Litsy

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This one grew on me. I should know by now that if things seem particularly pat, and predictable at the start it's because the author is setting you up for further twists and reveals. But I'm grateful that my continuing credulousness allows me to enjoy murder mysteries written more than 60 years ago. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? On that note, despite getting into the later publication years of this series, there are still a bunch of horribly dated opinions ventured, not the least of which is the characterization, or lack thereof, of the few West Indies/St Honoré people featured in the story. 2w

Robotswithpersonality 3/? I should add, though this edges into spoiler territory, while a mental health crisis does not end up being the motive or a part of the identity of the killer, it is talked about at length and used as a misdirect. Heads up for those who do not want to read about it used this way. Similarly, someone having a glass eye and having a resultant 'cross-eyed' gaze is key to the plot, so again, if you'd rather not read about that, best to skip it. 2w

Robotswithpersonality 4/? This book, more than others in the series, feels like it's appealing specifically to a demographic reflective of the protagonist, an underestimated British little old lady, who laments a lack of certain traditional values and practices in the then 'modern' 1960s, doesn't appreciate much the tropics have to offer in comparison to her mother country, recognizes the frequency of physical ailments that age brings, and is quite aware of and 2w

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? willing to use, to her advantage, the reality that many perceive elderly people as harmless, tiresome, possibly less capable of organized thought, and even liable to drop dead at any moment.
Palgrave and Rafiel are great fodder for further discussion on perceptions and tropes about the elderly. Those liable to carry on talking about the good old days to anyone who appears to be even half listening, 2w

Robotswithpersonality 6/? in robust health despite a lifetime of bad habits, those who require mobility aids, who have diminished physical strength but who are cognitively sharp and cantankerous about it.
Rafiel's character is a commentary on privilege, but only for the blink of an eye.
If I was elderly in the mid-20th century, I'd probably relate to this book more. 🤷🏼‍♂️ 2w

Robotswithpersonality 7/? Nevertheless, I am glad this is one where Marple plays a more active role, I get that it suits her character to take a back seat and get the debrief, then shock everyone with her keen observations, but it is more fun when she pokes about and is there for the capture and unmasking of the villain. 😏 2w

Robotswithpersonality 8/? I do wish Christie didn't feel the need to emphasize how the womenfolk 'got around' the various men in the book - what they deemed necessary to soothe them, to not puncture their perception of how things should be while getting what they wanted done/communicated, as opposed to a more frank assertion of their opinions/intentions not resulting in undue opposition, (though the later conversations with Rafiel are evidence that this is possible) 2w

Robotswithpersonality 9/9 but I recognize this as a product of the time it was written, what Christie likely had to deal with on a daily basis throughout her life. 😑

⚠️Racism, ableism, sexism, mental health crisis, discussion of suicide 2w

11 likes8 comments

Robotswithpersonality

A Caribbean Mystery | Agatha Christie

Conversations with Miss Marple are often hazardous to a suspect...😏

9 likes

OutsmartYourShelf

4.50 from Paddington | Agatha Christie

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Short Review: One of the classic Miss Marple stories, this one has been adapted several times & in fact was the first Miss Marple film ever made, featuring Margaret Rutherford. This is a fast-paced murder mystery with quite a large cast of characters. Miss Marple spends most of the time 'off screen' but does make several appearances throughout the story but mainly investigating through proxy Lucy Eyelesbarrow. Very enjoyable read. 4🌟

OutsmartYourShelf Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4900127630
Read 7th-10th Aug 2025

#192025 (1957) @LibraryBelle
#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#SeriesLove2025 @TheSpineView 3w

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 3w

Librarybelle This is a good one! 3w

30 likes3 comments

MonicaLoves2Read

The Moving Finger: A Miss Marple Mystery | Agatha Christie

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4.5⭐️

I enjoy a classic mystery, and that's what you get when you read an Agatha Christie mystery. The Moving Finger was a Miss Marple mystery, though she didn't show up until toward the end. A poision-pen is writing letters to people in Lymstock. It seems everyone in the village is receiving a nasty letter, except for one person. Why has this person not received one?

