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reeeeedmg_123's review against another edition
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Murder
michela_ognibeni's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
justcallmeemily's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I read this book for a book club I'm in.
It was alright, not my favorite mystery book, but it was enjoyable. I think the reason I didn't DNF was because I listened to the audiobook. How he made every character distinct in tone and accent allowed for me to not have to try too hard to remember every character.
I will probably go read another one of Agatha Christie's books at some point in the future.
It was alright, not my favorite mystery book, but it was enjoyable. I think the reason I didn't DNF was because I listened to the audiobook. How he made every character distinct in tone and accent allowed for me to not have to try too hard to remember every character.
I will probably go read another one of Agatha Christie's books at some point in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
jdcorley's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
One of Christie's experiments - four suspects, all supposed to be murderers in their own right - and a crime that any of them could be supposed to have committed. The book concerns itself with psychology, and the uncovering of the histories of the characters in hopes of finding one whose methods match the immediate death. The real clue comes about three-quarters of the way through when, back to back, two different people give two different accounts of an event only the two of them were present for. We never know who was right, if either, and it doesn't matter. Poirot gains what he needs to know from the lies and mistakes as well as the truth.
Christie's ending, usually drum-tight, is a little loose here, as if she couldn't quite stop with the "four suspects" routine even as she was eliminating one after another. And seeing Christie's self-insert Ariadne Oliver is always a treat, a bit of a bumbler and completely full of herself. Enjoyable enough, and there's nothing much wrong with it, exactly, but one can't help but feel that the experiment was carried on too long, or wasn't well considered in the first place.
Christie's ending, usually drum-tight, is a little loose here, as if she couldn't quite stop with the "four suspects" routine even as she was eliminating one after another. And seeing Christie's self-insert Ariadne Oliver is always a treat, a bit of a bumbler and completely full of herself. Enjoyable enough, and there's nothing much wrong with it, exactly, but one can't help but feel that the experiment was carried on too long, or wasn't well considered in the first place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Suicide
tangleroot_eli's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
This was the first Agatha Christie book I ever read. I couldn’t say exactly when that was, but given where I remember being when I read it, it must’ve been a solid 30 years ago.
After rereading it, I’m honestly surprised I read any other Christie after this. Unfortunately, my white, small-town US adolescent self wouldn’t have caught the rampant racism and xenophobia. But I was a fierce feminist, and I’m surprised I gave Christie another shot after encountering so much sexism, period-typical though it may have been.
More importantly, I knew (and still know) exactly zilch about bridge. How on Earth did preteen me wade through paragraph after paragraph of bridge hands and scores, when adult me could barely handle it?
After rereading it, I’m honestly surprised I read any other Christie after this. Unfortunately, my white, small-town US adolescent self wouldn’t have caught the rampant racism and xenophobia. But I was a fierce feminist, and I’m surprised I gave Christie another shot after encountering so much sexism, period-typical though it may have been.
More importantly, I knew (and still know) exactly zilch about bridge. How on Earth did preteen me wade through paragraph after paragraph of bridge hands and scores, when adult me could barely handle it?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Xenophobia, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism and Fatphobia
ivulikkivulik's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Suicide
shelfofunread's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Racial slurs, Murder, Classism, and Racism
fyre_flies's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Terminal illness, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
marissajoy's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
ohgull's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It was a good book overall. I love Christie’s writing and always enjoy Poirot. The middle was quite slow, there weren’t a lot of puzzle pieces to work with when it came to trying to solve the mystery myself. Other than that, it was a pretty enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Suicide