4.50 From Paddington in Reading the Detectives

Feb 13, 2017 Susan in NC rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've seen the BBC Joan Hickson version of this very enjoyable mystery, and I thought I had read it, but now I'm not so sure...well, it was a five-star mystery for me! I started reading Christie in middle and high school and my library had more Poirots than Marples, and I was hooked. I still enjoy Hercule and his little grey cells, but I've come to appreciate Miss Marple for her ruthless grasp of the darkest side of human nature and her mind "like a sink", as she admits. Miss M. is sharp as a tac I've seen the BBC Joan Hickson version of this very enjoyable mystery, and I thought I had read it, but now I'm not so sure...well, it was a five-star mystery for me! I started reading Christie in middle and high school and my library had more Poirots than Marples, and I was hooked. I still enjoy Hercule and his little grey cells, but I've come to appreciate Miss Marple for her ruthless grasp of the darkest side of human nature and her mind "like a sink", as she admits. Miss M. is sharp as a tack but can come across as a fluffy, dithery old lady with Victorian morals if need be, disappearing into the background and hoodwinking suspects as she gathers information and weaves her web to trap the killer. She's never shocked and doesn't shy away from the motives that drive men and women to desperation and murder, relying on her bottomless store of knowledge about human nature to suss out the bad guys...

This book opens as a friend of Miss Marple, Elspeth McGillicuddy, is on the train home after a busy day of shopping; she just happens to glance sideways at a train running on the parallel track and is treated to the horrific tableau of a man strangling a woman to death...

As soon as she tells Jane Marple what she has seen, the two decide it must be reported to the police. Nothing comes of it, though; no missing person, no dead body found, and of course the police think it's a batty old dear with an overactive imagination. But Miss Marple knows her friend and knows she doesn't have that sort of imagination - so Jane Marple decides to pursue the case as only she can, and what a ride it turns out to be!

I am so enjoying reading and rereading Miss Marple's adventures in order; I think I saw BBC versions of many of these stories and as good as they were, Christie's tight plotting, excellent characters and dry humor are a real treat! Of course in my mind's eye Miss Marple is Joan Hickson, and I love to envision the point in the plot where her innocent blue eyes lose their dithery vagueness and turn to cold blue ice as she dons the mantle of Nemesis and reveals the killer- she's truly a mystery lover's treasure! ...more

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Feb 12, 2008 Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction-uk, crime-fiction, classic-mystery-fiction

The 9th in the Miss Marple series (of the novels; I don't count the collections of short stories here), one of the better ones I've read so far. Actually, I have read all of these eons ago, but it's been so very long, I've quite forgotten them all. So I'm rereading them and it's like reading for the first time. I liked this installment, and I'm looking forward to finding the dvd so I can see it played out.

A Mrs. Elspeth McGillicuddy is returning home after a long shopping day and takes a seat in ...more

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Sep 26, 2018 Jan C rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, 2018, england, rtd-2017-missmarple-challenge

Finished this afternoon. One of my favorite Miss Marple stories. Think I first read it as What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw years ago. Always remember the image of Mrs. McGillicuddy coming down the stairs and knowing finally what she saw.

Elspeth McGillicuddy takes a train to visit her friend Jane Marple. She's either on the express or the local and the murder is committed on the other one. And she happens to look up at the wrong time (or maybe it's the right time) - just in time to see a murder take pl ...more

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Apr 04, 2018 Bronwyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, audiobook, european, mystery-detective-suspense, author-a-i, 2018-reads, by-women, series, title-s-z-and-number, do-not-own

Good mystery and good characters. The resolution wasn't the best, but the story leading up to it made up for that. ...more

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Apr 23, 2017 Michelle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

I tend to not like Christies post-WWII, but I loved this one. The restricted group of suspects and the solution of the particular culprit were both reminiscent of various other Christie books I have read previously, but they didn't feel stale here in any way. I particularly like Lucy Eyelesbarrow, who serves as Miss Marple's onsite helper. She is a great character -- bright, funny, someone you would like to know. ...more

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Mar 04, 2009 Laura Anne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, british-isles, travel-planes-trains-autos-boats

4.5 stars 2024 Series Re-read: I wish ingenious Lucy Eyelesbarrow had appeared in more stories with Miss M. The opening is exciting & intriguing; the plot & characters are memorable. My nitpick is the farfetched coincidences around one character.

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May 04, 2016 Tamara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I usually much prefer the Poirot novels and I've recently reread a few Miss Marple books finding that they didn't quite hold up for me. But I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
The mystery was not bad. The ending may have been a tad rushed and maybe a bit unbelievable, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story!
My favourite part of the book is the character of Lucy Eyelesbarrow. As much as I love Agatha Christie, she doesn't always write the strongest, most complex female characters, so ...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Becky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

First sentence: Mrs. McGillicuddy panted along the platform in the wake of the porter carrying her suitcase.

Premise/plot: Poor Mrs. McGillicuddy! She witnesses a crime when she's on a train--the crime takes place on a passing train--and NO ONE believes her. No one but Miss Marple that is! Miss Marple knows her friend did not imagine a man strangling a woman. Since the police aren't going to bother with an investigation, it's up to her and her friends. Miss Marple hires a woman--Lucy Eyelesbarrow
First sentence: Mrs. McGillicuddy panted along the platform in the wake of the porter carrying her suitcase.

Premise/plot: Poor Mrs. McGillicuddy! She witnesses a crime when she's on a train--the crime takes place on a passing train--and NO ONE believes her. No one but Miss Marple that is! Miss Marple knows her friend did not imagine a man strangling a woman. Since the police aren't going to bother with an investigation, it's up to her and her friends. Miss Marple hires a woman--Lucy Eyelesbarrow--to do the job. Lucy gets hired on at an estate--the nearest estate to where Miss Marple thinks the body might have been thrown off the train--and in her spire time Lucy will hunt for the body. It doesn't take her long--not really, not all things considered. What takes time is identifying the woman. Who was she? What was she doing in England? Is she in any way connected to the family or the estate? Could Lucy be living with a murderer?

My thoughts: I love, love, love this murder mystery. The murder occurs BEFORE Christmas but most of the book occurs in January or thereabouts. Lucy is working for a very eccentric, quirky family. Some of these family members are quite memorable, almost delightful. Miss Marple is staying nearby and posing as Lucy's aunt.

This is a well-written mystery novel that is fun to read and reread. (Though to be honest you should let a few years go by so that the details get a bit fuzzy in between readings.)

Quotes:

"Well," she said, "it looks as though you were right." She produced her findings and gave the details of their discovery. "Perhaps one ought not to feel so," she said, "but it is rather gratifying to form a theory and get proof that it is correct!" (39)

"At a certain stage one is inclined to think everyone knows a little more than they are willing to tell you." (81)

"If you have not committed a murder, it naturally annoys you if it seems someone thinks that you have," said Inspector Craddock mildly. (129)

"The truth is people are an extraordinary mixture of heroism and cowardice." (144) ...more

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Dec 18, 2017 Stephanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-cozy

I enjoyed this book, but didn't love it. Not sure why. The basic premise was GREAT, but I'm not sure the tips to recognize the killer were adequate (Christie was known to put in enough clues). Maybe I missed something in the audiobook. Still a good yarn, no matter. ...more

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