(Originally published 1931, Mass Market Paperback 249 pages)
Ms. Christie's 17th Hercule Poirot book is up to her standards when it
comes to complex, tightly written murder mysteries. The short stories
vary in length. The first mystery 'Dead Man's Mirror' is 93-pages long;
the second work 'The Incredible Theft' 55 pages; 'Murder in the Mews' 67
pages; and lastly, the fourth story 'Triangle at Rhodes' is 29-pages
long. As usual, the author throws many red herrings into the mix in an
effort to trick the reader. I was able to figure out one of the culprits
in the four stories. Clearly, Sherlock Holmes I am not.
The reader should keep in mind that these works were written in the 1930s and, while they do hold up very well as whodunits, the social mores were quite different from today's attitudes. Sexists and prejudicial statements are peppered throughout the book. Also, Ms. Christie was excellent at creating fun murder puzzles, but the dialogue is clunky as hell. A few years back I began reading the Hercule Poirot series in chronological order. Ms. Christie's mysteries are always a great break from more serious reading material despite her making me feel like an idiot. I guess I'm a glutton for self-esteem punishment because my intention is to intermittently treat myself to her other mysteries whenever I need a surefire piece of entertainment. The arrogant Hercule Poirot is simply too good to pass up.
The reader should keep in mind that these works were written in the 1930s and, while they do hold up very well as whodunits, the social mores were quite different from today's attitudes. Sexists and prejudicial statements are peppered throughout the book. Also, Ms. Christie was excellent at creating fun murder puzzles, but the dialogue is clunky as hell. A few years back I began reading the Hercule Poirot series in chronological order. Ms. Christie's mysteries are always a great break from more serious reading material despite her making me feel like an idiot. I guess I'm a glutton for self-esteem punishment because my intention is to intermittently treat myself to her other mysteries whenever I need a surefire piece of entertainment. The arrogant Hercule Poirot is simply too good to pass up.
(Meyers - A few years ago, I
started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short
reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #336)
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