(I read this book as part of the Back to the Classics Challenge. Click on the link or image to join in the fun!)
When he hops aboard the Orient Express, Inspector Hercule Poirot expects a quiet trek across Europe. But when one of the passengers is killed in the middle of the night, Poirot quickly realizes that there’s nowhere the murderer could have gone — which means he or she is still on the train.
Clues and suspicions mount as the inspector questions each of the passengers, conductors, and train workers; an extra layer of complexity is added when it’s discovered that the murdered man himself was no saint.
Time is running out for the genius inspector, who must solve the crime before the train can arrive at its destination, and the murderer disappears into the night.
Clues, suspects, & murder, oh my!
I love mystery novels, and am surprised at myself for having gotten this far in life without reading an Agatha Christie novel. The stars finally aligned this year with a mention from my Mother-in-law of how much she likes Christie’s works, plus the totally insane “The Unicorn and the Wasp” episode of Doctor Who, in which Christie features (as a character).
Hercule Poirot and his Sherlockian abilities feature in dozens of novels, stories, and television shows, but perhaps his most famous tale is Orient Express. And I can see why — it’s awesome.
If you’re looking for action-packed, you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re a fan of taking in clues, puzzling them out, and trying to figure out “who dunnit,” check out Murder on the Orient Express.
Challenge credit
Agatha Christie is the goddess of the mystery novel, and those who haven’t at least heard of Murder on the Orient Express cannot call themselves connoisseurs of classic mysteries.
I really wish I had read this before watching a TV adaptation a couple of Christmases ago. I now know the ending and can’t get it out of my head!
I have really enjoyed watching Agatha Christie on TV and listening to audio books, but have never picked up an actual book of hers! I should really change this soon.
I can’t get the ending out of my head either, but I imagine it would be fun to re-read and see if you can “spot the clues” as you go.
This was my first Christie of any kind, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a good mystery that had more tension than fear factor, which I tend to appreciate. Hoping to circle back around to her stuff someday. Do you think I should continue with the series, or hop around to one of the other things she’s written?