Source: Purchased
Description: It’s seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing evening dress and heavy make-up, which is now smeared across her cheeks.
But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry?
The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery… before tongues start to wag.
Genre: Mystery - Classic
Why I Picked This Book: I'm reading through the Miss Marple books and this was the next one.
My Impression: Looking at my Goodreads account apparently I read this last time in 2012 and I gave it an underwhelming 3 stars. I don't know what I was thinking at the time but I absolutely loved this book when I picked it up this time. Sometimes I have a vague memory of the premise when I pick up a Christie mystery to reread but the end is just as much a surprise to me as it was the first time. This is one that really stuck with me as soon as I picked it up I remembered all the whos and whys of the mystery. That didn't detract from my enjoyment one bit and even knowing just what was going to happen I was still a bit on the edge of my seat as I waited for Miss Marple to reveal all she knew.
Sir Henry Clithering and Mr. and Mrs. Bantry are back from the previous book and it was a joy to see them working together and with the rather unimaginative Inspector Slack to solve a very puzzling mystery. I especially loved the scene between Miss Marple and Miss Diana Lee as well as a scene between Miss Marple and Mrs. Bantry that reveals just how well Mrs. Bantry knows her husband and how protective she is of him. It was really sweet.
This mystery is a twisty one and with lots of questions and no answers until Miss Marple is able to see through all the deceit for a thoroughly satisfying solution. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed Miss Marple stories and the past three books have just been an absolute delight to read.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I can't wait for the next book in the Miss Marple series.
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! While I love Poirot Miss Marple just might be my favorite Christie detective.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I can't wait for the next book in the Miss Marple series.
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! While I love Poirot Miss Marple just might be my favorite Christie detective.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Katherine. I do reread Christie books and sometimes it's fun to see the clues that she scatters about that one might have missed on a first reading. Her solutions never come 'out of the blue'. Ha! So which Miss Marple is next for you?
ReplyDeleteDynamite cover! Sometimes it's a cover that leads me to pick up a book.
ReplyDeleteEverytime you review Christie I am like I need to read more!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou always make me want to pull a Christie book off my shelf to read. This sounds like a good one!
ReplyDeleteI'd say you're bringing a lot more mystery reading under your belt to this book this time and more appreciation. Sometimes that first read finds us out of sorts occasionally too.
ReplyDelete