Appointment With Agatha discussion

For June, we are joining Miss Marple in the village, again!

I can hardly wait! But I've got a couple of books with close due dates that I must attend to first.

I''ve just started this.

Christie knows how to make her characters engaging without making them perfect. The brother and sister here are bright and observant without being formal. Even so, he assesses every woman he meets against a set of standards he seems to assume they should either have been built to or should be amending themselves to achieve

I've also just started this.

Occasionally we get the Marple series on TV over here so I've seen the 2006 version with Geraldine McEwan as the wonderful Miss Marple. Will be interesting to see how close to the novel the TV series actually presents.

Normally I prefer the books but the series was pretty good if I remember correctly.

I'm 71% through and I'm completely immersed in this mystery now. I hadn't intended to read it today but it has leashed my imagination and my curiosity.

I've paused at the point where Marple is about to arrive. I love the idea of her being called on as an expert in wickedness.

The fly in the ointment is the appalling way these middle-class people think of their servants as lesser beings - like farm dogs, useful if they are biddable.

Mike wrote: "The fly in the ointment is the appalling way these middle-class people think of their servants as lesser beings - like farm dogs, useful if they are biddable...."

Agreed. I also agree with your earlier comment about how women are described. Ugh. Christie’s utter disdain for anyone not male, English, and upper-class is growing tiresome.

Other than that, I quite enjoyed the story. Jerry and Joanna were fresh and lively.

(view spoiler)[I could have done without the insta-love, but I was glad to see Megan find happiness. I didn’t guess the murderer - my money was on Elsie. (hide spoiler)]

I gave that four stars.

My review is here
https://mikefinnsfiction.com/2023/06/...

I'm enjoying it. I'm listening on audio and Richard E Grant is the narrator. He's doing a great job. I agree with Mike and C about Christie's treatment of people in the stories. This is the one that stands out the most for me so far in this way.

Not much comment on this one!!

I finished it this morning, and will also say I agree with earlier comments about women and the servants. This is the first book of hers where I have correctly identified the culprit; there was one clue that stood out, and then everything else reinforced that; although that was when I first read it a few years ago, and I couldn't honestly say that there wasn't a buried memory from watching the Joan Hickson series many years ago. (view spoiler)[the typewriter belonging to the murderer originally. (hide spoiler)]. That said, I have a terrible memory, so although I watched all the earlier Miss Marple episodes, I generally still don't remember who did it.

I'm finished too just didn't get to update it yet. I enjoyed it but one thing I didn't get was (view spoiler)[the romance between Megan and Gerry. She was far too childish for him (hide spoiler)] and I couldn't get my head around it.

Teresa wrote: "I'm finished too just didn't get to update it yet. I enjoyed it but one thing I didn't get was [spoilers removed] and I couldn't get my head around it."


i agree. In modern times, it looks remarkably like grooming.

It was a bit icky! Mike.

Yes, it didn't sit well.

I've been very busy wrapping up 27 years as a criminal prosecutor - my last day is July 3 - so I haven't been around as much this month as I would have liked. My personal good news, though, is that I am going from more-than-full-time to semi-retired with a very part-time contract position.

I'm excited about all of the extra reading and writing time in my future!

I doubt that I will get to this one this month, and it's never been one of my favorites, at least partly because the Megan/Gerry relationship absolutely doesn't work for me at all. I agree with Mike. I've also never been a huge fan of the "poison pen" trope in golden age mystery, where it comes up quite a bit.

I'm really looking forward to next month, though, because Towards Zero has always been a favorite!

The very best of luck Christine with your new future! Yes the romance is an absolute no no in this one.

Wonderful news, Christine! Happy reading!

Yes, congratulations on (semi) retiring. Towards Zero is one of few I still haven't read, so I'm looking forward to that one.

It was a second read for me but didn’t remember who did it. I was surprised at the small role Miss Marple played

Amazing Christine!! xxx

Deborah wrote: "It was a second read for me but didn’t remember who did it. I was surprised at the small role Miss Marple played"

This surprised me too Deborah. In fact I forgot it was a Miss Marple I was reading until she appeared!

Looks like I'm in the minority here because I actually expected the Megan/Jerry hookup from the moment I met Megan and it made perfect sense to me for that period of time. All the different nicknames bugged me... funnyface? What does that even mean?

Miss Marple is my favorite Christie character so I am always happy to re-read her books. Megan’s relationship with Jerry did not activate my “creepy” radar. I enjoyed Mr. Pye and the descriptions of the antiques and country villages. I read Christie because I would have loved to have lived in her time with her characters. And, I would have loved having loads of money!

Myra Chandler wrote: "And, I would have loved having loads of money!"

YES! There is something appealing about having nothing to do all day except drink tea and eat scrumpets (that's what I fondly call any small sandwich, scone or cake) and go about interesting yourself in the gossip of the neighborhood. Maybe that's why I liked Megan so much. She was quick to drop her bike and walk with Jerry so she could spill all the info she had. My book said that she was 20 despite the fact that everyone called her a child. If she had been under 17 or so it might have activated my creepy radar.