I found this Christie novel somewhat underwhelming. Usually when she used a nursery rhyme in the title, she also found a way to use it to play a significant role in the plot. Here, it isn't referenced until the 70% mark, when one of the students mutters it (with revisions).
The best part of the book, in my opinion, is getting to know Miss Felicity Lemon a bit better. Until now, we have only been told of her most satisfactory performance by Hercule Poirot, who appreciates his secretary very much. We also get to meet her widowed sister, who brings this mystery to her sister and the great detective. Mrs. Hubbard (I can only guess that this is another Mother Goose reference, she of the bare cupboard) has taken on the responsibility of running a student hostel: paying the bills, riding herd on the staff, counseling the young people who live there. She is apparently made of the same firm stuff as her sister, as she puts up with a rather hysterical building owner, Mrs. Nicoletis. Mrs. Nic, by the way, acts exactly like a Greek woman I used to work with—absolutely everything was treated as Greek tragedy with much wailing, gnashing of teeth, and declarations of woe.
Christie does her usual efficient introduction of the assortment of young people. How does she distinguish them so easily, using so few words? We get to know them rapidly and Christie gives us reasons to suspect every one of them when poor Celia is murdered. Who could want to bump off this girl who they all agree is rather dull and dim? The relationships reminded me of my time living in student residences during university. Everyone has their quirks. Some people can't even pretend to like all the others. Gossip, listening at doors, ferreting out guilty secrets, it all happens in these environs.
I found the criminal in this instance to be rather obvious, not Christie's usual standard. The other matters that muddy the waters a bit saved the book from being a complete snooze.
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