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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
4.5 rounded up, but I think this is a very underrated Christie book! Very clever set up from the beginning, although the middle third of the book I found to be very slow and I thought I would rate it lower because of that. But stick with it because the last third of the book is THRILLING. I was about 5 steps behind at that point, and it was great! Very clever wrap up indeed!
I always enjoy a good Agatha Christie novel. I am usually rather OCD about reading mystery series in order but I just pick and choose Christie haphazardly but I feel they stand on their own all well enough that this isn't an issue. This was classic Christie and I enjoyed the multiple red herrings until the "big reveal" although I think if I understood anything about bridge, it would have been helpful.
Historien går hurtigt og er fyldt med bridge-udtryk, jeg overhoved ikke forstår.
Det er underholdende hele vejen, de uforståelige vendinger til trods, og jeg var specielt begejstret for det, jeg vil tro er et lille stik til sig selv, som Agatha Christie har lagt ind i historien.
Mistanken om, hvem der er morderen flytter sig hele tiden, og især mod slutningen sprang jeg fra den ene til den anden med mine egne teorier.
Det er underholdende hele vejen, de uforståelige vendinger til trods, og jeg var specielt begejstret for det, jeg vil tro er et lille stik til sig selv, som Agatha Christie har lagt ind i historien.
Mistanken om, hvem der er morderen flytter sig hele tiden, og især mod slutningen sprang jeg fra den ene til den anden med mine egne teorier.
Absolutely classic Poirot. Mr Shaitana, a very wealthy but rather dubious character, invites eight people to dinner. Four people have a secret in their past, the other four are crime solvers. Poirot is one of the guests, along with Police Superintendent Battle, secret agent Colonel Race and Mrs Oliver, a writer of murder mysteries. At some point during the evening, in which the all guests play bridge but their host doesn't, Mr Shaitana is stabbed to death. But which of the four guests who were with him in the room at the time did it?
Poirot and the other three crime solvers decide to combine forces to get to the bottom of Shaitana's death. I don't know how autobiographical the character of Mrs Oliver was, but I loved the idea of a crime writer who has decided to make her detective a Finn, without actually knowing anything about Finland. She bemoans the fact that the Finns seem to be avid readers of crime novels and thus all her slips relating to his characteristaion get pointed out and she wishes she had made him a Hungarian. :)
This is one of those murders where the victim is someone whom everyone dislikes and the descriptions of Mr Shaitana with regard to his nationality (which actually is rather vague) are of their time, but one can't hold the novels of the 1930s by today's standards.
I actually did work out who the murderer was, though for quite a lot of the book, I thought I was wrong after all. As should be the case with murder mysteries, it all wraps up tidily and the nice people prosper while the villains meet an appropriate end.
Poirot and the other three crime solvers decide to combine forces to get to the bottom of Shaitana's death. I don't know how autobiographical the character of Mrs Oliver was, but I loved the idea of a crime writer who has decided to make her detective a Finn, without actually knowing anything about Finland. She bemoans the fact that the Finns seem to be avid readers of crime novels and thus all her slips relating to his characteristaion get pointed out and she wishes she had made him a Hungarian. :)
This is one of those murders where the victim is someone whom everyone dislikes and the descriptions of Mr Shaitana with regard to his nationality (which actually is rather vague) are of their time, but one can't hold the novels of the 1930s by today's standards.
I actually did work out who the murderer was, though for quite a lot of the book, I thought I was wrong after all. As should be the case with murder mysteries, it all wraps up tidily and the nice people prosper while the villains meet an appropriate end.
The beginning of this didn't quite catch me, I was curious of Mr Shaitana but by the time of the dinner party I wasn't that into it, despite liking the little group of detectives.
But then the investigation took off and became so much better! Twists and turns took place and it was such a surprise each time. I really did not guess the culprit and I found the solution of the case well-crafted.
So the middle part of the book was really what saved this and made it excellent. It may not be one of my favourite Poirot adventures, but it sure is an incredible one.
But then the investigation took off and became so much better! Twists and turns took place and it was such a surprise each time. I really did not guess the culprit and I found the solution of the case well-crafted.
So the middle part of the book was really what saved this and made it excellent. It may not be one of my favourite Poirot adventures, but it sure is an incredible one.
lighthearted
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
mysterious
slow-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated