her best. A limited number of suspects. A village isolated by snow. Multiple motives. As always there are plentiful clues and red herrings. A very enjoyable read.
lighthearted
mysterious
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
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
I did enjoy this while reading, but it wasn't one of Christie's more memorable ones for me. The initial setup is interesting enough, but it drags on for a while. Part of this is because I figured almost everything out quite early. Which usually means I'm totally guessing (and probably just plain wrong), but this time . Personally, I think this would have worked better as a short story.
Spoiler
I was pretty confident and correct 1/4 of the way into the book because if you notice the key details and what they imply, there's really no ambiguity or mystery left, and thus the rest of the book just becomes a matter of trying to also figure out the red herrings, which are not exactly the most interesting in this one
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
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
adventurous
mysterious
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
It all starts with an innocent enough scéance. You know, just your everyday boring tea party turned parlor game?
Oh, you've never done that?
Well... anyway, the table spells out a menacing word,
"M-U-R-D-E-R!"
Shocker, we find a corpse whose time of death is approximately that which is told by the table.
*Cue spooky music*
Was it an evil spirit, or a bloodthirsty murder?
We all know Agatha Christie, she's the murder mystery legend. Unfortunately for me, this is only my second experience with her work. I've read And Then There Were None a couple of years ago. I don't want to say I didn't enjoy the book, I did, but it just didn't quite live up to the hype for me. It was similar to my opinion of Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland - It's a solid and entertaining concept, but the execution simply feels jumbled up and poorly planned. That being said, I approached my next Agatha Christie novel with caution. I picked a title I had never heard of before so that any hype surrounding the book wouldn't skew my opinion.
I am so glad I gave Agatha Christie another go! There is far more to this story than the scéance blurb on the back of the book. I fact, the scéance has little to do with the plot at all, it's just there to bring in readers interested in the supernatural. Unfortunately, that gives the book a persona that it doesn't actually fit. If you're on the fence because of the blurb, please stay here. If you're a classic mystery fan, this is still the book for you.
When Emily's fiance is arrested for the murder of Hazelmoor, she knows it's up to her to clear his name. By striking a bargain with a news reporter and use of her feminine charm, Emily embarks on a quest to solve this mystery once and for all. She will stop at nothing to unmask the real killer and save her fiance from incarceration.
Agatha Christie is a phenomenal woman. She is an exceptionally successful female author from the early 1900's. Thank you, for helping the female authors before you to pave the way for female authors today. Thank you again for creating not a damsel in distress, but a strong and intelligent lady to be the protagonist of this novel. This same protagonist sets out to save a gentleman in distress. Let's all give Agatha Christie a high-five for breaking down walls so early.
I flew through this book. It is highly engaging and full of red-herrings to keep the reader guessing to the very end. I don't often reach for mysteries, and even less often am I impressed by them. I highly recommend this novel. Stay tuned for more reviews of Christie's work in the future, I assure you they will be here!
Oh, you've never done that?
Well... anyway, the table spells out a menacing word,
"M-U-R-D-E-R!"
Shocker, we find a corpse whose time of death is approximately that which is told by the table.
*Cue spooky music*
Was it an evil spirit, or a bloodthirsty murder?
We all know Agatha Christie, she's the murder mystery legend. Unfortunately for me, this is only my second experience with her work. I've read And Then There Were None a couple of years ago. I don't want to say I didn't enjoy the book, I did, but it just didn't quite live up to the hype for me. It was similar to my opinion of Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland - It's a solid and entertaining concept, but the execution simply feels jumbled up and poorly planned. That being said, I approached my next Agatha Christie novel with caution. I picked a title I had never heard of before so that any hype surrounding the book wouldn't skew my opinion.
I am so glad I gave Agatha Christie another go! There is far more to this story than the scéance blurb on the back of the book. I fact, the scéance has little to do with the plot at all, it's just there to bring in readers interested in the supernatural. Unfortunately, that gives the book a persona that it doesn't actually fit. If you're on the fence because of the blurb, please stay here. If you're a classic mystery fan, this is still the book for you.
When Emily's fiance is arrested for the murder of Hazelmoor, she knows it's up to her to clear his name. By striking a bargain with a news reporter and use of her feminine charm, Emily embarks on a quest to solve this mystery once and for all. She will stop at nothing to unmask the real killer and save her fiance from incarceration.
Agatha Christie is a phenomenal woman. She is an exceptionally successful female author from the early 1900's. Thank you, for helping the female authors before you to pave the way for female authors today. Thank you again for creating not a damsel in distress, but a strong and intelligent lady to be the protagonist of this novel. This same protagonist sets out to save a gentleman in distress. Let's all give Agatha Christie a high-five for breaking down walls so early.
I flew through this book. It is highly engaging and full of red-herrings to keep the reader guessing to the very end. I don't often reach for mysteries, and even less often am I impressed by them. I highly recommend this novel. Stay tuned for more reviews of Christie's work in the future, I assure you they will be here!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
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:
Yes