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The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2)

Agatha Christie

Start date: February 1, 2018

Finish date: February 28, 2018

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: A buddy read of the second Hercule Poirot book.
[close] A buddy read of the second Hercule Poirot book.

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What Members Thought

Jul 21, 2018 Christine PNW rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is Christie's second Poirot mystery, and her third full-length novel. I read it for my chronological re-read of the Christie canon, which will include the short collections in order of publication.

She definitely has not hit her stride in this novel - in my opinion, that really happens with her sixth novel (and fourth Poirot offering) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Murder on the Links is a middling Christie - better than some, but not one of her best.

A couple of specific notes - Hastings reapp This is Christie's second Poirot mystery, and her third full-length novel. I read it for my chronological re-read of the Christie canon, which will include the short collections in order of publication.

She definitely has not hit her stride in this novel - in my opinion, that really happens with her sixth novel (and fourth Poirot offering) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Murder on the Links is a middling Christie - better than some, but not one of her best.

A couple of specific notes - Hastings reappears as Poirot's sidekick. He is introduced in The Mysterious Affair at Styles as Watson to Poirot's Sherlock. Murder on the Links is told from the perspective of Hastings in a first person perspective. I find Hastings nearly intolerable in this book - his preening behavior in attempting to attract the fair "Cinderella" is about as subtle as a male peacock in full mating display. In other words, he acts like a buffoon.

I know, I know, Hastings always acts like a buffoon. But the prosecutor in me nearly swooned when he let his fair lady love - who won't even friggin' tell him her actual name - into the shed where the body, and the murder weapon, are being stored. All I can think about is "chain of custody, chain of custody, chain of custody." Someone should've thrashed him.

And that ending. Oh, dear, that acrobatic, silly ending.

One of the purposes of my reread - besides just sheer fun - is to take a look at Agatha's approach to justice and responsibility in her books, and try to decide if it changes or evolves over time. In Styles, the killers were obviously handed over to the authorities, but no mention is made as to their fate. Christie approaches the murder as a puzzle, and much more time is spent on matchmaking between the various existing or potential couples than on mourning the victim. In Links, the murderer receives street justice in self-defense and is killed before the end of the book.

Christie's early books had a romantic streak - couples were constantly falling in love at the drop of a hat. Hastings ultimately marries Cinderella, whose real name is Dulcie, as we learn at the end of the book. That pairing is totally unconvincing, and doesn't seem to age well as the books continue to be written. By the time Hastings disappears completely from the narrative, I am heartily sick of him. I far prefer Ariadne Oliver as Poirot's sidekick, even if most of her books aren't up to the quality of the early Poirots.

TLDR: a second tier Poirot with an annoying sidekick, but still a fun read for Christie fans. ...more

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Apr 30, 2018 Teri-K rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-golden-age

I'll admit upfront that if this book had been written by someone I'd never heard of I would have liked it better. I wouldn't have liked it much, but better. lol So I'm giving it 2 stars, though I didn't care for it at all, for several reasons.

First, I admire Christie's books because, whether they're set in Egypt or St. Mary Mead, they tell stories of real people who behave like people truly behave and who are often are trying to do the right thing, though they may not know what that is. This bo I'll admit upfront that if this book had been written by someone I'd never heard of I would have liked it better. I wouldn't have liked it much, but better. lol So I'm giving it 2 stars, though I didn't care for it at all, for several reasons.

First, I admire Christie's books because, whether they're set in Egypt or St. Mary Mead, they tell stories of real people who behave like people truly behave and who are often are trying to do the right thing, though they may not know what that is. This book never felt real to me and I thought pretty much everyone acted like an idiotic character in a melodrama. The dialogue was often awkward and the bad guy was an idiot. Christie's explanation, delivered through Poirot, didn't work for me at all. (view spoiler) It would have been better if Poirot had accused him of having no imagination.

The people in this story are not trying to do the right thing at all, but instead run around breaking the law for flimsy reasons. I couldn't admire Mrs. Renauld at all. And the police were bumbling. I also got tired of Poirot making Hastings tell him his interpretation of the crime and then ridiculing him. It reminded me of my 8 year old grandson who starts every conversation with "Guess what?" We're not going to guess when we have no idea what he's talking about, so we tell him just to get on with it. Poirot made Hastings "Guess what" over and over, knowing he would always be wrong. It seemed cruel to me.

But what I disliked most was Hastings. He always missed the point, suspects the wrong people and believes firmly in the innocence of the guilty party. But in this book he unfortunately fell instantly in love with a girl he calls Cinderella, and because of this he runs around breaking the law. Nobody seems to care, and Poirot just shakes his head and mumbles about "amour". Blech I prefer Christie's lovers to have a couple of conversations, smile at each other a time or two, take a walk in the shrubbery and get engaged at the end of the book. Hastings was just an embarrassment.

