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

adventurous 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

3.0

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is a fun, easy-to-read mystery novel that focuses on the theme of revenge versus justice. 

The book presents opportunities for readers to develop their own theories in the whodunit storyline, however I personally felt the novel betrayed this plot variety as the story progressed. The protagonist relied on making "lucky guesses" to unravel the pieces of the case, that would otherwise not be known to the reader until it was revealed. There were a few minor challenges with the flow of the novel, given there was occasional French phrases that would require translation. 

The ending was quite shocking

All the travellers onboard having lied in their first testimony, only to be closely tied to the Armstrong Case, especially the case of Mrs. Hubbard revealing herself as Mrs. Armstrong's mother. We see passengers of diverse castes, including diplomats, foreigners, and a grief-stricken mother, which would pose the question of whether they all receive different verdicts and sympathies in a public court of law.

My favourite aspect of the novel was the connection between

Colonel Arbuthnot's strong belief that a jury should make the final decision on legal matters and the revelation  that twelve passengers (enough to make up a jury) committed the final act of punishment by murdering Ratchett