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A review by sophiarose1816
Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
mysterious
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
In my re-read via audio of Agatha Christie's books, I've come across many that I have no memory of reading and yet I know I did. With Mrs. McGinty's Dead, what I do remember is the TV adaption which was not far off the book.
Mrs. McGinty's Dead has Poirot asked to revisit a murder case the police recently closed and the court trial finished with a man convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. The superintendent who investigated isn't satisfied that the right person was convicted.
So, already a different angle to approach the murder mystery. Poirot's got a time crunch and he's very much unofficial when he goes back to the small village and starts digging. Poirot being Poirot he spots details and interesting facts just in the course of seeing Mrs. McGinty's place, things, speaking with her surviving family, and her neighbors. He finds a tie to the past in a recent newspaper clipping.
I was struck by the personality of the man who was convicted. He's not a likeable person and he comes across as someone who looks as guilty as can be even when he's telling the truth. I found him to be the most under of underdogs and Poirot was forcing himself to do the case out a sense of justice rather than care for the man personally which was another unique aspect of the story.
The light note was the hilarious character of Maureen Summerhaven. She is an atrocious housewife and cook and her husband isn't much better when they open their home as a guest house and poor Poirot endures much in their care.
Hugh Fraser does a fabulous job telling the story and captures the personalities of the cast of characters and the story tone so well.
I enjoyed this village murder setting and the tension of Poirot having to beat the clock on solving the crime.
Mrs. McGinty's Dead has Poirot asked to revisit a murder case the police recently closed and the court trial finished with a man convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. The superintendent who investigated isn't satisfied that the right person was convicted.
So, already a different angle to approach the murder mystery. Poirot's got a time crunch and he's very much unofficial when he goes back to the small village and starts digging. Poirot being Poirot he spots details and interesting facts just in the course of seeing Mrs. McGinty's place, things, speaking with her surviving family, and her neighbors. He finds a tie to the past in a recent newspaper clipping.
I was struck by the personality of the man who was convicted. He's not a likeable person and he comes across as someone who looks as guilty as can be even when he's telling the truth. I found him to be the most under of underdogs and Poirot was forcing himself to do the case out a sense of justice rather than care for the man personally which was another unique aspect of the story.
The light note was the hilarious character of Maureen Summerhaven. She is an atrocious housewife and cook and her husband isn't much better when they open their home as a guest house and poor Poirot endures much in their care.
Hugh Fraser does a fabulous job telling the story and captures the personalities of the cast of characters and the story tone so well.
I enjoyed this village murder setting and the tension of Poirot having to beat the clock on solving the crime.