#Classics

13 likes

AloGeo

Assassinato na Casa do Pastor | Agatha Christie

✨📖

3 likes

Robotswithpersonality

The Mirror Crack�d From Side to Side (Miss Marple) | Agatha Christie

so-so

Stay with me, because this one has a personal caveat against rating it fairly, and also a doozy of a caveat against rating it highly.
I cannot find any information in the book itself, however, possibly because no one else has gone looking for a copy of this Miss Marple in my library system in many years (probably for an understandable reason we'll get to in a moment), 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? the only version available was a literacy copy - where they grade the book, explain bigger words, which, hey, great resource, but considering every edition I look up is at least 200 pages, and this one tops out at just over 100, either the print is VERY big in those editions, or they abridged this version and didn't see fit to indicate that anywhere in the text. So have I read the whole book or not? Who can tell? 🤷🏼‍♂️ 1mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? [Yes, I'm choosing the pretty cover for social media, the literacy people obvious do not waste money on cover design and it shows.]
This, however, is partial support for my ongoing theory that I do much better with mystery novellas, than mystery novels. I don't like thrillers, where they drag out the tension and want to delve deep into the ugly secrets of a bunch of unlikeable characters, 1mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? if you strip away the drama of interpersonal relationships between unreasonably melodramatic people, and dragging out the reveals, you really are left with a limited amount of pages to tell an engaging mystery, especially within the predictable framework of a Miss Marple.
From a structure point of view, this book did feel like it was the bare bones of a mystery, (which for the most part I like) you get few character asides, 1mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? though there was one personal development with Marple I was glad to see, related to her in-house help. I appreciate that Christie, now writing this character in a later decade, acknowledges the impact that advancing age would have on the character, her faculties, mobility, while still making her sharp and involved in her community.
I'm honestly wondering if what may have got cut out of this version is just that old standard of somebody 1mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? stonewalling/lying/not getting up the nerve to come forward that delays the action, in which case, my impatient self is glad I missed it!
On to what is inexcusable from a modern reader perspective: this book hinges, plot wise, on the idea that a woman is eternally disappointed, prone to hysterics at the mention of children, had a nervous breakdown, in fact, because her child was born with a learning disability. Yeah. Just, ableism from first 1mo

Robotswithpersonality 7/? to last. I want to feel bad that she so desperately wanted children and is struggling with her mental health but it's written as a tragedy akin to the child having died. The investigation involves trying to track down the children she'd previously adopted, but aside from using it for the plot, makes no real mention of the life or welfare of the child born with a disability. Not surprising it's not among the popular books in the Marple series 1mo

Robotswithpersonality 8/? - kind of wish the literacy imprint had chosen a different one to turn into a teachable text. 😑
By my count I only have a few left in this series, here's to hoping the last couple go better, though the fact that the only copy of the next one my library has is in Spanish, and I needed to request an interlibrary loan for an English copy, again doesn't suggest it's in high demand. I'm going to be peeved on behalf of the Spanish readers 1mo

Robotswithpersonality 9/9 in my library network if it turns out this one's a dud, too. Non-English language books are already a smaller part of the library collection, at least get 'em the good stuff! 🙎🏼‍♂️
⚠️Ableism 1mo

rubyslippersreads I believe this story was loosely based on actress Gene Tierney, who contracted measles from a fan while pregnant. (edited) 1mo

9 likes9 comments

AloGeo

The Murder at the Vicarage | Agatha Christie

During the lunch break, starting a new read. ☕📖

No descanso do almoço, começar leitura nova. ☕📖

5 likes

Pruzy

A Pocket Full of Rye: A Miss Marple Mystery | Agatha Christie

Thanks for the tag @Eggs

1. Fun (Must be the gemini in me saying that)
2. 20s - I never realized how free I truly was until they were over
3. Pompeii by Bastille (Nostalgia is hitting hard these days)

Tagged book is my most recent read!

Hope some of the people I tagged can play along! (Sorry if you‘ve already been tagged by someone else!)
#WondrousWednesday

CoffeeK8, LeahBergen, Librarybelle, Leniverse, zuzia, BarbaraBB, Eggbeater, wildwoodreads

Eggs Love your responses! Thanks for playing and sharing 🥳 2mo

Librarybelle Thanks for the tag! 2mo

LeahBergen Thanks for the tag! ❤️ 2mo

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CoffeeK8 Thanks for the tag! I love Bastille and that is their best song! 2mo

Pruzy @Librarybelle @LeahBergen Anytime! 2mo

Pruzy @CoffeeK8 Yes! And I would rank Bad Blood and Doom Days as their two best albums 2mo

CoffeeK8 I have played the Bad Blood album on repeat so many times in the past decade. Doom days is great too! 2mo

Pruzy @CoffeeK8 Oh yeah, I still listen to Bad Blood regularly! 2mo

32 likes8 comments

Pruzy

A Pocket Full of Rye: A Miss Marple Mystery | Agatha Christie

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Honestly, I put this book down for a couple of months because I thought it wasn‘t as fast paced as a Hercule Poirot novel, but I picked it back up a couple of days ago and have totally changed my mind! I couldn‘t put it down!

I will definitely be reading more Miss Marple mysteries!

52 likes

MommyWantsToReadHerBook

A Caribbean Mystery | Agatha Christie

Today was horrid. Just too much going on. In between everything I looked at a house to rent, and my partner liked it (over video call) so that was not bad, but then the late afternoon was full of the stress of trying to get the application in on time. 🤞 Hoping I didn't just waste my money! I didn't get my walk in and my evening was mostly just spent in bed so far so I'm feeling pretty useless.

MommyWantsToReadHerBook Not Rosemary Leach but the narrator is pretty good as well 3mo

ChaoticMissAdventures So sorry to hear! Hoping you can sink into good books and that housing gets sorted soon. 3mo

BarbaraJean 😔 I'm so sorry it was such a terrible day! I hope the application turns out to be worthwhile! Glad for the tonic of a good book! 3mo

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MommyWantsToReadHerBook @BarbaraJean thank you! I'm feeling so anxious about this. 3mo

MommyWantsToReadHerBook @ChaoticMissAdventures thank you 💜 3mo

quietlycuriouskate That does sound stressful. I hope it all works out. 3mo

Rissreadswithcats 🤞🏼♥️ 2mo

29 likes7 comments

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