Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) in Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)

Jun 03, 2013 Franky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, the-hard-challenge

“The impossible cannot have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.”

What separates Hercule Poirot from many classic detective types is his level of oddness or eccentricity. I think that many times the suspects underestimate his deductive powers. A very keen and astute observer, the Belgium detective has a way of sizing up his suspect or, in this case, making sense of something that does not make sense. In this case, he is left without many of the resources th “The impossible cannot have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.”

What separates Hercule Poirot from many classic detective types is his level of oddness or eccentricity. I think that many times the suspects underestimate his deductive powers. A very keen and astute observer, the Belgium detective has a way of sizing up his suspect or, in this case, making sense of something that does not make sense. In this case, he is left without many of the resources that might normally allow for a much smoother investigation (being stuck on a train), so he must rely utmost on deduction and logic. As he so eloquently puts, this case is an “exercise of the brain.”

Murder on the Orient Express is a classic case of Poirot’s “little grey cells” being put to good use, as he is asked to solve the case of murder on board a train. A key proponent in this mystery is the Armstrong case, in which a young girl in the Armstrong family was abducted and held for ransom, but later found dead. Many of the family members and members of the Armstrong household had tragedies soon follow, and Poirot discovers there is a link between this case and the murder on board. But who exactly has ties to the Armstrong family? As Poirot questions each of the prime suspects, he tries to figure out the facts and arrange them to a picture and timeline for the murder, evaluating each motive.

There are several aspects that make Murder on the Orient Express a compelling and amazing mystery. First, the setting allows for a claustrophobic, quaint murder mystery, as all principle characters and possible suspects are stuck on the train together without means of escaping. Another intriguing factor is the level of duplicity and misdirection. With so many different angles to look for, Poirot must not only separate truths from lies from possible suspects, but identify a motive for a suspect telling a truth or a lie. Finally, the building suspense keeps you in the dark as long as possible, and there is effective tension in the book’s final moments. The intensity culminates into a clever and amazing finish and denouement.

The book itself is top-notch in its genre, one that has earned its reputation as a gold-standard in mysteries. It’s easy to see why this book has been adapted to film on many occasions. If you are looking for a film version close to the book, the 1974 version (which boasts an all star cast) is pretty accurate.
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Nov 09, 2017 Kendall rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Murder on the Orient Express" is the apex of the genre, and in this audio version read by Kenneth Brannaugh, one receives a virtuoso performance as well.

The story, of course, has the typical parlor mystery set up: there is a murderer amongst us. A dead body is discovered on a snowbound train, and the passengers are the obvious suspects. There are the clues, the interviews of the suspects, the search of the luggage, more interviews. Agatha Christie also gives the reader a place in the story as ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Beth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 2017-read

Reading this particular Poirot directly off of the back of Peril at End House and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and finding it next on the list of 'Best Ever Christie', I had exceedingly high hopes. I confess, however, that for the first half of the novel, I was a little underwhelmed. The 'action' in this case is masterfully worked around a trip on the famous Orient Express. Christie shows off her immeasurable skill in style, pace and plotting to unravel the mystery at hand, and does so with all ...more

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