My Rating: Loved It!
Source: PurchasedDescription: There is no rest or relaxation for Miss Marple. Agatha Christie's most appealing sleuth returns in this classic baffler of a vacation-turned-deadly.
Nephew Raymond West has given his favourite aunt a vacation at a beautiful resort in the Caribbean. While there she encounters an old wind-bag. One of his stories is about meeting a murderer. He has a snapshot. Suddenly he hesitates, and gets flustered. By the next morning he is dead, seemingly of natural causes. Miss Marple has doubts.
And well she should.
Genre: Mystery - Classic
Why I Picked This Book: I'm reading all the Miss Marple books this year and this was the next one on my list.
My Impression: While we follow Hercule Poirot around the globe Miss Marple pretty much stays put. If she's not staying at her home in St. Mary Mead she is visiting a friend at their house in a small village. She is never out of England. Until this book. Not only is Miss Marple not in England but she is completely on her own at a resort in the Caribbean. Though she is recovering from a bout of poor health she is fine form and immediately tumbles into a murder investigation.
This one is a bit unusual as Miss Marple is completely on her own here. Here usual friends and resources aren't around to lend a hand or an ear and she is very much aware that she is very much a fluttery old lady who no one will take seriously. And this leads to the very best part of the story - the friendship that forms between Miss Marple and a very unlikely ally. Those interactions made this book very much a delight and I so enjoyed this read.
The mystery is a solid one and even though we are coming into a period of time where I find Christie's books somewhat unreliable this is a solid and entertaining read.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course! I only have 3 Miss Marple books left and I will be sorry to take a break from her for a bit.
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! Because Miss Marple is very much out of her element here this would also be a good one to start with if you have not met her before.
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! Because Miss Marple is very much out of her element here this would also be a good one to start with if you have not met her before.
You have such good experiences with Agatha Christie; wish I did.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite Christie books! Have read it several times. There is another appearance of a character from this story in Christie's book Nemesis. Did you know? If not, have fun when you get to that one. :-)
ReplyDeleteMiss Marple is my favorite!
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart
Oh I love that she got out into the Caribbean and that she makes an interesting friendship.
ReplyDelete