Motive v. Opportunity - Agatha Christie

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AUTHOR: Agatha Christie

SERIES: Miss Marple, Short Story #5
GENRE: Cosy Mystery.
RATING: 3.5 stars.

A good story that is easy to deduce but fun to read.

Petherick’s turn this time to narrate the mystery. (I laughed at how Miss Marple warns him very clearly right at the start not to narrate anything with legal wrangles!😄) The story involves a man who is possibly being cheated by a spiritualist. Unlike what you would assume, the mystery isn’t about revealing the true nature of this medium but about understanding why his will was blank.

I liked the title and how well it suited the mystery. Even the backstory that leads to the events is interesting. The mystery itself was quite guessable, even though Christie tries her best to put across red herrings within the limited page-space she has. I still liked it enough, not just because my guess was right but also because it springs sensibly from the story. I just wish the writing would have presented a greater challenge – there are so many clues scattered throughout that the deduction is facile.

This story is part of the Miss Marple short story collection, The Thirteen Problems.

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