Ordeal by Innocence - Classic Mystery Review

 Goodreads:  Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:   According to the courts, Jacko Argyle bludgeoned his mother to death with a poker. The sentence was life imprisonment. But when Dr. Arthur Calgary arrives with the proof that confirms Jacko’s innocence, it is too late—Jacko died behind bars following a bout of pneumonia. Worse still, the doctor’s revelations reopen old wounds in the family, increasing the likelihood that the real murderer will strike again.

Genre: Mystery - Classic 

Why I Picked This Book:  This was the September pick for the 2024 Read Christie challenge

My Impression: If I remember correctly this was one of the books that Agatha Christie herself was the most satisfied with and I can see why.  As seen in a number of her books Christie likes to experiment with the pyschology of guilt and the ramifications for the people around the murder.  In this book she shows what happens when the easy solution isn't actually the solution.  Two years after the murder of Rachel Argyle and the death of her adopted son Jacko who was in jail for her murder it is proven that Jacko was actually innocent of the crime.  

Over the previous few years the Argyle family had come to terms with Jacko's guilt and was breathing a sigh of relief as Jacko was never an easy person and always involved in someting shady.  And now that Jacko is proven innocent the family has to start side eyeing each other - who actually killed Rachel Argyle that night.  Each family member has motive and opportunity but which one actually did it?  Rachel Argyle is the type of victim Christie often uses - an overbearing mother who means well but never actually listens to the people she's trying to help.  This always allows for an interesting mix of motives and feelings of guilt and resentment.  I really liked each of the kid's stories and how they came to live with the Argyle.   

I remembered how this story played out but that didn't stop me from being completely pulled into the story and feeling invested in watching the story play out.  I can absolutely see why Christie enjoyed writing this book so much and why she was the most satisfied and I so enjoyed my reread.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I'm really looking forward to The Mirror Crack'd which is the October pick.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would!  This is a standalone mystery so none of Christie's usual detectives make an appearance.  This is an interesting mystery with a bit of an interesting perspective.