Product Description

On a French golf course, a millionaire is found stabbed in the back...An urgent cry for help brings Poirot to France. But he arrives too late to save his client, whose brutally stabbed body now lies face downwards in a shallow grave on a golf course. But why is the dead man wearing his son's overcoat? And who was the impassioned love-letter in the pocket for? Before Poirot can answer these questions, the case is turned upside down by the discovery of a second, identically murdered corpse!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45678 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Classic whodunnit
This was to be Hercule Poirot's 2nd 'major' case after the Mysterious Affairs at Styles. In this story a man who asked for Poirot's assistance in an unknown matter was found dead before Poirot arrived. Before Poirot has time to unmask the murderer a second body was found, killed in the same way as the first, at the same spot.

The Murder on the Links was a very raw effort, but it is enjoyable because there is not much 'character-building' as in Christie's later works. The clues were straight to the point and you will have a fun time having a go at it too.

One point to mention is that Hastings found the woman of his dream in this story too :o)

"You know very well that you cannot afford to turn your back on Papa Poirot."
(3.5 stars) Written in 1923, Agatha Christie's third mystery features Poirot working with Capt. Arthur Hastings, who acts as his assistant, despite Hastings's greater interest in pursuing charming young ladies. In this novel, Poirot is summoned to France by Paul Reynaud, a wealthy businessman with interests in Chile. By the time Poirot arrives, however, Reynaud is dead, stabbed and then pushed into a makeshift grave on the golf course beside his house. Mme. Reynaud bears bruises from being tied up by two intruders, who, she says, forced her partly clothed husband from the house and then killed him. Soon another death takes place.

Poirot, investigating is not the Poirot of later novels. Here he is not so much a caricature as he later becomes, even poking fun of his relationship with Hastings, as in the title's quotation. His contempt for the local police is typical, as is his arrogance, but he seems somewhat more human than usual here. Unfortunately, the nature of the mystery prevents much character development for any of the characters. Three young women, all with dark secrets (slowly revealed in the conclusion), act as the love objects of Capt. Hastings and Jack Renaud (the victim's son), while the secret histories, going back twenty years, of several other characters, including the victim and his wife, complicate relationships and hide the solution to the murders.

The plot strains credulity, though that is not necessarily a fatal fault with Christie, whose primary interest is in developing devious plots with minimal clues which still allow Poirot to deduce the murderer. This mystery is so complex and has so many characters, however, that readers will be hard pressed to keep track of them, their secret identities, their look-alikes, and their past histories. Though the plot is clever, there is too little characterization to keep the reader involved in Poirot's adventures here. Not one of Christie's most memorable novels. n Mary Whipple

VERY GOOD
I think that this must be one of the most witty plots of Miss Christie's stories. Through obvious evidence it reveals to you the least likely murderer, yet the only possible one! Definately get this book. It was the first one I ever read and certeainly didn't put me off reading the rest of Agatha's titles.