Book Review: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

Format:  Paperback

Pages: 299 pages

Published: July 1942

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Mystery, Fiction

Synopsis:

“The placid village of Lymstock seems the perfect place for Jerry Burton to recuperate from his accident under the care of his sister, Joanna. But soon a series of vicious poison-pen letters destroys the village’s quiet charm, eventually causing one recipient to commit suicide. The vicar, the doctor, the servants—all are on the verge of accusing one another when help arrives from an unexpected quarter. The vicar’s houseguest happens to be none other than Jane Marple.”

Agatha Christie always continues to surprise me. Her changing writing style is an interesting take on the mystery novel writing. It means there is never a dull moment in Christie’s books and you never know what to expect in her stories! This book is no different. You’re in for a ride for this book of the series.

The interesting part about The Moving Finger is the set up of the story.  This is not your “run of the mill” mystery story. The protagonist, Miss Marple, doesn’t become involved in the mystery until the very end. It is fun to watch the whole town take part in the mystery and scratching their heads figuring out how to solve the murder. It is different take on how mysteries are plotted and I loved every second of it. And gaining someone else’s insight on the crime, besides the protagonist, is a refreshing take on the story.

I also felt that this story had more of a personal and emotional feel than the previous books in the series. In The Moving Finger, I got to know more about the characters in this book and felt more of a personal connection to the story. I believe that Christie did that on purpose. She wanted her readers to have a personal connection so we ourselves can figure out how they tick and which one of them could be the perpetrator. That is what Christie does, she gets you the reader involved in the story.

So Christie fans, this is another book that can be put in the win column! If you still haven’t read anything by her, you are definitely missing out. Read The Moving Finger and see if you can figure out who the killer is before the end.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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