Satan Reviews- Books: Ordeal by Innocence

Ordeal By Innocence

Agatha Christie

Fontana

Spoilers for the book, 2007 ITV Marple adaptation, and the 2018 BBC adaption
I was inspired to read this by the BBC adaptation from 2018 and its differences to the 2007 ITV Marple adaptation. Which one was more true to its source material? I'm glad to say that both veered far from the book because god I hated this book.

The book follows our "detective" Arthur Calgary, a scientist I think who is absent for a good section  of the book. He solves the mystery with information we never see him learning. Or we did and I accidentally skimmed that page because I was bored. The only fact I remember him learning was that Jacko was married- but he was told that sooooo…..?? There was Superintendent Huish, but I only remembered he existed when I got the book's cover image from its Goodreads page.

We, for some reason, follow Philip Durrant for a while. The only traits I remember him having were "shit-stirrer" and being bad at business. I remember the second so well because the narration mentions this many times without actually showing it. Unless the fact that he was unable to be subtle and got himself murdered was Christie's way of showing it? Can't be good at business if you're dead.
The way Hester (the youngest) is written is bizarre to me. She's meant to be in her very late teens to early twenties and to my knowledge, neurotypical. But she's written like a child. Who ends up with the much older Calgary at the end- literally on the last page in my copy. It was suggested before nearish the end but in a way, due to Hester's suffering from her mum issues and dating troubles, it almost seems like Calgary is taking advantage of a very naïve girl. Which is kinda gross.

I know this book wasn't written in the most progressive of times but the descriptions of Tina are questionable at best. As the poc in the book, Tina is also the only character who repeatedly is described using animalistic language. If she wasn't the only one, then it wouldn't be as much of a problem maybe? But comparing her to a cat and not doing the same/ anything similar to her white counterparts is highkey iffy. She also gets stabbed and is almost outright said to be into her adoptive brother. Wooo, incest.

The ending is so rushed in the book. The TV adaptations handle it better. The Marple version has the same conclusion but draws it out in the way TV Marples and Poirots do- i.e. go over the entire episode and tie up loose ends. The book (from what I remember) goes something like "Jacko sucked and liked boning old ladies to get their money so Kirsten did it". The easy ending because no one from the family did it. The BBC version changes it completely, but I'll allow it because it was well thought out and was an actual surprise to me.

I gave this book 1 out of 5 stars.