Agatha Christie Read-a-thon Week 4

Parting is such sweet sorrow. Our last week of the read-a-thon, this year anyway. Jay, over at This is My Truth Now, hosted this swarray in honor of the fabulous Agatha Christie, and he did it while launching his second book, Father Figure. So impressed with you James!

Now onto Murder…

Basic Summary (Courtesy of Amazon):

Colonel Protheroe, local magistrate and overbearing land-owner is the most detested man in the village. Everyone–even in the vicar–wishes he were dead. And very soon he is–shot in the head in the vicar’s own study. Faced with a surfeit of suspects, only the inscrutable Miss Marple can unravel the tangled web of clues that will lead to the unmasking of the killer.

My thoughts:

This book is so damn delicious. Miss Marple hasn’t solved any murders yet in this book. She’s solved a few village mysteries, the gill of pickled shrimp comes to mind. But she hasn’t garnered any respect. Coming on the heels of Body in the Library, where she’s already known as the one to watch out for, it’s frustrating to read the way some people treat her. Miss Marple is ever the same. Calm, polite, completely straight forward.

I adore the vicar who narrates this book. “At my time of life, you know the worst is usually true,” his answering thought to his wife who says Miss Marple draws the worst inferences from village happenings. I also love the way his wife explains she married him because her other suitors would have considered her a feather in their cap, whereas for the Vicar she’s more of a secret sin. LOL.

I haven’t talked much about the murder I suppose. I don’t think it matters in this book. I know, I know, this is a murder mystery. But….the murdered man is so odious, once he’s killed it’s like you can just relax back and watch the interactions of the village people. I’ve always thought the way she depicts human interaction was Aggie’s greatest achievement. Murder at the Vicarage nails it.