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A review by bookishevy
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
I'm back with my favorite neurodivergent detective. ๐
This story finds Poirot and his associate Arthur Hastings in the French village of Merlinville-sur-Mer. They've been summoned by potential client Paul Renauld, but when they get to his estate they learn that he was found in a freshly-dug grave adjacent to a local golf course, with a letter opener in his back that very morning.
Like Christie's other mysteries, there is a list of suspects. It includes Renauld's wife Eloise, his son Jack, Renauld's immediate neighbor Madame Daubreuil, a mysterious young woman Hastings becomes acquainted with on the train to Merlinville-sur-Mer, and an unknown person who visits the estate the day before the murder.
Red herrings abound ๐
OMG! So many twists, the most important being that the victim has a secret. His past is a mystery in and of itself. All people know is that he had dealings in South America before showing up at Merlinville-sur-Mer. He seemed to be running from something and/or someone when he was killed.
But something about this case is familiar to Poirot. Is there a connection between this murder and one that took place in Paris 22 years earlier?
Hastings narrates, and his inner monologues about Poirot are hilarious, as is their banter. Poirot is always imploring Hastings to use his gray matter. The only thing that annoyed me about Hatings in this book is his thoughts on women. When he meets the young woman on the train, he's instantly attracted to her but is put off because she's not ladylike. If Hastings was a real man in 2024, he would probably be ranting on podcasts about women not being demure. ๐คฃ
As usual, Richard Armitage is a delight as all of the characters, and I thought it was so cute when he apologized in the introduction about his French accents not being specific to the provinces.
I was like, you're forgiven, boo โบ๏ธ
This story finds Poirot and his associate Arthur Hastings in the French village of Merlinville-sur-Mer. They've been summoned by potential client Paul Renauld, but when they get to his estate they learn that he was found in a freshly-dug grave adjacent to a local golf course, with a letter opener in his back that very morning.
Like Christie's other mysteries, there is a list of suspects. It includes Renauld's wife Eloise, his son Jack, Renauld's immediate neighbor Madame Daubreuil, a mysterious young woman Hastings becomes acquainted with on the train to Merlinville-sur-Mer, and an unknown person who visits the estate the day before the murder.
Red herrings abound ๐
OMG! So many twists, the most important being that the victim has a secret. His past is a mystery in and of itself. All people know is that he had dealings in South America before showing up at Merlinville-sur-Mer. He seemed to be running from something and/or someone when he was killed.
But something about this case is familiar to Poirot. Is there a connection between this murder and one that took place in Paris 22 years earlier?
Hastings narrates, and his inner monologues about Poirot are hilarious, as is their banter. Poirot is always imploring Hastings to use his gray matter. The only thing that annoyed me about Hatings in this book is his thoughts on women. When he meets the young woman on the train, he's instantly attracted to her but is put off because she's not ladylike. If Hastings was a real man in 2024, he would probably be ranting on podcasts about women not being demure. ๐คฃ
As usual, Richard Armitage is a delight as all of the characters, and I thought it was so cute when he apologized in the introduction about his French accents not being specific to the provinces.
I was like, you're forgiven, boo โบ๏ธ
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder