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A review by spencesational
A Spoonful of Poison by M.C. Beaton
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A book full of tics.
I've read about ten of these books now and love them. They are a quick, easy read; not overly fussy and to the point. I love Agatha's pointed nature and sarcasm and the fact that, by hook or by crook, she eventually solves the crime and gets the job done.
However, what I have also found is that, at times, they are too simplistic. Let me give you some examples.
If you have read one of these books you will know that although Agatha is a loveable character, in the books she is not very liked, mainly for sticking her nose in others' business. In this book she goes up to someone's door.
Agatha knocks on (so and so's) door. The person answers:
(Person aggressively): "What do you want?."
Agatha: "I want to speak to you about the crime."
(Person, now nicely): "Oh, do come in then."
And another:
Agatha: "You look a mess."
Person: "How dare you! Would you like a cup of tea?"
See? Simplistic, basic and unrealistic.
In another scenario (without giving anything away), someone commits a crime and is arrested. The arresting officer states that they will appear in front of the judge the next day and will go on trial. This just doesn't happen. In reality, you would be interviewed by the police then, if charged, go in front of a magistrate, where you would plead guilty or not guilty and then depending on the crime would have a date set for trial in a Magistrates Court or in front of a judge and jury at Crown court. Nothing goes straight to trial, so this, for me, spoils it a little bit in a way.
On the other hand, I don't think these are supposed to be anything more than snippets of what really happens in real life. They are funny, whether it be Agatha's acidic tongue or her haphazardness, they are short and they are fun and I wouldn't look too deep into them representing anything like the real world. If you take them for what they are; simple, you will enjoy them a lot more and I can't wait to read another.
I've read about ten of these books now and love them. They are a quick, easy read; not overly fussy and to the point. I love Agatha's pointed nature and sarcasm and the fact that, by hook or by crook, she eventually solves the crime and gets the job done.
However, what I have also found is that, at times, they are too simplistic. Let me give you some examples.
If you have read one of these books you will know that although Agatha is a loveable character, in the books she is not very liked, mainly for sticking her nose in others' business. In this book she goes up to someone's door.
Agatha knocks on (so and so's) door. The person answers:
(Person aggressively): "What do you want?."
Agatha: "I want to speak to you about the crime."
(Person, now nicely): "Oh, do come in then."
And another:
Agatha: "You look a mess."
Person: "How dare you! Would you like a cup of tea?"
See? Simplistic, basic and unrealistic.
In another scenario (without giving anything away), someone commits a crime and is arrested. The arresting officer states that they will appear in front of the judge the next day and will go on trial. This just doesn't happen. In reality, you would be interviewed by the police then, if charged, go in front of a magistrate, where you would plead guilty or not guilty and then depending on the crime would have a date set for trial in a Magistrates Court or in front of a judge and jury at Crown court. Nothing goes straight to trial, so this, for me, spoils it a little bit in a way.
On the other hand, I don't think these are supposed to be anything more than snippets of what really happens in real life. They are funny, whether it be Agatha's acidic tongue or her haphazardness, they are short and they are fun and I wouldn't look too deep into them representing anything like the real world. If you take them for what they are; simple, you will enjoy them a lot more and I can't wait to read another.