Dood van een danseres

Inhoud

Op een morgen wordt in de bibliotheek van een keurige familie het lijk gevonden van een heel wat minder keurig jong meisje. Vermoord. Geen wonder dat het hele dorp in opschudding is. De politie komt al gauw met een verdachte aan, maar een van de dorpsbewoonsters - niemand minder dan mis Marple - vermoedt dat de zaak heel anders in elkaar zit dan de politie denkt. Ze gaat daarom zelf op onderzoek uit en weet de moordenaar te ontmaskeren.

Bespreking

Miss Marple is a bit tired

One morning the body of a beautiful but rather cheap-looking girl is found in the library of Colonel and Mrs. Bantry at Gossington Hall. The Bantrys don't have a clue of the identity of this unfortunate girl. Luckily Miss Marple is there to help the police in their investigations and guide them politely to the discoveries that will solve this complex case.

Following Murder at the Vicarage (1930) and The Thirteen Problems (1932) this is Miss Jane Marples third appearance. Why Christie waited more than a decade to get back to her old spinster in 1942 remains unknown, but it might have something to do with the enormous popularity of her private detective with the little grey cells: Hercule Poirot.

The come-back of Miss Marple has not really the same spirit as the bulk of Agatha Christie pre-war books. It certainly lacks the freshness of Vicarage, although some characters from that book make their second appearance in The Body in the Library. The characters are drawn in the typical style that has become a trademark of Christie, so nothing wrong with that. The ending though is so utterly unlikely that is gives you a rather bitter aftertaste. From a whodunit point of view the end is neatly composed and proves the master ship of the Dame of Crime, but that is far from what real life is supposed to offer. I know, you shouldn't expect realistic story-lines if you open an Agatha Christie novel, but there are certain limits.