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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
I really like to read Poirot Books. He is my favourite Agatha Christie detective. This one had me right to the end. I also love the banter between Hastings and Poirot so very much. I didn’t guess the killer in this one at all. I did figure out one of the mysteries but not the important one. This one is a good light, short read. As always I recommend, but it’s unlikely I wouldn’t when it’s Hercule Poirot.
By gods ! Hastings , is in this one .
What I liked :
This was a fantastic Poirot book in so many aspects , because for the first time Poirot was shown to be fallible , there were a lot of unorthodox things that happened in this book and Poirot had a lot of trouble , which was refreshing to see , considering it has always felt that Poirot had solved crimes before they were even detailed properly to the readers. This was a fantastic act of chastise the protagonist for all his vanity.
Poirot wasn't the only change , Christie's writing saw a change as well , as the surroundings of the book were explained in brilliant detail , laying bare the clues among everything normal for the readers to read and try to decipher .
The unorthodox nature continued with the plot itself , because for the first time the crime was yet to be committed and the prospect of seeing Poirot try to solve a crime before it has been committed for even try to prevent said crime was fantastic , Christie even writes about how the crime having not being committed was even harder than the ones that are committed .
The side characters were dealt with very well in this book , with every character given enough motive to make them a strong candidate as a suspect and every character at the same time was humanized . Heck even Hastings was dealt with well , he was a very minor nuisance in this book as compared to other books , he was almost bearable .
What I didn't like :
The beauty of the book remains in how much you are able to predict the final reveal , I was able to guess the culprit's identity quite early in the book , but judging by the reviews I read on goodreads , its not that easy . That said , I did found it predictable and that ergo led to a bit of dissatisfaction . Similarly there seemed to be a lot of luck involved in the culprits planned crime and Poirot's solving the crime , this also irked me a bit
Conclusion :
In the end what I didn't like was all nitpicking and very subjective , overall , it was a fast paced book that created fantastic suspense and managed to throw twists and turn through out to keep the readers guessing . I'd say it's a thorough recommendation .
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think one of my favourite so far of the Poirot tales. This particular mystery keeps a surprisingly light-step, no bogged-down bosh--moves fleet, fast enough to keep one a bit too whirled to guess--and the characters similarly keep Christie's characteristic depth without slowing the action by needless backstory.
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Car accident
This was my first Christie novel and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's pleasant (with a hint of murder), easy to read and written in good English with no frills, and a few French phrases thrown in to keep things varied. Poirot's sassy, egotistical personality is quite beguiling and makes me look forward to the fact that he features in many of Christie's novels.
In the novel he starts out meaning to retire, but when he realises that attempts are being made on Miss Buckley's life he commits himself to the case with much vigour and optimism. The unravelling of events seems to lead him to a handful of potential suspects, but the truth is far from what it seems. A gripping, concise read!
In the novel he starts out meaning to retire, but when he realises that attempts are being made on Miss Buckley's life he commits himself to the case with much vigour and optimism. The unravelling of events seems to lead him to a handful of potential suspects, but the truth is far from what it seems. A gripping, concise read!
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder