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charelia's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
An entertaining Poirot mystery; one of his more adventurous cases with his investigations taking him back and forth across the Channel. A compelling locked-room mystery, the kind in which Christie always excels, with a veritable buffet of tantalising clues to keep the reader guessing right up until the inevitable rug-pull. There were a few loose threads that were never explained, but overall a solid mystery. The roster of characters was equally compelling and well-developed; a delightful array of personalities in whom it is easy to get invested, though the particular brief display of casual racism here certainly tested my ability to be patient with Agatha's product-of-her-time Christie-isms. Thankfully Poirot himself is as delightful as ever, with excellent humour, and is generally just an absolute sweetheart.
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia and Racism
novi's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I think this is the funniest Agatha Christie's book I've ever read. By that I mean it has a lot more jokes than usual! Christie was witty and sometimes there are jokes here and there that work in the books, but this by far has a lot and I was actually laughing when I found them (the jokes).
Okay. Now the plot. I think it's fine, the idea was actually pretty convoluted but it was executed in perfect pace to make the readers (me) understand. It actually didn't feel far-fetched.because....men. This book was also fun especially if you read it in one sitting, because you go on adventure going from one character to another. Yes there are a lot of characters, and it was pretty confusing at first especially when they're all on the plane (the first few chapters) but after that Ms Christie made sure that they're all distinct.
For the twist, believe it or not I predicted it. I actually underlined a sentence where I had that feeling " this person did it" because I've read so much of these books that I think when I read it I can see the pattern and got the vibe of what the author wants me to think about this character. But there are several twists in this book and at first it seemed like the conclusion came out of the left field but then there's another twist and i was right!!
The usual qualms about Agatha Christie's books: there are some casual racism, XENOPHOBIA, fatphobia, AND uglyphobia. Ms. Christie was never afraid in making her characters calling other character "ugly fuckers" and as an ugly person i'm personally offended and I'm only half joking.
Btw there's romance elements in this book and I actually like it. Because they're just casual flirting and talking stage that feels natural, nothing too dramatic like her usual romance.
Okay. Now the plot. I think it's fine, the idea was actually pretty convoluted but it was executed in perfect pace to make the readers (me) understand. It actually didn't feel far-fetched.
For the twist, believe it or not I predicted it. I actually underlined a sentence where I had that feeling " this person did it" because I've read so much of these books that I think when I read it I can see the pattern and got the vibe of what the author wants me to think about this character. But there are several twists in this book and at first it seemed like the conclusion came out of the left field but then there's another twist and i was right!!
The usual qualms about Agatha Christie's books: there are some casual racism, XENOPHOBIA, fatphobia, AND uglyphobia. Ms. Christie was never afraid in making her characters calling other character "ugly fuckers" and as an ugly person i'm personally offended and I'm only half joking.
Btw there's romance elements in this book and I actually like it. Because they're just casual flirting and talking stage that feels natural, nothing too dramatic like her usual romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Racial slurs, Fatphobia, and Racism
leaflibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Okay, I get that this isn't a GREAT Christie mystery. The sleuthing detours felt haphazard and the ending became very convoluted. Still, I had a fun time consuming it! I've been in a reading rut lately, and this revitalized my interest in audiobooks, and Christie in particular.
What stood out to be about this story: low stakes, excellent cartoonish characters* (much more fun than the usual brooding suspects!), mediocre pacing, a bizarre act three murder and a conclusion so nonsensical that I accepted it because I couldn't keep track of all the convoluted clues and unlikely solutions!
What stood out to be about this story: low stakes, excellent cartoonish characters* (much more fun than the usual brooding suspects!), mediocre pacing, a bizarre act three murder and a conclusion so nonsensical that I accepted it because I couldn't keep track of all the convoluted clues and unlikely solutions!
*deadpan flute-obsessed doctor having some kind of affair; zany mystery writer obsessed with the murder weapon; indistinguashable father/son acheology nerd duo turned arranged employer/love interest?; cartoonishly villainous dentist with bipolar behavior who provides internal monologues (!) on multiple occasions; coke obsessed chorus girl turned duchess, and the random horse girl who wants her husband; TWO lost daughters who kind of matter but mostly don’t, plus the bored hairdresser main character you assume is one of those two but is actually a nobody, lol… and a little Belgian detective investigating the case with the police despite his CLEAR conflict of interest as a possible (even likely) suspect! A ridiculous, if occasionally tedious, DELIGHT, I tell you!
Serious side note, though: the version I listened to seemed to censor at least one very extreme instance of racism (and fatphobia!) that occurs as a bonding moment between two main characters. I learned about it later while reading a Goodreads review and was genuinely SHOCKED at its casual, intentional, and blatant awfulness. That lowers the score quite a bit for me and leaves a bad taste in my mouth about the fun and frivolous aspects of the story that I enjoyed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Antisemitism, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Death, Xenophobia, Suicide, Sexism, and Murder
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