Ordeal by Innocence

 

I really liked this story. There were different characters. And as always only Agatha Christie does, there were many suspects. But these people had an interest  in each other. Because they thought each other had murdered their mother.

I found myself not liking Calgary. For some reason he had to make sure he solved this case. Even though he was no detective. But knowing that he thought he had good news to give the Argyle family. But the news wasn't taken as such. "Jack Argyle was innocent". For whatever reason Calgary had to put the pieces together. He must do what had to be done and forget after that. I found myself saying "stay out of it".

Who killed Mrs. Argyle? Her kids that she adopted from bad situations they were in? Playing the good person for better. Or was it her husband? Or maybe the housekeeper? And then you have Philip Durrant. Husband of Mary. Another amateur detective. In this case he was found the same way as Mrs. Argyle.

Different brothers and sisters that found comfort in one another. At least two anyway.

It all comes down to Arthur Calgary figures out the pieces and with the permission and help from Superintendent Huish.

Not the guilty who matter, it's the innocent. At times people forget the innocent can be forgotten. And they are of need of help. It's tougher on them.

The ending surprised me. Between Hester and Arthur Calgary. Hester so unsure of herself, so wild. Calgary really never liked her. Or thought she was too off center. And Calgary a matured man. Find themselves in an understanding. I thought they would never see eye to eye.

I give Ordeal by Innocence 5 

On to the next great novel!

Oona Out of Order

 

I don't really go in for time traveling stories. But this story was a bit interesting. Although it took half the book to start to pick up and grab my interest. I thought there was a meaning for this time travel. 

I believe it was used as a metaphor for Oona's life. How she looked at her life out of order and pieced it together. How she looked at her love life, her mother, her son. She figured things out one period at a time. Grabbing pieces here and there to move Oona's life along. And in doing so she leaves letters to help her through the process. Fate vs free will- I think the time travel is Oona's fate. But what she can make out of her life is her free will. Even changing her future.

What I really don't understand if she was really time traveling, why? Why her? Anyone else in the family does it? Is it hereditary? It is called a condition in the book. Questions do not get answered. Ever! I think it answers one question though. What if time was a disease? Just doing what Oona did piece together her life. Make the best of it and as long as she had to make it maybe easier.

Oona says her "condition" is the closest to immortality. I guess so since she bounces from one year to the next. And back again.

Oona and her mother Madeleine's relationship change over the years. Because Oona learns more about her mother. Oona travels through life and goes through what her mother went through. Sees it through Madeleine's eyes.

Oona has challenges in her life as she "leaps" but she seems to always want to go back to when she's younger. Of course she does when your younger it's easier than trying to"navigate an "adult Oona."

Bittersweet Oona's life is. Why/not? Because maybe to some it's fun to time travel. She gets to see her mother and son all over again. Even her true love Dale. She gets to change and live what she can, a"normal life." But it's not sweet. Oona never stays for more than a year. She has to wait to the year to see and know her son, even Dale. Oona's life "the good, the bad."

Music is universal. And to use music in the story to keep that connection with Dale and her son is sort of a way to shape Oona's life. And Kenzie's, her son.

Kenzie wants to time travel too just like his mom. Again the adventure, the fun. But reality not so much fun.

When beginning to read this book I never thought what the next few years for Oona's might be. But now I imagine it will be chaos at times. She'll find years that she loves. And years that I think she may even  give herself a break and leave more details in her letters. Oona tries to build a future with her son- her constant!  I would like to see her life complete though

I give Oona Out of Order 4