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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a decent collection of works, with an underlying thematic tie. But they were all very different in length and style so it’s a tricky one to rate.
I really enjoyed the first story. The language and plot carried itself like an early Poriot narrative… some banter with Japp… an unreliable witness. Love it all.
As the book progressed, however, the stories became less interesting. It seemed more a collection of novel ideas that were never fully fleshed out than short stories.
I really enjoyed the first story. The language and plot carried itself like an early Poriot narrative… some banter with Japp… an unreliable witness. Love it all.
As the book progressed, however, the stories became less interesting. It seemed more a collection of novel ideas that were never fully fleshed out than short stories.
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
really enjoyed these and surprised I hadn’t read them yet!! 4 shorter Poirot stories, each of which was innovative and unexpected.
This was pretty good. I can do novellas much better than short stories so I liked this format. I think I liked Dead Man's Mirror the best of the bunch.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another great Christie read! This collection was quite good. It surprised me, because I'm usually not a short story fan - sometimes it seems that the stories don't get fleshed out enough when they are so short. But this collection was only 4 stories, and they all got what they needed to be great!
My favorite short here was definitely Murder in the Mews. The character of Jane Plenderleith was amazing - I totally loved her calm, cool, and collected attitude (). The best thing about this story was that, even though I had read this story before and seen the tv version, I couldn't figure it out until the very end. If I hadn't already read it, I probably wouldn't have figured it out at all! That's what I love about Christie.
The rest of the stories here were equally interesting to me. If I had to pick a least favorite, it would be Triangle at Rhodes. For me, that story just didn't have the same flow as the rest. Of all the stories, that one felt the most rushed to me. The ending was kind of below what I expect from Christie,. Although it was a shocking ending, I don't think it is worthy of the same praise as the rest of the stories in here.
One thing that I'm finding is getting on my nerves is the character of Inspector Japp. He is so self-righteous and haughty, it really gets grating after a few stories. The way he treats Poirot is inexcusable! Poirot is a genius, and proves himself over and over again, and yet Japp is always putting him down and making light of what Poirot chooses to investigate. After reading Cards on the Table and seeing how Superintendent Battle treated Poirot, I find Japp even more irritating. Battle was respectful even when he didn't understand, and Japp just pokes fun! I suppose it does add some humor to the story, but it just bugs me.
I originally rated this 4 stars, and I'm leaving it there. :) Great read, recommended.
My favorite short here was definitely Murder in the Mews. The character of Jane Plenderleith was amazing - I totally loved her calm, cool, and collected attitude (
Spoiler
and her genius in staging the murder was fantastic as wellThe rest of the stories here were equally interesting to me. If I had to pick a least favorite, it would be Triangle at Rhodes. For me, that story just didn't have the same flow as the rest. Of all the stories, that one felt the most rushed to me. The ending was kind of below what I expect from Christie,. Although it was a shocking ending, I don't think it is worthy of the same praise as the rest of the stories in here.
One thing that I'm finding is getting on my nerves is the character of Inspector Japp. He is so self-righteous and haughty, it really gets grating after a few stories. The way he treats Poirot is inexcusable! Poirot is a genius, and proves himself over and over again, and yet Japp is always putting him down and making light of what Poirot chooses to investigate. After reading Cards on the Table and seeing how Superintendent Battle treated Poirot, I find Japp even more irritating. Battle was respectful even when he didn't understand, and Japp just pokes fun! I suppose it does add some humor to the story, but it just bugs me.
I originally rated this 4 stars, and I'm leaving it there. :) Great read, recommended.
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Like any collection of short stories, there's always going to be one or two that you just don't love and this is no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed the first three mysteries in this book. I just did not care so much for the last one.
With that being said, this is still a really good collection of short stories featuring Poirot and some of the people he's worked with in previous full novels.
With that being said, this is still a really good collection of short stories featuring Poirot and some of the people he's worked with in previous full novels.