Le site agathachristie.com nous offre A Caribbean Mystery en livre du mois...
Revenons sur ce roman d'Agatha Christie, différent en ambiance de ses autres romans...
Inspired by Agatha Christie’s own travel to the West Indies, A Caribbean Mystery is a summer read we couldn’t wait to pick up. Published in 1964, this story is both a late work, and a story set abroad (we’ll be ticking off the latter this month). Christie would have been in her 70s when she wrote this story, and themes of age are prevalent throughout, making this a witty, yet thought-provoking read – it also acts as a reminder to be kinder to our elders!
What’s it about?
We join Miss Marple on her trip to the Caribbean, kindly organised by her nephew Raymond West. She is enjoying staying at the Golden Palm Hotel, on the island of St Honoré. The other guests include ornithologists, a Canon, a retired Major and a grumpy millionaire, some of whom consider their best days behind them. They’re well-looked after by the young Kendals, who have likely bitten off a little more than they can chew with this hotel. A peculiar conversation about a murderer stands out amidst Major Palgrave’s past recollections of Kenya and the Western Frontier, but he dies before Miss Marple can get to the bottom of what he was saying. In the West Indies too, she is underestimated by doctors and detectives alike, but her determination to get to the truth about the Major’s death means we can’t put our feet up for long. An injustice has been done, and we can be sure Jane Marple will get to the bottom of it.
"Conversations are always dangerous, if you have something to hide".
A Caribbean Mystery, Agatha Christie
Why do we love it?
Despite embracing the hotel’s ice cream sundaes, and indulging in a lot of sea air, Miss Marple does miss the Great British weather, as well as the home comforts of St. Mary Mead. Her need to find similarities in her exotic setting is one most readers will know, and can relate to. This book contains a healthy dose of escapism, but with the usual intrigue and musings we associate with Miss Marple’s village mysteries.