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novaturient_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.5
(Note: this is only the second Agatha Christie book that I have read, and the first one featuring Poirot, which has likely skewed my opinion somewhat compared to that of those more familiar with her works.)
The main downfall of this book was that so many explanations were seemingly pulled from nowhere. I didn’t look back and go “Oh, that makes sense”; instead I was like Hastings and was still completely baffled. Despite that, though, the book was kept interesting through smaller cases within the overall case of the Big Four. While the stakes did seem a bit absurdly high without much to back them up, Poirot and Hastings’ camaraderie, genius, and likable characters provided the reader with heroes that were all too easy to root for. I am officially the newest member of the Poirot and Hastings fan-club. Also, I just absolutely adore Christie’s writing; it’s simple to read and yet filled with immense amounts of intellect and charisma.
The main downfall of this book was that so many explanations were seemingly pulled from nowhere. I didn’t look back and go “Oh, that makes sense”; instead I was like Hastings and was still completely baffled. Despite that, though, the book was kept interesting through smaller cases within the overall case of the Big Four. While the stakes did seem a bit absurdly high without much to back them up, Poirot and Hastings’ camaraderie, genius, and likable characters provided the reader with heroes that were all too easy to root for. I am officially the newest member of the Poirot and Hastings fan-club. Also, I just absolutely adore Christie’s writing; it’s simple to read and yet filled with immense amounts of intellect and charisma.
lasbrumas's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
2.5
I didn't hate it? But I didn't love it either. It certainly was interesting, at least, and you can see real world influences on the text. In that way, I enjoyed it, but as for the mystery, it just felt eh. Also, do be aware this is a product of its time. Racism, ableism, etc abound.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
yodisborg's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
2.25
r89b's review against another edition
2.0
Overall I found the story to be quite flat with a really disappointing conclusion.
gylait's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
3.0
This book had a lot of things I love about Hercule Poirot, mainly a VERY sassy Poirot and lots of insults towards Hastings. Others have remarked on the silliness of the whole plot but for me, that was part of the fun. I think the step out from the typical “whodunnit” provided a nice break from the normal Christie recipe and while most of the near death escapes were quite unreasonable, I read it in the same mindset that I would watch a “Get Smart” or another silly spy movie, very endearingly.
A solid 4 star book but I have taken away a star because of the few accounts of blatant Xenophobia against Chinese people. No thanks, Agatha.
A solid 4 star book but I have taken away a star because of the few accounts of blatant Xenophobia against Chinese people. No thanks, Agatha.
oumeima_intobooks'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
smartinez9's review against another edition
1.0
Def my least favorite Agatha Christie—disjointed and absurd—but its sensationalism and lack of cohesion make more sense when you realize it was serialized in a magazine. Essentially Sherlock/Watson fanfic done wrong, but ultimately not that serious.
book_concierge's review against another edition
1.0
Digital audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser
1*
Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are on the trail of an evil syndicate trying to take over the world.
That sounds like a James Bond novel synopsis more than a murder mystery featuring the famous Belgian detective and his “little grey cells,” and that is the crux of the problem. Originally these were short stories and Christie tried to weave them together into an espionage thriller, but without much success.
The action takes place over several years. There are multiple attempts on Poirot’s and/or Hastings’s lives. I never really knew what this syndicate was after (other than world domination) or why. Most of the scenarios seemed incredibly far-fetched and unrealistic. And worse, they were under-developed.
One thing that DID capture my attention (however briefly) was mention of.
Skip this one and concentrate on the traditional mysteries.
Hugh Fraser does a respectable job of narrating the audiobook. I like David Suchet’s interpretation of Poirot better, but that isn’t Fraser’s fault.
1*
Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are on the trail of an evil syndicate trying to take over the world.
That sounds like a James Bond novel synopsis more than a murder mystery featuring the famous Belgian detective and his “little grey cells,” and that is the crux of the problem. Originally these were short stories and Christie tried to weave them together into an espionage thriller, but without much success.
The action takes place over several years. There are multiple attempts on Poirot’s and/or Hastings’s lives. I never really knew what this syndicate was after (other than world domination) or why. Most of the scenarios seemed incredibly far-fetched and unrealistic. And worse, they were under-developed.
One thing that DID capture my attention (however briefly) was mention of
Spoiler
Hastings’s wife. What? He’s married? I don’t recall any other mention of his beloved in any of the other books I’ve read, nor in the TV miniseries. And he’s always on about “auburn-haired” women and mooning over them in the other books.Skip this one and concentrate on the traditional mysteries.
Hugh Fraser does a respectable job of narrating the audiobook. I like David Suchet’s interpretation of Poirot better, but that isn’t Fraser’s fault.
ketutar's review against another edition
4.0
Not your usual Hercule Poirot. More of a spy story, this one, with international villainry. It got really scary :-D
seakay05's review against another edition
5.0
Obv racist love her tho! I think what made this much better than Poirot Investigates is that, even though there are several mysteries throughout the story, they're all obviously connected by the thread that is the Big Four. It's also really fun to see an even (or close to even) match for Poirot, and I always felt really eager to pick the book back up.