Ordeal by Innocence

The most frustrating part of this book is how heavy handed it is with Christie's views of Nature Versus Nurture. There is no question, even amongst the characters. They are all in agreement—it's nature. This is somewhat grating when the woman murdered has adopted five children. None of them could ever care all that much because, naturally, they all resent their adoptive “mother”. Her maternal instinct could never REALLY be satisfied because they weren't her REAL children. They aren't REALLY brothers and sisters. It's a pity, but that's the way it is.

Or so Christie emphasizes over and over and over again.

I happen to not agree with this view, and the book does not do anything to support it. Rather it just tells you that is how it is again and again. That and keep explaining why it matters that someone should be proven guilty so that the INNOCENT don't have to suffer. I'm telling you, it gets redundant.

I have been making my way through Christie's mysteries chronologically. Generally, I love her books. But every so often one comes along that rubs me the wrong way. This one follows several unlikable characters and continually reemphasizes what I can only believe Christie believes very strongly about nature, crime, and women (that one comes up a lot throughout her books...) The mystery itself was not even very compelling. It was definitely not one of her best.