3.5 stars ( )

Mr. Rex Fortescue has been murdered. With a pocket full of rye found in his pocket. Was there something in his tea? Or was he poisoned prior to coming into the office? He was a big financier and made quite a lot of enemies. He was widely disliked and his family as a whole was rather odious. What follows is a well-played-out whodunit. Can the detective in charge find the culprit? Bodies are starting to pile up so let’s hope so. I rather enjoyed the police officer in this story, he was not so condescending. I didn't like that Miss Marple’s appearance was not until 50% into the book. I suppose it is something I won’t get used too. She is the titular character but seems too rarely to be in them. She made quick work of the plot and in true Jane fashion befriended all she met. Overall, a great story, with a decent red herring to throw you off until just quite near the end. ( )

This is the first Marple book I've read and I enjoyed it very much, although I was surprised by how little Marple actually appeared in it. It has everything you'd expect from Christie: a few deaths, a dysfunctional family and a few characters who aren't quite what they appear. ( )

4/8/22

Agatha Christie mysteries are always entertaining. This is the third Miss Marple book I've read since The Body in the Library and A Murder is Announced. Personally I think this one is slightly not as good as the former two, because -- Miss Marple shows up pretty late in the story. The first half of the book is all about this Inspector Neele and how he goes about solving the case. Then Miss Marple shows up, gives him some pointers, and Inspector Neele sets out to investigate again. Then after a quarter of the book, he consults Miss Marple again, and Miss Marple solves the mystery for him. So basically Miss Marple didn't have a very strong presence in the book. The mystery itself is interesting to read, though. Good quality Christie book. ( )