Alice Ascher, a shopkeeper in Andover, is bludgeoned to death at her place of work. Next to die is Miss Bernard in Bexhill, then Mr. Clarke in Chur...
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Oct 21, 2010
Dina
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May 28, 2010
Valerie
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I try to get my math students to read mysteries, because the logical skills of finding a pattern and using inductive and deductive reasoning are often skillfully laid out. If you've read this book, you know why its one that I use to illustrate that point in my class. Sadly, the point is underappreciated by my high school students.
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Jun 22, 2007
Rebecca
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This one was ok...nothing too exciting. I was able to pick out the bad guy early but this was at the end of a Christie reading marathon so I was totally satuarated wiht her writing style.
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May 04, 2008
Grace
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I enjoy the Poirot tales, though I often get a little impatient with the ones which are told from the first person narrative of Captain Hastings, who frequently plays Watson to the Belgian detective's Sherlock. These stories, in particular, often seem a bit too heavily padded with scenes where the two men conference - Poirot speaks very enigmatically about the case, Hastings gets frustrated, and Poirot admonishs him to "use the little grey cells." Mystery investigations are by their
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Apr 02, 2009
Sherry
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The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie is a mystery novel that is part of the famous Poirot detective series. I picked up this book because I am an avid mystery reader. While reading some other mystery novels I came upon a case that made many references to Agatha Christie’s novel The ABC Murders. After finding out that Agatha Christie’s Poirot is a lot like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, I decided to try her books out.
The protagonist is Poirot, a retired, sharp, and much este More...
The protagonist is Poirot, a retired, sharp, and much este More...
Oct 26, 2011
Megan
rated it:
This Hercule Poirot novel was different from the other ones I've read - there are multiple murders, the victims don't know one another, etc. I was originally happy with a slightly different premise. Unfortunately, though, it made the book much more transparent than her other works. I guessed at part of the solution before I even read the book <spoiler>that is, that there was a "real"/intended victim hidden in among the murders and that the ABC concept was an attempt to hide the r
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Oct 07, 2011
Mike
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Sep 26, 2011
Mitch
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Before I begin my review, let me start off my saying I am a HUGE fan of Agatha Christie. Throughout the years I have always used her novels as "go to" books if I am in a literary dry spell and yearn to read something I am guarentee to enjoy. My girl Aggie usually hits the spot! However, sadly, I must say that "The A.B.C. Murders" is thus far my least favourite of all her books.
The following may contain spoilers:
Poirot, everyone's favourite detective, More...
The following may contain spoilers:
Poirot, everyone's favourite detective, More...
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May 28, 2011
Sarah
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Now that I’ve finally read one of the Miss Marple mysteries, I feel it only fair that I dip my toe into the pond of Poirot. My husband has claimed that the Poirot murders far exceed the Marple ones in quality, so I picked up the first one listed – apparently one of the later ones chronologically.
In this Poirot novel, Hastings has returned to visit England, and of course he drops in on his old friend. Poirot has recently received a strange letter, claiming that the author will commit More...
In this Poirot novel, Hastings has returned to visit England, and of course he drops in on his old friend. Poirot has recently received a strange letter, claiming that the author will commit More...
Apr 26, 2011
Emily
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As I listened to this audiobook, I was in a quandary over whether the book seemed worse than it was because of the weak audio performance or if the audio performance was so poor because it's such a stupid book. Now that I've finished, I'm leaning toward the latter.
The premise of the book is good -- a murderer sends a series of letters to a famous detective, taunting him with when and where his next murder will take place. But Poirot actually encourages friends and family members of t More...
The premise of the book is good -- a murderer sends a series of letters to a famous detective, taunting him with when and where his next murder will take place. But Poirot actually encourages friends and family members of t More...
Aug 03, 2010
Cindy
rated it:
This is probably not the best Hercule Poirot mystery Christie wrote, but it’s the first one I’ve read, and I quite enjoyed it. In this story, a murderer sends letters to Poirot signed A.B.C., and then on the dates mentioned at the town mentioned, a murderer takes place of a person with the same last name initial as of that of the town’s first letter, all proceeding in alphabetical order -- from Andover to Bexhill to Churston…The murderer leaves an A.B.C. railway guide at the scene of each crime.
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Jul 03, 2010
Margaryta
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Agatha Christie doesn't stop to amaze me. I would never be able to come up with an amazing plotline like this and have such a well-planned murder going on.
Okay, so when the letter had arrived to Hercule Poirot I right away jumped to a sudden and silly conclusion: crackpot. The sender is a complete crackpot. WRONG. The sender was a very smart person who had planned the whole murder of ONE PERSON and yet made a few other murders to distract the detective into thinking it was a whole al More...
Okay, so when the letter had arrived to Hercule Poirot I right away jumped to a sudden and silly conclusion: crackpot. The sender is a complete crackpot. WRONG. The sender was a very smart person who had planned the whole murder of ONE PERSON and yet made a few other murders to distract the detective into thinking it was a whole al More...
May 24, 2010
Laurel
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Apr 21, 2010
Brian
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In the thrilling mystery novel, Abc Murders by Agatha Christie, there plays an insane serial killer on the loose detective, Hercule Poirot, the serial killer decides to send him letters telling him who he was going to kill next and where the killing was going to occur, signing it with ABC. The first victim was Alice Ascher of Andover, second, Betty Barnard of Bexhill-on-Sea, and then, Sir Carmichael Clarke of Churston. Apparently, Hercule and the police arrive too late before they can stop the k
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Mar 24, 2010
maricar
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Wanted so much to put this down – coz the hour on the clock was silently accusing me of being up still – but this story just wouldn’t let go.
Which may sound strange, considering that the plot is pretty straightforward – a letter challenging Poirot’s sleuthing capabilities tells him to watch out for an immanent event (of course it’s a murder…this is Poirot we’re talking about). The letter is tauntingly signed, A.B.C.
Sure enough, a murder is committed in the quiet little t More...
Which may sound strange, considering that the plot is pretty straightforward – a letter challenging Poirot’s sleuthing capabilities tells him to watch out for an immanent event (of course it’s a murder…this is Poirot we’re talking about). The letter is tauntingly signed, A.B.C.
Sure enough, a murder is committed in the quiet little t More...
Jun 12, 2011
Danny
rated it:
In this novel, Hercule Poirot once again has to solve a mystery.. but he has to do it quickly, too!
Short thoughts about this thrilling book.
The A.B.C. Murders is a truly great crime novel, where the art of misdirection is mastered by the amazing Agatha Christie. All the way from major red herrings to tiny ones that make you (read: me) think you just snatched up something important and that you solved the mystery, this novel's plot is both thrilling and mysterious.
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Short thoughts about this thrilling book.
The A.B.C. Murders is a truly great crime novel, where the art of misdirection is mastered by the amazing Agatha Christie. All the way from major red herrings to tiny ones that make you (read: me) think you just snatched up something important and that you solved the mystery, this novel's plot is both thrilling and mysterious.
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Oct 08, 2011
Madison
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A.B.C Murders by Agatha Christie is a mystery book. It is about a French man named Poirot who is a detective. He is assigned a case that has to do with a serial murderer. Poirot and his friend Hasting have to put themselves into the criminals mind to figure out why and how the criminal did it. This book is about him and his partner trying their best to catch this alphabetically ordered serial killer who signatures his crimes with a A.B.C guide. Poirot has to learn not to look at the inside but t
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Apr 29, 2011
Hanadi
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After I read this book, I've realized that Agatha Christie deserves the nickname, “Queen of crimes." I've always heard Agatha's books are the best mystery book ever, so I decided to read one. I usually don't judge books by their covers, but this time I did. I took The A.B.C Murder because it was the newest one in the library.
I really didn't like the book that much because I felt like this isn't Christie's writing. It wasn't that suspenseful it was obvious from the beginning tha More...
I really didn't like the book that much because I felt like this isn't Christie's writing. It wasn't that suspenseful it was obvious from the beginning tha More...
Jul 13, 2010
El
rated it:
Anytime someone talks to me about Agatha Christie lately, I find myself heaving a big sigh. By all accounts I should be all over this lady, I should be ripping through her mysteries like no one's bidness. But so far each of the books I've read feel interchangeable and if you were to ask me the plot of one over another I'd probably tactfully change the topic. Or say, "Look, a deer!" and run the other direction.
I'm not discounting what Christie has done for detective ficti More...
I'm not discounting what Christie has done for detective ficti More...
Oct 12, 2011
Catie
rated it: 
The ABC Murders is about two retired detectives that have been friends for a while and make a great team. Poirot and Hastings have been receiving anonymous letters that explain where and when a murder is going to appear. The thing that makes these letters special is that each one is signed with the letters ABC. Without any suspects what so ever, they can't do much until a few more murders take place to get more clues which means, they must wait and watch a few more people be killed until
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Sep 11, 2011
Sereina
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Hercule Poirot receives a letter warning that someone will be killed in Andover and is signed by the mysterious "A.B.C.". The police believe it is a hoax, but the letter was found to be true, as Mrs. Ascher was found murdered, with no clues but an A.B.C railroad guide. Poirot receives more letters which are followed my more murders, all with railroad guides left behind. Poirot, the police, and the friends and family members of the victims work together to reveal and find the killer bef
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Dec 10, 2010
Reggie
rated it:
I am a big fan of the David Suchet television interpretation of Poirot. However, I have never read any of the books. And this is one of the stories that I have not seen brought to life onscreen.
