The Queen of Mystery has come to Harper Collins! Agatha Christie, the acknowledged mistress of suspense—creator of indomitable sleuth Miss Marple, meticulous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and so many other unforgettable characters—brings her entire oeuvre of ingenious whodunits, locked room mysteries, and perplexing puzzles to Harper Paperbacks…including Murder on the Orient Express, the most famous Hercule Poirot mystery, which has the brilliant detective hunting for a killer aboard one of the world’s most luxurious passenger trains.
Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“What more…can a mystery addict desire?” (New York Times)
“[Moves] smoothly and entertainingly to its surprise conclusion.” (Chicago Daily Tribune)
“Nothing short of swell. [Christie] is probably the best suspicion scatterer and diverter in the business.” (New York Herald Tribune)
“Need it be said—the little grey cells solve once more the seemingly insoluble. Mrs Christie makes an improbable tale very real, and keeps her readers enthralled and guessing to the end.” (Times Literary Supplement (London))
“A brilliantly ingenious story.” (Dorothy L. Sayers, Daily Herald (UK))
“It’s tempting to say that Agatha Christie is a genius and let it go at that, but the world’s had plenty of geniuses. Agatha Christie is something special.” (Lawrence Block, New York Times bestselling author)
“[Moves] smoothly and entertainingly to its surprise conclusion.” (Chicago Daily Tribune)
“Nothing short of swell. [Christie] is probably the best suspicion scatterer and diverter in the business.” (New York Herald Tribune)
“Need it be said—the little grey cells solve once more the seemingly insoluble. Mrs Christie makes an improbable tale very real, and keeps her readers enthralled and guessing to the end.” (Times Literary Supplement (London))
“A brilliantly ingenious story.” (Dorothy L. Sayers, Daily Herald (UK))
“It’s tempting to say that Agatha Christie is a genius and let it go at that, but the world’s had plenty of geniuses. Agatha Christie is something special.” (Lawrence Block, New York Times bestselling author)
From the Back Cover
Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.
Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again.
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More About the Author
Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 61 people found the following review helpful
By K. H. ZAINAL
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Ah, yes. The world famous case of the "Murder on the Orient Express" (MotOE). It is so famous, even people who have never read Christie know who did it. I first read it 12 years ago even though someone had already revealed to me the identity of the murderer. I've never forgiven him. But I read it anyway to find out for myself how Agatha Christie constructed the story in order to fool her readers.
Christie was probably inspired by the true story of the 'Lindbergh baby' kidnapping. Charles Lindbergh (he who flew across the Atlantic alone) had an infant child who was kidnapped and murdered even after the ransom had been paid.
The background to MotOE is also similar to the Lindbergh case. The victim is revealed to have been involved in a kidnap-murder case a few years back and got away with it. Was he punished for his crimes at last? Was he murdered for something totally unrelated? Or was he a victim of mistaken identity?
The usual suspects remind one of the typical English drawing room murder mysteries: an English colonel, a Russian princess, a count, a beautiful mysterious woman...they are all here. And Hercule Poirot has to discover who the murderer is and why, all by using his "little grey cells, mon ami."
The revelation in the final pages will surprise the reader yet it will not strain belief too much. MotOE has been accused of being incredulous and downright silly but I disagree. Those who feel that way probably forgot that they are reading a fiction novel. I am sure one will find it a lot of fun if only to find out who from among the varied cast did it. You'll be gobsmacked, I assure you :)
The solution will also show the reader why MotOE is famous in its uniqueness and has never been copied (no writer dares to).
... Read more ›20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If I had to select a single Christie novel to read again for the first time, this would be my choice; more than twenty years after my first encounter with the novel I can still recall my complete amazement. I strongly urge those who have not seen the film version to avoid it until you have experienced the sheer pleasure of being being tricked by the master trickster herself. For MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, superlatives are not enough.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
One problem with audiobooks is the dialogue. Very often an author does not supply the "he said/she said" before or after each quotation and the listener is often at a loss as to who is speaking. David Suchet, the ultimate Poirot, gets around this by using a different voice for each character. He had accomplished this in his reading of the complete "Death on the Nile" for Audio Partners and he does it again with a superlative <Murder on the Orient Express> for that same label.
This set was designed for a release to coincide with the CBS dramatization of the classic whodunit, but Audio Partners need not have bothered. That telecast was an utter disaster with a lusterless Poirot, a cast that for the most part could scarcely create a character, and an updating of the decor (among other ludicrous changes) to the present. So the older film with its starry cast can rest unchallenged; but the public is entitled to enjoy the original and this audiobook is just the ticket.
