Midweek Review: Murder on the Orient Express

Each Wednesday, I review my week in reading and look ahead to future reading with a review(s) of (a) book(s) and/or other posts in a feature I call Midweek Review. This week’s book review is:

Title: Murder on the Orient Express
Author: Agatha Christie
Publication Year: 1934
Pages: 212
Genre: Mystery
Count for Year: 36

How I discovered

I have joined Kerrie from Mysteries in Paradise with her Agatha Christie Reading Challenge and this is part of that.

The setup

“All around us are people, of all classes, of all nationalities, of all ages. For three days these people, these strangers to one another, are brought together. They sleep and eat under one roof, they cannot get away from each other. At the end of three days they part, they go their several ways, never perhaps to see each other again.”

“And yet,” said Poirot, “suppose an accident–”

“Ah, no, my friend–”

“From your point of view it would be regrettable. I agree. But nevertheless let us just for one moment suppose it. Then, perhaps, all these are linked together– by death.”

– a conversation between Hercule Poirot and M. Bouc, director of Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits, in the book

Of course, death is what happens on the Orient Express, and naturally murder.

What makes the case the more interesting is that Poirot himself refuses to help the would-be victim, when he asks Poirot for his help. Why? Because as Poirot says,

“If you will forgive me for being personal– I do not like your face, M. Ratchett.”

Of course, the reader learns Poirot has a very good reason for not liking Ratchett’s face later, but I will not spoil that for you.

The book itself is split into three sections: Part One, The Facts; Part Two, The Evidence and Part Three, Hercule Poirot Sits Back and Thinks…and as often has been the case in many of her Poirot novels, Christie provides a sketch of the crime scene, in this case, a plan of the Istanbul-Calais Coach (which was another title for the book: Murder in the Calais Coach).

Then she, Poirot, M. Bouc and Dr. Constantine, go about hearing the evidence from each of the 12 passengers, a group which includes a British colonel, a Russian princess and a Hungarian Count and Countess, to single out a few. Among the evidence discovered are the following:

• a watch in the pocket of M. Ratchett stopped at 1:15 a.m., the time of the murder?
• a handerkerchief marked with the initial H and pipe cleaner both found at the scene of the crime
• a woman in a scarlet kimono who was seen walking down the hall
• a small dark man with a womanish voice that the victim suspected was out to get him
• a phantom Wagons Lits attendant who is somehow involved.

The evidence no doubt is confusing to M. Bouc, Dr. Constantine and the reader, but Christie (of course) and Poirot see through it to discover the truth in the end. What is that truth? Ah, I won’t tell. You’ll have to read this classic tale that I rate a 5 out of 5 on my scale.

The book was also made into a movie in 1974 that starred Albert Finney as Poirot and included Vanessa Redgrave, Sean Connery and John Gielgud to name a few of the more famous stars in it. Here’s the trailer for the movie, which also is a classic, and which I had seen (and only remembered toward the end of the book, the outcome, but it still was a great ending):

My rating system:

5- Classic, must read
4- Worth owning a copy
3- Worth picking up at library
2- Worth skimming at the bookstore
1- Worth being a doorstop

For others reviews of the book:

• Sarah M. @ A Library is a hospital for the mind
  
• Tapestry100 @ From My Bookshelf
• Elisabeth @ In My Own Little Corner

If you also have reviewed this book and would like a link to be included here, please leave it in the comments or e-mail me at unfinishedperson (at) gmail (dot) com.