4:50 From Paddington has a great opening scene that sets up the mystery. Mrs. McGillicuddy is travelling home from London on a Friday afternoon, when another train begins travelling alongside hers. As they rumble along the tracks the window shade in the compartment of the other train flies up and she sees a woman being strangled by a tall dark man. Quickly the trains move apart, leaving Mrs. McGillicuddy shaken. The police and the railway brush her off as no body was discovered. Luckily, she is rooming with Miss Marple, who believes her story and sets a plan to investigate, finding there was indeed a place where a body could be thrown off the train, just above the Rutherford Hall property.
She hires a Miss Lucy Eyelesbarrow, a young, efficient, all-around housekeeper to get a job at the Hall helping out the Crackenthorpe family, and snooping for Marple. The family of three brothers, a sister and a son-in-law live with old Mr. Crackenthorpe in the grand home, and are shocked when Lucy finds the dead woman in their old barn. Who was she and why is she on the property?
Inspector Dermot Craddock (Marple's Godson) investigates with the help of Lucy and Miss Marple, and the majority of the story revolves around the family dynamics and history. Eventually, the Crackenthorpe children will inherit the Rutherford property, but for now they eek out a living. Shortly there is a poisoning, leaving one less share to divide - then an attempted arsenic attack on the whole family! Luckily, Dr. Quimper is on hand to attend to them (old as he is, graying at the temple, why old Dr. Quimper is at least forty-five!).
This mystery starred Lucy Eyelesbarrow with Marple adding her opinions in about a third of the book. With her "slight knowledge of Human nature" Marple has a unique way to sleuth, parralleing behaviour: "people remind you of other people - because types are alike everywhere and that is such a valuable guide". She held her cards a little too close, and it was difficult to solve, until the last three pages! Although it all fit, it was a surprise - someone I never even considered.
Although I was hoping for a train mystery, along the lines of The Lady Vanishes, it was complex, entertaining, and of course, well written.
1957 / Hardcover / 256 pages
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