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At Bertram's Hotel
(Miss Marple #11)
by
An old-fashioned London Hotel is not quite as reputable as it makes out! When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she's looking for at Bertram's Hotel: traditional décor and impeccable service. But she senses an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer. Not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain o
...more
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Paperback, Agatha Christie Collection, 223 pages
Published
2002
by HarperCollins
(first published 1965)
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Start your review of At Bertram's Hotel (Miss Marple, #11)
DRAMATISATION LISTENED TO (AGAIN) IN 2020
This is one of 5 dramatisations I listened to whilst decorating, and was again really enjoyable. I think this certainly stays at 4 stars.
DRAMATISATION LISTENED TO IN 2019
Firstly let's say it's a shame that this does not have a separate entry as it is not the audiobook of the novel, it is an abridged dramatisation that only roughly follows the novel, but it doesn't, so hey ho.
It is a great version, being a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation starring some excellent ...more
This is one of 5 dramatisations I listened to whilst decorating, and was again really enjoyable. I think this certainly stays at 4 stars.
DRAMATISATION LISTENED TO IN 2019
Firstly let's say it's a shame that this does not have a separate entry as it is not the audiobook of the novel, it is an abridged dramatisation that only roughly follows the novel, but it doesn't, so hey ho.
It is a great version, being a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation starring some excellent ...more
Jun 09, 2020
Amalia Gkavea
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
britain,
british-literature,
classics,
england,
crime,
mystery,
united-kingdom,
london,
20th-century,
1940s
‘’The children of Lucifer are often beautiful.’’
Hotels are fascinating places. Well, they can be quite a nightmare if you’re careless while booking or if the residents are a bunch of barbarians (which is often the case…) but under normal circumstances, hotels hide hundreds of secrets within their rooms. And the guests just have to mingle with each other. And who knows where all this mingling will lead? In the societies of the past, it would lead to certain, shall we say, questionable situati ...more
Hotels are fascinating places. Well, they can be quite a nightmare if you’re careless while booking or if the residents are a bunch of barbarians (which is often the case…) but under normal circumstances, hotels hide hundreds of secrets within their rooms. And the guests just have to mingle with each other. And who knows where all this mingling will lead? In the societies of the past, it would lead to certain, shall we say, questionable situati ...more
At Bertram's Hotel (Miss Marple #11), Agatha Christie
At Bertram's Hotel is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 15 November 1965.
It features the detective Miss Marple. Miss Marple takes a two-week vacation in London, at Bertram's Hotel, where she stayed in her youth. The hotel has a personality of its own, and a niche clientele of important church people, older women who lived through the Edwardian age, and girls looking for a ...more
At Bertram's Hotel is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 15 November 1965.
It features the detective Miss Marple. Miss Marple takes a two-week vacation in London, at Bertram's Hotel, where she stayed in her youth. The hotel has a personality of its own, and a niche clientele of important church people, older women who lived through the Edwardian age, and girls looking for a ...more
I think I don't like Miss Marple's stories in which she has a tiny role. I like a full on Miss Marple with lots of her wise notions and summing up of characters. This book finds her about 3 chapters in staying at a famous and absurdly old-fashioned, supremely comfortable hotel in London. Bertram's Hotel is like a step back in time to when Miss Marple was a girl, which is a good thing right? Wrong, there is something dreadfully amiss in this perfect setting and the police with an assist of a litt
...more
Miss Marple has the best nephew in the world – Raymond West – who is constantly thinking up little treats for his Aunt Jane. In this novel though, it is his wife, Joan, who suggests that she needs a little trip and Miss Marple says she would like to go to Bertram’s Hotel. She stayed there as a girl and is somewhat surprised at how little it has changed.
Bertram’s is a haven for the well to do in London; visited by retired army officers, clergymen, the aristocracy and wealthy Americans. Muffins a ...more
Bertram’s is a haven for the well to do in London; visited by retired army officers, clergymen, the aristocracy and wealthy Americans. Muffins a ...more
Bertram's Hotel is a bastion of never-changing respectable old English perfection.
Or is it?
Not everything is what it seems in this place and our fluffy Miss Marple must step in to help the police solve a missing persons case and a murder mystery.
Can she do it?
Of course she can.
Alright. On one hand, I really enjoyed the story because it's not one that I'd read or listened to before, so it had a shiny & new feeling to it. On the other, I found the ending to be less satisfying than I'd hoped reso ...more
Or is it?
