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Apr. 17th, 2011 11:15 am"There is no detective in England equal to a spinster lady of uncertain age with plenty of time on her hands."
Vicar Clement tells it like it is in Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
That's right, I'm reading the first Miss Marple novel! After this, I'm gonna read another Diana Wynne Jones or a Hercule Poirot book. Despite this being a Miss Marple book, though, I am surprised to find that the narrator is actually Vicar Clement. I do not know if this changes in later books. I'll just have to see.
The original quote above was actually going to be a description of the murder scene, but I decided that was a little too gory and people might consider it a spoiler, even if I was actually getting impatient for the victim's inevitable death by chapter two.
It should be noted that right before this, I'd also read The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett, another murder mystery that took place in the thirties. They're actually rather different. The case of The Thin Man is interesting, because it's one of the rare times I've liked the movie worlds better than the book. The book wasn't badly written by any means, Dashiell Hammett was obviously talented, no, it was that with the exception of Nick and Nora (and Asta), everyone was kind of gigantic dicks. I did like how the mystery made more sense in the book, though, as you could see better how things led up to who the killer was, as opposed to the movie where it was like 'oh, them? REALLY?'
LEADING to the difference in Murder at the Vicarage, where I pretty much like everyone. Hell, I'm actually going 'NEVER BREAK UP' at Griselda and Len Clement, the married vicar couple, even though Griselda is hella younger than Len and that's usually a squick for me. But I love how Agatha Christie writes them *so much* and I'm only like, seven chapters in.
I'm actually not sure who the killer is yet in this book. However, I am pretty positive Miss Marple has already figured it out.
"My duty," said Griselda. "My duty as the Vicaress. Tea and scandal at four-thirty."
"Who is coming?"
Griselda ticked off on her fingers with a glow of virtue on her face.
"Mrs. Price Ridley, Miss Wetherby, Miss Hartnell, and that terrible Miss Marple."
"I rather like Miss Marple," I said. "She has, at least, a sense of humour."
"She's the worst cat in the village," said Griselda. "And she always knows every single thing that happens — and draws the worst inferences from it."