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| Murder o the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) | 
| Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: Berkley
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $2.00
You Save: $4.99 (71%)
New (46) Collectible (1) from $2.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  196 reviews
Sales Rank: 20257
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 1
ISBN: 0425200450
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780425200452
ASIN: 0425200450
Publication Date: August 31, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 A brilliant "locked room" classic! August 25, 2007
8 out of 15 found this review helpful
"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" might be the locked room mystery that holds down honours for being the novel in which Agatha Christie introduced Hercule Poirot to a grateful reading public. But it is "Murder on the Orient Express" that showcases a confident, polished Hercule at the height of his powers. Standing tall beside Sherlock Holmes and Auguste Dupin, Poirot is arguably the most widely read and best known detective in literature and "Murder on the Orient Express" is certainly one of the finest examples of the mystery genre. In a brilliant variation of the typical British drawing room mystery, Christie places her cast of thirteen suspects together with the victim and Poirot on the Orient Express en route from Istanbul to Calais.
Mr Ratchett, an unsavory looking man who obviously has some dark secrets in his past, approaches Poirot as the train leaves Istanbul with the offer of a very fat fee asking for his services to help protect his life from enemies he knows are out to kill him. Poirot, seeing this as a very uninteresting exercise from a cerebral point of view, politely declines. But when the train is stopped in its proverbial tracks by a huge snow storm and Ratchett is killed in his locked berth, stabbed no less than twelve times, Poirot is pressed into service to solve the case by his long time friend Bouc who is also a director of the corporation that owns the train.
Through the simple process gathering clues by interviewing the thirteen suspects - a wildly disparate lot that in modern terms would almost certainly be referred to as a "motley crue" - Poirot employs "the little gray cells" and intuits a positively brilliant solution. In that time honoured literary tradition of gathering all of the suspects into a single room, a somewhat less than humble Poirot puts on a flashy show of summarizing the case and revealing the identity of the perpetrator in a brilliant twist that only Poirot could fathom and only Dame Christie could create.
There is nothing about "Murder on the Orient Express" that does not deserve high praise - dialogue; the hilarious mis-translation of idiomatic French into spoken English; the less than subtle but accurate use of class distinctions and behavioural stereotypes unique to different nationalities; characterization; colourful narrative description; plot; suspense; red herrings; and, of course, a brilliant solution that deftly ties up every conceivable loose thread. And all of that is in an all too short package that can be read in the brief space of three or four thoroughly enjoyable hours. Read and enjoy, pass the book onto your best friend but, for goodness sake, keep your lip zipped about that brilliant ending!
Paul Weiss
Christie and Poirot at their best August 11, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Murder on the Orient Express is almost certainly the most famous Agatha Christie novel and may well be the best-known novel from the entire mystery genre. Despite the fact that I had been told the solution to the case many years ago, I decided to go ahead and finally read the book and am very glad that I did.
The basic plot, for any who don't already know, involves a murder on board a train with a small, but colorful, group of passengers. It becomes apparent relatively quickly that no one could have possibly committed the murder but Poirot has no option except to exercise his little gray cells to their utmost in an effort to solve the case. The story moves along at a nice clip and the cast is varied and interesting. My favorite aspect of any Poirot novel tends to be the little Belgian himself and he is in fine form here.
It is a tribute to Agatha Christie's writing that I could enjoy reading a mystery novel so much on my first read even knowing the murderer before starting. The book is an excellent choice whether you are an old Poirot fan who hasn't gotten around to it yet or a first-time Christie reader.
One of the best ever August 8, 2007
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
The plot is intricate, fascinating and suspense filled. You will find yourself turning page after page to discover what could possible happen next. The plot moves fast and the conversations are full of clues. Pay close attention. Enjoy.
If you are new to the mystery genre or if you have never read this book, even if you have seen the movie -- you must read this book. It is a true masterpiece of mystery writing.
Still a good read! March 10, 2007
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
After watching the different movie versions (repeatedly) of Murder On The Orient Express over the years, I finally got around to reading the book. It was still a good read and there are enough differences to keep the story interesting.
The Murder February 15, 2007
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
This type of book is fit for the sort who enjoy reading murder mysteries. I thought this book was at a medium difficulty level and was suitable for ages ten and above. The protagonist (Hercule Poirot) was a wonderful edition to the story. His cunning plans and charming attitude made him the perfect detective to solve the crime. The book overall was a fabulous thriller with twist and turns making you point your finger at every suspect.
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