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tpatti's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
linksthesun's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
thenovelbook's review
3.0
My very last Agatha Christie novel. I’m sad to come to the end, although happily there are a few I’d love to revisit and probably some in which I will forget whodunnit, making them all the more attractive as rereads.
This one had superb atmosphere, with a deeply creepy aged matriarch and a family that equally hates and fears her. I really enjoyed the Middle Eastern setting. The solution seemed pretty out-of-left-field, in the sense that yes, there were a couple of clues to it, but it felt more vague and flat than some of Agatha’s signature twists.
A few thoughts on the AC reading experience in general:
No one writes tight, zippy dialogue and scenes like Agatha. It’s no wonder she’s many people’s go-to for getting out of a reading rut. Or that she became a big bestseller again during the pandemic. Her books practically read themselves!
Poirot or Marple? In general, I’m going to gravitate toward Poirot, and companionless Poirot at that. I love his fastidiousness, his ability to get ever so slightly sidetracked by his passion for order and symmetry, and his serious morality that doesn’t tolerate wickedness but does tolerate humanity. I don’t really love people laughing at him (ahem, *cough*, Hastings why can’t you be an actual friend *cough*).
Short stories: I’ve read all the short stories I’m going to read… the crime-related ones are varying degrees of excellent just like the novels. And there are a handful of light Wodehousian ones worth a read. But then there are the extremely dark OR supernatural ones. What I saw amongst them left a bad taste in my mouth and led me to strike several more off my TBR.
Tone: What’s fascinating to me is that in some ways I wouldn’t consider Agatha Christie a genre writer. She experiments with tone and framing, and part of the fun of reading the lesser-known books was learning the setup. Many of them feel quite fresh and vibrant and different! And she has an amazing sense of wit that runs riot in some books.
This one had superb atmosphere, with a deeply creepy aged matriarch and a family that equally hates and fears her. I really enjoyed the Middle Eastern setting. The solution seemed pretty out-of-left-field, in the sense that yes, there were a couple of clues to it, but it felt more vague and flat than some of Agatha’s signature twists.
A few thoughts on the AC reading experience in general:
No one writes tight, zippy dialogue and scenes like Agatha. It’s no wonder she’s many people’s go-to for getting out of a reading rut. Or that she became a big bestseller again during the pandemic. Her books practically read themselves!
Poirot or Marple? In general, I’m going to gravitate toward Poirot, and companionless Poirot at that. I love his fastidiousness, his ability to get ever so slightly sidetracked by his passion for order and symmetry, and his serious morality that doesn’t tolerate wickedness but does tolerate humanity. I don’t really love people laughing at him (ahem, *cough*, Hastings why can’t you be an actual friend *cough*).
Short stories: I’ve read all the short stories I’m going to read… the crime-related ones are varying degrees of excellent just like the novels. And there are a handful of light Wodehousian ones worth a read. But then there are the extremely dark OR supernatural ones. What I saw amongst them left a bad taste in my mouth and led me to strike several more off my TBR.
Tone: What’s fascinating to me is that in some ways I wouldn’t consider Agatha Christie a genre writer. She experiments with tone and framing, and part of the fun of reading the lesser-known books was learning the setup. Many of them feel quite fresh and vibrant and different! And she has an amazing sense of wit that runs riot in some books.
bridge_overbooked's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A pretty cozy mystery & my first one from Agatha Christie! I really enjoyed her writing style & that the murder didn't actually happen until ~40% of the way through the book because it meant that the characters were much more developed. I couldn't predict the killer, but I also didn't love the wrap up with the killer at the end.
"Appointment with Death" follows Hercule Poirot as he investigates the suspicious death of Mrs. Boynton, a tyrannical matriarch, during a family vacation in Jerusalem and Petra. As Poirot delves into the lives of the dysfunctional Boynton family and their entourage, he uncovers deep-seated resentments, secrets, and motives for murder. With it's intricate plot and compelling characters, the novel showcases Christie's mastery of the mystery genre.
"Appointment with Death" follows Hercule Poirot as he investigates the suspicious death of Mrs. Boynton, a tyrannical matriarch, during a family vacation in Jerusalem and Petra. As Poirot delves into the lives of the dysfunctional Boynton family and their entourage, he uncovers deep-seated resentments, secrets, and motives for murder. With it's intricate plot and compelling characters, the novel showcases Christie's mastery of the mystery genre.
nichollsfrancesca's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ranee_samaniego's review against another edition
4.0
This has to be one of my top 5 Agatha Christie mysteries. I was so invested in the story, rooting so hard for the happiness of the family, and on pins and needles waiting for the reveal of the murder!
skyedesh's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0