A review by readingthroughthelists
Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The mystery at the core of Sad Cypress is pretty good, but I think the commitment to linear storytelling works against the novel as a whole. The first half of the book is very slow going and I don’t find any of the characters particularly compelling save Mary (RIP Mary, you deserved better). Things pick up in the second half, especially once the trial commences, but if the book had had these courtroom scenes scattered throughout, then the facts of the crime could have been presented in a more interesting way and possibly given us more insight into Eleanor.

Speaking of…Eleanor just doesn’t work for me as a character. I understand that her whole vibe is being cold and aloof, keeping her cards close to the chest, but this also prevents us, the readers, from really getting to know or understand her. She’s just kind of weird (though not as weird as the 2003 ITV adaptation; that girl is *bonkers*).