Sleeping Murder

I read quite a bit of Agatha Christie as a teenager and was always a fan, but somehow over the years I fell out of those kind of books. I've suddenly felt the urge to begin again, and this was the first one I happened upon, though it turns out it's actually the last Marple book. This doesn't actually play into the narrative at all.

While I was thoroughly engrossed in the story, even though not a whole lot happens, I was let down by the revelation of the killer. I suspected him somewhat throughout (only because of the whole ‘last person you would suspect' cliche) but thought better of it, because it didn't make sense that he would help this couple at all. I mean, why tell them of Lily Kimble's letter to him and her impending visit? He's going to kill her anyway, why not do it discretely?

I also found the Duchess of Malfi quote to be somewhat ridiculous. Now, I knew nothing about the play, but I find it hard to believe that Miss Marple who had just sat through it (and was possibly familiar with it anyway) didn't focus on the quote and it's meaning. In fact, it's not mentioned again at all, until the very end when Marple states that she was stupid for not spotting the significance. She had just watched a play where a brother has his sister killed for marrying a man he doesn't approve of, and she doesn't clue in at all as to how this might be relevant to the case at hand.

Otherwise, I liked it well enough, and am excited to continue catching up with Marple and Poirot.

I am coming very close to the end of reading all of Agatha Christie's mystery novels and short stories in chronological order. This one, I just found out, was written 30 years before it was published, and I must say that I can tell. It has all the form and character of most of Christie's others during her golden years, though it is a tad predictable. Even once I felt I had it all figured out, I still enjoyed reading it. It had a fresh concept and Miss Marple was as fierce as ever. This one also had a lot less ideology forced on you, which is always a plus. Definitely worth a read.