Nemesis is the 12th and final book from Agatha Christie to feature Miss Jane Marple. It was originally published in 1971. I read this as part of the Read Christie 2021, and the June prompt was a Book Featuring a Garden. And oh boy, does this book feature a garden!
Synopsis
Miss Marple received a letter from an acquaintance, a Mr. Jason Rafiel. He had recently passed away and was hoping she could assist him in righting a wrong. The problem is, he didn’t tell her what that wrong was. One for a challenge, Miss Marple accepts the challenge and finds herself on a bus tour around England, looking at grand houses and glorious gardens.
At one stop on the trip, Miss Marple learns more about what her task is. As she learns the details, Miss Marple is left wondering who is trying to keep the secrets buried.
Positives
It’s Agatha Christie, enough said! Right? I mean she isn’t the Queen of Mystery for nothing.
Negatives
I must admit, at times, I felt the story dragged on. I understand with the way Christie wrote, twists and turns had to happen. But I think with this book, there were more characters than needed.
My Opinions
Admittedly, this book is not my favorite Agatha Christie book. But even a bad one is a good one. Does that make sense? It may be because I am not a huge fan of Miss Marple.
I felt as though the first quarter of the book dragged on a bit. There wasn’t a mystery to solve, other than why was Mr. Rafiel offering this chance to Miss Marple. Once her task was figured out, the book became more interesting. I actually thought I had the mystery solved before the end. It turned out I was wrong, but I was pretty close.
As with the majority of Agatha Christie’s book, this is a quick read. I listened to the audiobook, which was a first for me, and the run time was under 9 hours.
Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.
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Nice review! It’s a long time since I reread the book, but I remember enjoying it.
Have you seen the BBC Miss Marple series starring Joan Hickson, from the 1980s-1990s? They did a terrific job with them, and the adaptation of Nemesis is one of the best (although admittedly, it takes a few liberties.) At this point, I’m not sure if Nemesis is one of my favorite Miss Marples because of the books, or because of that adaptation—probably the latter. Anyway, if you are a Christie fan, I highly recommend Hickson’s portrayal of Miss Marple. I think she’s the definitive Miss Marple in the same way that David Suchet was the definitive Poirot; they both absolutely nail their characters as portrayed in the books.
I have not seen the BBC series. It’s something that I have wanted to watch.