Murder on the Orient Express Archives - DaneCobain.com

Agatha Christie – Murder on the Orient Express | Review

Title: Murder on the Orient Express

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 352

Rating: 4/5

I’m not really sure how it took me so long to get to this. After all, Agatha Christie is one of my favourite (and most read) authors, and this is one of her most famous books. And it’s not as though there’s some specific reason behind me not getting to it. It’s just that I generally get my Agatha Christie books from charity shops, and it took me a while to find a copy of this one. I thought that after the movie came out they’d be all over the place, but nope!

As for the story itself, it’s not my favourite of hers but I do think it’s pretty representative of her work and her writing style. If you’re new to her, I can see why it would be a good introduction, and that might be why it’s so popular in the first place. People tend to look back fondly on their first Christie, and that also tends to be the one that they recommend to other people.

In this one, Hercule Poirot investigates a murder that occurs on the Orient Express while he and his fellow passengers are all stuck in the snow. In that respect, it’s a little bit like And Then There Were None in that we know that someone on board the train committed the crime and they’re all isolated there together. I figured out the solution before the big reveal, but I’m not sure whether that’s just because I’ve read so many Christie books that I know how her mind works or even because it’s such a part of pop culture now that I’ve seen a spoiler.

All in all, I can see why this book receives the praise that it does, but I also don’t think it’s the first Christie book that I’d suggest if people asked for a recommendation. My favourite is Death on the Nile, but I’d suggest And Then There Were None for your first.

Click here to buy Murder on the Orient Express.

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Agatha Christie – The A.B.C. Murders | Review

Title: The A.B.C. Murders

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 252

Rating: 9/10

Agatha Christie – The A.B.C. Murders

This is Christie at her best, published first in her glory period in the 1930s when she also released Murder on the Orient Express, Three Act Tragedy, Death on the Nile and And Then There Were None. I promise, you’ll enjoy this one – it’s up there with my favourites.

Picture the scene – Alice Ascher is killed in Andover, Betty Barnard dies in Bexhill, and Sir Carmichael Clarke is found dead in Churston. Hercule Poirot receives a letter in advance of each murder, telling him where to expect the crime to take place. The great detective must unravel the clues and try to stop the killer before further lives are claimed.

The inspector unravels the clues in his usual inimitable style, and it’s great fun to watch and learn as Hercule Poirot’s faultless logic helps to track the perpetrator down. This is a great book to start with if you’re new to Poirot or Christie, and seasoned readers are likely to have read it already.

Good luck solving why the killer always leaves a copy of the ABC railway guide beside his victims – that’s been one of my favourite riddles in any of the Agatha Christie books that I’ve read. As always, her mastery of the mystery genre is supreme, and you’ll be kicking yourself at the end when all is revealed. The sign of any good mystery book, encapsulated by Christie.