eszternagy6's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
baileyboldt's review
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
4.0
claire1044's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
5.0
cpjeanz's review against another edition
4.0
A fun and unique return to form, albeit much easier to guess this time around.
I'm not a big fan of short story Poirot. It doesn't have the same fleshed out characters and complex plot that is in the full length novels which I think is Christie's skillset. Unlike Sherlock, Poirot short stories just kind of happen and are very forgettable. While even 17 books in, I can still remember tons of moments from the novels, as they make a much more lasting impression. After Murder in the Mews, I was happy to return to form here and I wasn't disappointed. There's a unique take/twist on the typical mystery here which was a nice change of pace. The characters were interesting, and the plot was deeper than expected. Bob the dog has to be the highlight. Christie's writing for the inner workings of a dog brain was full of dry humor and was such a treat in the story. Unfortunately, guessing the culprit this time around was much simpler than her previous stories. Without about 70 pages left something happens that just puts the answer right in your face. It was fun to feel like I finally guessed one of her endings! But even with another slight twist at the end, it lacked the usual punch at the end that I'm used to. That's okay though because it was still fun and I was enjoy spending time with Poirot.
Quick hits:
+ A different shade of Poirot in this one which had me invested in this different side of him.
+ Side characters felt familiar but had their own twists to make them unique. Bob, Theresa, and Miss Peabody in particular.
+ A different investigation setup than we're used to which was refreshing 17 books in.
- The culprit was fairly obvious with the blatant dangling of the answer in the reader's face. This took away the punch much too early in the story.
Overall, another fun journey with Papa Poirot. While this didn't punch as hard, it was still enjoyable and I'm excited to read the next. Obviously if you've read the first 16 books, of course you're going to read this one. I would recommend some others if you're just looking to jump into Christie or Poirot however.
A couple of other notes: I really appreciated the little nods to previous investigations. It was a nice reward for reading the other stories. And if you've read my other reviews for Poirot, you might be surprised to see no complaints about Hastings! Well he actually wasn't annoying in this one and played much more of the Watson role and that was really great!
I'm not a big fan of short story Poirot. It doesn't have the same fleshed out characters and complex plot that is in the full length novels which I think is Christie's skillset. Unlike Sherlock, Poirot short stories just kind of happen and are very forgettable. While even 17 books in, I can still remember tons of moments from the novels, as they make a much more lasting impression. After Murder in the Mews, I was happy to return to form here and I wasn't disappointed. There's a unique take/twist on the typical mystery here which was a nice change of pace. The characters were interesting, and the plot was deeper than expected. Bob the dog has to be the highlight. Christie's writing for the inner workings of a dog brain was full of dry humor and was such a treat in the story. Unfortunately, guessing the culprit this time around was much simpler than her previous stories. Without about 70 pages left something happens that just puts the answer right in your face. It was fun to feel like I finally guessed one of her endings! But even with another slight twist at the end, it lacked the usual punch at the end that I'm used to. That's okay though because it was still fun and I was enjoy spending time with Poirot.
Quick hits:
+ A different shade of Poirot in this one which had me invested in this different side of him.
+ Side characters felt familiar but had their own twists to make them unique. Bob, Theresa, and Miss Peabody in particular.
+ A different investigation setup than we're used to which was refreshing 17 books in.
- The culprit was fairly obvious with the blatant dangling of the answer in the reader's face. This took away the punch much too early in the story.
Overall, another fun journey with Papa Poirot. While this didn't punch as hard, it was still enjoyable and I'm excited to read the next. Obviously if you've read the first 16 books, of course you're going to read this one. I would recommend some others if you're just looking to jump into Christie or Poirot however.
A couple of other notes: I really appreciated the little nods to previous investigations. It was a nice reward for reading the other stories. And if you've read my other reviews for Poirot, you might be surprised to see no complaints about Hastings! Well he actually wasn't annoying in this one and played much more of the Watson role and that was really great!
kindle_and_crossstitch's review
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
ikreads26's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.0
wesley070's review against another edition
4.25
Had definitely read this one before, but now at least I can confirm.
between_colorful_chapters's review against another edition
4.5
Egy újabb Agatha Christie könyvet néztem ki magamnak, ezúttal egy hangoskönyvet választottam. Olvastám már 2 könyvet az írónőtől és eddig nagyon megosztó volt a véleményem róla. Az egyik könyve tetszett, a másik viszont egyáltalán nem. Erről a könyvről meg azt tudom mondani, hogy szerintem elég jó volt. Érdekes volt a történet és tetszettek a karakterek is. Nyílván, most sem sikerült ki találnom, ki is volt a tettes. Ilyen szempontból mindig meglepetést okoz az írónő. Fogok majd még olvasni tőle biztosan, mivel amúgy is elég sok történetet "hagyott ránk".