Title: Murder On The Orient Express
Author: Agatha Christie.
Issue In: This book was published in 1934, (and is one of her Hercules Poirot series books).
Publisher: It was published by Harper Publishing Company.
This book has about 250 pages.
It is available in hardcover, pocketbook, and audio cassette. I bought the pocketbook.
The Orient Express that you have in Europe today, was nothing like the first one, that travelled from Paris, France to Constantinople, (Istanbul).
.:My Review:.
In 1929, Hercules Poirot was travelling on the Orient. His travelling companions are a beautiful lady from Sweden, a Russian Princess, a Hungarian Count, some English, French and people from the United States.
The train was travelling through the Balkans and the train has just crossed the Turkish border. A blizzard stoped the train, and it had to sit on the railroad tracts for six days.
It happened early in the morning. The when the train comes to a stop. There are snow drifts covering the tracks. In the morning there was one less passenger on the train.
When every one got up to dress for breakfast, they find out that a man, from the United States, has been stabbed over twelve times. His door was locked to his compartment, so they had to break in.
The man has false documents and is travelling under the name of Mr. Ratchett. Poirot believes the man is a gangster.
Poirot is travelling with his friend, Mr. Bouc. Together they begin to interviewing the remaining passengers.
The second incident happened when the train. Another man is murdered. Hercules Poirot, decided that the dead man was the person who kidnapped and killed the baby of a famous American Aviator, (shade of the kidnapping of the baby of Charles Lindbergh.
There is no way the murder or murders can escape. Are these two murders connected? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
.:What I thought:.
I love how the short little Belgian, (Poirot), can focus in on solving a mystery, and ignoring the dozens of booby traps that try to derail him from discovering who did the dastly deed.
Agatha Christie loves to keep you guessing as she slowly reveals the plots. You don’t see the hidden clues that help Poirot does.
I enjoyed the international characters that brought the unique charm to the book.
To confuse you even more Poirot keeps change his mind. He works like he is trying to make a jigsaw puzzle, have all of the right pieces in place.
The one thing I will tell you is that the ending is very unusual, and your will never expect it.
.:My Conclusion:.
If you haven’t read any of Agatha Christies books I hope you will read this one.
I bought my copy of the book from a Used Book Shop, and paid $3.00 for it. The ASIN # 0061002747.
Thank you for reading my review.
©LL2004