Scary Spooky Displays AND Has Agatha Christie been brought back from the dead?

Halloween in Our Neighborhood

My Shadow.

In our neighborhood the elaborate Halloween decor is showing up.

Agatha Christie:

Not Brought Back From the Dead

It must have been magic. Agatha Christie had a magic all her own, and this book, by modern author Lucy Foley, doesn’t have it. Christie’s famous Miss Marple is claimed to be here, though she’s not as vividly portrayed as in the original books. There’s a classically restricted setting — a ski resort that’s temporarily snowed-in. Several of the characters who are present at the resort have a motive for the murder that takes place, and any one of them could have had the opportunity. The method is straightforward — poison in a drink. Method… motive… opportunity: the classic trio. And the author uses a gimmick of having four different narrators — well, it’s gimmicky.

Unfortunately, this sequel just didn’t engage me the way that the original Miss Marple books did. Yes, I read them all — though it was quite a long time ago. As for this one: I ended up not even reading very carefully. I think I’m starting to forget it!

I’m disappointed, I guess, but not really surprised. There will never be another Agatha Christie — she published so many wonderful mysteries until her death in 1976. Even though it’s Halloween, you can’t bring her back.