At Bertram's Hotel

Miss Marple #10

by Agatha Christie, Stephanie Cole (Reading)

At Bertram’s Hotel the intrepid Miss Marple, on holiday in London, must solve a deadly mystery at the end of a chain of very violent events.

An old-fashioned London hotel is not quite as reputable as it makes out to be.…

When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she’s looking for at Bertram’s Hotel: traditional decor, impeccable service, and an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly-polished veneer.

Yet, not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric guest makes his way to the airport on the wrong day.…

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Fiction, Crime, Classics, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

7 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Marple macht Urlaub, und zwar in London in Bertrams Hotel. In dem Hotel war sie bereits vor etlichen Jahren in ihrer Jugend. Seit damals scheint sich nichts geändert zu haben, und das kommt Miss Marple doch etwas seltsam vor...

* Meine Meinung *
Ich bin ein großer Fan von Agatha Christies Büchern, und Miss Marple gehört sowieso zu meinen Lieblingsfiguren überhaupt! Doch von diesem Roman bin ich leider ein wenig enttäuscht, vermutlich, weil ich ganz andere Erwartungen an das Buch hatte. Es war interessant, aber nicht wirklich spannend. Und Miss Marple kommt kaum in der Geschichte vor, was besonders schade ist!
Das Ende des Krimis ist aber wie gewohnt noch mal überraschend und durchdacht, aber im Großen und Ganzen hat mich das Buch nicht wirklich überzeugen können - jedenfalls nicht im Vergleich zu anderen Büchern von Agatha Christie!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023
This is my second time At Bertram's Hotel and this time I decided to I listen to the BBC Radio dramatization. It was wonderful!



It had a full cast that included June Whitfield, Maurice Denham, Siân Phillips. Sometimes it feels like you lose too much of the story with these things, but I think this one was pretty close to perfection. Even if you haven't already read this story, you will be able to entirely get the gist of the book.
Highly Recommended.

2019

Bertram's Hotel is a bastion of never-changing respectable old English perfection.
Or is it?



Not everything is what it seems in this place and our fluffy Miss Marple must step in to help the police solve a missing persons case and a murder mystery.
Can she do it?
Of course she can.



Alright. On one hand, I really enjoyed the story because it's not one that I'd read or listened to before, so it had a shiny & new feeling to it. On the other hand, I found the ending to be less satisfying than I'd hoped resolution-wise.
If you're an obsessive completionist fan of Christie, you'll want to read this. But for the average reader, I'm not really sure I'd be ready to push this one in your face.



Overall, I enjoyed listening to Jane unravel the threads and point the proper authorities in the right direction.

Recommended for fans of Agatha & Jane.

Stephanie Cole - Narrator
Publisher: HarperAudio

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I don't like Miss Marple's stories in which she has a tiny role. I like a full on Miss Marple with lots of her wise notions and summing up of characters. This book finds her about 3 chapters in staying at a famous and absurdly old-fashioned, supremely comfortable hotel in London. Bertram's Hotel is like a step back in time to when Miss Marple was a girl, which is a good thing right? Wrong, there is something dreadfully amiss in this perfect setting and the police with an assist of a little, old lady will find out what it is.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

DRAMATISATION LISTENED TO (AGAIN) IN 2020
This is one of 5 dramatisations I listened to whilst decorating, and was again really enjoyable. I think this certainly stays at 4 stars.

DRAMATISATION LISTENED TO IN 2019
Firstly let's say it's a shame that this does not have a separate entry as it is not the audiobook of the novel, it is an abridged dramatisation that only roughly follows the novel, but it doesn't, so hey ho.
It is a great version, being a BBC Radio 4 dramatisation starring some excellent British actors and actresses, including the delightful June Whitfield as Miss Marple. Whist i cannot SEE anyone as else as Miss Marple than Joan Hickson, June Whitfield's acting and voice are so superb that she is at least temporarily to me Miss Marple.
Whilst this dramatisation does of course follow the book I read 18months previously, it is only 2 and a half hours long so is of necessity a shorter version than the novel. Does it loose anything , well a little, but the dramatisation was so good that it is still a 4 star novel/play.

READ AS MISS MARPLE CHALLENGE 2017
As with some of the other Miss Marple books, I see in my head, as I am reading, the Joan Hickson TV episode. In the case of Bertram's Hotel, for some reason, this was even more the case, almost like the movie was playing as i read.
Anyway that aside, again it was another really enjoyable book, with Miss Marple excelling in her role of detecting from her armchair whilst knitting. I thought it was less light hearted than some of her earlier works, a little darker, which was no bad thing, just different.

