Cat Among the Pigeons

“𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓫𝓸𝓭𝔂 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓼 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰,” 𝓼𝓪𝓲𝓭 𝓐𝓭𝓪𝓶, “𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓯 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀.”

-Agatha Christie, 𝘾𝙖𝙩 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙨

𝘾𝙖𝙩 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙨 by Agatha Christie is another book that I have delayed reading for a really long time. I am happy that I got to pick it up this summer and it was really worth it. The story involves the mysterious murder of a disliked gym teacher at Meadowbank and the investigation of who’s done it and why. I loved the enthralling mystery and the predominately distinctive female cast. Although, the book is a Hercule Poirot mystery, but there seems to be a less involvement from his side.

𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲

The mystery in this story is engaging and exciting, which keeps the reader on the edge. First of all, the mystery is well-developed; there is sufficient background details provided to help the reader understand from where it all began; the story progresses at a good space–the plot involves a lot of twists and turns that is well-balanced with the mystery unravelling simultaneously. The climax rendered me shocked but it was satisfying as well to find out who the criminal was and see the rest of the puzzle fall into place. Second of all, this mystery is different from other Christie mysteries I have read because it involves a foreign land, missing jewels, multiple murders, and an all girls’ boarding school, which is a surprisingly good mix of ingredients for a thrilling mystery.

𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐭

In making this mystery as thrilling and intriguing as it is, the distinct female characters are to be credited. The staff at the boarding school are mundane in outer appearances and aspirations, but each of them have these distinctive personalities and a past that slowly comes out of the covers. As people at a boarding school, these characters have various tedious concerns that the narrator consistently gives insight into, which balances well with the tension that is created by the game mistress’ murder. It creates complex character developments that develops an enigmatic cast of characters, piquing the curiosity of the readers and keeping them on edge of who’s the murderer. Furthermore, having a mystery revolving around female characters is really interesting because these are a bunch of strong and independent women; they have their nervous moments, but they brave through, which is really admirable about them. In addition to this, these women stand out from typical female stereotypes; they are just not teachers fretting about the school and students complaining about teachers, they are women and girls that are idiosyncratic and contribute to the development of the story in their own way.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞

For 60% of the story, Hercule Poirot–the detective and the solver of this mystery–is absent. As I mentioned before, the slow development of the story is good, but when Poirot comes in everything seems rushed. He is his usual eccentric self by going to different and bizarre lengths to solve the mystery, but the sudden quick pace that the story progresses at, does not give the reader an insight into the meticulous work of Poirot’s grey cells. I was just glad when Julia consults Hercule Poirot because at that point in the story, it just seemed like he was going to be a no show and she and some other girls at the school would end up solving the mystery, which would have been exciting as well. Nonetheless, when Poirot does enter the scene, the excitement increases because the reader has no clue what he is going to draw from a case that is as convoluted as the murder spree at Meadowbank.

From a thrilling mystery to a cool female cast and to the compelling work of Hercule Poirot’s grey cells, 𝘾𝙖𝙩 𝘼𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙨 by Agatha Christie is a mystery you don’t want to miss!