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Oct 03, 2011

Carlo rated it:

Unlike other Christie stories, at the beginning of Cards on the Table, we only have four suspects. I believe this is one of Christie's best works and even of the genre, since analyzing motives and studying personalities is one of the best things about detective fiction, and the book is packed with that. Christie tells us in the introduction that this case is Poirot's favorite, and of course that's no surprise.

However, the book is embedded with a huge amount of details which can be a More...

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Jul 07, 2011

Helen rated it:

Absolutely classic Poirot. Mr Shaitana, a very wealthy but rather dubious character, invites eight people to dinner. Four people have a secret in their past, the other four are crime solvers. Poirot is one of the guests, along with Police Superintendent Battle, secret agent Colonel Race and Mrs Oliver, a writer of murder mysteries. At some point during the evening, in which the all guests play bridge but their host doesn't, Mr Shaitana is stabbed to death. But which of the four guests who were w More...

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May 23, 2011

Jenny rated it:

To put it simply, the title is exactly what this story is about -- the cards on the table. Christie lays out all of the suspects, lays out all of the sleuths, and lays out the crime scene. Christie tells the reader flat out in the Foreward: "There are only four starters, and any one of them, given the right circumstances, might have committed the crime." Everything in the story hinges on figuring out what the true circumstances of the murderous night are...and then you can figure out t More...

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Oct 24, 2009

Judy rated it:

Again, back to the genre of mysteries written between the two World Wars. This book is a variation on the locked room mystery--except there is no locked room and four people were present in the room where a thoroughly nasty individual was murdered. However, they were playing a game of bridge, no one admitted to seeing anything, and there were four people involved in detection sitting in the adjacent room, also playing bridge. Much more of a psychological mystery than a mystery with a lot of a More...

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Dec 19, 2010

Sus rated it:

The fourth Christie book I'm reading.

I dunno, I guess I should have been warned by the title, but so far for my taste this thing has far too much bridge in it. I don't know how to play bridge. I'm not sure I want to learn, even in order to make more sense of this book, which means the story is not sparkling quite as much as I wish it would. I have to admit this doesn't make me feel particularly optimistic about Murder on the Links.

Also, I miss Hastings. I know he's just More...

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Jul 19, 2011

Bigyellowtaxi1 rated it:

You have to be a bridge player to fully appreciate this and I am not. I also found it slightly repetitive at times, a series of interviews with each of the suspects, often multiple interviews with different detectives. Perhaps I'm more of a 'Hastings' type when it ocmes to murder mysteries, I'd rather have some running around and looking for clues rather than a purely intellectual exercise.

Sadly Mrs Oliver was somewhat wasted in this book. She did provide some light relief and comic More...

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May 11, 2010

Christine rated it:

Am I reading too much Agatha Christie? Maybe. But I fly through them since they're easy to read and so captivating, I can't put it down. This book's explanation of the crime was not as satisfying this time since there's an explanation and then, wait, that's not the real explanation. Not sure if Christie is just throwing in a curve ball to be cute. Also, I feel I'd probably enjoy the book more if I understood how to play bridge. Poirot uses the bridge game to explain the state of mind of th More...

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Feb 07, 2012

Hadi rated it:

Here are my comments:

- This book is should be shorter than it is, because there is 4 detective that surely cause some confusion. If only the only detective is Poirot then everything should be solved quickly. It seems that there are so many stories which didn’t supporting the case. But I don’t know probably it is how unprofessional detective works; wasting more time and efforts in some things those are not very important.

- When the murderer is found at the end of story, it More...

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Jan 11, 2010

Laurel rated it:

THE perfect Poirot novel. Yes, Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None are worthy to fight over the title of Best Christie of All (I would include a bunch of other, lesser-known contenders as well). But if you love Poirot, this is his ultimate case: pure logic, pure reason. No red herrings, no "least likely" suspects. Four suspects, each of whom has equal motive and opportunity, in a closed setting--I kept expecting the solution to somehow be the butler or something s More...

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Sep 28, 2010

Bethan rated it:

For me this is up with the best Agatha Christie, alongside Murder on the Orient Express and Curtain; Poirot's last case.

Mr Shaitana invites Poirot and eight select guests to dinner. Colonel Race, Dr Roberts, Superintendant Battle, Mrs Lorrimer, Major Despard, Mrs Oliver and Mrs Meredith.

At dinner Shaitana exclaims.. 'Poison is a woman's weapon, there must be many secret women poisoners - never found out. A doctor too has opportunities, but if I were to commit a crime, I shou More...

