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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
dark
funny
mysterious
As a prose adaptation of Agatha Christie's play, it was pretty good. Charles Osborne didn't make the mistake of putting in too much description or exposition into the book.
I loved all the twists and turns this book took- several times I thought I had it figured out only to realise I was wrong. The end of this is marvellous, as you think it's all over only for one final revelation to be made!
I would love to see this on stage. Unlike [b:Black Coffee|2149979|Black Coffee (Hercule Poirot, #45.5)|Agatha Christie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562761728l/2149979._SY75_.jpg|3342061], I didn't see this one coming. She changed things up so many times, and so quickly, I couldn't pull my head off the one assumption that was guaranteed to leave me clueless until the very end. This is why I love Agatha Christie. Yes, sometimes I see it coming, and she's had a few that I could skip, but considering the sheer volume of her work that's not surprising. Gems like this are the reason to keep reading.
Excellently plotted, wonderful twists and some great lines.
mysterious
As far as Christie mysteries go, this one was solid but probably not one I'm going to remember. I guessed right off who the murderer was - which isn't necessarily a knock against the reveal since that was still done well with plenty of red herrings along the way. What really killed this for me was the dynamic between the murdered man's wife and the unexpected guest character.
My Rating Breakdown
Characters: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Writing Style: 3
Plot: 3.5
Intrigue: 3
Logic: 4
Enjoyment: 2.5
Overall Rating: 3.14
(for full details on this rating system see: my blog post)
My Rating Breakdown
Characters: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Writing Style: 3
Plot: 3.5
Intrigue: 3
Logic: 4
Enjoyment: 2.5
Overall Rating: 3.14
(for full details on this rating system see: my blog post)
It is a 3.75
I liked the story but reading in it's novelization form was not a good idea in my opinion because Christie-ishness was diluted in it.
I'd love to read the play one day though.
I liked the story but reading in it's novelization form was not a good idea in my opinion because Christie-ishness was diluted in it.
I'd love to read the play one day though.
Decent plot though I could tell what the twist would be a mile away. While this is a decent novelisation, it feels very much like a play and I think would work better as such. Still, it contains Christie's excellent characterisation and understanding of psychology.
A re-read for me, I love this story. It is fast-paced with a wonderful twist at the end that I solved the first time and remembered about half way through this time. Did I mention I love this story??1 Definitely recommend