brontosaurus55's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
saluki's review against another edition
2.0
Unusually, Poirot finds himself on an international case because four different foreign revolutionaries are trying to take over the world stage. It was a bit of a stretch for me... a bit daft, really. Rather than a global mystery, I prefer Poirot in the smaller, more intimate settings I've been used to up till now.
I still adore Poirot and Hastings but this plot didn't tick all the boxes for me. Let's hope the next book returns on a smaller scale.
It was okay, but I didn't love it.
stern_klee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
nadude's review against another edition
informative
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? No
3.75
frogie's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
There was a lot going on in this, I felt a little overwhelmed sometimes. Poirot is still a great character, but the story felt a bit disjointed. Because of that, I didn't find myself particularly hooked. It wasn't a terrible read, but it wasn't a great one either.
There was a lot going on in this, I felt a little overwhelmed sometimes. Poirot is still a great character, but the story felt a bit disjointed.
Spoiler
It was rather like reading a book version one of those epic spy-mystery-thriller movies where the main characters are forced to travel the world in order to save it from a world domination plot cooked up by a powerful evil organisation, only this was all Poirot-esque. If that made sense. In any case, it fell kind of flat.leahreadsstuff's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
3.5
I enjoy the Poirot books immensely. They are fast, witty, light, and often surprisingly moving. Hercule Poirot himself feels like an old friend that I look forward to visiting. Agatha Christie writes deftly and sharply, and I come away feeling as if I have spent my time well.
That being said, after The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, this book doesn’t measure up. It’s quite ambitious. Too much so. It almost reads like Christie’s attempt to approximate Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty: a brilliant detective with a gifted mortal enemy, although in this case the enemy is a group of four (hence the title). Poirot is not Holmes however, and I think he works best as a character in a more intimate and immediate setting. I also don’t love the racism that was so typical to the time period.
This particular story was a little too fanciful, a little too James Bond esque for me. I still enjoyed reading it. It’s a fun, entertaining experience. But compared to prior books, it falls just a bit flat.
sentientvoid's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
hannelorexo's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
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
3.0