The Body in the Library - SPOILER Thread

[Jill]

I suppose today's equivalent is Facebook, Twitter etc.

[LovesMysteries]

Lady Clementina wrote: "Susan wrote: "I love the way the network of news spreads around the village too - maids seem extremely important in helping the grapevine work."

And though they did have phones, it happened even w..."

It shows that there's still such a thing as "word of mouth" and it greatly still has an effect too

[Sandy]

I finished the book yesterday and have a couple of questions. (I did it on audio and sometimes miss things.)

Is the only reason the Girl Guide was killed to confuse the time of death ad thus give the guilty parties alibis? Did I miss another reason? Seems so very vicious.

I don't understand leaving the body in Basil's house (I may have his name wrong). If he knew Ruby (and he must have for the jealously / blackmail motive the villains were hoping to establish), he would also have known the body was not Ruby's. That would have brought in a third, tie-breaking, identification. I also think they took a big gamble that the only identification of the body would be her cousin (Judy? so bad at names...).

Re the village grapevine: Mrs B calls the fish monger when she's looking for Miss Marple!

[Lady Clementina]

Sandy wrote: "I finished the book yesterday and have a couple of questions. (I did it on audio and sometimes miss things.)

Is the only reason the Girl Guide was killed to confuse the time of death ad thus give..."

Yes to the first one- it was t confuse the time and yes, it was very vicious- they also had no qualms over framing Basil and letting him hang for killing Ruby.

Re Basil- I am guessing because the body was disfigured because of the strangulation, as long as the general appearance was close enough to Ruby, Basil would not have been expected to notice that it wasn't her.

[Susan]

Basil only danced with her a few times at the Majestic, didn't he? When you see someone out of context (ie you meet the lady who works at your doctor's surgery in the supermarket) you often don't recognise them at first, or can't place them. So, I suppose that an inebriated Basil, seeing a blonde in a familiar dress, might have been fooled.

[Lady Clementina]

And also when the circumstances were against Basil, even if he had noticed that this wasn't Ruby, Josie's word would probably have been taken against his since she would have insisted that it was.

[Sandy]

Thank you for answering my questions. I think they gambled on Josie, and only Josie, identifying the body. However, it makes a good story and villains you love to hate.

[Lady Clementina]

Sandy wrote: "Thank you for answering my questions. I think they gambled on Josie, and only Josie, identifying the body. However, it makes a good story and villains you love to hate."

Yes- and on the fact that her word would be taken over others- since shed have been the one who knew her best.

[Susan]

Josie was really essential for the ruse to work, wasn't she? She must have been devastated when her cousin was going to going to be adopted and get her hands on all the money she felt was rightfully hers?!

What did everyone think of the character of Adelaide Jefferson; Conway's daughter in law? Did anyone suspect her? I think she would have been tempted, to protect her son, Peter's, inheritance? Or, rather, the inheritance she thought he should have had - even though she was clear that her father in law had been generous.

[Judy]

I didn't suspect Adelaide - she seems very genuine, although maybe that should have made me suspect her more! I enjoyed the character of Peter - a shame he doesn't play a larger role.

[Susan]

I felt a lot of sympathy for Adelaide. Jefferson Conway did keep his son in law and daughter in law around just to remind him of his own children which, while understandable, was unfair. He never thought to ask, perhaps, why Adelaide stayed with him and never thought of Peter as a grandson until nearer the end of the book.

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "I felt a lot of sympathy for Adelaide. Jefferson Conway did keep his son in law and daughter in law around just to remind him of his own children which, while understandable, was unfair. He never t..."

I did too- feel sorry for Adelaide- they couldn't really move on with their lives. But then again, I assume they stayed in part at least because their needs (monetary) were being taken care off as well.

And yes, protecting Peter's interests may well have tempted her.

[Jill]

I did think that if Adelaide was at all involved, it would only have been in partnership with her brother - in- law

[Mark Pghfan]

And Adelaide was also widowed twice while still at a very young age. Let's hope Hugo McLain is a little luckier.

[Jill]

Pghfan wrote: "And Adelaide was also widowed twice while still at a very young age. Let's hope Hugo McLain is a little luckier."

Ooo yes . He is a brave man!

[SewingandCaring]

Blast! She fooled me again, I hoped it would be the son-in-law but I certainly never guessed Jose. Lovely to see Griselda again, I loved that character the first time. Hoping to see more cameos in the future.

[Judy]

I'm the other way round, I suspected Josie but not the son in law - and totally failed to spot any clues!

[Jackie]

I did suspect Adelaide & I'm sure we were meant to. I have already returned my library book but didn't Christie write "she knew more than she was telling" or something like that in the list of characters at the very beginning?

I also suspected Hugo.

[Tania]

Jill wrote: "Pghfan wrote: "And Adelaide was also widowed twice while still at a very young age. Let's hope Hugo McLain is a little luckier."

Ooo yes . He is a brave man!"

Indeed! If I were them, I certainly wouldn't be inviting Miss Marple for a visit any time soon.

[Susan]

Interesting - I thought the son in law was much more likely a candidate than the daughter in law. However, obviously, Adelaide was a possible suspect and meant to be one. Of course there was also the dancer/tennis player, whose name currently escapes me and the Bertie Wooster like George Bartlett.

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "Interesting - I thought the son in law was much more likely a candidate than the daughter in law. However, obviously, Adelaide was a possible suspect and meant to be one. Of course there was also t..."

