One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.
The third in the Miss Marple Series, I listened to The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie free on line.
While recovering from injuries, Jerry Burton retires to a small quaint village in the country with his sistery for company. Peace and quiet is what he’s looking for but when a mysterious poison pen letter arrives, that’s the last thing he gets.
I’m always surprised and delighted at how funny Christie writes. Some of the comedy is totally intended, but some, I think, is unintentional. The interplay between brother and sister and the blossoming unexpected love affairs they each fall into is so funny and silly in this book. How people treat the young woman of the village, treating her as an idiot child, is both intended to be funny and not. Another aspect of the Miss Marple series that I’m surprised by is how little Miss Marple is actually in the books. In the first and second book, she is a peripheral character until she swoops in in the end to solve the mystery. But in tThe Moving Finger she literally isn’t even mentioned for 80% of the book. Only when all else fails and it looks like the mystery will never be solved does she show up and of course, saves the day. Thinking back on this book, over a month later, I barely remember the mystery, but the relationships stick with me. I would highly recommend this book for those who like books about siblings, classic mystery books, books with surprising strong female characters, and of course, stories set in small towns.
Have you read this book? If so, where does it sit with other Christie books you’ve read? Should I do a tier rank for all the Miss Marple books?
This book is featured in my Dec Wrap Up.