Gwenda Reed's new home, a charming Victorian villa, is giving the lovely new bride the strangest feeling of déjà vu-and an unnatural dread that's taking its toll. Perhaps her husband's aunt, Miss Marple, can calm the young woman's frayed nerves. But how can anyone solve a mystery such as this when the only clues are those in Gwenda's vivid imagination? As Aunt Jane digs a little deeper she's soon to discover just how truthful-and terrifying-the imagination can be. --my copy of the book ( A signet book, published by Penguin Putnam inc.)
Alrighty...where to start. I read Sleeping Murder about a month ago. Also, just as a warning, I'm a huge Agatha Christie fan, so this is most likely the first of many reviews for her. I got into the entire genre of mystery through her, and I am just loving it.
Now the review above is only slightly revealing...and I'm not sure I like it. When I read it, the review made Gwenda sound like some frightened, helpless damsel in distress. In truth she's far from that. Gwenda is a smart, enthusiastic young woman who's eager to learn about her past and unravel the mystery 18 years in the making. Also, sometimes one must spoil a small portion of the plot to make the rest of the book seem even better. The review doesn't mention that there was a murder, which is the main focus of the book, not Gwenda's nerves. All in all, not the best of reviews, but this review is for the book, not the review printed on the book.
I liked the book because it was fun and it kept me guessing on who to suspect and what to make of the information provided. It's a short book, my copy only 217 pages, but just because a book is short doesn't mean it's bad. Miss Marple mysteries are always entertaining, because just like another Christie detective, Hercule Poirot, she has slightly unorthodox means of investigating. Miss Marple is the kind old lady stereotype, with a flair for solving mysteries. The cast of characters in the book is fairly small, but kind of nice. Both Miss Marple and Gwenda and Giles (her husband) are investigating the murder throughout the book, but both are aware they must be careful, because the people they're investigating are in fact suspects, and one of them did commit the murder.
Overall I would definitely recommend the book. It's a fairly quick read, it's enjoyable, and it's intriguing.
RATING: 8.5/10
Yours truly,
Harry
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