Reviews

Three Blind Mice and Other Stories by Agatha Christie

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angrydance's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

emmabeckman's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a really fun collection of stories! I liked that it featured different detectives, so it wasn't just all the same. And I really liked that the mysteries were pretty varied, not all murder.

natalia86's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious relaxing fast-paced

4.0

Me encantan las historias cortas de Ágatha Christie.

vintage_b's review against another edition

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4.0

Stories in the collection: Three Blind Mice Strange Jest The Tape Measure Murder The Case of the Perfect Maid The Case of The Caretaker The Third Floor Flat The Adventures of Johnny Waverly Four and Twenty Blackbirds The Love Detectives Three Blind Mice An unknown man has just killed a border named Mrs. Lyon, but why? In a few counties over Molly and Giles Davis have opened up a guest house at Monkeswell Manor. Molly had inherited the home from her Aunt Kathrine and in order to make it worth it, they decided to open it up as a guest house. Their grand opening happens to coincide with a big snow storm so now they and their guest are stuck inside the house with no way out. This may not be an issue typically, but there is a homicidal maniac on the loose! Everyone suspects each other, but there seems to be a clear motive. All the victims are tied to the tragic death of three young children. This was a great quick thriller. I truly did not see the culprit coming and the backstory was very interesting. Strange Jest: Miss Marple is enlisted to help a young couple attempt to find their inheritance. They are convinced it must be buried or hidden somewhere in the house. Their uncle alluded to the fact before he passed. They uncover some interesting letters and some cookery recipes but no inheritance. Leave it to Miss Marple to parallel her own life with this situation to help the couple find what they were looking for. This was the shortest of all the stories and my least favorite. While not poorly written or terrible in any real way, I felt it was rather frivolous. It did not have the same flair as other Miss Marple mysteries I have read thus far. The Tape-Measure Murder: Mr. Spenlow has been accused of murdering his wife. The main reason being he seems so unaffected by her death. Therefore, he must have done it! Miss Marple has been called to speak to his character. She knows he did not do it, but can she prove who did it before he hangs? This was one where I feel the title gives away easily who committed the crime. You learn early on of a robbery that happened years prior as well, which gives you the motive as well. A good story, but very predictable. The Case of the Perfect Maid: Miss Marple's maid comes to her upset that her cousin has been fired. She was accused of stealing a brooch but denies doing so. After Gladys was let go a new maid arrives at the door to help Emily and Levinia Skinner out. At first, she is too good to be true, she works for fewer wages and Emily feels she is the most perfect maid. Thanks to quick thinking on Miss Marple's part she was able to determine what was really going on at the Old Hall. I honestly zoned out while listening to this particular story. It did not hold much interest to me, but how they were able to solve the crime was quite ingenious. The Case of the Caretaker: Harry Lexton, has returned home with his stunning new wife. Sadly, shortly after their arrival back, Louise Lexton dies after falling off her horse. Was this a tragic accident or murder? Dr. Haydock puts the events to Miss Marple to see if she can assist. She confirms this was no accident and helps the Dr. find who the culprit was. Overall, not a bad story, and the how is not easily guessed. Who did it, however, is very easy to determine. The Third Floor Flat: Pat has somehow lost her keys to her flat. She and friends Jimmy, Donovan, and Mildred have come back to find they are locked out. Jimmy and Donovan offer to climb up through the bell lift in order to get into the flat and let them in. They miscalculated and ended up in the flat below, only to discover a dead body! Lucky Hercule Poirot is nearby! He helps Inspector Rice piece together how this could have occurred. How I love Hercule Poirot! This one has been speculating throughout, and convinced it was someone else until the reveal. Solid detective short! The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly: Hercule Poirot is called in to assist with a kidnapped child case. The child was taken right from under his father’s nose. Little Johnnie is nowhere to be found, and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Waverly are beside themselves. If only they had believed the taunting ransom notes they kept being sent. Can Hercule find the culprit and the boy before any harm comes to him? The ending to this one had my jaw hit the floor. It was so well done. I really enjoyed it and the audio narration on this story, in particular, was well done. Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds: Hercule Poirot and a friend are sitting down to dinner when he notices a man at another table. The server notes that everyone calls him “Old Father Time” and he comes in like clockwork every Tuesday and Thursday. He has been acting oddly this week through the server notes, and when he stops coming in suddenly there is a worry to be had. Hercule believes he knows what occurred and goes on the hunt for answers. As with most Hercule Poirot mysteries, I found myself thinking I knew the truth only to be sorely mistaken. A solid quick read with a decent story plot. The Love Detectives: Sir James Dwighton has been murdered by blunt force in his library. Who is to blame? There is no shortage of people claiming they did it. Can Mr. Quin and Mr. Satterthwaite piece the clues together by looking at the occurrence from a different perspective? I found myself not really paying much attention to this storyline. I think perhaps because it followed so closely with another one Agatha Christie novel, with only the setting being different. Could have been so good if the ending were different.