Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Murder on the Orient Express

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Dan Stevens

Publisher: William Morrow

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes

Source: Checked out in Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.

What book have you read that has the best ending?  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie has one of my favorite endings where justice is ultimately served in an unconventional way. 

Hercule Poirot is heading home from the Middle East aboard the famed Orient Express.  An American, Rachett, tries to hire him for protection as he has received death threats, but Poirot refuses.   When Ratchett shows up dead when the train is stopped due to a snowstorm, Poirot must investigate.  Someone on the train must be the murderer, but who and why?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I read Murder on the Orient Express for the #ReadChristie2026 challenge.  This year is Agatha Christie’s Biggest, Best, Beloved stories.  The theme for April is “Beloved in your Collection.”  I’m showcasing a picture of my son Daniel’s very nice copy of Murder on the Orient Express and other novels.  Daniel has started reading Agatha Christie novels on audiobook and he is a fan.  He is going to pass me up soon on how many I have read.  It is fun discussing the books with him.

·       As this was my second read (first time on audiobook), it was interesting to focus on how Poirot was investigating the crime rather than who did it.

·       I loved how methodical Poirot was interviewing the witnesses.

·       This book was inspired by the Lindburg baby kidnapping case which is such a sad crime in history.

·       This is one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels.  It is so well written.

·       The ending is perfect with a mike drop moment.

·       Dan Stevens was a good narrator to give unique voices to the characters.

Overall, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is one of Agatha Christie’s best mysteries.  It is a classic for a reason, and it is best to read it for the first time not knowing much about the plot.

Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Mrs. McGinty’s Dead

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: Harper Audio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 8 minutes

Source: Checked out through Libby from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thanks!

What cold case would you like to be solved?  From history, I would like the definitive answer on who is Jack the Ripper.  From my lifetime, I would like a definitive answer on who killed my eighth-grade teacher, Dar Foley.

Mrs. McGinty was murdered by a blow to the back of her head, and her lodger, a young local man, was jailed for her murder.  As he nears execution, Superintendent Spence asks Hercule Poirot to take another look at the case. Is he guilty or is the murderer still out there?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I am a part of the #ReadChristie2026 challenge again this year, although I am running a bit behind and read February’s book in March.  The theme for 2026 is Biggest, Best, Beloved Stories.  The February theme was “Beloved Characters.”  Hercule Poirot is definitely a beloved character, and this book did a good job of showcasing him.  Two favorite reoccurring characters also appear - Inspector Spence and Ariadne Oliver.

·       I loved Ariadne Oliver’s banter about her famous detective creation, Sven Hjerson, and how she hates him.  I loved the argument about how old he was since she started writing about him thirty years ago when he was thirty-five.  Is he thirty-five or sixty-five years old now?  She said she regretted making him Norwegian when she had never been to Norway.  It seemed tongue in cheek about Christie’s own creation of Hercule Poirot.  It made me laugh.

·       This was Hercule Mystery #29 and was published in 1952 in the United States as a novel.

·       I loved Hugh Fraser as the narrator of the audiobook and how he does the voices for all of the characters.  He does a great job as the narrator of the Poirot novels.

·       The mystery was highly entertaining with Poirot at the top of his game.  I did not guess the ending. 

·       The novel had fun dialogue, especially with Ariadne Oliver.  I greatly appreciated the humor.

·       Poor Poirot was annoyed at the untidiness and poor cooking the house where he was staying.  No one cared about his complaints, but they were very legitimate.

·       The title was based on the old English schoolyard chant, “How did Mrs. McGinty Did?”

Overall, Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie was a very enjoyable cozy mystery with great humor and characters.

 

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

 

Are you a cat or a dog person? I love both and currently have both a dog and a cat sleeping at my feet.

At a premier female boarding school, Meadowbank, in England, a teacher is found murdered in the Sports Pavilion.  Why was the teacher murdered and what does it have to do with a revolution in another country?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie was the November Read for the Read Christie 2025 challenge.  I’m behind and read it this month.  The 2025 challenge explored Christie’s canon through character and their careers.  November’s theme was Spies.

·       Hercule Poirot does not show up until the very end to solve the case.  I forgot it was a Hercule Poirot book until he showed up!

·       I was kind of disturbed that the school and detectives didn’t really seem to care that the foreign princess may have been potentially kidnapped.

·       This book mixed a school setting with espionage which was interesting and different.  A coup that happened in a fictional middle eastern country ended up impacting the school.

·       I liked Agatha Christie’s dry humor.

·       I liked how one of the students took matters into her own hands, figured out a major part of the mystery and left the school to get Hercule Poirot involved.

·       Poirot says the murderer is a cat among the pigeons, or a murdered among the innocent students and teachers.

·       The plot was very clever.

·       I was annoyed at one point where it seemed racist when the school staff was very concerned how a foreign princess is wearing what I think is a push up bra and how it was inappropriate for a girl her age . . . this did end up being an important plot point for later in the mystery.

·       There was a great surprise at the very end.

Overall, Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie is a clever cozy mystery that combines espionage and an English boarding school.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  One, Two Buckle my Shoe

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: Harper Collins

Length: Approximately 5 hours

Source: Thank-you to the Kewaunee Public Library.  I checked this out using #Libby. 

Do you like nursery rhymes?  I always enjoyed them as a kid and reciting them with my own children.  I love how Agatha Christie incorporates them into her fiction.

Dead bodies turn up everywhere for Hercule Poirot.  He goes to the dentist one day and his dentist ends up dead.  Was it suicide or was murder involved?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       I read One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie for my August selection for #ReadChristie2025.  The August theme is medicine or medical professionals.  The victim is a dentist, Mr. Morley.

·       This is the twenty third Hercule Poirot novel.  I think it would be fun in the future to read all the Hercule Poirot novels in a row.

·       Hugh Fraser was a great audiobook narrator as usual.

·       It was interesting that this novel has a nursery rhyme title like other Christie books.  The buckles on shoes do play a part in the plot! This novel was first published in the United States in 1941 as the Patriotic Murders and then in 1955 as An Overdose of Death before finally being published with the original UK title.

·       I did not guess the ending of this one.

Overall, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie was a short read that kept me intrigued.

 

 

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Cards on the Table

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 0 minutes

Source: Audiobook from Amazon Music monthly allotment.

What is your favorite card game?  Mine is Euchre although it’s been long time since I’ve played.

Mr. Shaitana has a gathering at his London home.  He has invited four detectives as well as four other people of whom he has secret information about.  The four non detectives play bridge all night, but by the end of the night, Mr. Shaitana is dead.  Who killed him and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for May was detectives.  This novel featured four detectives with Hercule Poirot, Colone Race, Superintendent Battle, and Ariadne Oliver all at the party and on the case. 

·       Wow!  This was one of my favorites Agatha Christie novels.  It was a great mystery with great characters and a great story.  The ending caught me totally off guard.

·       There was a lot about the game of Bridge in this story.  I have never played this game but have fond memories of my great grandparents hosting bridge parties.  Have you ever played bridge?

·       On the challenge website, it stated that Agatha Christie was not allowed to play cards on Sunday as a child so it it always felt slightly wicked when she did as an adult.

·       Hugh Fraser is a wonderful narrator of the Hercule Poirot novels, and I enjoyed listening to him again on this one.

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie was a wonderful mystery with complicated characters and a great story.  I loved how many favorite past characters came together to solve the mystery.