Product Description

A repugnant Amercian widow is killed during a trip to Petra...Among the towering red cliffs of Petra, like some monstrous swollen Buddha, sat the corpse of Mrs Boynton. A tiny puncture mark on her wrist was the only sign of the fatal injection that had killed her. With only 24 hours available to solve the mystery, Hercule Poirot recalled a chance remark he'd overheard back in Jerusalem: 'You see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?' Mrs Boynton was, indeed, the most detestable woman he'd ever met!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29396 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Another enjoyable play
It seems that, though BBC TV are rapidly desappearing down the tubes, Radio 4 can still come up with the goods. That said, this is not the best Poirot story in their repatoire, although it's enjoyable all the same. The ending is ludicrous, but surprsing (the fault of Agatha Christie not of the writer) and it doesn't do such a good job of evoking the Middle Eastern setting as the wonderful adaptation of Murder in Mesapotamia did. Also, some of the acting is a little dodgy, most notably John Woodnut, who is miscast as Colonel Carbury.

That said, if you want to be transported to a world of mysterious old monuments and murder in the desert for an hour and a half, you could do much worse. Hugely enjoyable.

Agatha once again beats me to the solution
Christie's most successful and popular books hold a pattern. Her writing subtely encourages you to suspect everyone except the real murderer, who you ignore. Even when you know the rules of her writing and the tricks she plays, she is so brilliant as to still deceive you. Appointment With Death fits that pattern, and as such is a very pleasing read for fans of classic Agatha Christie. There are a limited number of suspects in an isolated area, and details of times and locations are added to muddy the waters. However, there in the middle of the situation is Poirot, quietly confident. As usual, if you have a mind like Poirot's and are really paying attention, you can work it out. For us mere mortals, there is always the answer at the end of the book, and very satisfying it is too.

Hugh Fraser is a great choice
This Five disk set is well worth your money, you get so much more detail with the books than you do with the two hour TV shows with Six hours listening the unabridged Poirot is a joy to listen to.
Hugh Fraser is a great choice to read these books and if you like his voice he has a great gift for playing the different parts.
My only question is why did it take so long for someone to do away with Mrs Boynton!