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40th out of 68 books
—
345 voters
Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot #36)
At a Hallowe'en party, Hercule Poirot aids mystery writer Ariadne Oliver in an investigation into the murder of a young girl-who may have witnessed a murder herself. But unmasking the killer proves more daunting than bobbing for apples.
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
September 3rd 2001
by HarperCollins
(first published 1969)
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Mar 21, 2011
mark monday
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
choose-ur-adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure!
You are a truly annoying little girl. A busybody, a liar. Who can trust you? For the good of the community, a-bobbin' for apples you must go – like permanently. But death is not the end! From on high you witness the actions of a strange mustached man and his flighty authoress sidekick. Together they vow to avenge your murder and lay your lovely bones to rest. They believe in your tale of dastardly deeds and murder, the tale that brought you to such an untimely end; thei...more
You are a truly annoying little girl. A busybody, a liar. Who can trust you? For the good of the community, a-bobbin' for apples you must go – like permanently. But death is not the end! From on high you witness the actions of a strange mustached man and his flighty authoress sidekick. Together they vow to avenge your murder and lay your lovely bones to rest. They believe in your tale of dastardly deeds and murder, the tale that brought you to such an untimely end; thei...more
14 likes · like · see review
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Here's some free advice: If you want to impress people at a party, choose some topic other than "when I was a kid I saw a murder but I didn't know it was a murder and I just figured it out and isn't it awful and aren't I clever."
Cracking good mystery, what what. Halfway through I thought I had it figured out, but it turned out I had only about 5 percent of it right. You expect red herrings in any mystery novel, but this one had about two dozen. I was SO SURE the guy with the fake beard would tur...more
Cracking good mystery, what what. Halfway through I thought I had it figured out, but it turned out I had only about 5 percent of it right. You expect red herrings in any mystery novel, but this one had about two dozen. I was SO SURE the guy with the fake beard would tur...more
Boastful girl Joyce claims to have seen murder, minutes later drowned in apple bobbing pail. Guest Ariadne Oliver mystery writer calls on friend Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot. I remembered the killer, like "The Hollow", hard to re-read. (view spoiler)...more
I am a big fan of Agatha Christie. I love her writing and have read piles and piles of her books.
So I feel a bit queasy when my first review of one of her books is panning it.
But I can’t recommend this book to anyone—especially not to anyone who hasn’t read Agatha Christie before. You might get the impression that she is a hack, formulaic writer with cardboard characters who all spout the same dialog. You might read this book and think that Agatha Christie writes mysteries with predictable plot...more
So I feel a bit queasy when my first review of one of her books is panning it.
But I can’t recommend this book to anyone—especially not to anyone who hasn’t read Agatha Christie before. You might get the impression that she is a hack, formulaic writer with cardboard characters who all spout the same dialog. You might read this book and think that Agatha Christie writes mysteries with predictable plot...more
5 likes · like · see review
I really enjoyed this book up until the end. The resolution wasn't clear to me - for example, how did the two teenage boys know that Miranda was being abducted by one of the murderers? Earlier on in the book, their guesses about the identity of Joyce's murderer wildly miss the mark, so how did they suddenly catch on to the whole plot? I also don't understand why Miranda realised that she had seen a murder years ago, but then later expressed surprise that one of the perpetrators was considered a...more
2 likes · like · see review
During the preparations for a Halloween party a young girl, Joyce, proclaims that she once saw a murder done. Nobody believes the girl, even though she insists it’s true, and the preparations for the party are finished without anyone paying anymore attention to the girl’s statement.
Later that evening, after the party has taken place and everybody is going home again, young Joyce is found, drowned in the bucket that was used for apple bobbing.
Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, an author of mysteries and friend...more
Later that evening, after the party has taken place and everybody is going home again, young Joyce is found, drowned in the bucket that was used for apple bobbing.
Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, an author of mysteries and friend...more
So my month of Halloween/Horror themed books for October continues as I give "Hallowe'en Party" by the fantastic Agatha Christie as whirl. Yes, I know this isn't a horror book, but I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and this "Halloween" themed book fit perfectly into October and I wasn't dissapointed.
The following may or may not contain spoilers:
A young girl named Joyce attends a Halloween party in a small English town and announces at the preperations of the party that she had once witnessed a mur...more
The following may or may not contain spoilers:
A young girl named Joyce attends a Halloween party in a small English town and announces at the preperations of the party that she had once witnessed a mur...more
This was my third Hercule Poirot entry in the Cool Down with AC reading challenge. Poirot featured much more prominently in this outing, he was more of a peripheral character in Three Act Tragedy and the Clocks. I had high hopes for his one, I love Halloween, but it didn't enthrall me. I did enjoy reading about an English Halloween party. I especially loved the description of the Snapdragon dish was mentioned often. Apparently they soak raisins in brandy and light it on fire. The kids then have...more
Perkenalan pertama dengan Istrinya temen, bukan dengan orangnya langsung, namun dengan koleksi bukunya. Makasih ya dis....
Tentang bukunya, dan kasusnya memang agatha cristhie banget, yang selalu menmbahas dan mengaitkan sebuah kasus dengan perilaku orang-orang yang terkait dengan kasus tersebut, kisah masa lalu, gosip, sifat dan karakter. Hampir dipastikan tokoh detektifnya tidak pernah (sedikit sekali) melakukan olah TKP, Mungkin karena yang nulis peempuan ya, jadi tokoh detektifnya, Hercule Po...more
Tentang bukunya, dan kasusnya memang agatha cristhie banget, yang selalu menmbahas dan mengaitkan sebuah kasus dengan perilaku orang-orang yang terkait dengan kasus tersebut, kisah masa lalu, gosip, sifat dan karakter. Hampir dipastikan tokoh detektifnya tidak pernah (sedikit sekali) melakukan olah TKP, Mungkin karena yang nulis peempuan ya, jadi tokoh detektifnya, Hercule Po...more
This is an interesting review when you know that I only got about half way through the book before I wrote it. Anyway ...
When a 13-year-old girl is murdered at a teenagers' Halloween party in a sleepy English town, private detective Hercule Poirot must find the murderer to ease the minds of the townspeople who fear a "sexual deviant" preying on their innocent children. This is the basic premise of Halloween Party, one of the later mysteries by famed mystery writer Agatha Christie, chronicling th...more
When a 13-year-old girl is murdered at a teenagers' Halloween party in a sleepy English town, private detective Hercule Poirot must find the murderer to ease the minds of the townspeople who fear a "sexual deviant" preying on their innocent children. This is the basic premise of Halloween Party, one of the later mysteries by famed mystery writer Agatha Christie, chronicling th...more
Oh, how I love this novel. I re-read it nearly every Hallowe'en. It is the last great novel that Christie wrote featuring Poirot; after this, he appeared in the not-so-good Elephants Can Remember, and then came the final Curtain (actually written many years earlier). It also features Mrs. Ariadne Oliver at her absolute best--one sees so much of Christie in her fictional avatar, especially her wonderful sense of humor. Mrs. Oliver is allowed to express many thoughts on the trials of writing myste...more
So I've joined this book discussion group that focuses on 20th century writers who published before World War II. In that spirit, I chose this audio book for a recent trip. It was the perfect audio to take on a solo trip--I could keep up with the plot while simultaneously creating a Christmas gift list. When a child is drowned at a Halloween party in the apple bobbing bucket, no one can understand why. Eventually Hercule Poirot is called in by his friend, Mrs. Oliver (who clearly represents Chri...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I read somewhere that Agatha Christie found Hercules Poirot insufferable towards the end of her life but kept on writing about him because fans loved him. I agree -- I also found him insufferable. I haven't read mysteries in awhile although when I was little, I read a lot of Nancy Drew, Boxcar Children and the Bobbsey Twins -- but I prefer mysteries where everything is not what it seems and I can't figure out in the first chapter what will happen in the rest of the book.
A Hercule Poirot mystery. A young girl is drowned in the apple-bobbing bucket at a Halloween party after announcing that she had witnessed a murder. Poirot investigates and learns that the girl was a habitual liar, but he uncovered a series of crimes and cover-ups in the small town as well. Soon, Poirot is fitting everything together, but not before the killer strikes again.
This is a fantastic work by a master. I’d never read a Christie mystery before, but it’s clear she’s an old hand by the tim...more
This is a fantastic work by a master. I’d never read a Christie mystery before, but it’s clear she’s an old hand by the tim...more
Agate Kristi (Agatha Christie, dzimusi 1890. gada 15. septembrī Devonā, Anglijā, mirusi 1976. gada 12. janvārī Oksfordšīrā, Anglijā) ir angļu rakstniece. Viņa bija angļu kriminālromānu, stāstu un lugu rakstniece. Popularitāti iemantoja ar saviem 80 detektīvromāniem un Vestendas teātra izrādēm. Pazīstamākie Agatas Kristi detektīvromānu varoņi ir Erkils Puaro un Džeina Mārpla, tieši darbi par viņiem nodrošināja rakstniecei titulu "Kriminālromānu karaliene".
Agatas Kristi romāni ierindojas visvairāk...more
Agatas Kristi romāni ierindojas visvairāk...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This was only my second novel by Agatha Christie. It seems odd to read a book so far in a series secondly, but I've been informed that the series isn't necessarily sequential; that is, each book does not rely on the other. So after I finished 'And Then There Were None', which is easily my favorite book of all time now, I rushed to the store to pick up 'Murder on the Orient Express'. While looking through the books, I found MOTOE, but I also saw this. Being that Halloween was a few days away, I d...more
Oct 01, 2010
Bluemoon
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Agatha Christie lovers!
3.5
At first this book was a bit annoying because it kept talking about apples. Yes, you heard me right, apples! Eventually it started getting better and better, by the end of the book it became one of the good Poirot books I have read.
So the story is about a murdered girl in a Halloween Party. We are taken on a journey with the little Belgian man on his investigation of this crime. As the story progress, it becomes more complex when the readers find out other murders/disappearances could be tied...more
At first this book was a bit annoying because it kept talking about apples. Yes, you heard me right, apples! Eventually it started getting better and better, by the end of the book it became one of the good Poirot books I have read.
So the story is about a murdered girl in a Halloween Party. We are taken on a journey with the little Belgian man on his investigation of this crime. As the story progress, it becomes more complex when the readers find out other murders/disappearances could be tied...more
This was one of the most creative and interesting Agatha Christie books that I have read so far in relation to the story, but the execution of the plot through the text was a bit dull. Hercule Poirot never seems to make any progress in the novel until the last few chapters, which makes the progression of the actual story a bit long-drawn-out. She didn't spend enough time on characterisation of most of the characters, which made the revelation rather uneventful. I prefer Agatha Christie books to...more
"Halloween Party" was published in 1969. It mentions drugs, teenage sex and the decline in morals reflective of the liberated 1960's atmosphere. This is one of the last cases handled with superbly facile genius by the imitable Hercule Poirot, the great Belgian detective created by Dame Agatha.
The Plot: Mrs. Ariadne Oliver (a crime writer who reminds the reader of Agatha Christie herself!) attends a Halloween Party. During the party, a nosy and habitual liar by the name of Joyce Reynolds is murde...more
The Plot: Mrs. Ariadne Oliver (a crime writer who reminds the reader of Agatha Christie herself!) attends a Halloween Party. During the party, a nosy and habitual liar by the name of Joyce Reynolds is murde...more
Everyone seems to have such horrid Tory views so far. And aren't there rather a lot of unsolved murders? Is Poirot going to do them all? I'm on page 114 and I'm fingering Mrs Drake.
==========
I remember the first time someone told me that Poirot isn't French, like everyone assumes, but Belgian! And I replied "Who's Poirot?" It feels like it used to happen all the time. People telling me "Poirot's on TV tonight. He's Belgian, you know". And me thinking "But his nationality is the only thing I DO k...more
==========
I remember the first time someone told me that Poirot isn't French, like everyone assumes, but Belgian! And I replied "Who's Poirot?" It feels like it used to happen all the time. People telling me "Poirot's on TV tonight. He's Belgian, you know". And me thinking "But his nationality is the only thing I DO k...more
So much for my silly Halloween books resolution; this book was terrible.
The premise is that a girl named Joyce gets killed at a Halloween party hosted by the control freak Mrs. Drake. She is drowned in a bucket used for bobbing for apples in the library of Mrs. Drake's home. The authoress Ariadne Oliver is at the party and she senses there is more to this death than a random act of violence. She brings in Poirot to investigate.
The first 1/2 of the book was nothing but Poirot going around and int...more
The premise is that a girl named Joyce gets killed at a Halloween party hosted by the control freak Mrs. Drake. She is drowned in a bucket used for bobbing for apples in the library of Mrs. Drake's home. The authoress Ariadne Oliver is at the party and she senses there is more to this death than a random act of violence. She brings in Poirot to investigate.
The first 1/2 of the book was nothing but Poirot going around and int...more
"Solid, if not outstanding Christie. As typical of later Christie's, some meandering and too much opinion on ""the younger generation"", but story grows effectively into a mythologically-tinged finale worth the wait.
While helping set up for a spooky Halloween party, dreadful 13 year old Joyce Reynolds boasts that she once witnessed a murder. As Joyce is a natural born liar, no one pays much attention. But a few hours later, Joyce is found drowned-in the bucket used for bobbing for apples. Myster...more
While helping set up for a spooky Halloween party, dreadful 13 year old Joyce Reynolds boasts that she once witnessed a murder. As Joyce is a natural born liar, no one pays much attention. But a few hours later, Joyce is found drowned-in the bucket used for bobbing for apples. Myster...more
Le 31 octobre, les sorcières s'envolent sur leur manche à balai : c'est Halloween, la fête du potiron.
