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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hugh Fraser: Narrator 4*
Entertaining book. Easy listen. Some twists and turns. Some humour.
Entertaining book. Easy listen. Some twists and turns. Some humour.
Ondanks dat het derde katern ontbrak (en het vierde er dubbel in zat) toch prima te volgen. Aardig, maar niet briljant.
Whether this was better written, or just because it has been a while since I read a Poirot novel, this felt much more enjoyable than the last few I have read. It also is worth noting that Poirot himself is only introduced into the story quite late, when we are already nearly at the end. This allows the majority of the novel to flow and develop much more naturally.
Without giving too much away, I'll just say that in this particular instance, Poirot's international connections come in as a bit of a deus ex machina to provide the crucial plot twist, though the actual culprit of the murders is discoverable without this.
Without giving too much away, I'll just say that in this particular instance, Poirot's international connections come in as a bit of a deus ex machina to provide the crucial plot twist, though the actual culprit of the murders is discoverable without this.
I first read this book when I was in my early teens. I think it was one of the first few Agatha Christie books that I read. I enjoyed it just as much now as I did back then, if not more.
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:
No
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I like that this story is set in a girls' school, and nearly all of the characters surrounding the mystery are women: teaching faculty, students, and support staff.
There's a lot going on in this one: espionage, jewels, switcheroos, murders; and Poirot only shows up for the last third of the novel to clean things up.
in this story, Christie focuses on legacy -who inherits the jewels, who takes up the mantle of leadership in the schoolhouse-; and she does give a somewhat nuanced perspective to legacy and progress.
There's a lot going on in this one: espionage, jewels, switcheroos, murders; and Poirot only shows up for the last third of the novel to clean things up.
in this story, Christie focuses on legacy -who inherits the jewels, who takes up the mantle of leadership in the schoolhouse-; and she does give a somewhat nuanced perspective to legacy and progress.
4.5 ⭐️
A very different style of Poirot novel… especially given that he doesn’t even make an appearance until around page 250!
Having never seen the entirety of the film adaptation, I was going in relatively blind to this story and really loved it. Despite the alternate cover art on different versions that does give away a major plot point, I really enjoyed the mystery of it all; it really has everything!
- Jewellery heist
- multiple murders
- kidnapping
- political revolutions
Not quite a new favourite at 5 starts, but pretty damn close!
A very different style of Poirot novel… especially given that he doesn’t even make an appearance until around page 250!
Having never seen the entirety of the film adaptation, I was going in relatively blind to this story and really loved it. Despite the alternate cover art on different versions that does give away a major plot point, I really enjoyed the mystery of it all; it really has everything!
- Jewellery heist
- multiple murders
- kidnapping
- political revolutions
Not quite a new favourite at 5 starts, but pretty damn close!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The best thing about an Agatha Christie novel: I never can quite solve them. I love the challenge of trying to figure out who did the bad things (usually murder, but sometimes there’s also theft or kidnapping). I try to puzzle out what happened, but I always seem to miss some little clue that should be obvious. With this one, I did figure out the location of a hidden item, but I totally missed some of the other things that are obvious in hindsight. I sure wish I could just start with hindsight.
The best thing about an Agatha Christie novel: the wonderful snarl of events and motives that become clear when you get them all untangled. There always seems to be a little more than I can keep straight when reading, and this book is no exception. No spoilers, but there are so many things that all tie to one location here… it’s a mess that makes so much sense when you get everything separated out.
I’ll keep reading Agatha Christie’s novels as I do: one or two a year. She has so many, it feels like I can read new ones forever at this pace. Hooray!
The best thing about an Agatha Christie novel: the wonderful snarl of events and motives that become clear when you get them all untangled. There always seems to be a little more than I can keep straight when reading, and this book is no exception. No spoilers, but there are so many things that all tie to one location here… it’s a mess that makes so much sense when you get everything separated out.
I’ll keep reading Agatha Christie’s novels as I do: one or two a year. She has so many, it feels like I can read new ones forever at this pace. Hooray!
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:
Yes