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waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was an assigned reading that I happened to quite enjoy! This was my first Agatha Christie novel, and I can see myself picking up more of her work. What was surprising about this Miss Marple novel is just how little she shows up in this book and how little she does when she's there. I dinged a star for this reason, as well as because I think the novel could've been about 50 pages shorter to keep it from dragging towards the end. The twists, however, were quite good, and it was easy to get invested in the plot and characters. It was definitely a page turner!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bonsai_delores's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A well written murder, best understood after a second reading. Holds up amongst her other titles, I was pleasantly shocked. The use of the “silly old lady” trope helps heighten tension in some places and highlights one of the key turning points of the mystery. It helps that Agatha Christie was good at distinguishing the different types of silly old ladies, and making each of them endearing in their own way. The reveal was shocking enough to be a surprise, but believable enough to make sense during the detective’s synopsis. The only thing that was a little too rushed was the triple reveal at the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol