Synopsis: Whilst aboard the Simplon Orient Express, Agatha Christie’s beloved protagonist, Hercule Poirot, unwittingly witnesses a murder, heard through the wall of his compartment. The same evening, the train is stopped by snow and cannot continue on its journey for three days. A detective by nature and profession, Poirot uses the opportunity of the delay to investigate the murder on his own terms.
Review: Murder On The Orient Express boasts one of the most famous plot twists in literary and film history. I had the great fortune of being completely oblivious to this fact when first reading the story. Although the original film has been on my list of movies to watch for some time now, I hadn’t gotten around to it, and like many others, revived my interest in the story upon hearing of the film’s remake. I picked up a beautiful copy from Barnes & Noble and could not put it down once I started reading.
Set in the days of glamorous travel, Murder On The Orient Express has a certain luxuriousness about it that I particularly enjoy this time of year, when the cold sets in and I curl up with a warm blanket and a steaming cup of tea. I can imagine the richness of the colors and textures aboard the train’s first class compartments and the delicious fare served in the dining car. The world of Murder On The Orient Express has the dignified airs of the likes of Downton Abbey and the seductive suspense and action of a Bond movie. It is the perfect setting for a murder.
Agatha Christie is known as one of the best mystery writers – ever – and for good reason. She skillfully delivers each piece of evidence at just the right time and distracts with seemingly important, but ultimately useless, bits of information along the way. I found the snowstorm to be a stroke of genius because the unusual circumstance trapped the passengers on the train for three days without great concern or panic. The snowstorm gifted Poirot with time and accessibility to speak with each passenger and worker on the train. While many mysteries involve a chase to find a certain suspect, Murder On The Orient Express eliminates this element entirely. Instead, there is an intense focus on each conversation between Poirot and the passengers (in fact, each passenger interview gets its own chapter) and thus a focus on the consistencies and inconsistencies of their stories. As you read along, you try to make sense of the evidence as though you were the investigator.
As promised, the surprise at the end of the story was worth the wait. Poirot masterfully, and quite impressively, sifts through the evidence. You, the reader, feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for figuring out the case just before it is revealed. A job is well done by all – and you didn’t even have to set down your tea.
Rosie Posie 