The ABC Murders

Agatha Christie is a dab hand at the art of distraction — and so, at times, is her cerebral detective, Hercule Poirot. I\’m not sure how I skipped over this book when I started working my way through her backlist as a teen; hopefully the neighborhood library actually had a copy and it was just continually checked out. I\’d hate to think that other Dame Agatha fans also missed out on this cunning puzzler. If you\’ve missed this one, it definitely is worth adding to your to-read list. The premise of this tale is deceptively simple. M. Poirot\’s deserved acclaim has preceded him among the public at large, and a determined soul thus has chosen the Belgian detective as a cross between confidante and modified cat\’s paw. What follows is a seemingly linear series of events, though as usual when Christie is at the typewriter, there are tricky, twisty bits that advance the story in the moment but gain additional meaning once the last page is finished and the reader has a chance to reflect. In addition to the faithful Hastings, Inspector Japp makes a cameo, but the rest of the ensemble cast, new to the most loyal of readers, is rather ingenious and illuminating on Christie\’s part. (Yes, as is the case in several other of her books, there are some dated word choices and frames of reference. It helps to imagine oneself reading this in 1936, the year in which it was initially published.) I hesitate to delve into the plot lest I let something slip. Christie largely plays fair with clues, red herrings and sleight of hand. The story moves briskly, with slower passages calculated to heighten suspense. We also get fascinating glimpses into the thought processes of M. Poirot, such as this rather chilling observation midway through the story. \”Crime is terribly revealing,\” Poirot tells Hastings when the latter expresses frustration about the murderer still being at large. \”Try and vary your methods as you will, your tastes, your habits, your attitude of mind, and your soul is revealed by your actions.\” KINDLE NOTES: File conversion of this title is spot on — no hiccups or stray typographical artifacts. Poirot indulges in rather more instances of colloquial French than usual, but the Bing translation feature is able to cope with all of the phrases. If you should get an English-language translation, click \”English > French\” within the translation screen to reset the function. I had this happen three times during the book and the reset process was simple and accurate.

Before the story begins, the narrator introduces a difference in structure: Some chapters not involving him will be written from a third person perspective. This allows the reader to learn about the primary suspect before the first of three murders occurs. When Poirot receives an unsettling letter, the wheels of the plot are set in motion. Three separate murders are brazenly predicted in specific locations on specific dates. What follows is a confused and futile attempt to stop each before it occurs. There are no apparent witnesses, nor is there any useful evidence. Gradually, Poirot father\’s information by enlisting the assistance of people living at or near each murder\’s location. Patterns begin to emerge, which lead Poirot and law enforcement to a suspect. When the suspect turns himself into the police, it appears that the case has been solved. One thing bags at Poirot: A notice has not been determined. His persistence with this missing piece of the puzzle keeps the case open in his mind, to the frustration of everyone else. Christie masterfully shares the complicated inner workings of Poirot\’s with the reader, revealing how he determined the motives for the murders until the real murderer is behind bars. The brilliance of Poirot as presented by Christie creates a page-turning and intriguing mystery.

A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie is a murder mystery starring the all-time favorite, Hercule Poirot. This book is up to par with Christie’s other books however it is very different. The setting moves with the alphabet. The character relations are relatable. Poirot’s wit is well put to use in this novel. It also gives a good look at how others possibly think and various ways that others will open up without knowing it. One such example of Poirot’s astonishing reasoning is when “by making a statement (and a somewhat out of the way and preposterous one) and by [Captain Hastings] contradiction of it, tongues are immediately loosened” (Christie). Agatha Christie tells this story from different points of view. I liked this style because it gives us a wider range of knowledge of the situation. The plot is not easy to follow. There are many characters. It was hard to get started in this book, as is true in other Agatha Christie books. Each murder has a highly likely suspect completely unrelated to each other except for the clue the murderer purposely leaves behind. Although the plot is hard to follow it is also highly realistic. From sick motives to human nature to family relations, the book keeps it fairly real. For example, one time, Hastings “hastily presented the strawberries to a small boy who seemed highly astonished and faintly suspicious” (Christie). Agatha Christie walks you down a path believing that you have it all figured out only to find out you are wrong. The ending was very interesting and there was an unexpected twist. I have read other Agatha Christie books and found this one equally as interesting but completely different. I would definitely recommend this book if you are an Agatha Christie fan.

This is one of the most convoluted of Agatha Christie plots, featuring a series of seemingly unrelated killings but with the common feature of a railway timetable being found beside each body. The final lengthy explanation by Poirot of the true solution demonstrates the ingenuity of the author\’s mind in concocting such a bizarre explanation for the series of murders, which confound the \”[too] obvious\” identity of the killer. The novel is a mixture of first person (by Poirot\’s sometime confidante Arthur Hastings) and third person narration, where Hastings supposedly faithfully records events at which he was not present. I like the Poirot-Hastings partnership, which was used only in some seven novels – it is very reminiscent of Holmes and Watson. I was prompted to read this by watching the BBC TV adaptation last week. While I thought this was a good piece of atmospheric drama in its own right, it differed in several aspects from the novel, especially in terms of Poirot\’s background.

I first read The A.B.C. Murders back in the 70s. Last week I watched the BBC TV adaptation starring John Malkovich as Hercule Poirot – Poirot, but not as you know him! I had to read the book again just to confirm what a travesty the BBC airing was! The book for the most part is narrated by Poirot\’s old friend Captain Arthur Hastings, O.B.E. who has returned in June 1935 from his ranch in South America to see to various affairs at home. He looks up his old friend who is now retired but still practiced his profession on occasion. The BBC for reasons best known to themselves completely omit Hastings from the cast list! DCI Japp figures prominently in Poirot\’s previous investigations and he plays his usual rôle in the book – BBC have him retired and bump him off with a heart attack in the first scene… And Malkovich? Well – he is not David Suchet! Despite all of this, reading the book again so soon after the TV show was very rewarding. It did not spoil my enjoyment in the slightest. I won\’t go into the details of the plot as I am sure most of you will be familiar with it. The book really is Agatha Christie at her best. And those little grey cells? Don\’t get a mention on the BBC!

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