471 reviews for:

The Unexpected Guest

Agatha Christie

3.79 AVERAGE

samchristelle's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Really good pace and nice plot twist

tisana's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

hoowney's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

ayzreads's review against another edition

3.5

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

megan123cv's review against another edition

4.25

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

astha_2723's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

charliemandar's review against another edition

5.0

mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

danon17's review against another edition

2.5

fast-paced

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Does have the feel of a play dutifully turned into a novel by someone who didn't feel it appropriate to alter the text any more than necessary. 

The characters and set-up are particularly formulaic even by Christie's standards, though she makes sure each secondary character/actor gets a moment to play something, in a way that her formulaic straight novels sometimes don't. The sadness of the final moments deliver a level of emotional connection, even as it spells things out far too much. 

The 'arrest' provides another thing that often bugs me about Christie - feeling cruel despite thinking it is empathetic, by clearly prioritising the feelings of its 'respectable' characters over the lives of its 'disrespectable' ones.

elwong50's review against another edition

4.0

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This is a quick, engaging and enjoyable read; a whodunnit with the usual Agatha Christie twist(s).

While reading, I kept thinking this would make a very good play. I didn't discover until later that I was reading the novelization of Christie's play!

sul_1106's review against another edition

5.0

mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes