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babblingbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.0
Really enjoyed this one, surprisingly the multiple perspectives worked well. First Poirot title without Hastings as the sidekick.
thompson626's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jedimasterminerva's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
nizhnevartovsk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
kattila's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.5
jsun21's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lemon_drop's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
3.25
jlwilson's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jimbowen0306's review against another edition
2.0
I can't really work out what to think about this book. I know early books by an author can be... formulaic (and this is an early Poirot book). I know that this is an Agatha Christie novel, so it's almost definitionally formulaic, and even if it weren't, it's Christie, so it's never going to be the literary equivalent of The Magnificent Ambersons, but hells teeth this was formulaic.
In this book, Hercule Poirot is travelling on the "Blue Train" to the south of France for a holiday. He's travelling with the usual group of potentially nefarious upper middle class, and upper class toff who either have money, want to gain money, or want to keep the money they have, when one of them is murdered.
Poirot doesn't do much investigating. He sits in on an interview here. He makes discreet inquiries there. He talks to his contacts in the underworld, somewhere else, and kapow, he's solved the case. All in all, if you've read any other Christie books, or watched anything by her on the television, you're going to be able to guess who the murderer was. To be honest you'll need the experience of the shows too, because there's no way you can work out who this murderer was, based on the scant clues she leaves for you in the book.
Before, I close, I'd like to apologise to P.D. James. I've accused her in reviews of being like a modern day Agatha Christie. She isn't. She's a much better writer. And her stories are more intricately plotted too.
In this book, Hercule Poirot is travelling on the "Blue Train" to the south of France for a holiday. He's travelling with the usual group of potentially nefarious upper middle class, and upper class toff who either have money, want to gain money, or want to keep the money they have, when one of them is murdered.
Poirot doesn't do much investigating. He sits in on an interview here. He makes discreet inquiries there. He talks to his contacts in the underworld, somewhere else, and kapow, he's solved the case. All in all, if you've read any other Christie books, or watched anything by her on the television, you're going to be able to guess who the murderer was. To be honest you'll need the experience of the shows too, because there's no way you can work out who this murderer was, based on the scant clues she leaves for you in the book.
Before, I close, I'd like to apologise to P.D. James. I've accused her in reviews of being like a modern day Agatha Christie. She isn't. She's a much better writer. And her stories are more intricately plotted too.