Saturday, August 28, 2021

4:50 from Paddington - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  4:50 from Paddington (also titled What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw) by Agatha Christie

Rating:  Really Liked It!
Source:  Purchased

Description: For an instant the two trains ran together, going in the same direction side by side. In that frozen moment, Elspeth, riding in the one train, witnessed a murder in the other. Helplessly, she stared out her carriage window as a man remorselessly tightened his grip around a woman’s throat. The body crumpled. Then the other train drew away.

Who, apart from Miss Marple, would take her story seriously? After all, there were no suspects, no other witnesses... and no corpse. Not the police.

Genre: Mystery - Classic 

Why I Picked This Book:  I'm reading all the Miss Marple books this year and this was the next one!

My Impression: My main complaint with this book is that Miss Marple plays only a background role. She's an instrumental character in the story but doesn't have as much page time as I'd like.  Lucy Eyelesbarrow is a suitable replacement (with a fantastic surname) and her introduction into the plot made more sense then Miss Marple randomly showing up at a private home.  

This is a fun mystery with a dramatic start, a twisty mystery, and a solid conclusion.  There is a very limited pool of suspects and seemingly nobody had the opportunity to be the killer.  It has been years since I've read this one and I had quite forgotten the killer so this was a bit like reading it for the first time and it was a delight.  The Crackenthorpe family is rather dreadful (with the exceptions of the boys and Emma) but fun to read about.  Guessing the motive was and intriguing as guessing the murderer.

If you are new to Agatha Christie and Miss Marple this would be a great place to start.  While it is technically the 7th Miss Marple book almost all of them can be read in any order with no problem.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  Agatha Christie is a favorite author and I already have the next Miss Marple ready to go.

Would I Recommend this Book? Absolutely!  If you enjoy cozy mysteries you should give Miss Marple a try.

3 comments:

  1. Cozy mystery books aren’t my usual go-to but I’ve read some. Your day of a Murder being witness through a train definitely has my attention! I’m going to look for this one today. Hoping to go by my favorite used bookstore 😊

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  2. I love this and all Miss Marple. I got this one on audio for a Miss Marple marathon one of these days. I've read them all but I'd like to read them again.

    Anne - Books of My Heart

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  3. Delighted this one was a great reread. I love that we forget and books like this can be enjoyed all over again. One day I'll visit with Miss Marple!

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