Murder on the Orient Express – The Big Must-Read
As the title said, I think that this book is a big must read. I was wrong. It is a huge must read, at least for anyone who likes some mystery (or murder) in their books. Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie, is not just a worthy book because I read it in one go, less than half a day because I was so enthralled, but also because of everything I mention below. So, here’s the book – all In a Nutshell.
This is a Christmas Special, where I post an extra article in the middle of the week as a present. Merry Christmas, everyone!
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Why I Read Murder on the Orient Express…
Firstly, I just want to mention that this is not my first read in this book genre. I’ve read the entire collection of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and the whole series of Murder Most Unladylike. I found both of those enthralling, but this is a slightly different style. All the same, I was absolutely amazed with the ending of this.
Having finished the School for Good and Evil recently, I was looking for a new fiction book that would help prevent an imminent reading slump. So, a recommendation from a family member lead me straight to this classic.
↓ Want to read a free preview of this book? Part of the first chapter is right below. But remember, you won’t get a taste of the real excitement until the murder happens, since it starts slow. ↓
10 Reasons To Read this Book:
- It’s a classic, a must-read that’s essential to have read at least once in your life
- It has the perfect amount of plot twists…
- … So it keeps you guessing until the very end. You’ll never guess who it was!
- It gets you out of a reading slump so well
- It’s not very long and doesn’t drag on
- Even critical reviewers love it, with an overall rating of 4.7!
- It’s so atmospheric, with a closed off, isolated setting…
- Guess what? It’s a brilliant way to get into this genre for many
- Even though the ending will shock you, it is crafted with immense skill
- The clues are hidden in plain sight. Your knowledge of other whodunnits is the reason you don’t realise the solution
… and come on. With the cheap prices below, what’s stopping you from reading this novel?
(There are cheaper, used versions there when you follow the link)
SPOILER ALERT! My Thoughts on the Plot…
Reminder: below here are spoilers of the plot. Only when the purple text ends do the spoilers end.
So, enough of the hints in the writing above. What directed the suspicion away from the culprit really was… us. The usual idea that one person is the murderer leads us completely astray. I suspected Count and Contess Andreyi had killed Ratchett one point. They were kind of overlooked, along with their suspicious behaviour, I thought. I really believed that I knew that the killer would be unexpected. Still, I couldn’t figure out who it was.
That’s because it was everyone! Even Pierre Michel, the conductor was in on it. It explained the unusual amount of fullness at that time of year in the train. The twelve people, the amount that makes up a jury, were all connected to Ratchett, who in reality was a killer and murderer, also known as Cassetti. They teamed up to deliver justice in the way they saw fit. After all, Cassetti had kidnapped a baby who they had all taken care of in some way or another, and murdered her, causing all of the immediate family to die from their grief in a way. It was horrendous.
But… we all thought to ourselves, was that justification to murder someone, even if they were a murderer who had barely escaped punishment from the law? No matter our decision, Poirot, his fellow detective and also the doctor all decided to let them go free, giving the police a false lead.
What do you think? The ending was certainly revealed skillfully! Comment down below if you want more details on what happened.
Spoiler Section Over
In Conclusion on Murder on the Orient Express…
Whether you read the spoilers or not, the book definitely should be on your To Be Read List. Honestly, I’m glad I read it. It gave me a new perspective on solutions to whodunnits like this, even though I will probably still get duped by another brilliant ending. Who knows?
Thanks for reading! Check out Agatha Christie’s website for more information, and consider getting some more of her books if you liked what you heard of this one!
