Good book. Not a great book like And Then There Were None.

I am not a big thriller reader but I can guess the climax of this book at around 50%.

But overall a nice book and very much entertaining. ( )

First published in 1934 Murder on the Orient Express is still popular today as it was then. Like many people I have seen the various TV and film adaptations though I can never remember the ending. The main reason I am reading the book plus I do like cosey crime books along with Agatha Christie’s use of English has never dated. There are plenty of modern writers who could do with learning from the queen of murder mystery.

Hercule Poirot has been on a case abroad and is returning to his home from Syria where he boarded the Taurus Express which will take passengers to Istanbul in Turkey. From there the passengers will be able to continue their forward journey into northern Europe where it was currently winter. When they finally get their connection on the Orient Express in Istanbul, he finds that it is unusually very busy especially for the time of year. As the train passes through what was Yugoslavia (Balkan region) a murder is committed.

With the victim lying dead in his compartment Poirot begins his investigation with the aid of a Greek doctor and the Orient Express’ director. As Poirot gathers the statements of all the passengers evidence seem to turn up. He becomes convince that there is a slight of hand at play on the train. One thing that Poirot is positive about are the lies he is being told by all those onboard as a matter of routine. But unfortunately for the killer Poirot is able to slowly piece together the clues from the statements and the evidence to solve the puzzle and reveal the killer.

A brilliant Christie thriller that keeps you hooked throughout the book. ( )

Crazy twists and turns. The writing pulls you in and whilst in a contained setting, you do not feel limited by it. Everything was masterfully written and connected. ( )

It's 1 AM. Oops.

Review to come. When I'm actually awake. ( )

An engaging audiobook with rich accents and amusing personalities. I must have read it long ago as I vaguely remembered the outcome. But it was still fun to follow along with the action and intrigue. ( )

Audiobook completed 5/4/19 - The answer totally screamed at me at one point and I wish I'd went with that thought! I dont read many mysteries but enjoyed this. Now I can watch the newer movie that everyone ranted about . ( )

I listened to this one as an audiobook and really enjoyed it. The reader's accents were great, and kept me interested in the story and also helped me know who was speaking since there were a lot of characters. This is a typical old school murder mystery: Crime, clues, evidence, interviews, motives, alibis, accusations. I really enjoyed it. I didn't realize it was a series of detective mysteries, which I may find myself trying. ( )

Agatha Christie is amazing. I have watched the movie of this mystery, the BBC hour long special, a play done locally and I've also read this story. And now I've listened to the audio book. And every time, I'm surprised by just how well done it is. Even knowing the plot and characters, every time I try to see if I could guess before Poirot could and I never see the clues he did - never make the guesses he did.

I did like the difference of ending that the BBC special did - and I like the struggle of the moral question of the crime. And the audio book person even sounded just right as Poirot. The french and accent were perfect. ( )

I tried to listen to Poirot's exhortations and think, which he says is the way to solve the crime. I realised it is impossible. This plot is too perfect and written for Poirot to solve. That is not an indictment of the book. It is still a delightful read, and unless you are another Poirot, the ending is impossible to predict. ( )

I don't think I could have solved it even had I really tried, and that's the main reason why I was glad the group was reading Christie. ( )

This book was... not good. I wasn’t a fan of the writing style; it was similar to [b: The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490528560l/4671._SY75_.jpg|245494] (but less word-y). I was bored and confused 75% of the time and there was really no plot? The ending still confuses me. I just wish I hadn't had to force myself to finish this. ( )

spectaculaR ( )

quaint and clever. ( )

Another good Poirot mystery with an original twist at the end (although by now this twist is very famous). The reason that the resolution is shocking is not that the clues did not point that way, but the fact that it breaks the conventions of the Golden Age of Detection novels.

People often include this novel in lists of Agatha Christie's very best, but I wouldn't go that far, because I enjoy entertaining character depictions even more than surprising endings (although I also love those). This one was very straightforward and there was not much room to enjoy the characters. There's Poirot, as enjoyable as ever, but the plot is very direct: interrogations, some thinking, more interrogations and resolution.

A quick and enjoyable Poirot mystery, with an unexpected solution. ( )

3.5… gonna start reading more agatha christie ( )

I was drawn to this book by the cover. Murder mystery and a train? Two of my favorite things! I'm so thankful I found this book. It captured me from the first page and kept me on the edge of my seat, something that is hard to do with my wandering mind. Maybe it was just me, but it was difficult to suss out who was lying or being truthful, but it was fun to draw my own conclusions and see if I was right about who done it! The ending through me for a loop and I lost my mind!