Ok this challenge has been wonderfully enjoyable, and I still have 4 to go (I think). Then its the Poirot's woo hoo.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most boring Agatha Christie novels. Though advertised as Miss Marple novel, she is no more than a decorative piece in the plot. The novel is actually an ode to Christie's fascination with old world British charm. Weak plot which is mostly a drag will compel you to put down the novel and spend your time productively by reading any other book. Avoid this novel unless you are a die hard Christie fan and have to read all her works

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I liked the idea of this book more than I actually enjoyed it. The feeling that there is something dark and thoroughly sinister behind the pleasant perfection of Bertram's Hotel and its highly trained staff maintained a heightened sense of suspense and kept the reader itching to find out what happened next.

Unfortunately, you'll reach a point when you find out the mystery is not as interesting or anywhere near as sinister as you thought it might be. There is nothing more disappointing to find out that the hints of a criminal organization might have been true to a certain extent, but the original goal of the crimes is revealed to be "just for fun." That atmosphere of danger and "all is not as they seem" that Christie so successfully introduced deflates all at once.

Even more disappointing is the fact that the real criminal is allowed to escape (although it is hinted that there will be further and hopefully successful attempts to bring them in), and Miss Marple is only a secondary character, popping in occasionally to provide the thoroughly uninteresting detective with some advice.

Still a decent read on the overall scale, however, which is why this received three stars and not lower. Perhaps my expectations were just too high.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Marple has the best nephew in the world – Raymond West – who is constantly thinking up little treats for his Aunt Jane. In this novel though, it is his wife, Joan, who suggests that she needs a little trip and Miss Marple says she would like to go to Bertram’s Hotel. She stayed there as a girl and is somewhat surprised at how little it has changed.

Bertram’s is a haven for the well to do in London; visited by retired army officers, clergymen, the aristocracy and wealthy Americans. Muffins are served for tea, the fires are always raging and elderly ladies find the chairs easy to rise from. It seems too good to be true and soon Miss Marple is re-visiting old haunts and hunting down her favourite linen and china. Not for her the delights of the theatre, galleries or museums, we learn that she loves shopping – a weakness that makes me somehow like her even more…

Of course, no visit for Miss Marple can ever be uneventful. This novel includes a missing clergyman, a notorious racing driver, a wealthy, somewhat notorious beauty, her daughter and a spate of audacious robberies in London. I enjoyed the investigation by Chief-Inspector Davy (known to all as ‘Father’) and the wonderfully vague, and forgetful, Canon Pennyfather. I also enjoyed the setting of Bertram’s itself, so evocative of a certain type of hotel in London, where tourists can make believe they are comfortably ensconced in the past. A very enjoyable mystery indeed.

[Issa Deerbany · Rating 3 out of 5]

لم ارى دورا كبيرا الانسة ماربل بقدر الدور لمفتش الشرطة الذي اكتشف كل شيء وهو من جمع الخيوط والاحداث لفك شيفرة الأحداث الغريبة التي نحدث في الفندق، رغم المظهر والخدمات الرائعة التي يقدمها الفندق لزبائنه والتي كانت تمثيلا .
ليست بمستوى الروايات السابقة لاجاثا

[Piyangie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of my biggest disappointments by Agatha Christie and the least enjoyable of the Miss Marple series so far. I had an earlier disappointment in the Marple series as well, but this is far worse. The novel was neither a proper thriller nor a customary whodunit. Rather, a mixture of both. It started more in line with a thriller and then ended up as a whodunit!

I'm surprised that this novel was categorized under the Miss Marple series, for her role was absolutely insignificant here. Except for a few pops in here and there, Miss Marple makes no noteworthy contribution to the story.

The plot was one of the weakest by Christie and one which didn't make much sense to me. I never properly got into the story. Sometimes her stories have that kind of effect in the middle, but they pick things up quite nicely towards the end where everything is neatly explained. However At Bertram's Hotel, the story didn't make any sense to me even at the end. Honestly, except for a few scattered events (some of them were quite interesting), I don't know what on earth I read.

I truly wish I didn't read this, for I hate writing this kind of negative tirades. But since the deed is done and I've had my share of disappointment, what is left to do is to banish it altogether from my mind and move to the next as quickly as possible.

