Murder on the Orient Express

by Agatha Christie

Volume 19 in the Agatha Christie Collection (1934) Limited edition of 1,000 copies worldwide

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stopped the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train was surprisingly full for the time of the year. But by the morning there was one passenger fewer. An American lay dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.

With tension mounting, detective Hercule Poirot comes up with not one, but two solutions to the crime.

• ISBN10: 0002315394
• ISBN13: 9780002315395
• Publish Date: 2 February 1998 (first published 1 January 1934)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 13 May 2006
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins Crime
• Edition: New edition
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 240
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[Aidan Brack (Mysteries Ahoy)]

A well-plotted story with a truly memorable conclusion. It is not my favorite Poirot novel but it deserves its reputation as a classic.

Read my full review at Mysteries Ahoy!

[jamiereadthis]

Dang, that’s a whole lot of profiling, Agatha Christie.

It’s blatantly the Lindbergh kidnapping, except even more awful, but then Christie just goes for broke with the twist of the century. I kinda love that she went for it, even though it has me going, “that’s the real ending? For real?!”

Note to self: next time, do the audio. 3.5, rounded up.

[thepunktheory]

Full review on my blog: www.thepunktheory.wordpress.com

I have to admit, this is the first Agatha Christie novel I ever read. The first thing I noticed was that it's definitely from another time. The story features some statements that today you would call racist. The book was written in 1934, so I guess stuff like that was common at that time. But reading it was rather irritating and I frowned at my book a great deal. Otherwise, this is an interesting crime story that comes with a big twist at the end. Although I am not 100% sure that all of it actually makes sense.

[jesstheaudiobookworm]

4 ★ Audiobook⎮ I heard Murder On the Orient Express around Thanksgiving and enjoyed it so much that I vowed to hear more Agatha Christie soon. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas presented the perfect opportunity to hear another Christie novel as well as a holiday tale. It turned out to be more of one than the other, but I’m still pleased with this relatively brief listen.

Agatha Christie has proven herself to be more than capable of telling a complete story in just a few hours time. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas was a perfect holiday listen, not because it was filled with holiday cheer, but because its brevity allowed it to fit into my jam-packed holiday schedule. I had been worried that I wouldn’t be able to find time for audiobook listening during the holidays, but Hercule Poirot’s Christmas was not only a quick listen, but an easy listen as well.

I’ll admit I was hoping for a little more “cozy”, but I guess that’s not Christie’s style. I was slightly disappointed with the lack of holiday atmosphere, especially considering that the title is Hercule Poirot’s Christmas. The holiday itself played very little into the setting or plot. Aside from the title and the fact that Christmas was the reason for the family reunion the plot centers around, this could have been any other time of year. That’s not a huge detraction, but I was hoping this story would help enhance my Christmas spirit.

As for the mystery itself, I feel like this one was a bit more obvious than Murder On the Orient Express. Still, it had me debating right up until the big reveal. And, what a reveal! Classic Poirot. I’m getting more of a sense of his character now and it’s only compelling me to hear more of his mysteries.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas is the 20th book in the series and Murder On the Orient Express was the 10th, so I’m definitely reading these out of order. But that’s another fantastic thing about the series: Each installment truly stands on its own. I don’t remember hearing any references to previous installments, so it’s possible Christie planned it this way.

The Hercule Poirot Mysteries will be one of those series that I return to whenever I’m in the mood for a solid mystery, without the pressure of having to hear the series in its entirety.

Narration review: Although this was my second Hercule Poirot mystery, it was my first time hearing Hugh Fraser’s narration. He is apparently well known for having narrated the entire Hercule Poirot series and even though this is a series that has been covered and recovered by many voice actors, it seems that Fraser is a fan favorite.

Fraser’s dynamic voice allowed him to be quite colorful in his characterizations, which helped my understanding of the plot tremendously. His accents were exceedingly well-done, especially the South African accent, which I was previously unable to recognize. I’m looking forward to many more of Hercule Poirot’s mysteries with Fraser at the helm. ♣︎

[Mercy]

3.5/5

Poirot gently uncrossed his knees, withdrew his gaze from the ceiling, and looked the young man full in the face. “My name is Hercule Poirot,” he said quietly, “and I am probably the greatest detective in the world.

Christie, Agatha. The Mystery of the Blue Train: Hercule Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot series Book 6) (p. 149). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition.

On the way back from Syria, having closed a case, Poirot plans for some rest and relaxation until a telegram from London requests his urgent presence. He immediately changes his plans booking passage on the Simplon-Orient train. But the first night aboard, one of the passengers is murdered and Poirot is tasked with finding the culprit.

I love Hercule Poirot but I honestly don't know how I feel about this book. I know it's a classic and in some ways I appreciate it but in other ways it just annoyed me. The first 70% was alright. The mystery unfolded and kept me guessing and then I felt like it just went to pieces. All of a sudden they were all connected to the case and everyone had a motive and it made sense - but I didn't like it. It was just too fantastical for my tastes. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love a good twist but this was just over the top ridiculous. So it was okay but it's definitely not my favourite Hercule Poirot novel. 3 stars.