Death In the Air [Hardcover]

Agatha Christie (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell (January 1, 1986)
• ISBN-10: 0553350471
• ISBN-13: 978-0553350470
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,210,840 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poirot takes to flight, May 3, 2004

By 

Jeanne Tassotto (Trapped in the Midwest) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death In the Air (Paperback)

Some of Christie's novels only betray their age by a subtle reference to a bygone time, others have plots than hinge on a point that modern technology has made obsolete. In this day of cell phones, SUV, satellite TV, computer networks etc just how isolated can a house in the English countryside be? Still other stories are dated in a very charming way, and lead the reader back to a far different time. This 1935 novel takes us back to a day when air travel was very different from today. A plane of 21 passengers had 2 pilots to fly from Paris to London and 2 stewards who served five course meals.

The story opens with Poirot embarking on a flight between Paris and London. He and the other passengers settle themselves for the journey, marred only by the presence of a stowaway wasp which is quickly killed by one of the passengers. The situation changes when a steward tries to wake one of the passengers in preparation for landing. She has died during the flight.

Poirot sets out to solve the crime which appears to have been committed by using a dart tipped with snake venom shot from a blowgun. All the passengers are under suspicion and have lives that are surprising intertwined. The trail leads Poirot from London, to the English countryside and back to Paris with inquiries stretching halfway around the world. In the end Poirot is, of course, triumphant. He even manages to help true love along the way.

Even though this is very much a period piece the mystery is intriging and Christie comes through with one of her characteristic surprise twists.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very pleasing mystery, August 6, 2010

By 

Ron "[e-mail]" (Whidbey Island, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death In the Air (Hardcover)

A typical Christie from the 1930's (ie. well plotted and thought out, clever puzzle, easy to read, not very taxing on the grey cells, and fun.) As Poirot himself comes under suspicion at the inquest into the death of a passenger on the Prometheus, he investigates the victim's business dealings and suspects more than one fellow passenger was connected to the dead woman. The copy I read contained a floor plan of the airplane, which really made no difference to the solution, but was a nice touch anyway. The solution at first seemed to stretch coincidence a bit far, but Christie manages to explain things logically after all. A good choice for mystery buffs who just want a light read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Agatha Christie Masterpiece, November 19, 2007

By 

C. Schaub "Charlie" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death in the Air (Hardcover)

Agatha Christies "Death In The Air" is not generally regarded as one of her best detective novels. However, on re-reading it recently I think it rates among her best.

The story begins with a woman being murdered in a passenger aircraft over the English Channel. None of the other passengers (including Hercule Poirot) in the cabin witnesses the murder. In fact they swear no one came near the victim. Aha! The good old impossible crime!

The plot is excellent; the characters are satisfactory; and Miss Christie's humor is delightful. This is a "fair play" mystery -- all the clues are presented to the reader, and Poirot's hints are right on the mark. Nevertheless, very few readers will spot the murdered before the final explanation.

The story has one major gaffe that I won't mention for fear of spoiling the plot. In a later book Miss Christie, in her Ariadne Oliver persona, apologizes to her readers for her mistake.

So sit down, relax, let your mind go back 70+ years to the early days of commercial aviation, and enjoy "Death In The Air". Bonus points if you spot the gaffe.