A review by genny
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

My second Agatha Christie, and my first Hercule Poirot! I adored Dan Stevens as the narrator. Christie's writing can come across as dry since the focus is on the interrogations and Poirot's ever-so-smug discussions with Bouc and the doctor (there's not as much build-up of the setting/atmosphere); listening to the audio really elevates the experience for me. The accents were so good! As for the mystery itself, I was able to guess the twist but it didn't detract from my enjoyment (I liked it much better than the twist in And Then There Were None). While I understand that Bouc acts like a stand-in for the readers' thoughts, I found it a little ridiculous that he was jumping to conclusions all the time in order to make Poirot look smarter. 😅 It'd be fun to see Poirot brainstorm with someone "on his level", so to speak. I wonder if there are any stories where that happens.
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