The Body in the Library (Miss Marple, #2) in Around the Year in 52 Books

Oct 14, 2013 Maggie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, agatha-christie, british

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The body of an unknown, young, tawdrily-dressed blonde girl is found in Colonel Bantry's library. She is 18 year old Ruby Keene, who disappeared from Majestic Hotel in neighbouring Danemouth the night before. Ruby was brought into Majestic as a temporary replacement for her cousin Josie, about 10 years older than her, who dances professionally but is currently nursing a broken ankle. Between Colonel Melchett, Inspector Slack, Superintendent Harper, Sir Henry Clithering, and of course, Miss Marpl The body of an unknown, young, tawdrily-dressed blonde girl is found in Colonel Bantry's library. She is 18 year old Ruby Keene, who disappeared from Majestic Hotel in neighbouring Danemouth the night before. Ruby was brought into Majestic as a temporary replacement for her cousin Josie, about 10 years older than her, who dances professionally but is currently nursing a broken ankle. Between Colonel Melchett, Inspector Slack, Superintendent Harper, Sir Henry Clithering, and of course, Miss Marple, it is uncovered that Ruby was about to be adopted by Mr Jefferson, a wealthy invalid staying at the hotel. Mr Jefferson's family died in an airplane accident, and he lives with his son-in-law Mark Gaskell and daughter-in-law Adelaide Jefferson, both of whom would be disadvantaged by Mr Jefferson willing most of his fortune to Ruby. Neither like Ruby, who is described by almost everyone as "stupid". However both have an alibi. The plot is further complicated by the discovery of the body of a Girl Guides' girl, Pamela, Reeves, in a burning car. Eventually, Miss Marple solves the mystery. Mark Gaskell and Josie, who are secretly married, and threatened by Ruby's impending adoption, had killed both Ruby and Pamela, then exchanged the girls' clothes to give themselves a false alibi. The body in the library was actually Pamela's, but as Josie was the main identifier of the body, nobody knew that. They placed the body in the house of a showy man in the film industry named Basil Blake, but Basil, returning home drunk that night, had moved the body to Colonel Bantry's library.

This was my second time reading a Miss Marple novel. I usually take weeks to finish a book, but I couldn't put this one down, and I finished it in one sitting. The mystery was ingenious, if a bit convoluted. Christie kept up the suspense well, and although I managed to figure out part of the mystery, I couldn't see the full picture until Miss Marple explained it. There were enough hints to solve most of it though.

I liked how Christie took some time away from the progress of the main plot to develop her characters. Miss Marple, with her gentle and old-fashioned demeanour but shrewd and cynical mind, is always amusing to read about, and although her village parallels are sometimes distracting, she wouldn't be Miss Marple without them. I also enjoyed how, at two points in the novel, Christie took the time to write about townsfolk of St Mary Mead. Although they had nothing to do with the crime, it was nice to see that they have not been forgotten since the first book, Murder at the Vicarage, and that the spinsters are still gossiping, the vicar is still placidly wry, and Griselda has a new son and is still inappropriate.

One thing left me unsatisfied, and that is that Colonel Bantry's dinner at Majestic Hotel the week before the incident was never expanded on. I thought there had to be some reason for his appearance there, but nobody seemed to have seen him, and he didn't see Ruby either.

Overall, this was a quick, cozy read, not too taxing, something to read to while away the time. ...more

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Jul 08, 2020 Tanya rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, format-audiobook

I never figure out who the murderer is for her books before the conclusion—there is always so much of the story left in the last 30 minutes. It was enjoyable though and I know I will read more Agatha Christie murder mysteries.

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