From AudioFile
A Russian princess, a Hungarian count, a Swedish beauty, and an assortment of Americans, English and French are brought together on the elegant Orient Express. A brutal murder and an unexpected blizzard bring in the vacationing Hercule Poirot. The results are excellent. This BBC Radio dramatization is as thought-provoking as the original. The vocal characterizations, as diverse as the characters themselves, are appropriately dramatic. Actor John Moffatt is a forceful Poirot and leads the ensemble with style. With its attention to dialects, incidental music and pace, this is the perfect audio presentation for a road trip or a cozy day by a warm fire. M.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Vickie Sears
Murder on the Orient Express is a tour-de-force variation on the theme of the English house-party, gathering a remarkable set of characters, each a secretive soul, for a journey on the fabled Orient Express train as it travels from Istanbul to Paris. On hand to resolve the murder of an American passenger is Hercule Poirot, the dapper Belgian detective, dependent only on his wit, who tucks away obscure, seemingly unrelated minutiae in his facile mind. When he determines that the corpse was a renowned child kidnapper/killer, he begins to wonder about connections between the passengers and the victim. A misplaced button, overheard conversations, a monogrammed handkerchief, and an elusive figure clad in a scarlet kimono all become clues as Hercule Poirot interrogates the snow-trapped travelers and comes to his own conclusions.
Murder on the Orient Express, with its skill plot construction, adroit writing, and thought-provoking revelations, reminds us that what is "just" is not always what is legal.
-- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14.
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