At Bertram's Hotel
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ISBN: 9780007121038
Description
When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she's looking for at Bertram's Hotel: traditional decor, impeccable service and an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer. Yet, not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric guest makes his way to the airport on the wrong day!
Reviewed on 20th April 2009
An interestingly fresh take from Christie in this one. While Marple is present, and deducts a little, it's a completely different type of tale from what I have come to expect.
Unlike the previous novel which I found somewhat tedious, this one didn't follow the usual formula. The murder itself didn't take place until right at the end, and while there is one twist which is the same as in one of the earlier novels, the murder is for once not the main aspect of the plot.
Generally, I'd say the mystery is weak - a lot of what is happening seemed fairly obvious, although that might be because I have vague memories of seeing a televised version (though I remember additional murders in that!). Marple's involvement is limited and seems a little odd that the police are so interested in her views given they haven't got experience with her.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. It had a little more of a thriller feeling to it, and an interesting and slightly more modern group of characters and an excellent setting. Definitely not a major Marple one but a nice one nonetheless.