Rating: Really Liked It!
Source: Purchased
Description: When a young secretary, Sheila Webb, is sent to the home of a blind woman on an errand, she is horrified to discover a dead man behind the couch, surrounded by four clocks that have all been stopped at 4:13.
The owner arrives home and denies that the clocks belong to her, the deceased's business card turns out to be a fraud, and a woman shows up claiming to be the dead man's wife.
There is only one man who can unravel this complicated case: Hercule Poirot.
Genre: Mystery - Classic
Why I Picked This Book: This is one of my favorite authors and I always enjoy her books.
My Impression: Oh this is such a fun read. A complicated setup and a very simple murder all rolled into a fast read with lots of neighborhood gossip and a little bit of intrigue. I have read this one several times before but I never quite remember how it ends so I'm always going along right with Colin Lamb, DI Hardcastle, and Poirot as they figure everything out. The pace is fast and the characters are likable (except for the ones who aren't supposed to be) which makes for this one being a fun bit of escapism.
That said, this isn't one of my favorite Christies. I feel like in the last decade of her writing career there was a decrease in quality in her mysteries. I don't know if it was age or the fact that by this point she had written more then 70 books and was done with dealing with mysteries or what exactly but the mystery aspect wasn't quite up to her usual standards for one reason - a major plot point is a coincidence. And not like someone happened to overhear something for perfectly innocent reasons. That coincidence doesn't bother me but there's another pretty massive one that does. It didn't really have to do with the main mystery and it didn't bother me when I was reading but it was one of those that when I put the book down I was like "wait a minute...". That said this is still a fun light read with an entertaining mystery.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course! Christie is one of my absolute favorite authors.
Would I Recommend this Book? Yes but if you're new to Christie this isn't one I'd start with.
I haven't read this one, I think I'd like to read it.
ReplyDeleteIt's been so long since I read an Agatha Christie book, but I like the sound of this one.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since I read this one. Not one of my favorites either, but also one I've read more than once. I should read it again!
ReplyDeleteShe is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine too! :)
ReplyDeleteI love that you really like her stories even when you recognise that some aren't her best, yet you still return. Speaks for itself.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a good read even if it isn't one of your favorites.
ReplyDeleteDespite the coincidences, it sounds good and this is one I'm not familiar with. Nice review!
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