I can testify to the power of Mr. Suchet's and the producers vision. I hear the actors' voices when I am reading. So far, it seems, that they did not have to stray too far from the source material, as the book seems very much like the program.
This tells me two things: 1. The show is faithful More...
I can testify to the power of Mr. Suchet's and the producers vision. I hear the actors' voices when I am reading. So far, it seems, that they did not have to stray too far from the source material, as the book seems very much like the program.
This tells me two things: 1. The show is faithful More...
Oct 11, 2011
Allison
rated it:
The book A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie was about a series of alphabetical murders. Both the person that was murdered and the place where they were murdered went in alphabetical order. At every murder scene there was an A.B.C. railway guide left facedown. Hercule Poirot- a French detective- with his partner Hastings, teamed up to try to figure out who the killer was. They had to figure out why the killer was doing this and what type of person the killer might be. They went to each of the
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Dec 28, 2009
Matthew
rated it:
The ABC Murders is my second "stab" (pun intended) at Agatha Christie. This time, instead of a snowbound train with the killer suspected to be among the travelers, Poirot has to track down a serial murderer with apparently random motives. Is the murderer a madman who kills indiscriminately? A cold-blooded, plan-it-out murderer? A vengeful sort? Christie's gift for plotting toyed with me again.
I now have the secret to reading her novels - don't even try to guess the ki More...
I now have the secret to reading her novels - don't even try to guess the ki More...
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Dec 24, 2010
Miana
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Agatha Christie is consider the best-selling mystery author of all time - and now I know why. The ABC Murders is so well-written that you won't ever suspect the real criminal until the book says so plainly. After all is explained, the details and facts make perfect sense. But then again, all Agatha Christie mysteries are like that. I admire her style, however, and love how small details deemed unimportant by readers is actually included for a reason by the author. Mystery novels must take a lot
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Jan 03, 2012
Deborah
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I approached this book as one who had not been a big fan of Agatha Christie's great detective, Poirot. The novels had always seemed like brain teasers, the plot running in circles. I confess that my enjoyment of the character, Hercule Poirot, has been greatly improved by David Suchet's take on the character in Hercule Poirot (Masterpiece Mystery, PBS). I now approach the novels with an eye to enjoying Hercule Poirot as a "character," paying more attention to the personality quirks of P
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Oct 12, 2011
Zack
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sumary
The book abc murders by Agatha Cristie. This book is about a letter that was received by captin hastings and hercule m pirot. The first murder was ms. ascher at anodver. and whith that type of rythym going on which i will explain.
So the murders went like if the first letter of the last name whith the first letter of your street the same just in abc order. The murders wher comited by a madman who seemd to be testing hercule m pirot. The madman looked like he obiously kne More...
The book abc murders by Agatha Cristie. This book is about a letter that was received by captin hastings and hercule m pirot. The first murder was ms. ascher at anodver. and whith that type of rythym going on which i will explain.
So the murders went like if the first letter of the last name whith the first letter of your street the same just in abc order. The murders wher comited by a madman who seemd to be testing hercule m pirot. The madman looked like he obiously kne More...
Sep 22, 2009
kaitlyn
rated it:
Well. I liked this one, but less than Murder on the Orient Express. For three reasons I suppose: (1) This one gave me more cause for wussiness. Multiple murders occurred, and for no apparent reason. The work of a madman with no cause is much scarier than what happened in MotOE. (2) I don't want to give away the ending of MotOE, but I liked it better than the end of the ABC Murders. (3) It's written in first person, via Captain Hastings. So we see Poirot from a different angle than the one in Mot
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Jan 29, 2012
Amélie
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The A.B.C. Murders, c’est pas ce qui se fait de mieux dans le genre, & Agatha ne brille pas particulièrement ici. (Vous aurez été prévenus.) On a droit à une série de meurtres étranges & très gimmicky où l’assassin choisit ses victimes par ordre alphabétique (tuant Mrs A-quelque chose dans la ville A-quelque chose, puis Miss B-quelque chose à B-quelque chose…& etcétéra) & laisse près de leur cadavre un guide des trains d’Angleterre, le ABC Railway Guide. D’où le titre du roman.
On y ret More...
On y ret More...
Mar 09, 2011
I suspect I've read all of the Poirot stories at least once. I came across an interview (on Five Books) with Agatha's grandson and he singled out The ABC Murders as a particularly good twist in the Poirot ouevre. In it, Poirot receives a challenging letter signed "ABC" -- a murder that will occur in Andover. More murders follow and the police eventually find a travelling salesman who admits to the crimes. But Poirot is not satisfied -- the motive is not clear.
It is a clever t More...
It is a clever t More...
