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batmayne_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Possibly the worst agatha christie book ive ever read.
I have not read the Tommy & Tuppence series (this is the 4th book) so maybe i had no emotional attachment for them created in the other novels.
I found the story to be a terribly written mystery with obvious clues and the atypical detective "ah ha!" moments.
I didnt find the twist ending exciting or overall interesting. There were still multiple unanswered questions left. What of the diamonds, if Lily Waters dad was told, was she the ballerinas daughter, who knows, who cares, and the characters just leave it be after being told the truth. No conclusion just a lazt retirement.
Tw/Cw discussion: the ageism, sexism and terrible birtish slang is extremely off putting and i dont care for the time period argument because agatha has been called out (before death) for weird writing
I have not read the Tommy & Tuppence series (this is the 4th book) so maybe i had no emotional attachment for them created in the other novels.
I found the story to be a terribly written mystery with obvious clues and the atypical detective "ah ha!" moments.
I didnt find the twist ending exciting or overall interesting. There were still multiple unanswered questions left. What of the diamonds, if Lily Waters dad was told, was she the ballerinas daughter, who knows, who cares, and the characters just leave it be after being told the truth. No conclusion just a lazt retirement.
Tw/Cw discussion: the ageism, sexism and terrible birtish slang is extremely off putting and i dont care for the time period argument because agatha has been called out (before death) for weird writing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Sexism, Murder, Classism, Death, Miscarriage, Child death, and Dementia
mrkdk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Dementia
backpackfullofbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Child death, Death, Dementia, Grief, Infertility, Murder, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Confinement, Drug abuse, and Incest
chalkletters's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
While I enjoy all the Agatha Christie stories, I have a definite soft spot for what I privately think of as 'the creepy ones'. And By the Pricking of My Thumbs (something wicked this way comes) is gloriously full of creeping thrills. Agatha Christie contrasts a sinister atmosphere against the anything-but-creepy antics of Tuppence and Thomas Beresford.
For the star of a mystery novel, Tuppence isn't a very good detective. But somehow, she's all the more endearing for that. The way she thinks, meandering from recollection to connection to frustration, is excellently depicted. She remembers things in just the way real people do, in bits and pieces and with plenty of extraneous information to sift through.
On this reread, I particularly noticed how Thomas approached exactly the same set of clues in a completely different way. And it's not a spoiler to say that he and Tuppence both got somewhere with their lines of enquiry, which meet up again towards the end of the book.
I can't go into the creepiest thing about By the Pricking of My Thumbs without giving away the ending, so I won't mention it here. Instead, I'll recommend that if you enjoyed this, you might like Murder is Easy or Halloween Party.
For the star of a mystery novel, Tuppence isn't a very good detective. But somehow, she's all the more endearing for that. The way she thinks, meandering from recollection to connection to frustration, is excellently depicted. She remembers things in just the way real people do, in bits and pieces and with plenty of extraneous information to sift through.
On this reread, I particularly noticed how Thomas approached exactly the same set of clues in a completely different way. And it's not a spoiler to say that he and Tuppence both got somewhere with their lines of enquiry, which meet up again towards the end of the book.
I can't go into the creepiest thing about By the Pricking of My Thumbs without giving away the ending, so I won't mention it here. Instead, I'll recommend that if you enjoyed this, you might like Murder is Easy or Halloween Party.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Dementia, Infertility, and Animal death
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