NB - I obviously wouldn't recommend this to anyone as one of their first Christie's to read. But especially be careful of the audio book. Hugh Fraser does a good job, but it's hard to distinguish the names Poirot, Renauld, Marchaud, Conneau and Giraud. So it was hard to keep track of who said what. I just stopped caring. :)
...more

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Mar 10, 2019 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: agatha-christie, mystery, vintage-mystery, british-mystery, mcpl-book, audionovel, virtual-mount-tbr-2019

As readers of the blog may know, I am currently doing a reread of Agatha Christie--reading the works in order. Some books I've read many times, others only a few or perhaps just once back in the mists of time. Murder on the Links (1923) is one that I have read a bit more often, so for this go 'round I decided to pick up a book on CD version from the library to take along on a trip back to my hometown last week. I had the privilege of listening to Captain Hastings himself--Hugh Fraser--read the n As readers of the blog may know, I am currently doing a reread of Agatha Christie--reading the works in order. Some books I've read many times, others only a few or perhaps just once back in the mists of time. Murder on the Links (1923) is one that I have read a bit more often, so for this go 'round I decided to pick up a book on CD version from the library to take along on a trip back to my hometown last week. I had the privilege of listening to Captain Hastings himself--Hugh Fraser--read the novel to me as the miles rolled by.

As I mentioned the last time I reviewed this novel, it's difficult to realize that this is only the second Hercule Poirot novel and also the one where Hastings meets his wife-to-be. And soon Hastings will disappear to the Argentine and Poirot will be without his Watson for many cases. In fact, Hastings appears in only eight of the Poirot novels, though he narrates the majority of the short stories.

At first the story seems very straight-forward. The famed millionaire Monsieur Renaud sends Poirot an urgent message requesting the detective's assistance. He fears for his life and wants Poirot to get to the bottom of the threats. Poirot and Hastings head to France at the earliest moment, but they arrive too late to save Poirot's client. M. Renaud has been murdered...stabbed to death and left lying in a shallow grave in a bunker on a golf course he has sponsored. His wife has also been discovered bound (so tightly she has wounds on her wrists) and gagged. She tells them a story of mysterious South Americans who tied her up and forced her husband from the house while muttering threats about a "secret." There are other mysteries surrounding the case...the dark-haired woman who visited Renaud at night, the girl with (as Poirot says) "the anxious eyes," the dark-haired young woman who pops in and out of Hastings life, the strange tramp who quarreled with Renaud, a random piece of lead piping, the special daggers, and Renaud's son who was told by his father to go to South America, but who was in the area on the night of the murder. Who can get to the bottom of all this? Will it be Giraud, the darling of the French police with his modern methods and his Holmes-like way of crawling about in search of clues? Or will it be the older, wiser Poirot--exercising his "little grey cells" and considering the psychology? Need you ask?

I quite enjoyed Hugh Fraser's reading of the story and was thoroughly immersed in the world of Poirot and Hastings even as I traveled the roads of Indiana. Even though I was well acquainted with the story, I still loved listening to the twists and turns of the plot and was well-satisfied when "Papa Poirot" managed to show up the dandified Giraud. A wonderful visit with old friends in the mystery realm.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks. ...more

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Jul 20, 2015 Amy rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-as-an-audiobook

That was the most convoluted plot ever. Ah well. Luckily our dear Poirot was clever enough to figure it out.

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Nov 24, 2013 Bhavya Mathur rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery-thriller, kindle

I don't know why do I even try the guessing games with Agatha Christie when I know that she will topple me over. I loved the red herrings in this book. I kept jumping from character to character as suspect but still could not get it correct till the end.

Really a good mystery on a quite day. Oh yes, and we get to meet Hasting's Cinderella for the first time here!

...more

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Mar 15, 2019 P. rated it it was ok

In the end, this convoluted, cork-screw, overly busy plot with four or five potential murderers in the running for the same homicide just isn't very interesting. ...more

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Feb 26, 2021 Jennifer M rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned, z-read-2021

I enjoy the camaraderie between Hastings and Poirot. Hastings' attitude was much better in this book then in the last one.

Had no clue until the very end who the culprit was. It was a perfect Agatha Christie! ...more

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May 16, 2020 Lemar rated it really liked it

Shelves: brit-lit, mystery

“that obscure justice which shapes men’s ends, and will not allow them to evade the consequences of their acts”. Poirot is in the case, green eyes flashing, never breaking a sweat.
Free on projectgutenberg

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