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 5 out of 5]

„В хотел Бъртрам всичко е прекалено хубаво, за да е истинско.“


Старомоден луксозен хотел поддържа очарователна английска атмосфера от отминали времена. Посетителите на „Бъртрам“ са предимно възрастни туристи и като цяло всекидневието там е изключително приятно и спокойно. Сред гостите на хотела се оказва и мис Марпъл, когато един свещеник тайнствено изчезва, а впоследствие се случват неочаквани за такова идилично място престъпления. Тя помага на полицията за разследването, а пък криминалната загадка е доста любопитна...

Агата Кристи елегантно критикува носталгията към миналото чрез този прекрасен роман! Действието в него започва примамливо спокойно, обаче постепенно се превръща във вълнуващ трилър...



„Толкова спомени… миналото се смеси с настоящето. Тя си спомни една фраза: „Колкото повече се изменя, толкова повече си остава същото.“ Обърна фразата. Колкото повече си остава същото, толкова повече се променя. И двете са истина, помисли си тя.“

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

While At Bertram's Hotel, a Miss Marple mystery written by Agatha Christie, was a decent read, it is probably my least favorite. All the interesting investigation approaches are present, but there was no murder or major inciting incident. Marple wasn't prominent either until the end. When it came together, the story was complex and finished with a nice splash, yet the ride there was a bit dull. I remember watching this years ago on a British network, and it was fairly good. I believe I'm getting more discerning these days... still enjoyed the various strange hotel guests, the parent/child pairings, and the attempted murder scenarios. Mostly, it felt like 25% of the book was unnecessary and it was missing 25% of a larger story to make it pop. Must read them all tho, right?

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this particular story very much. Not the most imaginative beginning to a review but that's the first thing I wanted to say! Gone here, are the orderly presentations of suspects. Mrs Agatha Christie here departs from her usual structure-although the style is as sterling as ever- and I can't for the life of me imagine who was she copying with such a fearless endeavor.

While reading the bits where Miss Marple appears, I was regretting that she doesn't exist-she is a relic as much as the Hotel Bertram itself was. Pardon the irrelevancy, but I'd be interested in reading even a fan fiction of her, regardless of genre or quality! Miss Marple is witness to 2 or 3 crucial occurrences that propel Inspector Davy (Father) to fulfill the completion of bringing a criminal gang to justice, to stop an entire organisation in its tracks. But Miss Marple herself never takes center stage, she is a glorified witness, who understands what she sees. Very different beast, this book is.

I like old fashioned detective stories most when the motive for the murder is money. Thankfully here this is the case. But the murderer needs the money for her lover. This was, I think, an unnecessary addition. It makes the dated(in a good way) scenery more theatrical, and that is not so good. Take Lady Sedgwick, one of the main suspects, she doesn't to me, come across as a believable person. The way she exits the story is laughable and not convincing, plus it's oh so melodramatic. I felt nothing for her. I couldn't view her as a believable adventuress, mother, or mastermind. But maybe that's just me. I kept my focus throughout this book. No part of it was tedious because you felt that bits of the puzzle would ultimately come together. And the revelations, interceded between blurbs of Lady Sedgewick, kept coming till the very end.

[Constantine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Classic + Mystery

This is my least favorite Miss Marple story. It is the eleventh book in the series and by far the worst. 30% in the book, and nothing happens. I didn’t find any of the characters to have the charm of the previous novels by the author. Miss Marple, who is over 100 years old, had a very small part. The plot itself, or rather, the lack of it, was the major flaw of the book.

It is a big shame that this mystery novel had so many drawbacks because, in my opinion, the setting of the story (Bertram’s Hotel) must be one of the most interesting aspects of it. I loved the environment, and the author’s description made the location more vivid. I thought that with Miss Marple added to the story, nothing would go wrong. Unfortunately, that was not the case at all.

I am very disappointed with this book, so I cannot give it a positive rating. I’m not sure how the movie and TV adaptations will be, but I hope they have improved on all the shortcomings of this book.

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buddy read with my friend Cynda.

Miss Marple is offered a two week respite at London’s Bertram Hotel from her nephew and niece. While relaxing and reminiscing, murder finds her yet again, and, of course, she saves the day. Charming.

