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A review by savvyrosereads
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
adventurous
funny
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
3.5
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
In Hercule Poirot’s second novel, the detective and his friend Hastings are urgently summoned to France by a letter from one Paul Renauld, but arrive to find their client already dead. Poirot must piece together the truth from a series of confusing facts and clues—including a second body that appears not long after the first.
This was Agatha Christie’s third book and her second Poirot story. In some ways, its clear that she was beginning to come into her own as a mystery writer with this novel—where The Mysterious Affair at Styles (the first literary appearance of Poirot) was straightforward and almost simplistic in parts, The Murder on the Links was complex and filled with twists and surprise reveals. While I definitely enjoyed it, including the hilarious banter between Poirot and his rival, the arrogant French detective Giraud, by the end I felt like there had actually been a couple twists too many, and I was left slightly confused by the various intricacies of the plot. This likely won’t go down as one of my favorite Christie novels, but it was a solid read overall and the heavily detailed plot was incredibly well-written.
The Murder on the Links was also my first time listening to Christie as an audiobook, and I can highly recommend this format! Hearing the accents and intonations added a fun layer to the story, and the narrator did an excellent job. I’ll definitely be continuing my Christie deep dive with audiobooks moving forward.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Agatha Christie; twisted mysteries; family secrets and drama.
CW: Murder; death of a parent.
In Hercule Poirot’s second novel, the detective and his friend Hastings are urgently summoned to France by a letter from one Paul Renauld, but arrive to find their client already dead. Poirot must piece together the truth from a series of confusing facts and clues—including a second body that appears not long after the first.
This was Agatha Christie’s third book and her second Poirot story. In some ways, its clear that she was beginning to come into her own as a mystery writer with this novel—where The Mysterious Affair at Styles (the first literary appearance of Poirot) was straightforward and almost simplistic in parts, The Murder on the Links was complex and filled with twists and surprise reveals. While I definitely enjoyed it, including the hilarious banter between Poirot and his rival, the arrogant French detective Giraud, by the end I felt like there had actually been a couple twists too many, and I was left slightly confused by the various intricacies of the plot. This likely won’t go down as one of my favorite Christie novels, but it was a solid read overall and the heavily detailed plot was incredibly well-written.
The Murder on the Links was also my first time listening to Christie as an audiobook, and I can highly recommend this format! Hearing the accents and intonations added a fun layer to the story, and the narrator did an excellent job. I’ll definitely be continuing my Christie deep dive with audiobooks moving forward.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Agatha Christie; twisted mysteries; family secrets and drama.
CW: Murder; death of a parent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder