We have (for review) One of Our Ministers Is Missing by Alan Johnson and the other (from library's audiobook app) Miss Marple's Final Cases by Agatha Christie!
Title and Author: One Of Our Ministers is Missing by Alan Johnson
Publisher: Wildfire
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction
Buy from (Affiliate): Bookshop.org
A government minister has vanished while on holiday in Crete. He is a known walker and he seems to have vanished without a trace except for his mobile which is found on a cliff's edge. The Met sends Assistant Commissioner Louise Mangan to assist the Greek Police, but she soon realises that there's more to this disappearance that meets the eye. His wife becoming more and more hostile, a scandal from the minister's past about to come out in the tabloids and something is brewing, but is this linked to the minister or something entirely different...?
I don't know how to write this as I am in two minds over this.
On the one hand, this was something really addictive about it. The chapters were short, the plot had twists and was engaging. But, at the same time, it felt a bit muddled with time jumps (I have no idea if this book took place over the course of a week, month or several), the almost two-dimensional characters and the beats of the story.
It feels like a James Patterson novel: fast and fun, almost a book you buy at the airport but when you finish and come away from it, it didn't leave an impression. Fun while reading/listening, meh when you step away and think about it...
Ok, moving on, to Miss Marple, shall we?
Title and Author: Miss Marple's Final Cases by Agatha Christie
Publisher: HarperCollins
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Borrowed from local library via BorrowBox
Buy from (Affiliate): Bookshop.org
Earlier this year, I audiobooked The Thirteen Problems, the first collection of Miss Marple short stories (you can find my write-up of that on Goodreads) and I got why most Agatha Christie fans say Miss Marple works really well in short stories while Poirot works best in novel.
So, when I saw this appeared on my library's audiobook app, I had to listen to it. Am awaiting more Agatha Christie audiobook on the app, but I can wait.
In this collection, we have nine short stories. Each really interesting and I enjoyed each one of them (though Miss Marple Tells A Tale is probably my fave out of the collection. It makes me really want to try a Miss Marple novel (I've tried two - Murder at the Vicarage and At Bertram's Hotel - and had a strong dislike to them. The collection of short stories written by modern authors - Marple - was hit and miss. Even now, I think of two or three shorts and go "Why haven't Agatha Christie Ltd offered these authors a chance to write a full-length novel or another short story collection).
However, I do have one query. This collection focuses on Miss Marple. so, why do we have two random, supernatural stories - The Dressmaker's Doll and In a Glass Darkly - in this collection when they would be best suited in The Last Seance (I just checked. Both stories are in this collection)?
But yes, I liked this hugely so I will be trying Miss Marple novel in the future. One day...
No comments:
Post a Comment