Reviewer: Anuprova BhowmikPrivate detective Hercules Poirot was on board the Orient Express to London when a man named Ratchett asked for his protection during the train journey. Poirot, repulsed by the man, refused to help him. Ratchett is found dead later that night, with 12 stab wounds of various degrees of intensity. The train gets stuck in a massive snowbank the night of the murder, and since no footprints are found, Poirot makes a chilling observation: the murderer is still on board the train, with no opportunity for escape.
During Poirot's preliminary examination of the murder scene, he finds a charred piece of paper with the name "Armstrong" written on. He realizes that Ratchett is actually Casseti, a kidnapper who was responsible for the death of three-year-old Daisy Armstrong, the daughter of the wealthy Armstrong family. This helps him understand the motive for killing Ratchett. As Poirot continues to search the rest of the victim's room, he finds many more clues scattered around the room. However, many of the clues seem to contradict themselves, leaving Poirot bewildered. It is now up to him to solve the mystery before anyone else on the train is harmed.
Murder on the Orient Express is definitely one of the best mystery books that I have read. Christie leaves small details and clues throughout the book that all connect together at the end. I enjoyed the layout of the book, as it is separated into three sections to allow the story to be narrated clearly and concisely. In the first section, the murder is discovered and Poirot performs some preliminary investigations by obtaining objects from the crime scene. In the second section, all of the passengers on the train are interviewed, with each interview taking a chapter. In the last section, all the evidence is put together to reveal a shocking solution to the crime. I also thought that Christie's writing style was unique, as she was able to give life to each of the passengers on the train in a mere chapter. This book is definitely a must-read for all fans of mysteries, and even those who tend to stray away from mysteries should try it out, as it truly is a literary masterpiece.
I enjoyed reading your blog post! It was informative and gave a clear and concise summary of the book as well as a paragraph afterwards stating your opinion. I've been pondering whether to read Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (mainly due to the fact that I accidentally spoiled the book for myself....whoops), and I actually think that I will read it just to see how the entire mystery comes together. I think that because I do know the outcome already, it will be interesting to see how Christie pieces together various clues and hints to form the final answer. I've also been reading this huge thick book on Sherlock Holmes, so maybe I'll continue to try mysteries with Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.
ReplyDeleteGood review! I really liked that you captured the story's suspense in your summary of the plot, which made it exciting to read. I especially like that you pointed out that Christie leaves clues that point to the story's ending, since I think it's really fun when mystery novels allow the reader to engage with the story and make predictions about the story as it occurs. Overall, you did a really good job writing a concise, informative summary and review of the book, and I'm excited to check it out!
ReplyDeleteNice job on the review. I remember watching the 2017 version of the movie a few years ago and I didn't even realize there was a book that it was based off of. I liked how you talked about the "sections" within the novel. Often times, when I read mystery stories, the events often feel slightly jumbled, or rather, confusing, so its good to know this book seems to find a way to clear up events.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really intriguing. It's always satisfying when all the small ideas in the story end up coming together. I always felt that, since Agatha Christie is the author, the writing style will be dense and not interesting. However, after reading your review, I might check it out. Good job!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! Murder on the Orient Express was recommened to me several times, but I never actually read it because I generally don’t like mysteries. However, I have enjoyed reading some mysteries, so based on your review, I might read Murder on the Orient Express. Most mysteries aren’t divided into sections, but this aspect probably makes it easier to understand the mystery, especially because some mysteries aren’t as well written and the clues can be easily confused.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I watched the movie based on the book and I have wanted to read the book. I like how you summarized the book and the how the plot gradually moves towards the climax with all the clues and events all culminating to the eventual outcome. The book even makes it easier for the reader to follow along in the investigation so that the reader may be able to reach the outcome themselves.
ReplyDeleteGood review! I've seen multiple movie and T.V. adaptations of this story, but I have never actually gotten around to reading it. I love this type of mystery stories, and I really liked how you described the overall plot and direction of the story without totally spoiling it. Thanks for your in depth review!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great review! I read Murder on the Orient Express a while ago, and I remember that I really enjoyed it. Your review reminded me of the book's great plot and layout. I am especially glad you mentioned the small details Agatha Christie writes into the book that forms together to solve the mystery at the end.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really well written review! I remember that after I watched the movie adaptation, I immediately purchased the book to read. You did a really good job of describing the plot of the book without spoiling it and I enjoyed how detailed you were with some of your observations. Good job!
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