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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ariadne Oliver, the famous mystery writer, is reminded of an old case, and can't let it go. The Ravencrofts seemed like a happy couple, but 12 years ago the husband shot his wife and then himself - or the other way round. Mrs Oliver contacts her friend Hercule Poirot who, despite now being old still have his grey cells in order.
I'm not sure if I read this book before, but I've seen a film adaption. Therefore I had a pretty good idea about the whole plot and it was interesting to follow the case with that knowledge. Ariadne Oliver chases "elephants" through out the book, because elephants are known to never forget things. Many "elephants" remember different things, but the only one who can puzzle everything together and bring out the truth is Hercule Poirot. Always delightful to be in the company of Poirot!
I'm not sure if I read this book before, but I've seen a film adaption. Therefore I had a pretty good idea about the whole plot and it was interesting to follow the case with that knowledge. Ariadne Oliver chases "elephants" through out the book, because elephants are known to never forget things. Many "elephants" remember different things, but the only one who can puzzle everything together and bring out the truth is Hercule Poirot. Always delightful to be in the company of Poirot!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Child death
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
A very charming story, for a murder mystery novel. I loved Mrs. Oliver and her search for “elephants” who can help her and Poirot solve a 12-year-old mystery. It wasn’t hard to guess a lot of the solution before the reveal. But it was still fun regardless
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
slow-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
I was able to predict the ending (right before it was revealed so not a huge feat). The story was interesting but how it was conducted was boring. It was a series of interviews with random people to learn about a past event. The event itself was interesting but the majority of the book was boring. Probably my least favorite Christie book so far.
mysterious
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:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Based on the title, I had no recollection of this book, but when I started reading, I hit the first clue that Christie laid down and I remembered the whole story. (Which is how I knew it was a clue!) This is another tale of Poirot figuring out a long-past mystery, but Murder in Retrospect, which is mentioned here, is much better. An enjoyable read; Christie still on her game at about 82 years old. This one is better than the most recent Poirot.