Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Type: Fiction
This is the first book on the famous fictional detective Miss Marple. Being an ardent fan of mystery and thriller plots, I cannot believe I haven’t read the Agatha Christie books ever. I chose this for the Popsugar prompt No. 30 - a book featuring an amateur detective
Colonel Protheroe is murdered at the Vicarage while waiting to meet the Vicar and almost everyone in the village is a suspect including the vicar. He is not a person loved by all in the quiet neighbourhood of St Mary Mead and everyone thinks the world is better place without him. The inquisitive old Miss Marple tries to find the missing pieces of the murder mystery.
With so many suspects on the list, the plot is engaging and we are not given any hints on who might be the killer. Most characters have a backstory. Entwined with the murder are 2 separate crimes which come to light as the story proceeds. The story is told from the Vicar’s point of view and though a central character we do not have heavy doses of Miss Marple’s appearance. And when she does appear, she just throws in simple statements and questions. The old lady is a relief from the conventional formula for detective characterisations.
When I started this book I noted down the characters, their movements during the murder. At one point I even stopped reading and reflected on who could be the murderer. But all in vain. I could never guess what happened. This is not a story where the answer was right there but we didn’t see it. I don’t know if this is Agatha Christie’s style. So if you read this book, do not try to solve it by yourself.
Verdict: After reading this I am yearning to read more of Agatha Christie’s novels and this is a great read for all 'whodunnit' fans.
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