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May 22, 2010

Rachel rated it:

First of all I was worried that I'd have to know how to play bridge in order to appreciate the book. I't not necessary, but I could see how knowing the game could definitely enhance the enjoyment of the book.

This is a closed-room (locked-room, which ever) mystery. The ingenious premise had me wanting to read this book for a long time: 4 people with perhaps questionable pasts, 4 "sleuths," and an evening of bridge, hosted by a devilish man. In one room we have the "sle More...

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Jun 27, 2011

Daimen rated it:

This was my first Agatha Christie novel. I have been a huge fan of Poirot and Miss Marple mysteries on Masterpiece Mystery, A&E, Biography, etc. However, I have never taken the time to actually read one of the novels. As luck would have it, I had this novel (which I have never seen on the television). It was a true joy! It was just like watching on the screen. In fact, I can safely say that there is not much screenwriting to be had as the novel is pretty much perfect for televising!

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Jul 28, 2011

Anja rated it:

Agatha Christie's Cards on the Table begins on a very simple premise. What would happen if you stuck four murderers together in a room with a very stupid man who has threatened to expose their crimes? The first part is rather obvious, the stupid man dies. It is what comes next that is interesting. What if there where four detectives, or reasonable facsimiles there of, in the next room?

This is what sets this book apart from most murder mysteries: each murder given different motivatio More...

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Aug 07, 2009

Mazel rated it:

Mr Shaitana est un bien étrange personnage : longue figure, moustache cosmétiquée et sourcils en accents circonflexes qui accentuent son air de Méphisto.

Et Mr Shaitana, qui est véritablement diabolique, s'est plu, ce soir-là, à convier à dîner huit hôtes triés sur le volet :

quatre spécialistes du crime et quatre personnes qui seraient - à ses dires - des criminels assez habiles pour ne s'être jamais fait pincer.

Il ne faut pas trop jouer avec le feu, fût-on More...

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Jul 23, 2010

Meave rated it:

Notes while reading: "I never forget a face–even a black face, and that's a lot more than most people can say." Thanks for enlightening me, Aggie. I didn't know "I can't tell black people apart" was a British trope. Because we've got "I can't tell Asian people apart," but I swear I've never heard "all black people look the same." UNTIL NOW. Neat!

Notes after reading: Interesting up to the end, when it loses steam and devolves into the nuclear ho More...

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Dec 08, 2010

Book Concierge rated it:

I am on an Agatha Christie kick lately and enjoying the audio versions of several of her mysteries. This particular audio is actually a recording of the BBC cast performance. The different actors make keeping the characters straight a little easier.

It is typical Poirot, using his “little grey cells” to solve the murder of Mr Shaitana, committed in full view of a roomful of guests playing bridge. Interestingly enough, he had boasted to Poirot about his collection of murderers, and ha More...

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Jan 26, 2008

Paul (formerly known as Current) rated it:

I still don't understand the card game of bridge, but I enjoyed the way Hercule Poirot used the play of the game to understand the actions that took place. Perhaps it can be re-written to use Texas Hold 'Em?

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May 03, 2011

Kirsty rated it:

I enjoyed the Poirot I read recently and picked up another from the selection in the local library. This is classic Christie. She creates a field of suspects for a murder that is only four people wide, and then proceeds to show how they all have a motive, they all have opportunity etc. It's all quite neat. In a way it's very formulaic but that's not a problem. It's very entertaining having each suspect built up as the murderer and then played down again; and then there are four separate mysterie More...

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Apr 07, 2011

Alexa rated it:

I. Love. Agatha. Christie! As one can see by the rapidity with which I devoured this book, it is a quick read and thoroughly enjoyable. This is one of the Hercule Poirot mysteries. Monsieur Poirot meets Mephistophelean Mr. Shaitana who invites Poirot to a dinner showcasing Shaitana's collectibles - murderers that got away with it! The dinner has ended and everyone is enjoying a nice game of bridge until it is discovered that someone has killed Shaitana. Poirot (and of course Scotland Yard) must More...

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Sep 14, 2011

Helen rated it:

I really liked this one because it was an artificial puzzle: four "successful" murderers are playing bridge in a room where and while their host is murdered. Four specialists: Hercule Poirot, a C.I.D. superintendent, a mystery writer, and a man of cloudy background who is supposed to work for MI6 are in the other room and have to discover the murderer. The best part is reading the parts which include the mystery writer, who just must be Christie herself. We learn about plotting, about More...

