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carolinerd 's review for:
4:50 from Paddington
by Agatha Christie
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Mrs McGillicuddy is on board a train after a Christmas shopping trip. Suddenly, as her train passes another, she is shocked to see a woman being strangled. Could she be mistaken? Could she have been dreaming? If anyone is going to take her seriously it's her old friend, Miss Jane Marple.
Determined to get to the truth, Miss Marple recruits the clever and efficient Lucy Eyelesbarrow to help her. First of all there is the small matter of finding the body, the police having drawn a blank, and then to discover who on earth the unfortunate woman was.
I liked the dramatic start to the novel, a murder being witnessed through a train window. It has some interesting characters. I loved the quick witted, independent Lucy and I found the friendship between Miss Marple and Mrs McGillicuddy entertaining. There is something fun about two old ladies working together with such a sense of duty and determination.
In many ways it's a typical Christie setup, the action taking place at a big country house with a gathering of family members all under one roof - a cranky old patriarch, his 3 sons (one a businessman, one a bohemian artist, the other a black sheep who lives on the edge of the law) and a dutiful spinster daughter, with the usual tensions over money and inheritance. It was quite a neat plot and for once, I actually worked out whodunnit. Either I am getting better at spotting clues or this solution was a bit more obvious than usual. Either way, an enjoyable and cosy read.
Determined to get to the truth, Miss Marple recruits the clever and efficient Lucy Eyelesbarrow to help her. First of all there is the small matter of finding the body, the police having drawn a blank, and then to discover who on earth the unfortunate woman was.
I liked the dramatic start to the novel, a murder being witnessed through a train window. It has some interesting characters. I loved the quick witted, independent Lucy and I found the friendship between Miss Marple and Mrs McGillicuddy entertaining. There is something fun about two old ladies working together with such a sense of duty and determination.
In many ways it's a typical Christie setup, the action taking place at a big country house with a gathering of family members all under one roof - a cranky old patriarch, his 3 sons (one a businessman, one a bohemian artist, the other a black sheep who lives on the edge of the law) and a dutiful spinster daughter, with the usual tensions over money and inheritance. It was quite a neat plot and for once, I actually worked out whodunnit. Either I am getting better at spotting clues or this solution was a bit more obvious than usual. Either way, an enjoyable and cosy read.