You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really love it! As I do with any Agatha Christie books to be honest but especially this one along with Ackroyd :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Murder
mysterious
medium-paced
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Any Agatha Christie book, is a treasure for me – I am biased, yes – and especially when it is a Hercule Poirot mystery. I simply adore this amazing Belgian gentleman with his twirling moustache.
I also read this book as a part of the #readyoshelf reading challenge hosted by my dear friend Gayatri (@per_fictionist).
Now having read And Then There Were None, I found the greatest similarity in the setting of the story in an island, but with much more complications. Christies never fails to provide great depth to all of the characters/suspects and just when you think you have figured it out, out comes another unexpected twists that puts the reader’s careful calculation to disarray. Just like every other time I read an Agatha Christie novel, I tried to figure out who the culprit is – even came to a conclusion. But was I right? Nope, never have and I doubt I ever will be when it comes to the Queen on crime mysteries.
There were quite a few modern elements that I saw in this book – the drug syndicate being the major one. Poirot’s mind is truly a jewel and I sometimes wonder what would happen if I placed him and Sherlock Holmes in a room together, locked. Wouldn’t it be absolute fun to see?
Aa usual, there is a murder here, that of the beautiful Arlena Stuart. However, what is significant is that apart from the actual crime etc., Christie always manages to layer manifold stratums of human behaviour and psychology within the plot, the characters and the entire narrative. And that is what perhaps keeps readers hooked on to her book even today.
I also read this book as a part of the #readyoshelf reading challenge hosted by my dear friend Gayatri (@per_fictionist).
Now having read And Then There Were None, I found the greatest similarity in the setting of the story in an island, but with much more complications. Christies never fails to provide great depth to all of the characters/suspects and just when you think you have figured it out, out comes another unexpected twists that puts the reader’s careful calculation to disarray. Just like every other time I read an Agatha Christie novel, I tried to figure out who the culprit is – even came to a conclusion. But was I right? Nope, never have and I doubt I ever will be when it comes to the Queen on crime mysteries.
There were quite a few modern elements that I saw in this book – the drug syndicate being the major one. Poirot’s mind is truly a jewel and I sometimes wonder what would happen if I placed him and Sherlock Holmes in a room together, locked. Wouldn’t it be absolute fun to see?
Aa usual, there is a murder here, that of the beautiful Arlena Stuart. However, what is significant is that apart from the actual crime etc., Christie always manages to layer manifold stratums of human behaviour and psychology within the plot, the characters and the entire narrative. And that is what perhaps keeps readers hooked on to her book even today.
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
There is no such thing as a really calm sea. Always, always, there is motion.
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Poirot is on summer holiday at an island hotel when a murder happens. The setup reminds me a lot of the short story 'The Triangle At Rhodes' in [b:Murder in the Mews|121646|Murder in the Mews (Hercule Poirot, #18)|Agatha Christie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328750158s/121646.jpg|491463], with a love triangle causing gossip at a vacation resort, although the development and solution are different.
I love the beachy setting in this one, which makes it the perfect book to read by the sea, which I did! Ideal, really. It's impossible to go deeper into it without talking about the solution, so I'm going to go under a spoiler cut. But first, a hint which I think might help without ruining it...
Hint:
Okay, now for more serious spoilers (though I don't name the culprit, my discussion below will probably ruin it if you haven't read it):
Solved? Not in the slightest.
I love the beachy setting in this one, which makes it the perfect book to read by the sea, which I did! Ideal, really. It's impossible to go deeper into it without talking about the solution, so I'm going to go under a spoiler cut. But first, a hint which I think might help without ruining it...
Hint:
Spoiler
A crucial clue is on the first page.Okay, now for more serious spoilers (though I don't name the culprit, my discussion below will probably ruin it if you haven't read it):
Spoiler
I have to say, though I enjoyed most of the development, especially the focus on psychology, the solution kind of ruined this one for me in this one. It was unexpected, I'll give you that. But it was so complex and specific and required the murderers to know in advance about so many things they couldn't have predicted, or at least couldn't have controlled. Yet their plan required such tight time frames, without any apparent contingency plans, that everyone had to be behaving like clockwork in order for it to work. If anyone was out of their predicted spot, they could have witnessed the murders behaving damningly. How did the murderers know far enough in advance to plan, what everyone else's plans were for the morning? Crucially, if Miss Brewster had suggested a sail at a different MINUTE, even, it wouldn't have worked at all, and I'm not sure what the murderer would have really done then? This is the type of solution--TECHNICALLY possible, but Rube Goldberg complicated--that gives Christie books a reputation for ridiculousness, which, really, most of them aren't.Solved? Not in the slightest.