4 stars

[Rachels_booknook_ · Rating 2 out of 5]

My heart is broken on Valentine’s Day 💔Agatha let me down this time! Luckily, pretty much all of her other books are good, unlike this boring and disjointed mess. It was missing the heart that I’ve come to expect from her mysteries, and Miss Marple was barely present. It didn’t have that nice and cozy vibe. This was a shame, because I typically love when the setting is an old hotel, house etc. Oh well, I do have 10 other AC unread books still on my shelf!

*side note: how can you make a mystery boring when one of the main characters is named ELVIRA?? The ball was dropped

[Axl Oswaldo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Es una verdad universalmente reconocida que cuando has leído obras maravillosas de algún autor o autora, novelas bien escritas y muy bien ejecutadas, y de pronto te encuentras con una del mismo autor que no tiene modo alguno de salvación, esta se convierte automáticamente en una total y absoluta decepción.

Mi caso con esta novela fue exactamente ese, una completa decepción que espero dejar olvidada en el rincón de los libros decepcionantes.

De entrada, con este libro doy por concluido aquel reto que me propuse desde principios de año al leer una historia al mes de Ágatha Christie bajo el nombre de “Los siete pecados capitales”, donde tuve la fortuna de encontrarme con muy buenas obras, otras más regulares y con ésta, una de mis peores lecturas en lo que llevo del año.

Séptimo pecado capital: La gula

Pero ¿en qué falla En el hotel Bertram ?, y aquí me debería hacer una pregunta mejor: ¿en qué no falla? Porque en mi opinión, todo el libro es una secuencia de errores hasta que al final no logra salir a flote; es más, se termina hundiendo.

En primer lugar, la historia no tiene pies ni cabeza; nunca (y lo diré tal cual lo sentí), pero nunca me enteré de cuál era el crimen o caso a resolver. A la mitad de la historia (no antes) ocurre una desaparición y a nadie parece importarle. Posterior a eso, intentan relacionar un crimen cometido en un tren con un hotel —el hotel Bertram—, pero la manera de ejecutarlo es tan mala que uno no se lo cree. En verdad, cada pista, cada sospecha parece ser puesta en escena por el poder de la casualidad.

Luego, está el abundante relleno de este libro, le sobran al menos la mitad de las páginas y eso es aproximadamente, yo diría que mínimo dos tercios del libro están de más. Personajes que aparecen y no aportan nada a la historia, pequeñas pistas que se dan y no vuelven a ser tomadas en cuenta en toda la novela, datos que no tienen ningún sentido. Además, yo no entendí nunca qué pintaba la comida en todo esto; salvo una pista relacionada con comida (que al igual que muchas, no se sabe si fue verdad o no y se termina dejando de lado), todos los personajes comen, desayunan, almuerzan, preparan de comer, hornean, y es estar leyendo relleno y más relleno; básicamente aprendí qué suelen comer los ingleses durante todo el día, pero ¿aportó algo a la trama? Pequeño “spoiler”: absolutamente NADA.

Ahora, la confesión del supuesto culpable (porque sí, el caso no se resuelve al final; queda inconcluso), que confiesa el crimen por el poder de la conveniencia y porque ya faltaban menos de diez páginas para terminar el libro, me hizo darme cuenta que la autora no sabía cómo terminar su historia. Además, el hotel Bertram tenía mucho potencial para ser usado en muchos aspectos (lo cual no sucede, está ahí como adorno), pero su supuesta relación con el caso es absurda, no hay forma de que nunca se hubieran dado cuenta de lo que estaba pasando.

Y la cereza sobre el pastel: miss Marple. Nunca había visto que un autor desperdiciara y destruyera a un personaje tanto como sucede en este libro. Básicamente miss Marple fue relegada al papel de una persona entrometida y que le gusta escuchar conversaciones ajenas (porque sí, sin ningún motivo aparente; de hecho cuando lo hace aún no pasaba nada sospechoso) y la otra mitad de sus apariciones —si sale ocho veces en todo el libro es mucho— se la pasa haciendo calceta. ¿Por qué? Y entiendo que miss Marple no es una detective en el sentido estricto de la palabra, pero es que darle un papel tan superficial e innecesario no tiene sentido.
Yo creo que si no hubiera aparecido en la novela nada habría alterado a la ‘resolución’ del caso, y hasta hubiera evitado que me llevara esa mala imagen que se le imprime al personaje en esta historia.

En fin, hay muchas cosas más que no me gustaron de este libro; quizá lo único que me motivó a terminarlo fue el hecho de que quería cumplir con mi reto antes mencionado y que además la lectura fluye, se lee muy rápido pero sin un fin en concreto.

Finalmente, no me queda nada más que aclarar que Ágatha Christie es una de mis escritoras favoritas y no por este pequeño (gran) tropiezo va a dejar de serlo; me temía que algún día pasara algo así, habiendo escrito la autora tantos libros en su trayectoria.

No hace falta decir que no lo recomiendo, ya mis comentarios hablaron por sí solos. Y claro, es posible que a alguien le termine gustando, todos podemos tener gustos muy diferentes.
En conclusión, mi mayor decepción en lo que va del año (no mi peor lectura, aclaro) ya tiene nombre y es En el hotel Bertram , pero qué se le va a hacer.

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

At Bertram’s Hotel is the 10th book in the Miss Marple series but can be read as a standalone mystery. In this one, Jane Marple is being treated to a holiday in London. She’ll be staying at Bertram’s Hotel which has much of the old-fashioned charm it did when she visited as a young girl. Agatha Christie takes her time with the actual mystery and instead sets the stage. You get to peep into the lives of the guests and staff before the major action plays out.

It was fun being suspicious of certain characters without knowing the exact direction the story was going in. My interest level remained high throughout. It was an enjoyable read although it’s more middle of the pack when it comes to my ranking of Agatha Christie mysteries.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the last of Christie's Miss Marples, #11 of 13, and one of the last books Christie published, too, in 1965, at the age of 75, though I read #12 out of order so I only have one to go! This one is set in a very nice and well-established, traditonal hoteli in London modelled after a hotel Christie herself frequented, so she actually establishes the ambiance very well. I am also told (i.e., I looked it up on wikipedia) that the book was somewhat inspired by the 1963 film, The Great Train Robbery so, yes, robberies, robberies on trains, though murder is Christie's mystery. Robberies don't quite rise to the level of sudery deliciousness that murders bring to the fore.

The story is not so memorable, really, as we see what Christie/Marple always helps us primarily realize is that there is very often a thin veneer of happy contentedness covering a dark and seething interior in some? many? people, and this certainly applies to Bertram Hotel and those that frequent it. Ah, so lovely, and the accomodations are perfect, and yet. . .

Two favorite characters are older ones, that point to the likely readership of these later Christies: Canon Pennyfeather, a Dead Sea Scrolls scholar and a kind of charmingly "absent-minded" guy, and Chief-Inspector Fred "Father" Davy, who works with Miss Marple to solve the case. I seem to be suggesting that this one isn't very good, which is not the case; though it's not one of her best, it is still solid and entertaining enough. It's good and was nominated for mystery awards that year. What we see in especially the later Marples is older people who are dismissed as doddering old "pussies" (her word) and walruses who finally conquer this age-ism to win the day.

[BrokenTune · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back—that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a One Way Street, isn’t it?”

I put a spoiler warning on this post not so much because I will discuss the details of the plot but because I will discuss some of the characters in a way that will give away much of the conclusion. If you are planning to read the book, don't read any further. You have been warned.

At Bertram's Hotel is one of Dame Agatha's less outrageous novels starring Miss Marple. There is not a lot of action in this story but there is a lot of interaction between the characters which eventually leads to the highlight of the plot. So, in a way this book starts at the end and works towards the crime. It certainly would not be a Marple story if there was no crime.

As mentioned, I will not go into the details of the plot and contain my observation to the following:

1. This was one of the best Marple stories I have read. The characters were detailed and life-like and Marple did not interfere too much with the goings on at Bertram's. The structure of the book was great in that it was a mystery, but not the usual who-dunnit. I.e. Christie delivered a story that was built on the mere suggestion that something was wrong, but the actual crime was a result of the interaction of the characters, whereas usually the crime precedes this.

2. I really don't like Miss Marple. Really. Can't stand her.

3. I'm still perplexed as to how Christie's books get away with some of the most patronising, misogynist, xenophobic, judgmental attitudes without getting much more flak for it.

So, here's my main problem: The characters are mostly stereotypical. This would be fine as I'm used to Dame Agatha's casting by now, but then you get the division between the British characters, the Americans, the Irish, and the rest of the world.

The British ones are all straight-laced, except for one or two, but even these are described and treated respectfully.

The American ones are described as curiosities and are slightly mocked for their being tourists in London and for being fascinated by the quaint English things around them.

The Irish one, a decorated veteran, is a lovable rogue but also a blackmailer.

