From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Murder Is Easy (Superintendent Battle, #4)

Agatha Christie

Start date: October 1, 2022

Finish date: October 31, 2022

Discussion: Group reads

Why we're reading this: Winner of our poll for October.
[close] Winner of our poll for October.

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Group reads

* November 2025 group read - Winner!
By Judy · 20 posts · 31 views

last updated Sep 17, 2025 08:43AM

* Sept 25: Lonesome Road (#3 Miss Silver Mysteries) by Patricia Wentworth
By Susan · 16 posts · 16 views

last updated Sep 19, 2025 01:03PM

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What Members Thought

Jan 22, 2017 Damaskcat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is part of the Superintendent Battle series but unfortunately he doesn't appear until the very end of the book to make the arrest. The detective in this book is Luke Fitzwilliam who happens to come across an elderly lady on a train journey. She tells him an unbelievable story about a series of murders in the village in which she lives. She doesn't think the local police will believe that the deaths were murder so she is going to Scotland Yard to tell them about it.

Luke - a retired dete ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 15, 2022 Jill rated it it was amazing

Shelves: agatha-christie

This is marked as the fourth book in the Inspector Battle series, but Battle plays a very small part in it. A policeman returning from the far east, Luke Fitzwilliam, is in fact the main character. He meets an elderly woman, on the rain to London. She tells him she is on her way to Scotland Yard, as there have been several deaths in the village where she lives, and she has grave suspicions as to who the murder is. When Luke later learns that the woman has been the victim of a hit and run driver ...more

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Mar 05, 2023 Laura Hannaway rated it really liked it

Shelves: readchristie2023

This refers to the unabridged audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser.

I listened to this as part of #ReadChristie2023 and absolutely loved it! The theme for March is spite and in this tale of murder cleverly fits the bill!
Christie uses her incredible writing skills to craft a compelling mystery that has you convinced that any one of a number of characters could be the guilty party, and yet when all is revealed it makes perfect sense.
Highly recommended and can’t wait for next month!

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Apr 30, 2013 Lynnie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-1980s, golden-age-detective-story, read-in-2010s, read-in-2000s, read-in-2021

This was the April choice for readchristie2021, and though I have read this before I didn't remember "who done it" until near the end. It's a strange book, starts off well and ends well - the middle drags and is so repetitive, the crimes are described over and over again. I didn't enjoy this time of reading. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 30, 2023 Marina rated it liked it · review of another edition

2.8-3 stars. I was really enjoying this. I love the setting and the personalities of different characters. But, when it comes to the reveal, I felt a bit disappointed. It's not the who I was disappointed by, it was the why. Though I wasn't sure what I wished it would be but just something else lol. Still, it was a fun read and I was never bored. ...more

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May 18, 2019 Sandy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-detective-grp, mystery-classic, rread-2022, rread-2019

Not one of Christie's best; while I enjoyed the plot, I found the two main characters lackluster. Our hero is not really good enough at investigating to be ex-police (unless that is why he is ex). The heroine's potential is not developed. The romance between them was necessary for the finale but unbelievable.

The village plot worked for me with the standard characters / suspects with tribute given to elderly aunts and old women on trains.

While listed as an entry in the Inspector Battle series, h ...more

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