Not everything is what it seems in this place and our fluffy Miss Marple must step in to help the police solve a missing persons case and a murder mystery.
Can she do it?
Of course she can.
Alright. On one hand, I really enjoyed the story because it's not one that I'd read or listened to before, so it had a shiny & new feeling to it. On the other, I found the ending to be less satisfying than I'd hoped reso ...more
One of the most boring Agatha Christie novels. Though advertised as Miss Marple novel, she is no more than a decorative piece in the plot. The novel is actually an ode to Christie's fascination with old world British charm. Weak plot which is mostly a drag will compel you to put down the novel and spend your time productively by reading any other book. Avoid this novel unless you are a die hard Christie fan and have to read all her works
...more
I think I liked the idea of this book more than I actually enjoyed it. The feeling that there is something dark and thoroughly sinister behind the pleasant perfection of Bertram's Hotel and its highly trained staff maintained a heightened sense of suspense and kept the reader itching to find out what happened next.
Unfortunately, you'll reach a point when you find out the mystery is not as interesting or anywhere near as sinister as you thought it might be. (view spoiler) ...more
Unfortunately, you'll reach a point when you find out the mystery is not as interesting or anywhere near as sinister as you thought it might be. (view spoiler) ...more
Buddy read with my friend Cynda.
Miss Marple is offered a two week respite at London’s Bertram Hotel from her nephew and niece. While relaxing and reminiscing, murder finds her yet again, and, of course, she saves the day. Charming.
4 stars
Miss Marple is offered a two week respite at London’s Bertram Hotel from her nephew and niece. While relaxing and reminiscing, murder finds her yet again, and, of course, she saves the day. Charming.
4 stars
One of the last of Christie's Miss Marples, #11 of 13, and one of the last books Christie published, too, in 1965, at the age of 75, though I read #12 out of order so I only have one to go! This one is set in a very nice and well-established, traditonal hoteli in London modelled after a hotel Christie herself frequented, so she actually establishes the ambiance very well. I am also told (i.e., I looked it up on wikipedia) that the book was somewhat inspired by the 1963 film, The Great Train Robb
...more
“I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back—that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a One Way Street, isn’t it?”
I put a spoiler warning on this post not so much because I will discuss the details of the plot but because I will discuss some of the characters in a way that will give away much of the conclusion. If you are planning to read the book, don't read any further. You have been warned.
(view spoi ...more
I put a spoiler warning on this post not so much because I will discuss the details of the plot but because I will discuss some of the characters in a way that will give away much of the conclusion. If you are planning to read the book, don't read any further. You have been warned.
(view spoi ...more
I enjoyed this particular story very much. Not the most imaginative beginning to a review but that's the first thing I wanted to say! Gone here, are the orderly presentations of suspects. Mrs Agatha Christie here departs from her usual structure-although the style is as sterling as ever- and I can't for the life of me imagine who was she copying with such a fearless endeavor.
While reading the bits where Miss Marple appears, I was regretting that she doesn't exist-she is a relic as much as the Ho ...more
While reading the bits where Miss Marple appears, I was regretting that she doesn't exist-she is a relic as much as the Ho ...more
"Even at Bertram's, thought Miss Marple, happily, interesting things could happen . . . ."
Miss Marple is sent yet on another vacation by her nephew, Raymond. This time, she is off to London, to stay at Bertram's Hotel, a place she last visited in her childhood. The place retains a nostalgic and old-fashioned feel that appeals to a select group of clientele. Yet, mch as Miss Marple is enchanted by Bertram's, she feels something is amiss. When a clergyman goes missing and a man ends up murdered, M ...more
Miss Marple is sent yet on another vacation by her nephew, Raymond. This time, she is off to London, to stay at Bertram's Hotel, a place she last visited in her childhood. The place retains a nostalgic and old-fashioned feel that appeals to a select group of clientele. Yet, mch as Miss Marple is enchanted by Bertram's, she feels something is amiss. When a clergyman goes missing and a man ends up murdered, M ...more
A stylish Agatha Christie but lacking in content. It’s not in the usual format of murder or murders committed, several people in the frame but whodunnit? The scene is Bertram’s Hotel, the sort of genteel West End hotel that probably disappeared in the 1950s along with its bread and butter clientele - minor titles, upper middle class country people, ex Forces and clergy. We quickly realise that ‘something is rotten in the State of Denmark/Bertram’s Hotel’. The cast assembles.
