Synopsis from BarnesandNoble.com: You are cordially invited to a murder. A personal ad in the newspaper inviting strangers to participate in an evening of murder mystery fun and games at the home of Letitia Blacklock is an invitation that Miss Jane Marple cannot pass up. A good thing, too, because when the lights are dimmed real gunshots ring out, killing a young boy. Now it’s time for a new, much more serious game of “whodunit.”Since watching the movie version of Murder at the Vicarage this winter, I have wanted to read some Agatha Christie. I randomly picked A Murder is Announced because it would satisfy two reading challenges at once. The premise sounded good, but I was underwhelmed.
What I have determined is that Agatha Christie books should probably be read in large chunks over a short time span. I read much of this one in little pieces. There were many characters with fairly shallow development, and I found them hard to keep straight when only reading a few pages at a time. I read the last 50 pages at one time, and enjoyed it more. Maybe that was also because I was learning how the crime really occurred.
That said, I am interested to read more Agatha Christie. Based on this experience, her books are focused on the architecture of the crime versus the characters involved. And, her crimes really are well thought out. She also creates humorous traits in her characters that gave me a chuckle from time to time. A lady in this book was named Murgatroyd. Everytime I read her name I heard Snagglepuss, of Laff-A-Lymipcs fame, saying “Heavens to Murgatroyd!” Ok, not the humor Christie intended with that one, but still entertaining to me.
1 comment:
i am so bad! i have NEVER read an AC novel. i loved the peter ustinov as hercule poirot movies...but i haven't read a single book. just one more thing to add to my 'to do' and tbr list.
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