This is the second ***Agatha Christie*** book I’ve read. The first one was featuring ***Hercule Poirot*** (the famous detective created by Agatha Christie). After reading that book I instantly fell in love with Hercule Poirot’s witty character and was hoping to read more books with him in them. Also, I was under the impression (as many people are) that all Agatha Christie mystery books have Hercule as the detective hero.
So, I was expecting this book too to be featuring Hercule Poirot as well. But sadly it wasn’t. After reading the first few chapters I realised that this book was featuring ’***Jane Marple**’* (another character - an old lady who always ends up solving murder mysteries though she never wants to). A lot can be said about old Miss Marple. She is a typical elderly lady but with something ’*khaas’*. She has a flair for justice, which is probably why she ends up in murder mysteries. But I was heart-broken. I wasn’t very interested in a old woman investigating crimes and always talking like *’old pussies’* (that is what she keeps calling herself throughout the book).
Initially, the book was very boring. I had to make an effort to scrape through the chapters. The story seems pointless and everything that Miss Marple does seems senseless. Too many things happen without a good enough description. Too many characters are introduced too soon and you don’t feel like reading it. The book fails to capture you in the beginning. So, to add to my disappointment (that the book didn’t have Hercule), I had to face its boring start.
But the fact is that you can’t blame the dreary start. It would have to be irksome because Miss Marple is asked to solve a case without knowing who was involved, where it happened, what it is or anything about it. So, I read on.
As the story progressed, as the plot is revealed, it really got a grip. You really hang on to it right till the end because the suspense of who the killer is almost kills you.
The story though is not put together very well. Its distributed in pieces. You’ll like it all together if you’re a Agatha Christie fan. If you’re not then you’ll have tolerate the start.
My favourite line in the book: **"*She died for love. Love is a frightening word*."*
The most intriguing thing about the book: The title. It really is attractive. I had no idea what it meant until I finished the book.