chlaraphyll's review against another edition
4.0
it is agatha chrisie’s and it must be good. however, i don’t quite enjoy reading this book that is published by collins (the english readers version) because i did not get the feeling of “reading agatha christie’s”. probably i would try to read the original version. still, there are other things that i love from collins’ english readers version, namely the cultural notes that is included inside the book. for someone who does not came from europe, or specifically from the UK, i don’t have much reference to understand the cultural background. the cultural notes helps me to understand the context more, though!
trm's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sofiamey's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lisa_neeleman's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
lydiaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Definitely my favorite of the Poirot-light books. I really enjoyed the setting and all of the characters at the boarding school.
anujab's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shanviolinlove's review against another edition
2.0
(One of those times I wish Goodreads' rating system was different--it was OK.)
I love Agatha Christie's mysteries--very clever, sure to "bamboozle" the reader, and this one is no exception. Set at a girls' school with teachers getting bumped off (a perfect summer read for a salty student!), none but Poirot can solve the mystery. ... Except that Poirot himself doesn't appear in his own novel until page 179! (This is a 240+ page novel.) When he does appear, he simply listens to each character recap everything that happens before making his deduction. This makes for a very static read. A lot of Christie's later Poirot novels function this way, where other characters do the actual sleuthing and Poirot appears at the end, almost like a cameo, to wrap up everything. Having seen the BBC Mystery adaptation, written by the talented Mark Gatiss (think BBC Sherlock), I must say that I liked seeing Poirot being more present and active in the story. The novel was a tad disappointing in that regard.
I love Agatha Christie's mysteries--very clever, sure to "bamboozle" the reader, and this one is no exception. Set at a girls' school with teachers getting bumped off (a perfect summer read for a salty student!), none but Poirot can solve the mystery. ... Except that Poirot himself doesn't appear in his own novel until page 179! (This is a 240+ page novel.) When he does appear, he simply listens to each character recap everything that happens before making his deduction. This makes for a very static read. A lot of Christie's later Poirot novels function this way, where other characters do the actual sleuthing and Poirot appears at the end, almost like a cameo, to wrap up everything. Having seen the BBC Mystery adaptation, written by the talented Mark Gatiss (think BBC Sherlock), I must say that I liked seeing Poirot being more present and active in the story. The novel was a tad disappointing in that regard.