Christie uses the usual "closed environment" setting (an island, a cruiser, a train) to give us a small number of suspects; and then she hits us with Poirot's "gather everyone together while I explain the solution" scene. One of the gimmicks of this novel is that Poirot comes up with two solutions! But for the sake of those very few who do not know the ending, I will say no more. And even for those who do, there is always the joy of Suchet's reading.
I have the CD edition, a format that makes it difficult to find where you last left off since each full chapter is usually given a single track number. Here Audio Partners has thoughtfully broken each chapter into several tracks so you pretty much can get back to where you were with a minimum of trouble.
... Read more ›10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First Sentence: It was five o'clock on a winter's morning in Syria.
In the Orient Express Calais Coach, a wealthy American is found dead of multiple stab wounds. The train is stopped in the snow and it quickly becomes clear the killer is still on board. Monsieur Bouc, the director of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits, asks his friend, and fellow passenger, M. Hercule Poirot to solve the case.
It had been about 25 years since last I'd read Dame Agatha but I now remember just how good she was. Her dialogue is flawless; it flows in the natural style of conversation, particularly multi-lingual conversation. I'm reminded, too, that her books were written in a time when the middle- and upper-class English had, and may still have, a rudimentary understanding of French so no translations were made in the story. Her humor is light and deft. Her characters, Poirot particularly, are fascinating representatives of certain classes of the time. Her clues are deftly placed and it such fun to watch Poirot engage his "little gray cells." Dame Agatha is definitely deserving of the term "classic." I'll not wait another 25 years before reading another of her books.
In the Orient Express Calais Coach, a wealthy American is found dead of multiple stab wounds. The train is stopped in the snow and it quickly becomes clear the killer is still on board. Monsieur Bouc, the director of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons Lits, asks his friend, and fellow passenger, M. Hercule Poirot to solve the case.
It had been about 25 years since last I'd read Dame Agatha but I now remember just how good she was. Her dialogue is flawless; it flows in the natural style of conversation, particularly multi-lingual conversation. I'm reminded, too, that her books were written in a time when the middle- and upper-class English had, and may still have, a rudimentary understanding of French so no translations were made in the story. Her humor is light and deft. Her characters, Poirot particularly, are fascinating representatives of certain classes of the time. Her clues are deftly placed and it such fun to watch Poirot engage his "little gray cells." Dame Agatha is definitely deserving of the term "classic." I'll not wait another 25 years before reading another of her books.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a amazing read!!!
Omg, I had to read it for school and I thought it would be bad... But it was AMAZING!!! I loved it.
Published 11 hours ago by Gabbi
5.0 out of 5 stars
Primo!
A favorite Agatha Christy that I enjoy again with every reread. A good introduction to Agatha and Hercule, I think, for readers new to either of them.
Published 2 days ago by S. Vicente
5.0 out of 5 stars
Putting the "little grey cells" to work
"The impossible cannot have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances. Read more
Published 10 days ago by fra7299
3.0 out of 5 stars
First Agatha Christie Novel
The novel was written in the 30's and we are more sophisticated today. It was an interesting read since I have spent time in Istanbul and visited the hotel where she wrote the... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Jerry Seymour
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Classic
We are planning on staying at the hotel in Istanbul, Turkey where this book was written. It was the hotel where passengers stayed who were traveling on the Orient Express... Read more
Published 14 days ago by Carl Hankwitz
4.0 out of 5 stars
This book is a page-turner.
It keeps you eager to know who it was throughout the entire book.
I think I'd have rated it 5 stars if I hadn't guessed who the murderer was before the end of the book. Read more
I think I'd have rated it 5 stars if I hadn't guessed who the murderer was before the end of the book. Read more
Published 29 days ago by CH
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful edition
Never read an Agatha Christie novel but was inspired to purchase one from watching a Doctor Who episode. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Chris Conklin
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Wonderful Classic!
This is one of the most creative stories written by Christie. The slow pace eventually picks up and continues to build until the mystery is solved.
Published 1 month ago by Murray T Myers II
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love these old stories
I bought this to read on my way to Istanbul to get myself into the mood. I love these old Agatha Christie novels. Read more
Published 1 month ago by dllesf13
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful
Agatha Christie puts together a wonderful thought-provoking book. As she leads you through a maze of lies and red-herrings, you barely have time to stop and look back. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nancy Combs
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