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mo_mentan's review against another edition
4.0
still *4, maybe only *3.5
i read this about two and a half years ago (incredible that 2020 should be so far away) and i was a little shocked how little i remembered of it in the beginning, because i always used to know every detail of all the stories i had ever read as i child. it came back somewhat, though, but i didn't remember who the murderer was. i think this isn't one of christies strongest ones. the ending is somehow quite surprising and doesn't seem to fit with the character. but i do like the setting (even though the discussions about mental health and resocialisation etc. are sometimes hard to bear) and some of the characters, though not as many as in other works of christie's.
i read this about two and a half years ago (incredible that 2020 should be so far away) and i was a little shocked how little i remembered of it in the beginning, because i always used to know every detail of all the stories i had ever read as i child. it came back somewhat, though, but i didn't remember who the murderer was. i think this isn't one of christies strongest ones. the ending is somehow quite surprising and doesn't seem to fit with the character. but i do like the setting (even though the discussions about mental health and resocialisation etc. are sometimes hard to bear) and some of the characters, though not as many as in other works of christie's.
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
In this novel, also published under the title Murder with Mirrors, the elderly Miss Jane Marple goes to visit a childhood friend whose sister reports feeling vaguely worried about her situation, in part because the woman's latest husband has turned their estate into a reformatory school for criminal and/or mentally ill young men. While there the amateur detective meets a standard cast of Agatha Christie suspects, and eventually one of them strikes, killing another guest. That murder scene is an interesting one that remixes a few of the author's earlier plots -- the lights have blown out, there's a loud argument at gunpoint that distracts everyone, and later someone else is found shot to death in a separate wing of the house -- but it comes a bit late at 38% through the short text, leaving less room for actual investigation of the crime(s) and not much propulsion in the story beforehand. I do like getting to hear a bit about the heroine's younger days, and I'd say overall that this is a decent mystery with plenty of red herrings and a not-implausible solution, but it doesn't ever feel quite as clever or memorable as it could.
[Content warning for ableism and racism including slurs.]
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[Content warning for ableism and racism including slurs.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
questingnotcoasting's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was a pretty awful Christie. I've never clicked with Marple like I have with Poirot but I think this was particularly poor. I never cared about the mystery and felt like the resolution was quite weak. It was easy to read but unfortunately didn't feel worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Mental illness and Racial slurs
martafrt's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
hannahdrew's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
3.5
endlessblankpages's review against another edition
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
3.0
I found this one less engaging than the previous books. The characters weren’t as interesting and the mystery wasn’t as compelling. It very much reflects the attitudes of its time to its detriment and has one instance of the n word, in addition to negative attitudes and stereotypes toward Italians.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
kpmcdowell23's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
3.75
This books starts slow af, and I wish the murder happened earlier, but once it happened, things moved fast. I always try and guess who the murderer is and I thought I had it but nope. There were words I had to look up because it was written so long ago
bunnypop's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Basically as enjoyable as any Christie. The setting is so dreary that you have to be in the mood for it. Good mystery, though a little more straightforward than her usual. An easy two-evening read.