This
new paperback edition of Agatha Christie’s best-selling
mystery novel from 1931 comes out a month before the November
theatrical release of the Kenneth Branagh-directed film of
the same name. Twelve color production stills from the new
movie starring Branagh (as detective Hercule Poirot), Johnny
Depp, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, and
Judi Dench are included inside the book.
The story takes place onboard a train called the Orient Express,
which gets stuck in a snowdrift overnight. During this time,
a much-disliked millionaire named Samuel Edward Ratchett is
murdered by multiple stab wounds in his torso. He is found
dead the next morning with his door locked from the inside.
Hercule Poirot, the famed detective, happens to be on the
train unexpectedly, and is tasked with solving the murder.
Interviewing the 13 possible suspects sheds little light on
the highly problematic case. Convinced the murderer is still
onboard because the snow reveals no footprints, Poirot –
stranded like the others on a snowy countryside without the
ability to communicate with the outside world – must
solve the case on his own, using his wits and the conflicting
evidence available to him.
The characters come from a variety of countries, giving the
book an international appeal, and reflect the customs of their
people (at that time in history). French language is sprinkled
throughout the book, though not enough to obscure the meaning
for non-French speaking readers. The mystery slowly unravels,
and those unfamiliar with the story likely will keep guessing
the murderer’s identity until the final pages.
Christie’s writing gets right to the point, and she
wastes few words on unnecessary dialogue or details. Reading
this intriguing mystery is great fun, and it’s easy
to see why her books have sold more than two billion copies,
been adapted to most media platforms, and been translated
into more than 100 languages.
Reviews of other titles by this author
The
Affair of the Pink Pearl &
Finessing the King [audio]
Philomel
Cottage and other Stories [audio]
Black
Coffee (w/Charles
Osborne)
Hercule
Poirot and the Greenshore Folly
Murder
on the Orient Express 1 (Murder
in the Calais Coach)
Murder
on the Orient Express 2 (Movie Tie-In)
[book]
Murder on the Orient Express 3 (Movie
Tie-In) [audio]
And
Then There Were None (Ten Little Indians)
While
the Light Lasts
After
the Funeral
The
Monogram Murders (w/Sophie Hannah)
Agatha
Christie; An Autobiography
Agatha
Christie: Murder in the Making
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