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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite author, but every now and then I read (or reread) one of her books, and I can't give it five stars. CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS is a good mystery, definitely! However, when it's billed as a Hercule Poirot mystery and the famed detective doesn't show up until almost the third act, I am disappointed. This is the third time I've read this book, and I still wish that it would have been Poirot doing the suspect interviews after the original murder.
Nonetheless, CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS is an engaging mystery. It's got missing jewels, international intrigue, princesses, a posh English boarding school, and dead bodies. If you're a mystery fan, then it's likely you'll enjoy this one from the master herself: Agatha Christie.
Nonetheless, CAT AMONG THE PIGEONS is an engaging mystery. It's got missing jewels, international intrigue, princesses, a posh English boarding school, and dead bodies. If you're a mystery fan, then it's likely you'll enjoy this one from the master herself: Agatha Christie.
Another excellent book from Agatha Christie. It never cease to amaze me how many ways she's find to tell a story, to create an entire world and the people living in it. The relations, the tension, the truths and lies we know and what we don't see but it's right in front of us and are key to the solution of the mystery.
This book can only be described as a ball of yarn. Slowly, slowly you pull the string and untangle everything. It takes time and care, and you know the why but don't know the who or how. There's a feeling of something sinister happening inside a familiar place. And isn't that the very definition of horror? When something familiar, that feels like home, suddenly it's a place full of liers and murder?
Most of the mystery is solved through the eyes of child and that was a delicious twist. That's right! Poirot doesn't appear until almost the end of the story and to piece everything together with his little grey cells.
This also meant we have a great variety of characters running around and their personalities slowly showing its true colors. I personally loved Julia Upjohn, the smart young lady who almost solves everything; and let's not forget Adam Goodman. He is charming, hilarious and devious; I found him incredibly entertaining.
I can't say more without spoiling the plot, but this books is highly recommend. A must read!
This book can only be described as a ball of yarn. Slowly, slowly you pull the string and untangle everything. It takes time and care, and you know the why but don't know the who or how. There's a feeling of something sinister happening inside a familiar place. And isn't that the very definition of horror? When something familiar, that feels like home, suddenly it's a place full of liers and murder?
Most of the mystery is solved through the eyes of child and that was a delicious twist. That's right! Poirot doesn't appear until almost the end of the story and to piece everything together with his little grey cells.
This also meant we have a great variety of characters running around and their personalities slowly showing its true colors. I personally loved Julia Upjohn, the smart young lady who almost solves everything; and let's not forget Adam Goodman. He is charming, hilarious and devious; I found him incredibly entertaining.
I can't say more without spoiling the plot, but this books is highly recommend. A must read!
This one gets props for some glints of proto-feminism (kinda) and an interesting plot, but loses points for being HELLA RACIST. I do love Julia Upjohn and her mum!
A pretty fun story that does not involve Poirot until the very end. The characters are engaging and connect in so many ways. Definitely a worthwhile read!
At an exclusive girls school in England a series of unfortunate events occur that threaten the teachers, students, and reputation of the school. After 2 murders and a kidnapping, the local authorities are stumped as to the murders identity.
This is one of the few Agatha Christie murder mysteries I did not enjoy. It claims to be a Hercule Poirot mystery, however he doesn't even enter the story until page 183. The characters were of Christie's normal assortment, but the ending wasn't as much of a twist as other mysteries.
This is one of the few Agatha Christie murder mysteries I did not enjoy. It claims to be a Hercule Poirot mystery, however he doesn't even enter the story until page 183. The characters were of Christie's normal assortment, but the ending wasn't as much of a twist as other mysteries.
Wow. This story took several hundred pages to even get going. I figured out a ton of things before anyone else did.
We once again get Poirot in this novel at around the 80 percent mark. I have seen it before, and will say it again. The Poirot books are boring when we focus too much on other people.
I wish that we had Poirot involved from the beginning so at least he didn't come in as a side character. The main character in this book from beginning to end was Julia Upjohn. Since this book was published in 1959, once again we get some comments about changing times. And you can read at times at how old/odd Poirot is to other people. I often read that Agatha Christie disliked Poirot as a character as she got older. I can definitely see that in her later works.
The overall plot really didn't work for me at all. Reading about a mythical Middle Eastern country that is overrun with fanaticism was initially interesting. But to have the whole thing descend into a big conversation on how women get distracted and/or crazy when around jewels I thought was just a bit much. It also didn't help that we had huge plot holes that just baffled me made their way into the final cut. Christie for the most part in my opinion, is much better than this.
The pacing was off a lot. Initially things were quite smooth, after the book moved to England things just slowed down to a ridiculous proportion.
The setting of a girls school I thought was an interesting choice, I just wish that we had actually gotten to know more of the instructors/students by more than a throwaway line here and there. It lead to just a lot of confusion with such a huge cast of characters.
We once again get Poirot in this novel at around the 80 percent mark. I have seen it before, and will say it again. The Poirot books are boring when we focus too much on other people.
I wish that we had Poirot involved from the beginning so at least he didn't come in as a side character. The main character in this book from beginning to end was Julia Upjohn. Since this book was published in 1959, once again we get some comments about changing times. And you can read at times at how old/odd Poirot is to other people. I often read that Agatha Christie disliked Poirot as a character as she got older. I can definitely see that in her later works.
The overall plot really didn't work for me at all. Reading about a mythical Middle Eastern country that is overrun with fanaticism was initially interesting. But to have the whole thing descend into a big conversation on how women get distracted and/or crazy when around jewels I thought was just a bit much. It also didn't help that we had huge plot holes that just baffled me made their way into the final cut. Christie for the most part in my opinion, is much better than this.
The pacing was off a lot. Initially things were quite smooth, after the book moved to England things just slowed down to a ridiculous proportion.
The setting of a girls school I thought was an interesting choice, I just wish that we had actually gotten to know more of the instructors/students by more than a throwaway line here and there. It lead to just a lot of confusion with such a huge cast of characters.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is a Poirot murder mystery showing him as a critical actor finding the identities of the killers. This is not a Poirot of decades before where much of the activities were centered on interviews with persons of interest. In this work the stage is rightly and generously shared with government intelligence, students and teachers in a girls' school and police investigators.
At an exclusive British girls' school a games mistress is murdered. Could it have any connection to missing jewels, a foreign revolution, and a royal student? More murders and a kidnapping occur before a concerned student seeks the help of Hercule Poirot.
This book has some more humor than many Christie's and some very engaging characters.
This book has some more humor than many Christie's and some very engaging characters.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another fun mystery where Poirot gets to solve some murders at a exclusive school for girls. Particularly enjoyed the characters in this one.
Characters 8
Atmosphere 8
Writing Style 7
Premise 7
Execution/Plot 8
Execution/Pace 8
Execution/Setup 7
Enjoyment/Engrossment 8
Narration 8
Characters 8
Atmosphere 8
Writing Style 7
Premise 7
Execution/Plot 8
Execution/Pace 8
Execution/Setup 7
Enjoyment/Engrossment 8
Narration 8