À cette occasion, Mrs Drake a organisé une soirée pour les "plus de onze ans".
Les enfants participent aux préparatifs, sous l’œil nonchalant de Mrs Oliver, qui croque son éternelle pomme.
"Savez-vous que j'ai eu l'occasion d'assister à un vrai meurtre ?" se vante Joyce, une fillette à la langue bien pendue, devant la célèbre romancière.
Tout le monde lui rit au nez : Joyce ne sait plus qu'inve...more
À cette occasion, Mrs Drake a organisé une soirée pour les "plus de onze ans".
Les enfants participent aux préparatifs, sous l’œil nonchalant de Mrs Oliver, qui croque son éternelle pomme.
"Savez-vous que j'ai eu l'occasion d'assister à un vrai meurtre ?" se vante Joyce, une fillette à la langue bien pendue, devant la célèbre romancière.
Tout le monde lui rit au nez : Joyce ne sait plus qu'inve...more
Apr 05, 2013
sabisteb
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
krimi-thriller,
hörspiele-einzelne
Die Schriftstellerin Ariadne Oliver, bittet Poirot, als guten alten Bekannten, in einem Mordfall zu ermitteln, dessen Zeugin sie unfreiwilig wurde. Bei einer Kinderhalloweenparty gab es einen Mord. Während der Partyvorbereitungen prahlte die dreizehnjährige Joyce Reynolds damit, dass sie vor einigen Jahren einen Mord beobachtet hätte, damals aber nicht gewusst hätte, dass es ein Mord gewesen sei. Keiner will ihr glauben, denn Joyce ist bekannt dafür, zu prahlen und gerne mal aufzuschneiden. Als...more
I´m not fond of detective stories per se -I like legal thrillers and suspense, but detective books seem too cliche to me. However, everyone is talking about Agatha Christie as an authority of the kind, her books having been translated into more languages than Shakespeare -or so the back cover claimed, and I said why not give it a try?
Cutting the long story short, I didn't like it much and it didn't motivate me to read more of her work. I mean no disrespect, but I think the book was partially bor...more
Cutting the long story short, I didn't like it much and it didn't motivate me to read more of her work. I mean no disrespect, but I think the book was partially bor...more
Oh, the agony, the agony. I feel like Poirot would have felt surrounded by uneven piles of rubbish, in a non symmetrical room.
Oh, dearest reader, if you don't want to face the painful knowledge that Agatha Christie had her REALLY bad days, don't pick up this book. When starting this book, I thought I was reading a really bad first draft, not a published version.
The story plot seemed weak, and even Poirot seemed to have lost his sparkle. And beyond a point, I wasn't sorry the girl had died. I was...more
Oh, dearest reader, if you don't want to face the painful knowledge that Agatha Christie had her REALLY bad days, don't pick up this book. When starting this book, I thought I was reading a really bad first draft, not a published version.
The story plot seemed weak, and even Poirot seemed to have lost his sparkle. And beyond a point, I wasn't sorry the girl had died. I was...more
I like Christie because reading her reminds me of my grandmother, who is a mother to me. She was a huge fan & read all of her books several times. I agree that Christie is not really deep, there are far better written mysteries, but Christie endures because she's accessible to the general reader. And that is not a bad thing.
This Poirot entry is not one of her best. It seems to be more of a commentary on the decaying morals of, then modern, England. I have found this theme throughout many of...more
This Poirot entry is not one of her best. It seems to be more of a commentary on the decaying morals of, then modern, England. I have found this theme throughout many of...more
Hallowe'en Party is my very first Agatha Christie mystery. Knowing what I do now I wouldn't necessarily have chosen it to be my virgin voyage into what has arguably become the most beloved mystery series of our time.
Hallowe'en party is one of Christie's latter works, published in 1969. I honestly had no idea that her writing career spanned such an impressive period of time, starting in 1920 and ending in 1976. Her novels can for the most part be divided into 3 categories. Those of the stories fe...more
Hallowe'en party is one of Christie's latter works, published in 1969. I honestly had no idea that her writing career spanned such an impressive period of time, starting in 1920 and ending in 1976. Her novels can for the most part be divided into 3 categories. Those of the stories fe...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie | 1 | 20 | 06 feb. 13:47 | |
| What draws you to your favorite genre of book? | 2 | 19 | 10 gen. 11:20 |
Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880...more
More about Agatha Christie...
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880...more
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