And then there is the French-Polish-Italian racing driver, who is described as someone who looks like he is up to no good and undoubtedly will be trouble to all involved with him, even though there is little to evidence this. It is purely Miss Marple's impression that he is a most unsuitable young man.

Despite the stereotyping, Bertram's Hotel is full of fabulous characters. One of my favourites - and probably one of my favourite Christie characters - is Bess Sedgwick.

"Bess Sedgwick was a name that everyone in England knew. For over thirty years now, Bess Sedgwick had been reported by the Press as doing this or that outrageous or extraordinary thing. For a good part of the war she had been a member of the French Resistance, and was said to have six notches on her gun representing dead Germans. She had flown solo across the Atlantic years ago, had ridden on horseback across Europe, and fetched up at Lake Van. She had driven racing cars, had once saved two children from a burning house, had several marriages to her credit and discredit and was said to be second-best dressed woman in Europe. It was also said that she had successfully smuggled herself aboard a nuclear submarine on its test voyage..."

I rooted for Bess all the way through the book. So, reading the ending was a huge let down. Not only in the way the story ended but also in the way that Marple, or is it Christie, at one point described Bess a "nymphomaniac" even though she wrote to say that Marple would not call her that, but would call her a woman who "is too fond of men".

And the Miss Marple's counter-part, who is just as sanctimonious as Marple, describes Bess as "wild" and destined for ruin because she will not submit to society.

I was already raging at this point when Marple finished it off with this:

“Yes,” said Miss Marple. “The children of Lucifer are often beautiful—And as we know, they flourish like the green bay tree.”

Oh, get lost, Marple.

The part that eludes me is that Dame Agatha seemed to be rather progressive for her time. There were a lot of turns in her autobiography that I would not have expected. The last thing I expected was for Christie to describe a woman as "wild" just because she was fond of racing cars, sports, and adventures, because if this truly was Christie's attitude, then she herself was beyond redemption.

So, what I am taking forward to the next Christie book is that her characters may have standards and values that are consistent within the characters (and the social mores of the time) but are not necessarily consistent with the values of the author. I'm told that this is something that can happen.

[D.G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

**2.5 stars**

This is probably one of the worst books by Agatha Christie I have read. The mystery was boring and the murder came too late. And it was so obvious who the murderer was! Worst, there wasn't conclusive proof that could put the villain in jail, only a policeman's vow that he would find a way.

I didn't rate it worse because I loved this quote - which I found terrible but truthful:

I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back - that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a One Way Street, isn't it?

This is pretty much the idea behind the plot. Too bad the execution wasn't very good!

[Cristina Lazăr · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://carti.blog/2025/09/29/la-hote...

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our favourite elderly spinster is yet again being treated to a vacation by her nephew Raymond, though it's his wife that had suggested a trip to the seaside.
Just like her previous trip the Caribbean, Jane Marple (eventually!) finds herself involved in a murder mystery.

Christie is so brilliant at setting up the story and I loved the idea that Miss Marple rebukes a possible trips to Bournemouth or Eastbourne in favour of a trip to the capital.
It's a nostalgic trip as she wants to visit the hotel in London which she last visited as a teen.

Bertram's Hotel is a curious time capsule that prides itself on being authentic to a beygone age.
For someone of Marple's age it's easy to shy why she'd pick there.
I'd be curious to revisit a place after a great length of time to see if the reality matched my memory.

A hotel is a perfect setting for a whodunit, though I must confess that I started to wonder if we were ever going to get a dead body...

This was definitely more akin to her thriller novels.
What made this continue to be enjoyable was the 1960's setting and the use of The Great Train Robbery earlier that decade to form partly some inspiration for a bit of the plot.

I'm actually glad that Marple was included rather than being a standalone thriller and whilst the mystery felt a little tacked on worked reasonably well.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book years ago on my first trip to London. The impetus to buy it was the fact that we were having afternoon tea at Brown’s and I knew that Brown’s was the Bertram hotel of the title. My goal this year is to read books off my own shelves(my goal every year:) and I picked this one up, and fell right into it. This seems to be an Agatha Christie year- I just watched 2 shows about her on PBS; a new book by Marie Benedict just coming out and apparently 2 movies in the works about her.