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Feb 09, 2012

Elianara rated it:

One of Agatha Christies better books.

Hercule Poirot meets a Mr. Shaitana and gets an invite to a dinner party. At the party there are eight guests; four persons working in the murder business, and four persons that have a mysterious death in their past. After the dinner the guests play bridge in two different rooms, and Mr Shaintana sitting by the fire in the room with the four mysterious guests. When Hercule Poirot goes to bid his goodbyes he finds Mr. Shaintana murdered.

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Nov 27, 2009

Tim rated it:

I think I would understand the mystery in this book a whole lot better if I took the time to understand the game of bridge (Apparently it's actually called "Contract bridge" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_br...). Unfortunately Poirot's deductions didn't mean a lot to me because of my lack of knowledge.

Even so, this book was rather enjoyable, mostly because Christie included a character much like herself (Mrs. Oliver) in the book which gives her a chance to poke fun More...

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Jun 25, 2010

Lady rated it:

This is hands down the best Hercule Poirot mystery. Agatha Christie trully shines with this one.
Poirot is invited for dinner and cards by Mr. Shaitana, who is known to be eccentric. He promises Poirot that he will collect together the best criminals (aka the ones who have gotten away with it) and the best sleuths. Poirot is intrigued and agrees to attend. During the after dinner bridge game, Mr. Shaitana is murdered by one of the "criminals". It's up to Poirot and the other thre More...

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Jun 13, 2011

Z rated it:

I'm docking this a star only because of the heavy references to the intricacies of bridge, a game that I have absolutely no knowledge of. Otherwise, this is Dame Agatha Christie at her finest - she keeps you guessing until the very last moment. I could never have predicted the end. 4 bridge players at a dinner party, each a plausible suspect in the murder of their host. Even Poirot is confused at times as to which of them really is the murderer. At the end, it's a mix of opportunity and psycholo More...

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Jan 15, 2011

Jennefer rated it:

I really liked the idea - 4 people all with secret pasts and motive and we know one of them did it. I thought I would actually be able to follow the clues and figure out who did it with this one but there was a little too much intentional misleading - this person couldn't have done it because . . . And the ending was just a frustrating back and forth about who the actual murderer was that got to the point of just being unbelievable and annoying. I still liked the characters and I think more int More...

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Sep 21, 2011

Esther rated it:

3.5* The difference about this Christie is that she has 4 sleuths working together - Poirot, a Scotland Yard detective, a secret agent, and a detective novelist. Each person has different methods which they bring to the table. There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek with the novelist - Agatha taking shots at herself as a "writer type", which I love. It amazes me how this one author has been with me for so many years - I imagine myself old and doddering reading the large print versions of Chri More...

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May 24, 2010

Kate rated it:

It sounds like it will be so interesting: a man killed by one of his party guests, half of whom were invited because he believed them to be successful murderers, the other half successful criminal investigators. Hercule Poirot, Ariadne Oliver, Inspector Battle...what could go wrong? A fixation on bridge and a little too much switch and double switch and triple switch at the end, making it hard to believe Poirot's eventual summing-up. Maybe it's easier to follow in print rather than audio - Hu More...

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Nov 01, 2010

Bookworm1858 rated it:

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
Avenel Books, 1936
115 pages
Mystery; Hercule Poirot
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: Mr Shaitana collects things; one of those things allegedly being people who have committed murder without being caught. One night he invites four renowned investigators of crime (Hercule Poirot, Colonel Race, Superintendent Battle, and writer Ariadne Oliver) and four people who presumably have committed murder. But at the end of the nig More...

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Dec 23, 2011

Harini rated it:

This is one of the best Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot books I have read.

Unlike other Agatha Christie novels in this book Agatha Christie lays her cards on table and tells you that 'these are the four suspects and one of the them is the murderer'. And if you think that this fact makes the book less mysterious and interesting then you can't be more wrong.

I admit when I started this book I though that I could figure out the murderer as its just 4 suspects and I had a More...

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May 11, 2011

Kathryn rated it:

Mr. Shaitana loves to throw parties. He is, after all, a man with a penchant for drama, a Mephistophelian air, and far too high an opinion of himself. M. Hurcule Poirot is one of eight guests invited to Shaitana's for a bridge party. Shaitana suspects four of them of murder, and believes this is his chance to prove himself superior to some of the greatest sleuthing minds of the day--for in addition to Poirot, three other "great minds" of criminal investigation are invited. But, Sha More...

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