One thing I enjoy about Agatha Christie's mysteries is that often there are tiny breadcrumbs left for the reader to find which would point in the direction of the murderer. Often, as in the case of this book, I make note of certain things (like physical description) and think to myself that it will probably be important later, and then promptly forget about it only to be reminded of it at the very end when that tiny detail is used as part of the clue that shows who the real murderer is.

It was so slow and boring, I felt like it was context for half a book and then a confusing explanation. 

Love the subversion of the trope of the body in the library. It kept the whole mystery quite filled with twists - even though, the pace was slower. I am surprised at how mean the descriptions were for some of the women, talking about a "vapid face." But yes, what a bang to find a body in a library in the morning. 

i am unsure if i like miss marple or not. 
mostly because she seems to almost play a side role her novels until it’s time to take the action steps and suddenly she’s there with all the right questions and knows all the answers. 

this one was overall a good book and well done mystery with an interesting ending and a nice way to solve it but while i enjoyed it overall i do think that it’s not very memorable book for me. 

the audiobook was well read and nicely spoken though. so i do recommend that. 

 I'm now 2 novels and a handful of stories in the Marpleverse, and I'm sure of one thing: these are quite different from the Poirot novels. These seem to be cozier and more prone to dip into comedy. All this is fine and good, but I did have to adjust my expectations.

Jane Marple is such a fun character, but, like in her first novel, I wish she were more in the action. In this one, she seems to always be on the outskirts of things...until it is clear that the police can't solve this and Miss Marple is their only hope.

The mystery here is quite good--there are plenty of clues, but they are woven into the narrator that the reader will most likely not catch them at first. I also love the friendship between Miss Marple and Mrs. Bantry; it is a completely realistic relationship between two women, especially at the time.

Unfortunately, I had to put this book aside when I was about halfway through so I could finish some other books before their book club discussions. While I could easily sink back into the story when I returned to it, I think it may have hurt my momentum. The second half felt too long--which is ironic for a short novel. This mystery may have worked better as a longer short story than a shorter novel.

While this wasn't a perfect novel, and I think I'm still adjusting to the Marpleverse, it was worth the time to read, and I'm eager to meet up with Jane Marple again.