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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Ariadne Oliver, stop going to parties! Murder seems to follow you to parties; what a bad guest!
A girl is murdered at a party and a shaken Ariadne pulls Poirot into the case, which I partly figured out with my own ‘little grey cells.’ I really enjoyed Ariadne’s presence, which, though not large, still entertained me. And really, Poirot! Patent leather shoes in the country while you walk from location to location during your inquiries? Though you are intelligent when it comes to figuring out who’s a murderer, your desire to look good instead of sporting sensible shoes makes me grin and shake my head.
A girl is murdered at a party and a shaken Ariadne pulls Poirot into the case, which I partly figured out with my own ‘little grey cells.’ I really enjoyed Ariadne’s presence, which, though not large, still entertained me. And really, Poirot! Patent leather shoes in the country while you walk from location to location during your inquiries? Though you are intelligent when it comes to figuring out who’s a murderer, your desire to look good instead of sporting sensible shoes makes me grin and shake my head.
Well, tis the season!
...Actually, I'm just reading this now because I recently got it for 25 cents at the library. But we can pretend I'm reading it to be all cool and matchy matchy! (Or would that make me lame?)
...Actually, I'm just reading this now because I recently got it for 25 cents at the library. But we can pretend I'm reading it to be all cool and matchy matchy! (Or would that make me lame?)
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
nothing memorable here but it was kinda fun, wish there was more halloween!
mysterious
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
I've always been pretty firmly in the "Christie is overrated" camp. This book changed my mind a little bit and I did enjoy it, but I still don't really get the whole extreme fandom thing. It was a solid murder mystery, it was fun, but nothing earth shattering by any means, and that's pretty much how I feel about the majority of Christie's books.
dark
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
Super boring, idk why this is set at Halloween because it’s just a generic small English town murder mystery. So many of the characters sound identical, it feels like a lot of soap boxing, and just so much criticizing this poor little girl who gets horribly murdered. No fun twists, nothing meaningful and emotional. Somehow, the melodramatic Kenneth Branagh movie is wayyyyy better than this (probably cause the plot is entirely different!)
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The set-up for this story is great. During the set-up for a Halloween party, a young girl brags about witnessing a murder in the past, but no one believes her. Later that night she is discovered drowned in a tub of water used for bobbing apples.
Unfortunately, after the murder, the actual mystery becomes a bit muddled. The motivations of the killer are questionable. Despite this, Poirot's character remains the highlight of the book. If you're a fan of the series, you won't enjoy this for the mystery, but you will enjoy it for Hercule. I'd suggest this only to the most dedicated Agatha Christie fans.
Unfortunately, after the murder, the actual mystery becomes a bit muddled. The motivations of the killer are questionable. Despite this, Poirot's character remains the highlight of the book. If you're a fan of the series, you won't enjoy this for the mystery, but you will enjoy it for Hercule. I'd suggest this only to the most dedicated Agatha Christie fans.