Review: The Moving Finger

The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1945, so just a few years after the previous book.

What I liked about The Moving Finger: it's set in a different town, so that already, Christie is recognizing that having a bunch of murders in Miss Marple's village is ridiculous, so go other places.

What's also great: Miss Marple herself doesn't show up until the end. These books are not about Miss Marple, rather, about Miss Marple solving crimes.

So the start: a brother and sister are renting a home in a small village. He was in a plane crash, and they are now in this village while he recuperates. So they are the outsiders, observers. And one thing they are observing: anonymous poison pen letters being sent to random people. And the deaths: people driven to suicide? Or something more?

I loved how literally anyone could have been the writer and the murderer.

Things I did not love and why I wouldn't recommend this for folks looking for a mystery. One of the folks in the area is clearly a gay man, and the one he is talked about isn't great.

One thing I did like: there is a young woman who today would be said to be on the autism spectrum. Instead, she's portrayed as odd and different and not a typical girl. But, and this is important, the main character likes her and respects her for being who she is and doesn't want to change her. (OK, there is a shopping trip for better clothes, but that is more about her parents being so-so than the man trying to change her.)






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