I recommend this book 100%! You won't regret reading it. ( )

Queen of the Genre

This novel is only the second Agatha Christie mystery I have read. It is hardly a wonder that her books sell so well because they are relatively short and intricately laid out. Certainly a page turner. Fourteen people plus a train conductor occupy a sleeper car on the Orient Express traveling from Istanbul to Paris that gets stuck in the snow in Yugoslavia. One of them is murdered and one of them happens to be famed detective Hercule Poirot. There are also the director of the train line and a physician lodged in a different car, who are foils for Poirot's ruminations. Those are the ingredients of this perfect "locked room" murder mystery. My only criticism is the long soliloquies that tell rather than show. I found my attention wandering during them. ( )

Good, classic mystery from way back when. ( )

A fun 'closed room' mystery, of a sort. This is a classic for a good reason. Relatively short and to the point, yet still fascinating. ( )

I have never read an Agatha Christie book before this one. I had decided to read it because the movie is coming out and I usually like to read the book (if applicable) before I see the movie. I enjoyed this more then I thought I would and at some point would like to go back and read book 1-9 ( )

I have seen the movies, TV series a few times. I still enjoyed the book. ( )

This was my first Agatha Christie and it was a lot of fun! I really liked Poirot's style, with his little tricks in interviewing witnesses and his smartass way of dealing with his co-investigators, if you can call them that. Dan Steven's performance in narrating this audiobook is fantastic, with his ability to give life and individuality to each character. The final whodunnit came as a surprise, and although this may be due to the constraints in tracking clues in an audio presentation, it seems more likely that it is just a well plotted mystery, because the ending did not feel like a cheat.

Many thanks to Jennifer's Books, whose excellent review prompted me to finally try Agatha Christie.


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Anyone who has ever professed a love of mysteries, detectives or crime novel should have read this book by now. I won't say Murder on the Orient Express (originally titled: Murder on the Calais Coach) is perfect, but its damn near.

Of Christie's many, many mystery novels I think Murder is one of the few that I believe could be considered the 'perfect' crime. Of course with Hercule on the case that would be impossible, but if he hadn't also been aboard the Orient, than who could have figured out the tangled web that led to Rachett's untimely demise. In case you haven't read the novel, or seen the movie (more on this in a minute), I won't ruin the ending by saying who did it. Likely at some point you will make a guess (or three) and you will likely be right. I can think of very few characters in the novel who couldn't have done it (not even with Poirot's great skills could he have convinced me of this).

The interesting notion of Murder is that its one of the few books of Christie's, when made into a movie (which it has been, several times) where they didn't change the ending. David Suchet, who is endeavoring to play Poirot in all 122 of his cases (at the time of this review he was at 65, he has since completed every story of Poirot's including this one), in his Poirot TV movies the majority of the endings are changed (including the ending to this, in some ways). Some for political reasons (Christie was very much a woman of her times and the views of the British people are expressed in her novels quite pointedly at times*), others because the producer/writer didn't feel the ending would be sale-able to the audience. And Then There Were None, another Christie favorite, is the most notable as it completely changes the ending character relationships and development for several of the key characters.

Cyrus Hardman is my favorite character in the book. "An American commercial traveler who knows more than he tells and tells more than he knows..." (1940 Pocket Edition) is how the 'cast of characters' describes him. He's a blowhard, that much is true. He isn't a bad sort just tends to yap yap yap. But I liked him--he was quirky and amusing and he irritated Poirot with his aggressively American ways.

How the murder took place, the circumstances why the murderer felt it had to take place and who eventually turns out to be the murderer is fascinatingly detailed by Poirot. I am struck, each time I read or watch this story, by what seems like a string of coincidences, impossibilities and happenstance could bring together such a crime.

There is a historical centerpiece to the story, well its based upon a historical tragedy. The Lindburgh Kidnapping Case of 1932--in which the famous aviator's son was kidnapped and soon after found dead, was the inspiration for the 'Armstrong Kidnapping' that Christie describes. Indeed in the 1974 movie the newspaper clippings that flash across the screen are actually images of Charles Lindburgh Jr.
( )

i got the ending spoiled, but that ending was still incredible. god this makes me remember why i love murder-mysteries so much ( )

Writing: 4.5; Theme: 4.5; Content: 5.0; Langauge: 4.5; Overall: 4.5

This was only the second novel I've read from this well-known suspense author, Agatha Christie. The great Hercule Poirot must solve this classic murder mystery aboard the Orient Express, with the help of Drector M. Bouc and Doctor Constantine. There are many twists and turns throughout this wonderful novel. Christie shapes the characters nicely and keeps the reader enthralled in finding out who committed the dastardly crime of murder. Highly recommend.

***August 29. 2023*** ( )