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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Alright, folks, imagine hopping aboard a fancy train to the Riviera, and you’re expecting an enjoyable ride. Enter Ruth Kettering, the American heiress who, after a cozy night in her compartment, ends up dead and, to make matters worse, her entire private life is splashed all over the headlines. Sounds thrilling, right? Well, kind of.
Now, don’t get me wrong, The Mystery of the Blue Train gives off a vibe reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express—the train setting, the glamorous passengers, the mystery—but without that urgent sense of drama. It’s like you’re riding along, but the tracks are a little bumpy.
For starters, Hercule Poirot doesn’t even show up until the tenth chapter. Yep, that’s right—you’re stuck with a bunch of characters and shifting POVs trying to figure out what on earth is happening, without any idea of how they fit into the grand scheme of things. It’s like watching a movie where you can’t tell who the main character is until halfway through. I’ll admit, it left me feeling a bit... adrift.
And, in case you’re wondering, this book was written under some financial pressure (yep, Agatha Christie had to support her family), and she admitted that this one wasn’t her finest work. Now, I don’t think she’s giving herself enough credit. It’s not the best of her works, no, but it’s not the worst either. It’s got all the charm of a Hercule Poirot mystery, just without the usual spark that comes with a little more polish.
In short, The Mystery of the Blue Train is a decent read, though not the one you’d point to when recommending a first Hercule Poirot mystery. It’s more of a scenic ride with a couple of stops you might wish you could skip—but ultimately, you’ll still get to your destination and enjoy the journey, if not always at full speed.
Now, don’t get me wrong, The Mystery of the Blue Train gives off a vibe reminiscent of Murder on the Orient Express—the train setting, the glamorous passengers, the mystery—but without that urgent sense of drama. It’s like you’re riding along, but the tracks are a little bumpy.
For starters, Hercule Poirot doesn’t even show up until the tenth chapter. Yep, that’s right—you’re stuck with a bunch of characters and shifting POVs trying to figure out what on earth is happening, without any idea of how they fit into the grand scheme of things. It’s like watching a movie where you can’t tell who the main character is until halfway through. I’ll admit, it left me feeling a bit... adrift.
And, in case you’re wondering, this book was written under some financial pressure (yep, Agatha Christie had to support her family), and she admitted that this one wasn’t her finest work. Now, I don’t think she’s giving herself enough credit. It’s not the best of her works, no, but it’s not the worst either. It’s got all the charm of a Hercule Poirot mystery, just without the usual spark that comes with a little more polish.
In short, The Mystery of the Blue Train is a decent read, though not the one you’d point to when recommending a first Hercule Poirot mystery. It’s more of a scenic ride with a couple of stops you might wish you could skip—but ultimately, you’ll still get to your destination and enjoy the journey, if not always at full speed.
A classic Hercule Poirot novel. Ruth Kettering, a rich heiress in the process of leaving her money hungry husband, Derik Kettering, is murdered on her way to the French Riviera and the famous Heart of Fire rubies are missing from her possessions. The last person to speak to her alive is Katherine Gray, a companion for older folks who has just inherited a fortune from one of her companions. Suspect is placed on Derik, Derik's mistress Mirelle, and many more. Full of affairs, money, fake jewels, and fake identities.
The culprit turns out to be Van Aldins (Ruths father) relatively new secretary, working in cahoots with Ruth's handmaid. They plotted to steal the jewels, and create false witness dressed as Ruth herself after her murder. The secretary is revealed to be the notorious jewel thief, the Marquis.
The culprit turns out to be Van Aldins (Ruths father) relatively new secretary, working in cahoots with Ruth's handmaid. They plotted to steal the jewels, and create false witness dressed as Ruth herself after her murder. The secretary is revealed to be the notorious jewel thief, the Marquis.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Mystery of the Blue Train is one of my favorite Hercule Poirot novels so far. There were many characters but I was able to keep track of them. I particularly liked Katherine Grey with her calm demeanor, intelligence, and willingness to listen. The lead-up to the murder was also more interesting than usual as we were introduced to several people who could have very different motives for murder - desire for the jewels, jealousy/revenge, money...
Even though I kind of guessed who did it, I was also astonished by one reveal (Major Spoiler:). I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator's portrayal of Mirelle was hilarious - so dramatic!
Even though I kind of guessed who did it, I was also astonished by one reveal (Major Spoiler:
Spoiler
I knew it was the white-haired man from the beginning! But I didn't correctly guess who that white-haired man was - I did not foresee Mr. Knighton's betrayal.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
tense
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:
No
Poirot must sort through the many hidden loves of the aristocracy to solve a robbery/murder on a train.
A fairly standard Poirot novel, in that Poirot sorts through a host of suspects to suss out the truth while outclassing the police and being his usual exuberant self. If you like his formula, you'll like this book (I do!). But it's not an all-time great mystery novel.
Maybe a bit more predictable, maybe I've just read too many Poirot novels at this point (I'm not going to stop though). I had noticed unresolved suspicions that helped me predict what actually happened. One chapter that was "hey remember this old actress? I wonder what happened to her, she seems to have disappeared..." was particularly heavy-handed, though I was initially wrong in who this person would end up being. Ultimately, one of the main clues was the fact that everyone else had been investigated. Poirot had mock-agreed with the police in a way that always means they're wrong. Poirot's explanation at the end explained more of how they did it than who did.
Poirot is helped in this book by Katherine Grey, who is a new entrant to the aristocracy and interacts with the murder victim just before her death. As usual, Poirot is the only man who interacts or respects women in any way besides sexually, but she is featured less than other partners in the past and doesn't often accompanying Poirot on his investigation. She does play the role of providing key pieces of information while thinking they're totally meaningless.
All in all an enjoyable read. I like to read Poirot novels when I travel (read the first half on the flight, have some time to think about what the solution is while I'm traveling, read the ending on the flight back/once I'm home) and this book was no different. This book certainly worked for that, though it was on the longer side. Can't wait to read the next one!
A fairly standard Poirot novel, in that Poirot sorts through a host of suspects to suss out the truth while outclassing the police and being his usual exuberant self. If you like his formula, you'll like this book (I do!). But it's not an all-time great mystery novel.
Maybe a bit more predictable, maybe I've just read too many Poirot novels at this point (I'm not going to stop though). I had noticed unresolved suspicions that helped me predict what actually happened. One chapter that was "hey remember this old actress? I wonder what happened to her, she seems to have disappeared..." was particularly heavy-handed, though I was initially wrong in who this person would end up being. Ultimately, one of the main clues was the fact that everyone else had been investigated. Poirot had mock-agreed with the police in a way that always means they're wrong. Poirot's explanation at the end explained more of how they did it than who did.
Poirot is helped in this book by Katherine Grey, who is a new entrant to the aristocracy and interacts with the murder victim just before her death. As usual, Poirot is the only man who interacts or respects women in any way besides sexually, but she is featured less than other partners in the past and doesn't often accompanying Poirot on his investigation. She does play the role of providing key pieces of information while thinking they're totally meaningless.
All in all an enjoyable read. I like to read Poirot novels when I travel (read the first half on the flight, have some time to think about what the solution is while I'm traveling, read the ending on the flight back/once I'm home) and this book was no different. This book certainly worked for that, though it was on the longer side. Can't wait to read the next one!
adventurous
mysterious