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jayraams's review against another edition
4.0
I quite enjoy Agatha's short stories and the Mr Quinn stories are fascinating and so different.
lauraschhh's review against another edition
4.0
The title short story, Three Blind Mice, actually gave me chills!! Obvi no Poirot in that one, but the ones he is in are my highlights.
lishajeanne's review against another edition
4.0
I love these quick mysteries. I listened to the audio version and the reader for Miss Marple kind of bothered me. She is not may favorite of her characters anyway so it was hard for me to get through those stories.
diana_acc's review against another edition
3.0
A ver... Tengo contradicciones, me gustó de manera general, pero los casos al ser cortos, los sentí muy abruptos en los finales.
Es la primera vez que leo un caso de Mrs Marple, pero quiero ver una historia más larga para poder apreciarla bien y no de manera tan rápido.
Es la primera vez que leo un caso de Mrs Marple, pero quiero ver una historia más larga para poder apreciarla bien y no de manera tan rápido.
alifff's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
this book is a collection of 9 short stories. my rating is for Three Blind Mice which was a 5 ⭐️ read. it was very clever and and knowing that the murder in this book was inspired by a real-life case of child abuse made it more intriguing. i love love revenge based stories!
next 7 stories – featuring Miss Marple in 4 and Hercule Poirot in 3 – were just okayish.
the last story - The Love Detectives - was a 4 ⭐️ read for me. it was quite good and it also introduced me to one more interesting main character of Agatha Christie — Mr. Quin! 🃏
next 7 stories – featuring Miss Marple in 4 and Hercule Poirot in 3 – were just okayish.
the last story - The Love Detectives - was a 4 ⭐️ read for me. it was quite good and it also introduced me to one more interesting main character of Agatha Christie — Mr. Quin! 🃏
ivana_kroeger's review against another edition
Contos presentes no livro:
• Três Ratos Cegos - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
• Estranha Graça - /5
• O Assassinato da Fita Métrica - /5
• O Caso da Empregada Perfeita - /5
• O Caso da Zeladora - /5
• O Apartamento do Terceiro Andar - /5
• A Aventura de Johnnie Waverly - /5
• Vinte e Quatro Melros - /5
• Os Detetives do Amor - /5
• Três Ratos Cegos - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
• Estranha Graça - /5
• O Assassinato da Fita Métrica - /5
• O Caso da Empregada Perfeita - /5
• O Caso da Zeladora - /5
• O Apartamento do Terceiro Andar - /5
• A Aventura de Johnnie Waverly - /5
• Vinte e Quatro Melros - /5
• Os Detetives do Amor - /5
mariahmmm's review
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Another collection of mysteries consisting of a standalone novella and eight short stories investigated by Agatha Christie's famous detectives (Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple) and the lesser known detective Harley Quin.
All of the short stories unfortunately fell a little flat, with obvious villains and patchy plots. However, the novella was fantastic and really stood out as a well written mystery.
1. Three Blind Mice (standalone)- 4 stars
The hosts and guests of a newly opened bed-and-breakfast are snowed in with someone set on revenge. Who hides a villainous past? And is the murderer hiding in plain sight?
What a whirlwind this mystery was! The setting was charming and so perfect for "the hunt". I wish I had read it slower to properly take in all the clues and characters as there was so much to absorb.
2. Strange Jest (Marple)- 2 stars
Miss Marple helps a sibling pair find where their eccentric uncle has concealed their inheritance.
The answer felt very silly and disappointing, with much less adventure than I would have liked.
3. The Tape-Measure Murder (Marple)- 1 star
A seamstress finds her client dead and the community all point their finger to her indifferent husband.
The title gave it away so obviously, so I suspected from the outset who the murderer was, and all the clues were therefore blatant.
4. The Case of the Perfect Maid (Marple)- 2 stars
A maid accused of theft is replaced by the "perfect maid". But is she all that she seems?
Again, the title drew too much attention to a specific character and the whole story pointed to only one solution, so this felt drawn out.
5. The Case of the Caretaker (Marple)- 2 stars
To help her regain some vitality, bedbound Miss Marple is prescribed a mystery by her doctor on the circumstances surrounding the death of a wealthy newcomer. But was it an accident or a curse?
Again, this case could have only one solution from the outset, meaning this was less a mystery and more just the tale of a bad person.
6. The Third Floor Flat (Poirot)- 3 stars
Poirot steps in when neighbours stumble upon a murdered woman during an accidental home invasion.
The whole show felt scratchily put together as most of the murderer's plans relied on perfectly sequenced events that could have been easily upset by other characters. However, it was an interesting story and had me guessing up to the end.
7. The Adventure of Johnny Waverley (Poirot)- 3 stars
With the date and time set by the kidnappers, and the eyes of a whole police force in waiting, little Johnny could never be taken, could he?
There were so few characters in this story, and as such very few potential suspects. I was waiting for a sinister relative/client/colleague to appear or some blatant motive to pop up that could be plausible or a red herring, but instead they kept it quite tight. However, the mystery of HOW made up for the mystery of WHO and WHY.
8. Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds (Poirot)- 3 stars
A sudden inexplicable change in a regular customer's diner order just before his unsuspicious death attracts Poirot's attention.
How odd that post mortems at the time didn't routinely investigate what was in the contents of the stomach. The timeline, and thus motive, was a little hard to follow.
9. The Love Detectives (Quin)- 2 stars
A minor car accident thrusts amateur detective Harley Quin into the middle of a murder investigation with multiple confessions.
The circumstances, characters, and the solution are repeatedly said by the investigators to be like something from a book or off the stage. And that is how it felt, with an overplayed trope dangled under the reader's nose.
All of the short stories unfortunately fell a little flat, with obvious villains and patchy plots. However, the novella was fantastic and really stood out as a well written mystery.
1. Three Blind Mice (standalone)- 4 stars
The hosts and guests of a newly opened bed-and-breakfast are snowed in with someone set on revenge. Who hides a villainous past? And is the murderer hiding in plain sight?
What a whirlwind this mystery was! The setting was charming and so perfect for "the hunt". I wish I had read it slower to properly take in all the clues and characters as there was so much to absorb.
2. Strange Jest (Marple)- 2 stars
Miss Marple helps a sibling pair find where their eccentric uncle has concealed their inheritance.
The answer felt very silly and disappointing, with much less adventure than I would have liked.
3. The Tape-Measure Murder (Marple)- 1 star
A seamstress finds her client dead and the community all point their finger to her indifferent husband.
The title gave it away so obviously, so I suspected from the outset who the murderer was, and all the clues were therefore blatant.
4. The Case of the Perfect Maid (Marple)- 2 stars
A maid accused of theft is replaced by the "perfect maid". But is she all that she seems?
Again, the title drew too much attention to a specific character and the whole story pointed to only one solution, so this felt drawn out.
5. The Case of the Caretaker (Marple)- 2 stars
To help her regain some vitality, bedbound Miss Marple is prescribed a mystery by her doctor on the circumstances surrounding the death of a wealthy newcomer. But was it an accident or a curse?
Again, this case could have only one solution from the outset, meaning this was less a mystery and more just the tale of a bad person.
6. The Third Floor Flat (Poirot)- 3 stars
Poirot steps in when neighbours stumble upon a murdered woman during an accidental home invasion.
The whole show felt scratchily put together as most of the murderer's plans relied on perfectly sequenced events that could have been easily upset by other characters. However, it was an interesting story and had me guessing up to the end.
7. The Adventure of Johnny Waverley (Poirot)- 3 stars
With the date and time set by the kidnappers, and the eyes of a whole police force in waiting, little Johnny could never be taken, could he?
There were so few characters in this story, and as such very few potential suspects. I was waiting for a sinister relative/client/colleague to appear or some blatant motive to pop up that could be plausible or a red herring, but instead they kept it quite tight. However, the mystery of HOW made up for the mystery of WHO and WHY.
8. Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds (Poirot)- 3 stars
A sudden inexplicable change in a regular customer's diner order just before his unsuspicious death attracts Poirot's attention.
How odd that post mortems at the time didn't routinely investigate what was in the contents of the stomach. The timeline, and thus motive, was a little hard to follow.
9. The Love Detectives (Quin)- 2 stars
A minor car accident thrusts amateur detective Harley Quin into the middle of a murder investigation with multiple confessions.
The circumstances, characters, and the solution are repeatedly said by the investigators to be like something from a book or off the stage. And that is how it felt, with an overplayed trope dangled under the reader's nose.