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aido_potato's review against another edition
2.0
I quite liked the build up of this one, but the ending felt a bit unsatisfying. It was more like a mission impossible movie where masks just keep getting removed than a finely drawn mystery unwinding to a finale.
sathyadgs95's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Classic Agatha Christie! I say classic, because her style and intrigue are just that. But each tale - the Blue Train included - brings a fresh set of characters and circumstances. She does have you wondering - or at least Poirot has you wondering - who the criminal is right to the end. Most likely, its not who you believe it to be.
satujensiivilla's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
fraggerbot's review against another edition
4.0
★★★½
Enjoyable, like the other poirot books. Some of poirot's interviews felt a little too long and they tested my focus, but on the whole, this is still a good detective story
I could guess, but the whole scheme is still complex enough - probably that is what makes this a good read for me.
Enjoyable, like the other poirot books. Some of poirot's interviews felt a little too long and they tested my focus, but on the whole, this is still a good detective story
I could guess
Spoiler
one of the culpritslynnfrance's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
lorawonderland's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Another great Christie mystery! The formatting of this Poirot mystery—in contrast to its predecessors—is particularly good. Rather than following Poirot for the entirety of the novel, we follow the subjects of the mystery, giving a more complete view of the situation and a fuller feeling to the mystery.
thaurisil's review against another edition
3.0
While I read through Agatha Christie's novels with the Appointments with Agatha group, I'm putting a templated synopsis of each novel in my review. It has spoilers!
Book: 8 of Christie's novels, 5 of Hercule Poirot novels
Setting: The Blue Train, England, France
Detective and Companions: Hercule Poirot, Katherine Grey
Crime: Ruth Kettering is murdered on a train and her ruby is stolen.
Suspects:
- Derek Kettering, Ruth's estranged husband
- Comte de la Roche, Ruth's lover and a swindler
- Mirelle, whom Derek is having an affair with
- Ada Mason, Ruth's maid
- Rufus van Aldin, Ruth's father (not really suspected)
- Richard Knighton, van Aldin's secretary
- M Papopoulos, a Greek jewellery dealer
Twists and Turns:
Not that many in this story.
- Derek Kettering and the Comte de la Roche are the biggest suspects, but the murderer and robber are none of them.
- The train conductor says Ada Mason was left behind in Paris, but Ada Mason was actually on the train at that time, and was posing as Ruth when she told the conductor that Ada had been left in Paris.
I apparently read this in 2009, but I don't remember the book at all. Nevertheless I did enjoy it. The mystery is a clever one, and the use of two seemingly unrelated people, Ada Mason and Richard Knighton, as accomplices resulted in some red herrings along the way.
Interestingly, a fair bit of the plot was unrelated to the mystery. There was a fair bit of background to Katherine Grey, for instance, who was a companion to an old lady before she died, and becomes the object of a love triangle, and Poirot's companion. She was unexpectedly and cleverly weaved into the mystery – both Derek Kettering and Richard Knighton fall in love with her, and Knighton makes a blunder from jealousy, while Katherine leads him on in order to expose him. There are two other modern young ladies in this book, Lenox Tamplin and Zia Papopoulos, whose strength and humour are typical for Agatha Christie's young women.
I find it strange when Hercule Poirot talks to people of the underworld. In this book he engages in a bit of a threatening showdown with his acquaintance M Papopoulos that feels somewhat out of character.
Book: 8 of Christie's novels, 5 of Hercule Poirot novels
Setting: The Blue Train, England, France
Detective and Companions: Hercule Poirot, Katherine Grey
Crime: Ruth Kettering is murdered on a train and her ruby is stolen.
Suspects:
- Derek Kettering, Ruth's estranged husband
- Comte de la Roche, Ruth's lover and a swindler
- Mirelle, whom Derek is having an affair with
- Ada Mason, Ruth's maid
- Rufus van Aldin, Ruth's father (not really suspected)
- Richard Knighton, van Aldin's secretary
- M Papopoulos, a Greek jewellery dealer
Twists and Turns:
Not that many in this story.
- Derek Kettering and the Comte de la Roche are the biggest suspects, but the murderer and robber are none of them.
- The train conductor says Ada Mason was left behind in Paris, but Ada Mason was actually on the train at that time, and was posing as Ruth when she told the conductor that Ada had been left in Paris.
I apparently read this in 2009, but I don't remember the book at all. Nevertheless I did enjoy it. The mystery is a clever one, and the use of two seemingly unrelated people, Ada Mason and Richard Knighton, as accomplices resulted in some red herrings along the way.
Interestingly, a fair bit of the plot was unrelated to the mystery. There was a fair bit of background to Katherine Grey, for instance, who was a companion to an old lady before she died, and becomes the object of a love triangle, and Poirot's companion. She was unexpectedly and cleverly weaved into the mystery – both Derek Kettering and Richard Knighton fall in love with her, and Knighton makes a blunder from jealousy, while Katherine leads him on in order to expose him. There are two other modern young ladies in this book, Lenox Tamplin and Zia Papopoulos, whose strength and humour are typical for Agatha Christie's young women.
I find it strange when Hercule Poirot talks to people of the underworld. In this book he engages in a bit of a threatening showdown with his acquaintance M Papopoulos that feels somewhat out of character.
emmacmpbell's review against another edition
3.25
I fucking called it, also didn’t know that Poirot was like hot… good good