Product Description

Agatha Christie's most famous murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer -- in case he or she decides to strike again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11276 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
"Need it be said -- the little grey cells solve once more the seemingly insoluble. Mrs Christie makes an improbable tale very real, and keeps her readers enthralled and guessing to the end." Times Literary Supplement "A brilliantly ingenious story." Dorothy L. Sayers, Daily Herald "Ingenuity at its height ! the idea is utterly novel, the setting a model of realism, and the characters a versatile, attractive crew." Woman's Journal "A piece of classic workmanship .. exquisite and wholly satisfying." News Chronicle "A brilliantly ingenious story." Daily Herald "Agatha Christie has given a noble start to 1934 with a murder mystery coceived and carried out on the finest classical lines." DOROTHY L. SAYERS, Sunday Times "A piece of classic workmanship ! exquisite and wholly satisfying." News Chronicle "Ingenuity at its height ! the idea is utterly novel, the setting a model of realism, and the characters a versatile, attractive crew." Woman's Journal "In Poirot Mrs Christie has created an extremely likeable and lively character, and his adventures are always welcome." Morning Post

Synopsis
Agatha Christie's most famous murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer -- in case he or she decides to strike again.

About the Author
Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written towards the end of the First World War, introduced us to Hercule Poirot, who was to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. She is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 100 foreign countries. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Customer Reviews

One of the best Christie's
This was the second Agatha Christie book I read and the first Poirot book I read, it was the one that got me addicted to her books. It is absolutely amazing with possibly the greatest conclusion.

Setting:The setting in this novel was a great idea to make it stand out ( although I think the ending itself would do that ), the luxurious Orient Express that Poirot is luckily on when a murder occurs. The actual setting helps to make the murder more convenient for the murderer and more confusing for the baffled reader 9/10.

Characterization:The characters in this book are a very interesting group of people on the train, you really grow to like some and hate others. This book certainly has some great characterization and it is superior to a lot of Christie books, however the book with the best characterization by her is Death On The Nile, but I think the characterization in this book deserves 9/10.

Plot:The plot, WOW, it is brilliant. Conveniently Poirot is on the Orient Express. An american man called Ratchet has been receiving death treats and asks Poirot to help identify the sender of these letters, Poirot dislikes the man and refuses. Later that night, the man is found stabbed 12 times in his room. The train gets stuck in a snowdrift and Poirot, his friend M. Bouc, and the Doctor are the only sources of authority on the train, and they try to figure out the identity of the killer. Poirot finds a connection to a kidnap and murder case and he trys to find connections with that, he is unlucky at first, but eventually he finds more and more people with a motive, but almost everybody has the perfect alibi for the crime 10/10.

The Conclusion:One of the greatest conclusions ever, it is almost impossible to guess, even though all the clues were cleverly pointing to the correct murderer all along. It may be slightly unlikely but it would be boring if it wasn't, after all, that is why we read novels, not to read about plain everyday life, but to read about amazing, unlikely and fascinating events and this conclusion is all those things 10/10.

This is a great book for first time readers of Christie and people who have read a few of her books.

A Classic!
Having seen the film of this book, starring Albert Finney, this book held no surprises for me. Having said that, I still fell this is one of Christie's best novels.

Poirot is returning to London, at short notice, on the Orient Express. He is approached by a man calling himself Ratchett who wants Poirot to investigate death threats he has been receiving. There is something about the man that Poirot doesn't like, so he refuses the case, but then Ratchett is found murdered and the murderer has to be one of the other passengers on the train.

This is a twist on the classic 'locked-room' murders and has a wonderful twist at the end.

A Classic of the genre and therefore a must-read!

Christie at her best!
Having read all the Agatha Christie "Poirot" novels this is without doubt the one book that gave me the biggest surprise at the end.

In true Christie style the reader is led down an incredible path as the story unfolds with misdirection and subtle clues making you suspect several characters.

With this book I was stunned by the solution when Poirot, in his inimitable style "reveals all".

Both as an Agatha Christie novel and a crime fiction book this is one of the best. Highly recommended.