jdcorley 's review for:

The Unexpected Guest by Charles Osborne, Agatha Christie

2.0

dark mysterious

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Even a second rate Christie is still not a bad read. A character piece more than a plot, there are character turns that simply don't add up, especially in the last two chapters, where revelations and counter-revelations come thick and fast.  You can guess the ending relatively quickly, but even once you know the ending, you still are left with many characterization and motivation questions unanswered, some quite significant.  You don't need to have a twisty plot in a Christie drawing room mystery, but if you don't, motivation has to be the center, and it just doesn't hold.