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Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) | 
 enlarge | Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: Berkley
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  195 reviews
Sales Rank: 8921
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 1
ISBN: 0425200450
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780425200452
ASIN: 0425200450
Publication Date: August 31, 2004
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Book Description
On the long train ride from Istanbul to Paris, detective Poirot must find the killer of a much-hated millionaire among 13 suspects with reasons to kill.
Download Description
E-book exclusive extras: Christie biographer Charles Osborne's essay on Murder on the Orient Express; "The Poirots": the complete guide to all the cases of the great Belgian detective. Just after midnight, a snowstorm stops the Orient Express dead in its tracks in the middle of Yugoslavia. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for this time of year. But by morning there is one passenger less. A 'respectable American gentleman' lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Hercule Poirot is also aboard, having arrived in the nick of time to claim a second-class compartment -- and the most astounding case of his illustrious career. Regarding chronology: Agatha Christie seems not much concerned in the course of her books with their relationship to each other. It is why the Marples and the Poirots may be ready in any order, really, with pleasure. However, the dedicated Poirotist may wish to note that the great detective is returning from 'A little affair in Syria' at the start of Murder on the Orient Express. It is a piece of business after this 'little affair' -- the investigation into the death of an archaeologist's wife -- that is the subject of Murder in Mesopotamia (1936). If one wishes to delay a tad longer the pleasures of Orient Express, Murder in Mesopotamia, available as a PerfectBound e-book, offers no better opportunity. Of note: Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie's most famous novels, owing no doubt to a combination of its romantic setting and the ingeniousness of its plot; its non-exploitative reference to the sensational kidnapping and murder of the infant son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh only two years prior; and a popular 1974 film adaptation, starring Albert Finney as Poirot -- one of the few cinematic versions of a Christie work that met with the approval, however mild, of the author herself.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 190 more reviews...
 Boring and childish July 17, 2008
This book was a huge disappointment. The first fifth of the book was mildly entertaining, and it quickly went downhill from there. I forced myself to keep reading in the hope that it would become more interesting towards the end. I nearly completed the book, but stopped short of the revelation of who the murderer was. That should tell you something about how bad this book is. I had maybe five more pages to go to find out the final answer, and I didn't even bother. The buildup of the circumstances and the clues were so childish and contrived, that it made the final answer irrelevant.
 A light read, but entertaining for its unusual setting and deus ex machina ending June 25, 2008
Agata Christie's 1934 mystery MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS has her Belgian sleuth investigating a murder on the legendary Istanbul-Paris route. After solving some case in Syria, Poirot hopes to unwind in Turkey for a few days, but receives a telegram urging him to come to London immediately. With some difficulty, he secures a berth on the train, finding himself surrounded by a lively cast of characters from Europe and the United States. Not long after departure, one of them is found dead, and Poirot is tasked with determining who of his fellow passengers is the culprit.
Agata Christie did not become one of the world's bestselling authors by writing particularly deep characters or original narrative. Poirot's international companions on the train are ethnic caricatures, with the Italian initially fingered as the murder because of that nation's supposed blind passion, and Americans portrayed as uncouth and rustic. The solution is in many respects a deus ex machina. Nonetheless, the novel is an entertaining enough read if one wants some light to pass a couple of hours. Christie's depiction of her protagonist, ambiguous in his sexuality and lacking fashion sense, is always amusing. The investigative methods used will also provide a chuckle in how they violate the rights of suspects and ignore local laws.
 A page turner February 21, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
There's been a murder in compartment No. 2 on the Orient Express. The victim was stabbed twelve times. The body was found by the attendant when the victim didn't show up for dinner in the dining car. Could it have been Mrs. Hubbard in the compartment next to him? Perhaps it was Colonel Arbuthnot who had a silent, suspicious air about him?
Murder on the Orient Express leads you through an entire murder mystery, like a fly on the wall, observing everything as it unfolds. There is a brutal murder that takes place on the train while it's in transit to its destination, but who could the killer be? There are a number of killer prospects, because they were all on the train at the time the murder was committed and the killer could not have left the train since it's been stopped by snow drifts on the track, so we know the killer is still onboard.
We follow Mr. Hercule Poirot, detective, throughout the whole book, as it's him who's doing all of the questioning, and solving this unbelievable case. As the book goes on each chapter has more twists than the last, and it grows more confusing until you don't know which way is up! The people who you suspect have evidence that proves them innocent, and the people who could never be the killer are suspected for the murder! And just when you can't make heads or tails of who to suspect, and who to throw out, Hercule sits back and reflects on all of the evidence, alibis, and clues, and solves the mystery in his head.
This mystery keeps you guessing until literally the very last chapter. This book is a real page turner and I personally couldn't put it down and I'm sure you won't be able to either. Another well written mystery novel by Agatha Christie, and a must read for any mystery lover.
 "My Favorite Mystery Novel" February 11, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I only recently saw the movie version of this with Albert Finney, and that prompted me to read one of the Agatha Christie books I missed reading growing up. It was wonderful and is now my favorite mystery novel of all time. I loved the fact that it's sort of based on a real event (Lindbergh baby kidnapping) and that they all did it. That was so ingenious. Twelve suspects and they all did it. I don't think I'm really giving anything away since most people are familar with this story. I have already started a second reading to find the clues I missed the first time, and I have ordered a couple of other Hercule Poirot books I missed reading in my younger years. (The Clocks, Cat Among the Pigeons, never heard of them) I can't believe there are so many featuring Hercule Poirot. I also like that other people are reinventing this character, or character-type. I love watching "Monk" episodes.
Cat Among Pigeons: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)
The Clocks: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Mystery Masters Series)
Monk - Season Five
Who knew murder could be so much fun? February 6, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is only the second book by Agatha Christie that I have read, but it cemented her as one of my favorite authors. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express. As it is only the second of her books that I have read, I can't be sure, but I can see a pattern to Christie's writing; she seems to definitely draw from a certain formula in her writing. Even with what appears to be a predisposed pattern to her writing, these are still enjoyable reads.
Murder on the Orient Express is a Hercule Poirot mystery, one of her more colorful recurring characters. Like The Mysterious Affair at Styles (the only other Christie book I've read), Poirot finds himself in an unexpected situation; traveling to Paris on the Orient Express, there is a murder, and Poirot is pressed into service to try to solve the mystery before the killer can escape!
There isn't much thinking involved on the reader's part; most of the clues are clearly presented, but Poirot doesn't make the connections until the end, but he clearly illustrates how the crime was committed and who did it and how he came to the conclusion.
Agatha Christie obviously enjoyed writing her books, as that enjoyment is passed directly onto the reader. 5 stars!!
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