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bellaguiliano's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
emmaward55's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the second Hercule Poirot book I've read and I've got to hand it to Agatha Christie, she is a marvelous storyteller. It's funny to read tropes that she had a big part in popularizing and to think of them as cliched because you've first come across all the works inspired by her, but I think that happened here. I don't know why this wasn't a five star read for me, but it could have been.
I love everything about Poirot as a character, and his dedication to his craft and his desire to retire and just garden is honestly so relatable. I too like to dye my hair and wind up policemen and call things "queer".
Time for the next mystery!
I love everything about Poirot as a character, and his dedication to his craft and his desire to retire and just garden is honestly so relatable. I too like to dye my hair and wind up policemen and call things "queer".
Time for the next mystery!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence
Minor: War, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Stalking, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Cancer
Mental illness: A character has anxiety and epileptic fits. Domestic abuse: Mentions of a m/f relationship where both verbally abused each other. Also another man is extremely jealous and temperamental about his female partner. We never see any of this explicitly on the page.chiaraaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Racism and Sexism
Minor: Xenophobia
maddie7217's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
cassandra72's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming and Murder
bookery_13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
dorsetreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Murder, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness
eve81's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Sexism
kimberlyswalters's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
This was definitely the easiest, breeziest Agatha Christie book I've gone through. I really enjoyed the that the majority was from Hastings' perspective. In some of her other books, I've noticed she tends to jump around a bit between perspectives, which is fine, but can be a tad confusing if you're not reading everything with a fully focused mind. The characters were all quite lively and enjoyable. The idea of this case was also intriguing and I do feel that the conclusion did make sense, and how he reached that conclusion was satisfactory. I felt that it wrapped up quite nicely.
Of course, with the age of the book there are prejudices that come with it being a product of its era, so do be aware of that when reading her work.
Of course, with the age of the book there are prejudices that come with it being a product of its era, so do be aware of that when reading her work.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Xenophobia
what_heather_loves's review against another edition
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
5.0
"'Consider when a man or woman is killed, what are the questions that the police ask? Opportunity. Where everybody was at the time of the crime? Motive. Who be edited by the deceased' s death? If the motive and the opportunity was fairly obvious, what is a would-be murdered to do? Fake an alibi...But that is always a hazardous proceeding. Our murdered thought of a more fantastic defence. Create a homicidal murderer!'"
Belgian private detective, Hercule Poirot, living in London in the present day (mid-1930s, when the book was written), receives a letter from 'A.B.C' warning him of a crime that will soon take place. Sure enough a Mrs Alice Ascher is soon found murdered in Andover on the date promised. Following the arrival of a second letter and death (Elizabeth 'Betty' Barnard of Bexhill) Poirot, friend, Captain Arthur Hastings and police Chief Inspector Japp work together to catch the serial killer. In each murder, which takes place around the counties of Hampshire, Sussex and Devon, an ABC Rail Guide is left beside the victim. Will Poirot uncover the identity of the mysterious A.B.C. before he works his way through the alphabet?
An ingenious work of detective fiction, it is particularly impressive in its plotting, which I won't spoil. As is often the case with Christie's works, everything is not as it seems, which only fussy but observant and logical, Poirot can see. Whilst I knew the premise of the crimes, having watched television adaptations, I remember being surprised by the outcome. Thoroughly enjoyable, I read this in a day stuck inside during Storm Eunice.
Belgian private detective, Hercule Poirot, living in London in the present day (mid-1930s, when the book was written), receives a letter from 'A.B.C' warning him of a crime that will soon take place. Sure enough a Mrs Alice Ascher is soon found murdered in Andover on the date promised. Following the arrival of a second letter and death (Elizabeth 'Betty' Barnard of Bexhill) Poirot, friend, Captain Arthur Hastings and police Chief Inspector Japp work together to catch the serial killer. In each murder, which takes place around the counties of Hampshire, Sussex and Devon, an ABC Rail Guide is left beside the victim. Will Poirot uncover the identity of the mysterious A.B.C. before he works his way through the alphabet?
An ingenious work of detective fiction, it is particularly impressive in its plotting, which I won't spoil. As is often the case with Christie's works, everything is not as it seems, which only fussy but observant and logical, Poirot can see. Whilst I knew the premise of the crimes, having watched television adaptations, I remember being surprised by the outcome. Thoroughly enjoyable, I read this in a day stuck inside during Storm Eunice.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Racism