I would recommend reading A Caribbean Mystery before tackling Nemesis. In the former, Miss Marple makes the acquaintance of a very rich man, Mr. Rafiel. Far from the people who know her reputation, Miss M must prevail on Rafiel to help her prevent a murder, as everyone listens to a rich man. Now, in this novel, Mr. Rafiel has succumbed to his health problems and has left Jane Marple some money in his will if she will take on a problem for him.
Things progress slowly in the beginning, as Rafiel gives no details of the matter in his final letter to Jane and she flounders a bit as she tries to find a string to pull on to find out what she is meant to investigate. She artfully arranges a meeting with Rafiel's former secretary which leads nowhere. Just as Jane is getting resigned to failure, she is contacted by a tour company with news of a ticket booked for her by her benefactor. Despite her physical limitations (which she is willing to exaggerate if necessary), Jane packs her bag and gets on the tour bus.
Without any written instructions, Rafiel aims her at his last problem and, from beyond the grave, sends people to intercept and assist her along the way. For once, I was on the correct track with my reasoning! It was fun to watch the plot unfold and watch the people around Jane realize who they are dealing with—a woman who hides her sharp observations under fluffy pink wool.
I really wish Christie had devoted more books to Miss Marple. Don't get me wrong, I also love Ariadne Oliver and if you want her you must also take Hercule Poirot. Tommy and Tuppence are fun too, but Miss Jane Marple is my absolute favourite Christie character.
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