Every time I read a book by Agatha Christie, I marvel at her cleverness. This book was no exception. Miss Marple is staying at Bertram’s Hotel- she hasn’t been there since she was a child and is taking a trip down memory lane. It looks the same but does not feel the same this time. There are a few mysteries that all converge around this hotel. The descriptions of the hotel and afternoon tea easily brought me back to Brown’s Hotel.

Thoroughly enjoyable read. This book was mentioned in one of the specials on PBS and you do get to see Brown’s Hotel.

[mark monday · Rating 2 out of 5]

Choose Your Own Adventure!

You say you don’t like creative reviews. You say they are shallow, you say they're self-indulgent, you say they replace depth and research with humor. You say they are a waste of time. Yet here you are, playing your little games.

If you are ashamed of yourself because it feels so good, choose https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

If you think hypocrisy is just another word for nothing left to lose, choose https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alan (the Lone Librarian rides again) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Marple Goes Back
Review of the Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers hardcover edition (2007) of the original Collins Crime Club (UK) hardcover (1965).

Miss Marple sighed.
‘It seemed wonderful at first—unchanged you know—like stepping back into the past—to the part of the past that one had loved and enjoyed.’
She paused.
‘But of course, it wasn't really like that. I learned (what I suppose I really knew already) that one can never go back, that one should not ever try to go back—that the essence of life is going forward. Life is really a One Way Street, isn't it?’

At Bertram’s Hotel finds Miss Marple on yet another vacation, this time at a period hotel in London which she had originally visited in her childhood. She plays more of a cameo role in the investigation though, acting as a sort of insider agent for Chief Inspector Fred Davy who is on the trail of a criminal conspiracy, could it possibly be centred around a luxury period hotel? Along the way a guest at the hotel goes missing and a hotel worker is murdered.


The front cover of the original 1965 Collins Crime Club (UK) hardcover edition. Image sourced from Wikipedia.

Although it didn't feel like a regular Miss Marple story, I still enjoyed At Bertram's Hotel for the period atmosphere and the hotel setting.

The Berengaria Ease of Solving Rating* (with 1 being the easiest, and 10 being impossible).
The overall conspiracy = 3. This is basically a gimme, as it is revealed early on that the police are investigating a criminal network. Only the exact people involved aren’t immediately apparent, although they are somewhat guessable.
The murder = 10. This just came out of nowhere. You didn’t have enough information to know the basis for the crime until the actual reveal.

* A new rating scale for mysteries invented by my GR friend Berengaria, see her review of Agatha Christie's A Pocket Full of Rye for its first use🕵️‍♀️.

Trivia and Links
At Bertram’s Hotel was adapted twice for English language television. Both of the TV adaptations make considerable changes to the original plot. I did not find any free trailers or postings of either of them, but they are both available on the Britbox streaming service here in Canada.

The first TV adaptation was as part of the BBC's Miss Marple (1984-1992) series as Episode 7 in 2 parts in 1987, which starred Joan Hickson as Miss Marple.

The second TV adaptation was as part of ITV's Agatha Christie’s Marple (2004-2013) reboot series as Season 3 Episode 1 in 2007 which starred Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple.

[Richard Derus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real Rating: 2.5* of five, rounded up because it's Marple and that deserves respect

Clearly Dame Agatha was *sick*to*death* of Miss Marple. She drifts airily around the story and made little difference to it. She is very likely present in fewer than 20,000 words of the not-at-all-long novel.

And when she is? One wonders why.

As to the rest of the book, it's a pleasant novel about unpleasant people doing crappy things to each other because they're greedy. Really, unless you're just mad about Dame Ags, there are *many* books more deserving of your attention.

[Ellery Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this Miss Marple mystery. Bertram's Hotel is such a wonderful setting that it's practically a character. Not only does Christie give us the usual parade of suspects, but she also introduces the shrewd and amiable "Father" the middle-aged, portly Chief Inspector. This is one of Christie's less convoluted puzzles, but the pacing meets the setting. I don't care how many criminals hang out at Bertram's Hotel—I'd stay there in a heartbeat!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bertram’s Hotel ist ein echtes Kleinod von Hotel im Herzen Londons. Hier ist es, als wäre die Zeit stehengeblieben. Heimelig und luxuriöse Zimmer, die nicht protzen. Hervorragender und gleichzeitig diskreter Service, alteingesessene Küche.
Landadel, Amerikaner auf der Suche nach „dem echten, alten England“ und hochrangige Geistliche steigen hier ab. Wenig verwunderlich, dass sich auch die ältliche Miss Marple einen Aufenthalt in diesem traditionellen Hotel genehmigt – sowas wie das Bertram’s ist heutzutage ja auch schwer zu finden.