While it’s far from h ...more
While it’s far from h ...more
Real Rating: 2.5* of five, rounded up because it's Marple and that deserves respect
Clearly Dame Agatha was *sick*to*death* of Miss Marple. She drifts airily around the story and made little difference to it. She is very likely present in fewer than 20,000 words of the not-at-all-long novel.
And when she is? One wonders why.
As to the rest of the book, it's a pleasant novel about unpleasant people doing crappy things to each other because they're greedy. Really, unless you're just mad about Dame Ag ...more
Clearly Dame Agatha was *sick*to*death* of Miss Marple. She drifts airily around the story and made little difference to it. She is very likely present in fewer than 20,000 words of the not-at-all-long novel.
And when she is? One wonders why.
As to the rest of the book, it's a pleasant novel about unpleasant people doing crappy things to each other because they're greedy. Really, unless you're just mad about Dame Ag ...more
Book 10 in the Miss Marple Challenge. At Bertram’s Hotel was rather different from the Marples I’ve read so far. It starts off quite the same though. Miss Marple is travelling again, but unlike in the previous book, she has only gone up to London this time, to stay for a fortnight at Bertram’s Hotel, a place she had stayed at as a fourteen-year-old and has fond memories of. At the hotel there are some familiar faces, Lady Selina Hazy (who she knows from the former’s brief stay at St Mary Mead) a
...more
**2.5 stars**
This is probably one of the worst books by Agatha Christie I have read. The mystery was boring and the murder came too late. And it was so obvious who the murderer was! Worst, there wasn't conclusive proof that could put the villain in jail, only a policeman's vow that he would find a way.
I didn't rate it worse because I loved this quote - which I found terrible but truthful:
I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to ...more
This is probably one of the worst books by Agatha Christie I have read. The mystery was boring and the murder came too late. And it was so obvious who the murderer was! Worst, there wasn't conclusive proof that could put the villain in jail, only a policeman's vow that he would find a way.
I didn't rate it worse because I loved this quote - which I found terrible but truthful:
I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to ...more
Choose Your Own Adventure!
You say you don’t like creative reviews. You say they distract from the passion, you say they aren’t real, you say they replace research with humor. You say they are a waste of time. Yet here you are, playing your little games.
If you are ashamed of yourself because it feels so good, choose http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
If you think hypocrisy is just another word for nothing left to lose, choose https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more
You say you don’t like creative reviews. You say they distract from the passion, you say they aren’t real, you say they replace research with humor. You say they are a waste of time. Yet here you are, playing your little games.
If you are ashamed of yourself because it feels so good, choose http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
If you think hypocrisy is just another word for nothing left to lose, choose https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more
“Curiosity, or what she preferred herself to call ‘taking an interest’ in other people’s affairs, was undoubtedly one of Miss Marple’s characteristics.”
Our Miss Marple does indeed exercise her ‘curiosity’ in this novel, although she is not that much in the foreground. No, the narration follows several characters, until it rests with that of ‘father’, Chief Inspector Davy, trying to sort out all the ‘strands’ that seem to meet at Bertram’s Hotel, the hotel itself taking on the role of a characte ...more
Our Miss Marple does indeed exercise her ‘curiosity’ in this novel, although she is not that much in the foreground. No, the narration follows several characters, until it rests with that of ‘father’, Chief Inspector Davy, trying to sort out all the ‘strands’ that seem to meet at Bertram’s Hotel, the hotel itself taking on the role of a characte ...more
So I've read almost all of Agatha Christie's mysteries over and over. I've collected almost every one in physical book form, but it's been a while since I've read one. Like fifteen years or more? Way before Goodreads. At any rate, I thought it would be fun to start re-reading by audio and see what I think after all these years. While At Bertram's Hotel isn't my favorite of Agatha Christie's offerings it's still a solid, enjoyable mystery.
Stephanie Cole's audio performance was superb and I hope t ...more
Stephanie Cole's audio performance was superb and I hope t ...more
4 Stars. Miss Marple had been there decades earlier as a girl of 14. When her niece offered a holiday in London, she was grateful and wanted to go back to the same old hotel, Bertram's - in reality the famous Brown's Hotel which opened in 1837. It seemed not to have changed, still full of people from yesterday. The service remained impeccable but thankfully, the conveniences had improved. Every now and then she would recognize someone important. Isn't that Archdeacon Abercrombie? And isn't that
...more
Jul 01, 2014
Lobstergirl
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Lobstergirl by:
Petro Poroshenko
Shelves:
fiction,
mystery-thriller
This book did make me hungry for hearty English breakfasts, the kind they serve at Bertram's Hotel.
