From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

A Caribbean Mystery (Miss Marple, #9)

Agatha Christie

Start date: August 1, 2017

Finish date: August 31, 2017

Discussion: Group Challenges

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* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
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What Members Thought

Mar 12, 2021 Grisette rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3rd-pers-narration, my-kind-of-detective-thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
4 stars

⏳ [Re-read project #10 of 2024, 1st proper review, rating maintained]

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🔹️ Number of death/s: 3
🔹️ Motive for the crime: Money
🔹️ Method of crime: Poison (1), Knife stabbing (1), Drowning (1)
🔹️ Main location: West Indies
🔹️ Notable element: Several recycled concepts used by AC in previous stories (e.g. Triangle at Rhodes, Peril at End House, Murder is Easy) subverted into different angles here, but with gaslighting remaining the central concept.
🔹️ Book type: Novel, Miss Marple

4 stars

⏳ [Re-read project #10 of 2024, 1st proper review, rating maintained]

==================

🔹️ Number of death/s: 3
🔹️ Motive for the crime: Money
🔹️ Method of crime: Poison (1), Knife stabbing (1), Drowning (1)
🔹️ Main location: West Indies
🔹️ Notable element: Several recycled concepts used by AC in previous stories (e.g. Triangle at Rhodes, Peril at End House, Murder is Easy) subverted into different angles here, but with gaslighting remaining the central concept.
🔹️ Book type: Novel, Miss Marple
🔹️ Reference to SH: None

==================

This book is probably amongst the very last Miss Marple stories that I tackled on because somehow I tended to focus on her British adventures most. However, it features amongst my favourite of hers. And re-reading it now in 2024 reconfirmed it.

Of course, the whole book feels now very dated, but I loved how AC carefully painted the atmosphere in St. Honoré island. Each character was spectacularly brought to life. And so many life truths shared among the pages! It spoke greatly of AC's own life experienced wiseness that she channelled via Miss Marple and Mr Rafiel.

The puzzle itself was enticing, although strewn with the inevitable red herrings. Mr Rafiel was right, one ought to stick to one's first insights, leaving aside the smokescreens, coincidental, unfortunate or otherwise. And if one did just that, the culprit's identity became evident early on.

I think that this book, along with the future Nemesis, are the ones where Miss Marple does the most physical actions during an investigation. It might seem uncharacteristic for the usually frail lady (impression conceived from the initial The Thirteen Problems that kickstarted her adventures) and hence discountenance some Marple readers, but I think it fit the hidden strength she has in her which is prompted by her thirst for justice to prevail. Hence, I hotly recommend this book to get further insights into Miss Marple's mind.

#readchristie2024, 1960s ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

May 19, 2018 Jan C rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: rtd-2017-missmarple-challenge, 2018

Read multiple times, always enjoyable. I just try to leave some space between readings, so maybe I won't remember everything about it.

Miss Marple gets to go to an island, courtesy of nephew Raymond, and, of course, runs across multiple murders. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Jan 28, 2017 Nanosynergy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017read, fiction, reviewed, series, mysteries-thrillers-espionage, british, fiction-1960s

To recover from being ill, Miss Marple's generous nephew has paid for her to take a holiday at the Golden Palm Resort on the Caribbean island of St Honore. She is not really enjoying her stay. Marple half listens as long-winded Major Palgrave tells her stories from his past that he tells anyone who will listen. But when he asks if she would like to see a snapshot of a murderer, Major Palgrave now has Marple's full attention. However, Palgrave suddenly hides this photo back in his wallet when som ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 10, 2022 Teri-K rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, zz-2023-my-book-club, z-kobo

This is an excellent mystery. I like that Miss Marple plays a big part in it, and I think the story is nicely paced. The setting is different, and it's fun to see Miss Marple on the beach and avoiding drinking things with little umbrellas. This is also a rare Marple where she doesn't immediately know what's going on and who the baddie is, so the reader might have a chance of figuring it out before her.

I do have a problem with the bottle of high blood pressure medicine, though. (view spoiler) ...more

1 like · Like · see review