My first Agatha Christie book. . . I don't know why I haven't read her books sooner.

I am a big sucker for classic who done it. I enjoy mystery TV shows with a nice big story, and I am not able to call the killer in the first 5 minutes. Because if I do the story and all the characters just fall apart.

I recently discovered Agatha Christie's Poirot TV series on britbox, and it became my latest obsession. So, naturally, I had to read the books.

This lived up to my expectations, plot well plotted out with so many suspects one couldn't deduce quickly. What I enjoyed was the sort of house plans to show where everybody's rooms were in the house, including staff entrance. So if I wanted to, I could have taken a piece of paper and started making decductions on who was where and what everybody said, like a classic game of cluedo.

Hercule Poirot is a self-absorbing detective who knows he is smarter than anyone else and wishes everyone to use their little grey cells. To come to the same conclusions as he did.

I was a bit disappointed that the novel was told from Mr Hastings' point of view, but I understood why it was done so. (Like Dr. Watson for Sherlock)

To me, Hastings was really slow at catching on about what happened or how everything was deduced. He is quite a boring, dry character.

Nevertheless, this is a comfortable mystery read that had me laughing and rolling my eyes a few times.

I can't wait to continue my Agatha Christie obsession. ( )

First Hercule Poirot novel. A wealthy woman is killed. Who did it? How and why?

I enjoyed seeing Poirot before he was her most famous sleuth. He sits back to let things happen. He investigates in his own way. He does not come out and declare who is the murderer. He has his theories and I like how he waits to test his theories before letting Hastings know what he thinks. He leads Hastings along the path of his investigation. I liked how Hastings got angry with Poirot for not sharing his thoughts. At least half the people involved with the woman are suspects. When Poirot explains who and how the murder was committed, I was surprised (more by the how then the who.)

I could see how she starts setting out Poirot's little quirks here. She also shows how Poirot and Hastings work together. Hastings is more emotional than Poirot.

I love Agatha Christie's books. I am always surprised at how good she is when I come back to read her again. ( )

David Suchet is an excellent narrator (I especially enjoyed his elderly English woman voices). Enjoyable, easy to digest Murder mystery - and no I did not correctly guess the killer. ( )

Agatha Christie is a great choice for a palate cleanser! For me, a mystery is a great summer read, beside the pool or at the beach. This is the book that started it all for Christie. It is a light-hearted murder mystery, but not a "cozy" mystery. We meet Hercule Poirot and learn a bit about his background. He is a refugee from Belgium during WWI living near Styles where the murder of Emily Cavendish Inglethorpe takes place. I loved the interaction between the narrator, Hastings, and Poirot. Hastings thinks he would make a good detective but Poirot impatiently debunks all his theories. It had me guessing until the end. Very enjoyable. ( )

My first Agatha Christie read will forever hold a special place on my library shelves. The Chiltern Classics are the beautiful books from which all booklovers receive immense pleasure. ( )