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jhbandcats's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is Agatha Christie’s debut of M Hercule Poirot, the detective beloved by all her fans. As in all Poirot books, he sees things no one else does and puts together clues that are invisible or mean nothing to others. As with all Christie books, I’m always surprised at the revelation of the murderer(s).
I just finished a good book about poisons (A Taste for Poison) and Christie’s knowledge was mentioned several times. She trained in a dispensary during WWI and knew a great deal about poisons; she was especially gratified when a pharmacy journal cited her knowledge. That book mentioned her excellent description of death by strychnine in this mystery so I thought it’d be a good followup.
Christie introduces so many characters and creates such complex plots that I will always be in awe of her storytelling ability. I enjoyed reading this clever tale - Christie is always a good read.
I just finished a good book about poisons (A Taste for Poison) and Christie’s knowledge was mentioned several times. She trained in a dispensary during WWI and knew a great deal about poisons; she was especially gratified when a pharmacy journal cited her knowledge. That book mentioned her excellent description of death by strychnine in this mystery so I thought it’d be a good followup.
Christie introduces so many characters and creates such complex plots that I will always be in awe of her storytelling ability. I enjoyed reading this clever tale - Christie is always a good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Self harm, Medical trauma, Murder, and Classism