It's one of Christie's later novels; the Beatles get a mention, so we know it's the early sixties. Yet the old world lingers: girls under 21 are frowned on if they go out without chaperones, and women who have more than just a handful of lovers during their whole lives are "nymphomaniacs." Christie had issues. Miss Marple mostly just sits on her ass in this one, informing a detective that a young g ...more
When Miss Marple gets a present of two weeks holiday from her nephew and his wife, she decides on a short visit to the past. Bertram's Hotel, where time has stood still, has taken the fancy of the old aristocracy, while their privileged world has fallen around their heads. A clever mix of old English titles, and rich Americans who love old English titles, scatter the landscape. Bertram's Hotel thrives, but is it really a feasible business? Can one ever go back to the past? Turns out, you can't.
...more
I'm always grateful when I find a Miss Marple book where the title sleuth gets to actually be present for about half the story - this one, in fact, featured Miss Marple more than any of her other mysteries I've read. She still disappears for lengthy amounts of time, but this time it actually feels purposeful. Miss Marple doesn't appear at certain points because the other characters are busy doing important things, things that Miss Marple can't be present for because then the mystery would be ove
...more
I loved this book, though I can see that it's not one of Agatha's best plots. Miss Marple doesn't really solve the mystery - a policeman does. But as a novel, I think it's among Agatha's best, most balanced novels. The hotel atmosphere and descriptions of London, and several of the characters, are just brilliantly done. It was v gripping and huge fun to read.
...more
Yet another nephew pays for Miss Marple to take a vacation wherever she wants. She choose an old hotel. I would have chosen Italy, but that's just me.
Anyway, the hotel is full of interesting characters and a murderer. Miss Marple quickly locates the biggest gossips and gets to work. ...more
Anyway, the hotel is full of interesting characters and a murderer. Miss Marple quickly locates the biggest gossips and gets to work. ...more
Partway through reading this, I realized I had actually seen a dramatization of this story several years ago, so the ending was not a surprise to me.
Miss Marple comes to Bertram's Hotel, and soon gets a sense that something is off there. There is a colourful cast of characters staying at the hotel, coupled with robberies worrying Scotland Yard (one of which occurs on a train during the story). Miss Marple twitters and knits, and all the while keeps her eyes on the proceedings. An inspector does ...more
Miss Marple comes to Bertram's Hotel, and soon gets a sense that something is off there. There is a colourful cast of characters staying at the hotel, coupled with robberies worrying Scotland Yard (one of which occurs on a train during the story). Miss Marple twitters and knits, and all the while keeps her eyes on the proceedings. An inspector does ...more
I have never been a fan of Agatha Christie despite the hype around her and her genius. I wouldn't be able to judge all of her books or establish a certain pattern she follows but I can definitely speculate from what I've read so far.
The story is dull, monotone, there are a few clues thrown here and there to spike your interest and curiosity, and then there's the big reveal around 80-90% of the book. I have noticed this pattern of keeping everything obscure and yielding all answers in one gust i ...more
The story is dull, monotone, there are a few clues thrown here and there to spike your interest and curiosity, and then there's the big reveal around 80-90% of the book. I have noticed this pattern of keeping everything obscure and yielding all answers in one gust i ...more
Miss Marple's nephew offers to pay for a holiday for her, and she chooses a stay at Bertram's Hotel in London. It is an old-fashioned, genteel hotel with superior service and traditional rooms, populated by respectable guests. Yet before long Miss Marple becomes aware that all is not as it seems, and her vague sense of discomfort seems justified when absent-minded Canon Pennyfather disappears...
Very enjoyable mystery, one of the better Miss Marple novels in my opinion. Although we do get to see ...more
Very enjoyable mystery, one of the better Miss Marple novels in my opinion. Although we do get to see ...more
Mar 29, 2017
Andrea
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-aloud-with-my-kids-teen
3.5 Stars
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Marple Bo...: General Discussion | 4 | 22 | Jul 05, 2019 11:36PM | |
| The Agatha Christ...: August 2015: At Bertram's Hotel | 7 | 21 | Aug 28, 2015 12:07AM | |
| The French Phrase | 4 | 36 | Jan 03, 2015 01:18PM |
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Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in Romance. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in t ...more
Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in Romance. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in t ...more
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“I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back—that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a One Way Street, isn’t it?”
—
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“… one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back – that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a One Way Street.”
—
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