A Caribbean Mystery: A Miss Marple Mystery (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection) [Hardcover]

Agatha Christie (Author)

Book Description

Series: Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection | Publication Date: September 17, 2007

Stricken with arthritis, Miss Jane Marple has packed herself off, at the insistence of her nephew, for some rest and relaxation at a resort in the Caribbean. The sea is sublime and the weather is fine in this quiet paradise so far away from bustling St. Mary Mead. But suddenly the calm is interrupted by the death of Major Palgrave, one of her fellow guests at the hotel.

Miss Marple finds herself quite disturbed by this turn of events. She'd just spent the previous evening speaking with the major, who'd seemed to her to be in perfectly good health. He'd been telling her about a photograph that he had--"a snapshot of a murderer…," he'd claimed. Convinced that the major's death was not at all natural, she begins to ask difficult questions. It soon becomes clear that a murderer is lurking among her companions at the hotel, and it is up to Miss Marple to root this person out before he or she can strike again.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Throws off the false clues and misleading events as only a master of the art can do.' New York Times 'Liveliness! infectious zest! as good as anything Miss Christie has done.' Observer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades. Twenty-four of Christie's best whodunits are now available from Black Dog & Leventhal as part of their bestselling hardcover Agatha Christie Collection.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (September 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157912738X
• ISBN-13: 978-1579127381
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #723,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Miss Marple In An Unlikely Setting, July 23, 2005

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Caribbean Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries) (Paperback)

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the best known mystery novelist of the 20th Century--and with good reason, for when it came to plots, truly fiendish plots, she could easily out-construct all competitors. Even so, as Christie entered her sunset years, the nature of her novels changed, often becoming less interesting for the complex plots that made her reputation than for a their chatty charm.

Such is the case with 1964 A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY, which finds Christie revisiting her favorite character Jane Marple--but in a unlikely setting. Suffering from arthritis, Miss Marple has been sent on vacation to a south seas resort by her nephew Raymond. The weather is lovely, the sea is lovely, and Miss Marple finds her incredibly bored... until the unexpected death of retired Major Palgrave forces her to wonder if there is, as the Major seemed to suspect, a killer in this island paradise.

The plot is entertaining but, for Christie, surprisingly transparent; most readers will spot the killer approximately two thirds of the way into the book. The great charm of the book is in its characters and the deftly amusing way in which Christie presents them. A visit with Miss Marple is always enjoyable, and she remains every one's favorite English spinster--and Christie presents several other characters, including the very wealthy and very gruff Mr. Raifiel and his ever-calm secretary Esther, both of whom will figure in the 1971 NEMESIS.

Hardcore mystery readers in search of one of Christie's truly mind-bender tales may be disappointed with A CARIBBEAN MYSTERY, but most Christie readers will find it unexpectedly light but none the less enjoyable for that. Recommended for fans.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't make it your fist, December 23, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" (Moorpark, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Caribbean Mystery (Miss Marple Mysteries) (Paperback)

..Agatha Christie to read.

This is not a good example of her writing. The pace was slow, the characters were a bit too "cookie cutter" and it didn't contain any of the wonderful puzzles that AC is well known for.

Miss Marple is on a Carribbean vacation, where, suprise, a murder occurs. Or is it murder? Only Miss Marple can solve the mystery.

Is anyone really suprised that the happy couple really aren't? Is anyone really suprised that characters aren't what they appear? This book was too stereotypical for me. AC is not an author strong on character development, however she usually does a better job than this. Similarly, she sends Miss Marple to an exotic locale, then barely describes it or utilizes the locale for differences in her writing. It could just as easily have taken place in St. Mary Mead.

If you're an AC fan, you may like this book. I found it readable, but not great. If you're looking for a "classic" AC, try something else: And then there were none, Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Don't get this book unless/until you're a bonafide fan.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Murder and Mayhem in the Caribbean, May 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Caribbean Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

This story is set in the Caribbean - quite an unusual setting for Miss Marple who usually prefers to stay close to home. A garrulous major talks about various crimes he has observed over the years and says he may have recognized a killer...the next day he is found dead and Miss Marple finds herself called upon to solve the crime. Notable for its beautiful locales as well as the interesting dialogue among the various characters, the most interesting of which is the interplay between Miss Marple and Jason Rafiel, an old, ill millionaire who despite this failing powers, still comes to her assistance at a crucial moment. This also sets the stage for the sequel to this book, "Nemesis" where Mr. Rafiel asks for Miss Marple's help in solving another, much older crime. You should definitely read that as a followup to this one.