Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most popular books of all times. I wanted to read it before I watch the film, so I read it in a sitting. And I love it. This short detective story is the first book I read by Agatha Christie and, I think it is a good choice for me to read the Hercule Poirot series from now on.
Murder on the Orient Express surprised me with its different characters, unpredictable ending, and with its unexpected emotionality. I do not read many detective books, so it’s expected that my first reaction is to be surprised but, there was something very different in this book. And that is why I loved it very much.
While the Orient Express continues on its way quite calmly, the death of an American passenger by being stabbed repeatedly makes every passenger on the train a murder suspect. Although Hercule Poirot talks to each passenger one by one, he perceives that something is missing and there is more to investigate. While the question of why this murder has been committed pervades the reader’s mind, the characters’ secrets on the train are gradually revealed.
It is not difficult to understand why Murder on the Orient Express is so popular and why millions love Agatha Christie. Here is an author who can make detective story lovers and all the various genre readers happy. If you are looking for engaging and easy-to-read books that will suit calm evenings, I recommend Agatha Christie. Enjoy!
Murder on the Orient Express
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.
Agatha Christie
Best-selling author Agatha Christie published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920, and went on to become one of the most famous writers in history, with mysteries like Murder at the Vicarage, Partners in Crime and Sad Cypress. She sold billions of copies of her work and was also a noted playwright and romance author.
Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller on September 15, 1890, in Torquay, Devon, in the southwest part of England. The youngest of three siblings, she was educated at home by her mother, who encouraged her daughter to write. As a child, Christie enjoyed fantasy play and creating characters, and, when she was 16, she moved to Paris for a time to study vocals and piano.
In 1914, she wed Colonel Archibald Christie, a Royal Flying Corps pilot, and took up nursing during World War I. She published her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920; the story focused on the murder of a rich heiress and introduced readers to one of Christie’s most famous characters—Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
In 1926, Christie released The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a hit which was later marked as a genre classic and one of the author’s all-time favorites. She dealt with tumult that same year, however, as her mother died and her husband revealed that he was in a relationship with another woman. Traumatized by the revelation, Christie disappeared only to be discovered by authorities several days later at a Harrogate hotel, registered under the name of her husband’s mistress.
Christie would recover, with her and Archibald divorcing in 1928. In 1930, she married archaeology professor Max Mallowan, with whom she traveled on several expeditions, later recounting her trips in the 1946 memoir Come, Tell Me How You Live. The year of her new nuptials also saw the release of Murder at the Vicarage, which became another classic and introduced readers to Miss Jane Marple, an enquiring village lady.
Writing well into her later years, Christie wrote more than 70 detective novels as well as short fiction. Though she also wrote romance novels like Unfinished Portrait (1934) and A Daughter’s a Daughter (1952) under the name Mary Westmacott, Christie’s success as an author of sleuth stories has earned her titles like the “Queen of Crime” and the “Queen of Mystery.” Christie can also be considered a queen of all publishing genres as she is one of the top-selling authors in history, with her combined works selling more than 2 billion copies worldwide.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
