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Reviews tagging 'Murder'
The Murder on the Links: A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie
40 reviews
cerebellum's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
In Hercule Poirot’s second novel, the detective and his friend Hastings are urgently summoned to France by a letter from one Paul Renauld, but arrive to find their client already dead. Poirot must piece together the truth from a series of confusing facts and clues—including a second body that appears not long after the first.
This was Agatha Christie’s third book and her second Poirot story. In some ways, its clear that she was beginning to come into her own as a mystery writer with this novel—where The Mysterious Affair at Styles (the first literary appearance of Poirot) was straightforward and almost simplistic in parts, The Murder on the Links was complex and filled with twists and surprise reveals. While I definitely enjoyed it, including the hilarious banter between Poirot and his rival, the arrogant French detective Giraud, by the end I felt like there had actually been a couple twists too many, and I was left slightly confused by the various intricacies of the plot. This likely won’t go down as one of my favorite Christie novels, but it was a solid read overall and the heavily detailed plot was incredibly well-written.
The Murder on the Links was also my first time listening to Christie as an audiobook, and I can highly recommend this format! Hearing the accents and intonations added a fun layer to the story, and the narrator did an excellent job. I’ll definitely be continuing my Christie deep dive with audiobooks moving forward.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Agatha Christie; twisted mysteries; family secrets and drama.
CW: Murder; death of a parent.
In Hercule Poirot’s second novel, the detective and his friend Hastings are urgently summoned to France by a letter from one Paul Renauld, but arrive to find their client already dead. Poirot must piece together the truth from a series of confusing facts and clues—including a second body that appears not long after the first.
This was Agatha Christie’s third book and her second Poirot story. In some ways, its clear that she was beginning to come into her own as a mystery writer with this novel—where The Mysterious Affair at Styles (the first literary appearance of Poirot) was straightforward and almost simplistic in parts, The Murder on the Links was complex and filled with twists and surprise reveals. While I definitely enjoyed it, including the hilarious banter between Poirot and his rival, the arrogant French detective Giraud, by the end I felt like there had actually been a couple twists too many, and I was left slightly confused by the various intricacies of the plot. This likely won’t go down as one of my favorite Christie novels, but it was a solid read overall and the heavily detailed plot was incredibly well-written.
The Murder on the Links was also my first time listening to Christie as an audiobook, and I can highly recommend this format! Hearing the accents and intonations added a fun layer to the story, and the narrator did an excellent job. I’ll definitely be continuing my Christie deep dive with audiobooks moving forward.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Agatha Christie; twisted mysteries; family secrets and drama.
CW: Murder; death of a parent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
readingelli's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I liked how the trope was turned around by the end. I did guess some of the plot points but I enjoyed the denouement.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Blood, and Ableism
kloughlin's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
provostjoe's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder
elwirax's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
3.0
"Some of the greatest criminals I have known had the faces of angels."
A bit too much French for me and Hastings was dreadfully annoying. I think it was still an enjoyable mystery (albeit rather difficult to follow) but definitely not my favourite Christie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
sara_h's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
lunep's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
lucyselim's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This is my second Agatha Christie book (after Murder on the Orient Express of course), and I really did enjoy the intrigue. How she was able to come up with such a good murder plot is beyond me. And she reveals clues and revelations at just the correct moment to keep you interested and also completely in the dark around the true events of the murder. (Either that or I am the most perfectly stupid reader she could have asked for).
I enjoyed the closeness that a first person narrative supplied over a third person narrative, but I found Hastings himself was rather annoying and stupid. I hope other companions of Poirot in other books are better. Regardless of Hastings irritating manor, I enjoyed following a narrator who was at least 5 steps behind Poirot at all times, as it meant Poirot's reveals were all the sweeter: it would have been ruined if Poirot himself had been the narrator.
Each new piece of evidence brought me further and further from the truth, when in reality, my first assumption over the killer had been the correct one all along. However, by the time I reached the end, I think I had assumed almost everyone to have committed the crime! A brilliantly thought out, non-violent murder mystery was exactly what I had wanted and was exactly what I received.
I enjoyed the closeness that a first person narrative supplied over a third person narrative, but I found Hastings himself was rather annoying and stupid. I hope other companions of Poirot in other books are better. Regardless of Hastings irritating manor, I enjoyed following a narrator who was at least 5 steps behind Poirot at all times, as it meant Poirot's reveals were all the sweeter: it would have been ruined if Poirot himself had been the narrator.
Each new piece of evidence brought me further and further from the truth, when in reality, my first assumption over the killer had been the correct one all along. However, by the time I reached the end, I think I had assumed almost everyone to have committed the crime! A brilliantly thought out, non-violent murder mystery was exactly what I had wanted and was exactly what I received.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
rosage's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Domestic abuse
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