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drea_jewels's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
dalu's review against another edition
4.0
3.8 ☆
"Hercule Poirot springs! And so- the gambler will gather in no more tricks. He has thrown his cards upon the table. C'est fini."
This is a grest book. I have to say that I DID found the plot/murder itself rather conventional and boring: in this I agree with Hastings in the Foreword who, contrary to Poirot, considers that part of the case very dull.
However, what I loved here were the characters! The fascinating way Poirot and his fellow investigators solve the case is not by means of physical evidence but they rather used psychology, trying to understand how the minds of the four suspects work, how they played the cards the night of the crime and by asking the suspects seemingly "unrelated questions" such as remembering the objects in the room where the crime was committed.
This was a joy to read through.
Of all the characters the one who steals the spotlight for me is Ariadne Oliver (an Agatha Christie mini-cameo). She was absolutely hilarious, and I loved every second reading her dialogues and struggles as a mystery-books' author. I liked how Ariadne never attempted to solve a real murder but STILL at the end... she was right all along! (and she proudly showed it at the last pages, lol), all of her character made me smile so much.
She appears in more books as far as I know, and I want to read everything.
"Hercule Poirot springs! And so- the gambler will gather in no more tricks. He has thrown his cards upon the table. C'est fini."
This is a grest book. I have to say that I DID found the plot/murder itself rather conventional and boring: in this I agree with Hastings in the Foreword who, contrary to Poirot, considers that part of the case very dull.
However, what I loved here were the characters! The fascinating way Poirot and his fellow investigators solve the case is not by means of physical evidence but they rather used psychology, trying to understand how the minds of the four suspects work, how they played the cards the night of the crime and by asking the suspects seemingly "unrelated questions" such as remembering the objects in the room where the crime was committed.
This was a joy to read through.
Of all the characters the one who steals the spotlight for me is Ariadne Oliver (an Agatha Christie mini-cameo). She was absolutely hilarious, and I loved every second reading her dialogues and struggles as a mystery-books' author. I liked how Ariadne never attempted to solve a real murder but STILL at the end... she was right all along! (and she proudly showed it at the last pages, lol), all of her character made me smile so much.
She appears in more books as far as I know, and I want to read everything.
mimi_032's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sar_sch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicide
Minor: Cancer and Xenophobia
rachel101's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
colleen_lena_taz205's review against another edition
5.0
Love this short story I listened to it more than once.
zuomiriam's review against another edition
5.0
Poirot really shines in this one -- I sometimes get annoyed by Poirot's reluctance to divulge his thoughts, but the final twist in this book was particularly enjoyable.