The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
The Body in the Library
by Agatha Christie
(Audio)
I was a Poirot girl from the start. I loved his somewhat OCD behaviors and his obsessions with facts and accurate accounts. I know a lot of people like Ms. Marple better, but I'd never read a single Ms. Marple until now. This was my first. I chose it as it kept turning up missing at the library and catching my attention. And as I messed up my "read an Agatha Christie" novel goal earlier this year, I put it right by reading this properly. I expected much of the same--a detective who pays obsessive attention to detail and is called in by police to solve the most mysterious cases. What I got was quite different, and I'm so glad for that! It's amazing that Agatha Christie wrote such clever mysteries in several completely different ways, with such vastly different ways of solving the cases. I should like to have seen the two meet some time and discuss things! heehee
In this story, a body turns up in the library of a private home. Neither homeowner (nor their staff) even recognize the young girl, who has been strangled and dumped there during the night. Curious! The lady of the house calls Ms. Marple, who is a lovable, kind, elderly lady with a keen eye and a most excellent way of recognizing the human character. She seems similarities in characteristics between actions of suspects/players involved and people she's known in her life around the village and what-not. So she can spot when someone has just told a lie or when someone's actions are quite out of the ordinary.
I absolutely loved being wrapped in in the mystery and trying to solve it. I didn't come CLOSE to figuring it out, but the solution was so brilliant and obvious. And Ms. Marple did an amazing yet humble job of making sure the situation was put right. I loved getting to know her here and look forward to seeing her in action in an adaptation of the book next. I will definitely listen to other Marple mysteries in the future!