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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Cards on the Table is one of Agatha Christie’s more subtle masterpieces in my opinion. Not nearly as flashy as Death on the Nile or Orient Express, Cards follows a very simple premise. A man is stabbed during a party and it was one of four people who could have done it (each rumored to have gotten away with murder before). There are no clues other than ones of a psychological nature for Poirot to focus on. The small cast gives Christie a chance to zoom in on these characters and give us some of her most interesting personalities. Despite the simple plot, Christie is able to weave multiple twists and surprises throughout the book and a very shocking conclusion to wrap it all up. She is able to boast at breaking all of the conventions of a traditional mystery story, and still giving a top notch detective novel. One of my favorite Christie books by far!
This is a delightful mystery that keeps you guessing from start to finish. There was a lot of discussion of the game of bridge that I didn’t really understand but I don’t think that you really need to to enjoy this book.
It is one of the great, classic Agatha Christie mysteries.
We have 4 suspects (who allegedly all successfully got away with a former murder), all of whom could have committed the crime. And we have 4 "cops": Hercule Poirot, Superintendent Battle, Colonel Race and Mrs Ariadne Oliver (alterego of AC herself).
It is a very enjoyable book and I like to think that Agatha Christie had fun writing it as there is no small amount of self-mockery & criticism possibly against her critics included.
We have 4 suspects (who allegedly all successfully got away with a former murder), all of whom could have committed the crime. And we have 4 "cops": Hercule Poirot, Superintendent Battle, Colonel Race and Mrs Ariadne Oliver (alterego of AC herself).
It is a very enjoyable book and I like to think that Agatha Christie had fun writing it as there is no small amount of self-mockery & criticism possibly against her critics included.
When I was in high school, I tried reading an Agatha Christie novel per my mother's recommendation. I cannot now remember which novel it was, except that it was neither a Hercule Poirot nor a Miss Marple. I do recall that its ending was disappointing--the culprit turned out to be the narrator, who pulled a fast one over the reader until the very end. My 15-year-old self was not impressed.
Ten years later, a good friend gave me Cards on the Table for my birthday and I figured it was a good time to give Agatha another go. I suspect that, as an angsty teenager, I was not yet ready to appreciate Agatha Christie's simple but elegant and engaging style. I always thought of the mystery/crime genre as kind of stressful--a lot of suspense, gruesome crime scenes, insight into the darker side of human nature. But Cards on the Table is a funny, witty mix of Downton Abbey and Sherlock Holmes. I think in the future, when I crave something easy but still smart and fun to read, I'll poke around the mystery shelves and select another Agatha Christie novel.
Ten years later, a good friend gave me Cards on the Table for my birthday and I figured it was a good time to give Agatha another go. I suspect that, as an angsty teenager, I was not yet ready to appreciate Agatha Christie's simple but elegant and engaging style. I always thought of the mystery/crime genre as kind of stressful--a lot of suspense, gruesome crime scenes, insight into the darker side of human nature. But Cards on the Table is a funny, witty mix of Downton Abbey and Sherlock Holmes. I think in the future, when I crave something easy but still smart and fun to read, I'll poke around the mystery shelves and select another Agatha Christie novel.
A closed room mystery you CANNOT second-guess the ending of.
Brilliant and gripping narration, but lacks character development.
Brilliant and gripping narration, but lacks character development.
This was my first Agatha Christie novel. I have been a huge fan of Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries on Masterpiece Mystery, A&E, Biography, etc. However, I have never taken the time to actually read one of the novels. As luck would have it, I had this novel (which I have never seen on the television). It was a true joy! It was just like watching on the screen. In fact, I can safely say that there is not much screenwriting to be had as the novel is pretty much perfect for televising!
I have spent such a long time avoiding Agatha Christie's written works because my parents had professed a negative attitude on such works. They found her 'too descriptive'. Well, they were wrong.
I encourage lovers of mystery (especially British) to pick up this novel and immerse themselves in Ms. Christie's wonderful creation.
I have spent such a long time avoiding Agatha Christie's written works because my parents had professed a negative attitude on such works. They found her 'too descriptive'. Well, they were wrong.
I encourage lovers of mystery (especially British) to pick up this novel and immerse themselves in Ms. Christie's wonderful creation.
I am shamed to confess this is the first Agatha Christie I have ever read. Found a couple old paperbacks in Half Price Books and picked them up. And read this one in maybe two days? Heartily enjoyed! She writes in such an engaging style and these books are just old-fashioned and British enough that it warms my heart reading something that's set in a slightly different time and place. This mystery was one of the classic "closed room" case where we know the villain was one of four people...but who was it? Christie's misdirection is simply wonderful and I was thrown off at the end where I thought I knew who the murderer was...but I was sadly mistaken! Poirot was not, though. That's another thing, Poirot is a fantastic character and I much enjoyed seeing him work this case. I was surprised that this book isn't focused just on him though - we get the viewpoints of quite a few other characters, which keeps the story fresh. Well done, and perhaps I will catch on to Christie's tricks as I read more of her books, but this one was a marvelous diversion.
One of the better Christie mysteries I've read lately!
Unfortunately this one is really racist, specifically in the highly negative stereotypical portrayal of the murder victim. It's really a shame, because aside from that this was a very entertaining mystery with lots of fun twists, but wowie, it's like glaring in your face racism coming up repeatedly (including a character using the slur d*go).