Doch irgendetwas stimmt mit dem Hotel nicht. Miss Marple, eine hervorragende Beobachterin, nimmt immer wieder komische Situationen wahr. Und auch Chief Inspector Davy, von allen nur „Father“ genannt, ist dem Bertram’s auf der Spur. Was machen die seltsamen Gestalten, die auf den ersten Blick gar nicht ins Hotel passen, dort? Wem gehört das Unternehmen eigentlich? Und was hat das Bertram’s mit einem mysteriösen Zugüberfall zu tun?
Gemeinsam machen sich die beiden Ermittler, die unterschiedlicher kaum sein könnten, auf die Suche nach dem Geheimnis des traditionswürdigen Gästehauses.

__________________

Ja, ganz guter, aber in seiner Gesamtheit eher durchschnittlicher Christie. Die Figuren und der Vibe des Hotels waren interessanter als der eigentliche Kriminalfall, der am Ende relativ unspektakulär gelöst wurde. Kann man mal lesen, würde es aber nicht als Einstiegslektüre empfehlen, da gibt es spannendere Krimis der Grande Dame.

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Even at Bertram's, thought Miss Marple, happily, interesting things could happen . . . ."

Miss Marple is sent yet on another vacation by her nephew, Raymond. This time, she is off to London, to stay at Bertram's Hotel, a place she last visited in her childhood. The place retains a nostalgic and old-fashioned feel that appeals to a select group of clientele. Yet, mch as Miss Marple is enchanted by Bertram's, she feels something is amiss. When a clergyman goes missing and a man ends up murdered, Miss Marple confirms her suspicions.

The 11th book in the Miss Marple series, At Bertram's Hotel, originally published in 1965, is a book that I initially did not quite love but did towards the end. Miss Marple is off on another vacation, courtesy of her nephew Raymond who greatly cares for her. She goes to London, to Bertram's Hotel. She stayed there as a girl and was charmed by the atmosphere and place. Upon arrival, Miss Marple realizes that the hotel has kept that charm despite modern times. Bertram's has a "nice old-fashioned clientele, comfortable, old-fashioned premises, nothing rackety about it, a lot of luxury without looking luxurious". Aristocracy, clergymen, wealhty tourists, army officers and older ladies that like the Edwardian style stay here. It all looks awfully respectable . . . or is it? I did not love the format at first but it grew on me as I read on. This book is ceratinly different than other Marple mysteries but it keeps the same essence. What appeared to be separate incidents happening to different guests and staff in the hotel comes together to reveal a larger plot. I most liked the old time hotel atmosphere Christie created and did not much mind that Miss Marple was somewhat on the sidelines in this book. We still see her sharp as ever. This is one of the Marple mysteries I was most looking forward to reading and I greatly enjoyed it.

[°•.Melina°•. · Rating 4 out of 5]

اولین تجربم از ✨آگاتا کریستی✨ بود و باید بگم تموم کردن ۳۵۰ صفحه تو ۲ روز برام به شدت سرگرم کننده و جالب بود<: بنظرم اصصلا نباید کتابای جنایی رو تا آخرین صفحه نظری داد چون تازه آخرش چیدمان حرفه‌ای و بهم وصل شدن همه چیز برات روشن و شیرین میشه و کل صفحاتو برات ارزشمند میکنه اما چیزی که بنظرم راجع به شخص خود کریستی جادوییه اینه که حتی اوایل و اواسط کتاب هم که همش شرح اتفاقات و بازجویی و دنبال کردن یه مشت آدم عادی که بهم ربطی ندارن هستش رو اونقدری جذاب مینویسه که کتابو زمین نمیذاری و از خودت میپرسی چی باعث میشه این اتفاقات و کرکترای عجیب و عادی برام انقد اهمیت و جذابیت پیدا کنه؟!

هتل برترام یه هتل قدیمی و سنتی تو لندنه که معمولا هیچ اتفاق خاصی اونجا نمیفته و هیچ آدم خاصی هم اونجا رفت و آمد نداره تااینکه یکی یکی با بعضی از مهمونای اونجا آشنا میشید و یکی یکی بهم وصل میشن و در انتهای کتاب هتل اصلا هتل معمولی‌ای نیست و هیچکس هم اونجوری که فکرشو میکردید نیست✨