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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
The unfortunate fact about Agatha Christie is that she was a product of her time. Her books often show off the now dated mindset of her era when it comes to women and POC. More often than not, it's a minor element of the story or an offhand comment from a certain character. They make you wince or roll your eyes, but you can overlook them because you're reading something written decades ago when people didn't know better.
Occasionally, though, one of her novels will use these dated ideas as a major plot point. Such was the case here and it makes it so that I don't really recommend this one. It's a decent read and I enjoyed it, but I don't think it's told in a way that most modern readers would be able to figure out what happened before the solution is given. The only way you can solve it is if you make a bunch of assumptions based on gender and I'm not a fan of that.
Also, while this is labeled a "Miss Marple" mystery, that's not strictly true. The main character of the piece is not Miss Marple, it's a young man named Jerry and Miss Marple doesn't show up until the last 30 pages or so. Even then, she's only in a handful of scenes. I don't think this was a bad thing as I liked Jerry's character, but if you're a Miss Marple fan, don't pick this up expecting a book about her.
In spite of my criticisms, I won't tell you to avoid this one. The mystery at its heart is a good one and I liked seeing everything play out, I'm just not going to recommend this to anyone and I don't see myself ever reading it again. I prefer my mysteries to be ones with new clues on every page, not one that barely gives any clues and relies on dated notions to point out the "obvious" conclusion that you've missed this whole time.
Occasionally, though, one of her novels will use these dated ideas as a major plot point. Such was the case here and it makes it so that I don't really recommend this one. It's a decent read and I enjoyed it, but I don't think it's told in a way that most modern readers would be able to figure out what happened before the solution is given. The only way you can solve it is if you make a bunch of assumptions based on gender and I'm not a fan of that.
Also, while this is labeled a "Miss Marple" mystery, that's not strictly true. The main character of the piece is not Miss Marple, it's a young man named Jerry and Miss Marple doesn't show up until the last 30 pages or so. Even then, she's only in a handful of scenes. I don't think this was a bad thing as I liked Jerry's character, but if you're a Miss Marple fan, don't pick this up expecting a book about her.
In spite of my criticisms, I won't tell you to avoid this one. The mystery at its heart is a good one and I liked seeing everything play out, I'm just not going to recommend this to anyone and I don't see myself ever reading it again. I prefer my mysteries to be ones with new clues on every page, not one that barely gives any clues and relies on dated notions to point out the "obvious" conclusion that you've missed this whole time.
mysterious
slow-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
Non so se sia per il finale un po' deludente o per la quasi totale assenza di Miss Marple, ma mi ha lasciato con l'amaro in bocca.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
was very surprised that Miss Marple is not part of the story until the very end.
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
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Christie is always a cure-all for me. Perfect comfort, can always pick one up and read right through. Loved Jerry and Joanna though any romances were handled a bit clumsily. Miss Marple doesn’t show until about 75% of the way through and still features minimally, but Jerry and Joanna are a good old time. Didn’t see it coming, as always, and the intrigue of the small bucolic town and its idiosyncratic little characters make Christie always enjoyable. Good times were had by all. Besides the deceased, of course.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Murder
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Medical content