He was but that's what probably made me not suspect him as much- would have been too obvious. But the twist that Christie added with Josie gave it just what it needed.

[Susan]

Yes, besides I didn't think Christie would leave her son orphaned by having his mother arrested. She had a real soft side, even if her plots were fiendish!

[Judy]

Susan wrote: "Interesting - I thought the son in law was much more likely a candidate than the daughter in law. However, obviously, Adelaide was a possible suspect and meant to be one. Of course there was also t..."

George Bartlett is a lot of fun! I agree with your Wooster comparison. Enjoyed seeing David Walliams play the character in the ITV versions.

[Lady Clementina]

Judy wrote: "Susan wrote: "Interesting - I thought the son in law was much more likely a candidate than the daughter in law. However, obviously, Adelaide was a possible suspect and meant to be one. Of course th..."

He needs a Jeeves to keep track of things certainly...

[Susan]

Yes, where his car is parked for one!

[Jessica-sim]

Must have read the story before and must have watched one or two tv renditions... But was totally fooled into suspecting the wrong people.
Also thought that Adelaide and Mark would surely get married and share their good fortune.

[Susan]

Did anyone else think that Mark and Adelaide were having an affair? I thought Mark was a really promising suspect!

[Jill]

I did say a couple of days ago,that if Adelaide was involved ,it would be in partnership with Mark. Meaning that they would have had to have been pretty close , assuming some sort of affair.

[Susan]

Yes, I also suspected something similar.

What did you think of Miss Marple's interrogation techniques? She was impressive when she questioned the girls, wasn't she?

[Judy]

I think Miss Marple is a bit like Sherlock Holmes in the way she notices a tiny detail and works everything out from it - like the way one of the girls smiles while going out of the room.

Although Miss M's and Holmes' personalities could hardly be more different!

[Lady Clementina]

Judy wrote: "I think Miss Marple is a bit like Sherlock Holmes in the way she notices a tiny detail and works everything out from it - like the way one of the girls smiles while going out of the room.

Althoug..."Observation skills- not even the minutest of details escaping them and having the knowledge base to deduce what that might mean.

[Susan]

Yes, The Moving Finger also has a similar cast of 'characters,' doesn't it? I think Agatha Christie grew up in a seaside town; does anyone know if she lived in a village later in her life? My father grew up in a small village in Ireland and he always said he preferred living in London, because everyone knew your business in a village!

[Everyman]

Susan wrote: "...he always said he preferred living in London, because everyone knew your business in a village!
..."

Indeed they do. I was brought up in a small community of about 50 families, and everybody knew everybody's business. Which kept people honest, and also enabled you to know who was a good worker and who wasn't. In a city you have no idea how to find a good plumber. In villages and small towns, you simply know.

[Susan]

Good point, Everyman. I have never lived in a village, but I do know a good plumber :)

[Pamela]

Really enjoyed this book, although not quite as much as The Murder in the Vicarage. I think it was because I didn't like the setting of the hotel as much - I preferred it when they were back in the village. That said, there was a lot to love here, like the relationship between Colonel and Mrs Bantry, really touching. And of course Miss Marple being shrewd and sharp as always.

[Lady Clementina]

Pamela wrote: "Really enjoyed this book, although not quite as much as The Murder in the Vicarage. I think it was because I didn't like the setting of the hotel as much - I preferred it when they were back in the..."

You'll enjoy the Moving Finger then, again a village setting and very well done.

[Susan]

That's interesting, Pamela. The next book has a village setting - even though it is a different village :)

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "That's interesting, Pamela. The next book has a village setting - even though it is a different village :)"

Ha ha- looks like we were typing our comments at the same time.

[Susan]

Great minds think alike, Lady :)

[Suki]

I enjoyed the book a lot- it was a reread for me, but luckily it was long enough since I read it that I forgot whodunnit. I was actually beginning to suspect Conway Jefferson, thinking that maybe he was secretly more mobile that people suspected, and secretly in love with Ruby and been rejected, and/or jealous of her falling for someone else.

[Judy]

I was slightly suspicious of him at one stage too, Suki. It's great when you find you have forgotten the book well enough not to remember whodunit - so often the memory of the ending suddenly returns even when you can't remember much else about a story!

[Susan]

I had also forgotten the ending and found, to my surprise, that I don't possess many of the Miss Marple books on my kindle - which suggests I read them years ago, as I culled my books and certainly don't possess paper copies now.

[Mark Pghfan]

Suki and Judy, I know what you mean about Conway possibly being mobile. I guess that after you read enough Christie, you know that no impossibility is off the table!

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review)]

The only problem with that is it is stated that he lost his legs - I don't think you can fake that!

[Susan]

Unless he had artificial legs that were really real and the whole thing was a ruse... I really think fiction gives you the scope to fake just about anything.

[Lady Clementina]

Susan wrote: "Unless he had artificial legs that were really real and the whole thing was a ruse... I really think fiction gives you the scope to fake just about anything."

That's true-that would have been an interesting twist to the story.

[Susan]

He was very much an overlooked suspect, as jealousy could have been a motive.

[Judy]

He could also have been working with someone else, I suppose...

[Susan]

Yes, that valet who never left the room for example. By the time we've read enough of these mysteries, we could probably put our heads together and come up with a foolproof alibi!

[Jan C]

Susan wrote: "Unless he had artificial legs that were really real and the whole thing was a ruse... I really think fiction gives you the scope to fake just about anything."

Except that Christie tells us (Edwards?) that he also had spinal problems.