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awebofstories's review against another edition
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
Grade: B+
Poirot and his clueless sidekick, Hastings, are back and inexplicably vacationing on the Cornish Riveria (I have questions. Why is Hastings back? Is he still married? Does his wife care that he is off ogling young women thousands of miles away while she's on a ranch in Argentina?). They meet a young woman, confusingly named Nick, who has survived numerous attempts on her life, and Poirot feels compelled to make sure the next attempt is not successful.
First of all, this is an excellently plotted mystery. I was surprised by the solution, although looking back, I can see how Christie played fair with the reader. It was nothing less than what I would expect from an early-ish Christie novel. I was also less annoyed by Hastings than I had been in the past. However, I'm the weird reader who isn't a Hastings fan, yet I still think I prefer the Poirot novels without him. For Poirot's part, he was as charmingly fussy as usual.
The downside was that it took me longer than it should have to really settle in with this one. I think that is because I found the character of Nick to be just insufferable. She was flippant and annoying, and I never understood why Poirot was so taken by her to the point that he would take on her protection. I do think that Nick could have been better written without changing the story. However, I also accept that she may be an example of what was expected of an early 1930s English trust fund baby.
So, this was a fairly successful Christie for me. The only way it could have been more successful is if one character was...different. In the grand scheme of things, however, it was a hit.
Poirot and his clueless sidekick, Hastings, are back and inexplicably vacationing on the Cornish Riveria (I have questions. Why is Hastings back? Is he still married? Does his wife care that he is off ogling young women thousands of miles away while she's on a ranch in Argentina?). They meet a young woman, confusingly named Nick, who has survived numerous attempts on her life, and Poirot feels compelled to make sure the next attempt is not successful.
First of all, this is an excellently plotted mystery. I was surprised by the solution, although looking back, I can see how Christie played fair with the reader. It was nothing less than what I would expect from an early-ish Christie novel. I was also less annoyed by Hastings than I had been in the past. However, I'm the weird reader who isn't a Hastings fan, yet I still think I prefer the Poirot novels without him. For Poirot's part, he was as charmingly fussy as usual.
The downside was that it took me longer than it should have to really settle in with this one. I think that is because I found the character of Nick to be just insufferable. She was flippant and annoying, and I never understood why Poirot was so taken by her to the point that he would take on her protection. I do think that Nick could have been better written without changing the story. However, I also accept that she may be an example of what was expected of an early 1930s English trust fund baby.
So, this was a fairly successful Christie for me. The only way it could have been more successful is if one character was...different. In the grand scheme of things, however, it was a hit.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Murder
jdcorley's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
It's really a pity that one of the best Poirots is marred by the casual anti-semitism of the era. One offhand remark could have been put down to a character's crassness or prejudices, but it comes from many sources. The most widely adapted Poirots, Nile and Orient Express, are also among Christie's strangest. Here, the situation is much more straightforward, much closer to Christie's home and heart.
A crumbling old seaside Victorian home and a circle of young Londoner friends, ricocheting here and there, with shifting loyalties, deep passions, and, of course, just beneath the surface, the cold need for money, and lots of it. Poirot is nearby when a murder is attempted, so he takes on the difficult matter of preventing the next attempt from succeeding. The thrill of the chase is ever-present; the urgency of catching the murderer before they succeed (or, after they succeed twice...) is vital. And Christie plays fair. Everything we need to know is right here in front of us. We just need order, method, and the application of the grey cells to make it work. This is the nature of the best Poirots.
A crumbling old seaside Victorian home and a circle of young Londoner friends, ricocheting here and there, with shifting loyalties, deep passions, and, of course, just beneath the surface, the cold need for money, and lots of it. Poirot is nearby when a murder is attempted, so he takes on the difficult matter of preventing the next attempt from succeeding. The thrill of the chase is ever-present; the urgency of catching the murderer before they succeed (or, after they succeed twice...) is vital. And Christie plays fair. Everything we need to know is right here in front of us. We just need order, method, and the application of the grey cells to make it work. This is the nature of the best Poirots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Antisemitism
aurjolras's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Murder
alyssaereads'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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Antisemitism
kers_tin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
neverlandpages4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
• This book is yet another testament to Agatha Christie’s genius. I rarely ever see it anywhere which is shocking to me because this had everything I love in a Poirot book. Hastings’ POV, the humor, the drama, and the shocking twists throughout the book.
• I was immediately intrigued because this was different from her other books. Usually, we follow Poirot trying to find the killer, but in this one, the victim had multiple near death experiences, but hasn’t died yet and it was so interesting seeing how that played out.
• I also loved Hastings’ POV. He’s my favorite narrator in the series and the other books without him just don’t feel the same. Hastings and Poirot’s friendship is adorable and their banter made me laugh throughout the entire book 🫶🏼
• As always, we get references to previous books/cases and I loved being able to pick up on them because I’ve read most of the books before this one in the series. I should really start reading the series in chronological order but for now, I just read the ones I find the most interesting
• And of course, the reveal. When I tell you my jaw was on the FLOOR. I did consider it just for a split second at the beginning of the book, but it just seemed too impossible, and like it would’ve been too hard to pull off. And yet miss Agatha Christie pulled it off, yet again. There were multiple twists and some of them revealed things I didn’t even think about until Poirot pointed them out. And I love how dramatic he is every time he reveals yet another detail that everyone else missed. It took me a while to register the ending but this is definitely in my top 5 favorites!!
• If you’ve not read this, I highly recommend it!!
• I was immediately intrigued because this was different from her other books. Usually, we follow Poirot trying to find the killer, but in this one, the victim had multiple near death experiences, but hasn’t died yet and it was so interesting seeing how that played out.
• I also loved Hastings’ POV. He’s my favorite narrator in the series and the other books without him just don’t feel the same. Hastings and Poirot’s friendship is adorable and their banter made me laugh throughout the entire book 🫶🏼
• As always, we get references to previous books/cases and I loved being able to pick up on them because I’ve read most of the books before this one in the series. I should really start reading the series in chronological order but for now, I just read the ones I find the most interesting
• And of course, the reveal. When I tell you my jaw was on the FLOOR. I did consider it just for a split second at the beginning of the book, but it just seemed too impossible, and like it would’ve been too hard to pull off. And yet miss Agatha Christie pulled it off, yet again. There were multiple twists and some of them revealed things I didn’t even think about until Poirot pointed them out. And I love how dramatic he is every time he reveals yet another detail that everyone else missed. It took me a while to register the ending but this is definitely in my top 5 favorites!!
• If you’ve not read this, I highly recommend it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
Minor: Suicide
lvn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
lara_bk'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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Car accident
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
4 stars- I enjoyed this one more than the last few, it was more fun, and the ending was unpredictable, at least to me. I also enjoyed some of the side characters more than in past books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse and Drug use