Mrs. McGinty's Dead in Reading the Detectives

Feb 04, 2019 Christine PNW rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-my-hoard-2024, 2024

This was only my second time reading this book - the first time I read it, I remember being extremely underwhelmed. Like other Christie's, this one improved the second time I read it. This makes me wonder if rereading Passenger to Frankfurt will somehow turn it into The ABC Murders (kidding, kidding). I attribute this to the fact that I'm less concerned with Christie's high-wire mystery act, and rather I allow myself to be absorbed into her world.

Mrs. McGinty's dead has several wonderful side ch ...more

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Mar 12, 2021 Grisette rated it 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.
3.5 stars

⏳ [Re-read project #3 of 2023, 1st proper review, rating maintained]

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🔹️ Number of death/s: 2
🔹️ Motive for the crime: Money
🔹️ Method of crime: Blow on the head and Strangulation
🔹️ Main location: England
🔹️ Notable element: The solving of a cold-scent murder when the accused has already been found guilty, though the time gap is nowhere near as big as in Five Little Pigs or Elephants Can Remember. And again, like in Sad Cypress, Poirot has to make do with an uncooperative a

3.5 stars

⏳ [Re-read project #3 of 2023, 1st proper review, rating maintained]

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

🔹️ Number of death/s: 2
🔹️ Motive for the crime: Money
🔹️ Method of crime: Blow on the head and Strangulation
🔹️ Main location: England
🔹️ Notable element: The solving of a cold-scent murder when the accused has already been found guilty, though the time gap is nowhere near as big as in Five Little Pigs or Elephants Can Remember. And again, like in Sad Cypress, Poirot has to make do with an uncooperative and apathetic accused.
🔹️ Book type: Novel, H. Poirot
🔹️ Reference to SH: Two references, one direct and the other about cigarette ash and foot prints 😁

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For the little story, I had planned to re-read this book for the February prompt of Blunt Object for the #readchristie2023 challenge. One third way through, I realised that the murder weapon was not blunt at all though the first victim was thumped on the head with it. Serves me good trying to get a little ahead of the challenge! I have already found the correct book for the challenge, but since I started this one, I thought I might as well finish it and review it.

Due to the absence of Hastings, or other acolyte, the 3rd person narrative style for this book, took a different angle by promoting quite closely the inner thoughts of Poirot while dealing with his case. Thus, we get as privy as possible to the step by step thought process of our Belgian detective as he pieces elements together to solve the mystery. And by the same, we get very close to the self-assumed conceitness of dear Poirot that we already know he is not shy at all to admit 😅. It makes for nice bits of humour à la Poirot.

‘My first friend in this country—and still to me the dearest friend I have. True, often and often did he enrage me. But do I remember that now? No. I remember only his incredulous wonder, his open-mouthed appreciation of my talents—the ease with which I misled him without uttering an untrue word, his bafflement, his stupendous astonishment when he at last perceived the truth that had been clear to me all along. Ce cher, cher ami! It is my weakness, it has always been my weakness, to desire to show off. That weakness, Hastings could never understand. But indeed it is very necessary for a man of my abilities to admire himself—and for that one needs stimulation from outside. I cannot, truly I cannot, sit in a chair all day reflecting how truly admirable I am. One needs the human touch. One needs—as they say nowadays—the stooge.’

The mystery itself was quite engrossing to follow as it touched deeply about the mentalities of the well-to-do ordinary Brits at that time. Which is of course one of the favourite themes of AC in her books and which she excels at writing their psychology.

‘It depends on a lot of family circumstances we do not know. But the passion for respectability is very strong. These are not artists or Bohemians. Very nice people live in Broadhinny. My postmistress said so. And nice people like to preserve their niceness. Years of happy married life, maybe, no suspicion that you were once a notorious figure in one of the most sensational murder trials, no suspicion that your child is the child of a famous murderer. One might say “I would rather die than have my husband know!” Or “I would rather die than have my daughter discover who she is!” And then you would go on to reflect that it would be better, perhaps, if Mrs McGinty died…’

I was very entertained by the story, even if the quite high number of red herrings was quite unbelievable for so small a village as Broadhinny is. E.g. all these women of the right age, the suspicious attitude of all these women and their shady secrets, the play on Eve/Eva/Evelyn names and widespread assignation to more than one character etc. Also, I am normally not a big fan of Ariadne Oliver, but in this book, her presence was less marked thankfully. That said, her complaints about her detective were very funny and denotes the self-humour that AC had on herself.

A classic must-read for Poirot fans though not among my favourites.

Edit 03 Feb 2023: so according to the official website, this book counts for the 2nd prompt. Therefore, #readchristie2023, blunt object ...more

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Jan 26, 2019 Shabbeer Hassan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: brit-lit, 2020, 2019, mystery

A neatly plotted mystery in which Poirot is asked to investigate not just the murder of a charwoman, Mrs McGinty, but also save the life of an innocent chap awaiting trial for the same. A rather good read indeed!

My rating - 4/5

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Dec 30, 2017 Teri-K rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: amusing-to-funny, mystery-golden-age, z-own-audio

A policeman friend comes to Poirot and asks for his help investigating a case. His appeal is unusual because he has already investigated and someone has been convicted of the murder. Despite this fact, the officer isn't certain that the accused is guilty and worries that an innocent man may be hanged. Poirot agrees to look into the case and goes to Broadhinny to investigate the murder of an insignificant char woman. I really enjoy the way we get to know Mrs. McGinty as the story unfolds - she be ...more

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