novel philosophy

Authors: Agatha Christie
Genre: Murder Mystery
Published: 1998
Rating: 4 stars

Summary

Ah, the beauty and luxury of train travel in the 1920s! I don’t think there’s much like it today.

Unfortunately, for one passenger, the trip ended a little sooner than planned. She meets her fate with a single blow to the head, leaving the rest of the passengers alarmed. Don’t worry, Hercule Poirot is on the case!

For our favorite detective, the case quickly becomes complicated. The maid departed early, and our poor passenger received a visit from a mysterious gentleman. Could it be her estranged husband or her recently returned lover? Let’s not forget the missing jewels! Poirot must determine what’s relevant to the case and what’s merely a distraction.

Will Poirot succeed in tracking down the killer? You’ll have to read it to find out…

Themes

Relationships are Complicated

We quickly learn that our poor passenger has not one but two complicated relationships in her life. In her younger years, she fell desperately in love with a man, but her father forbade the marriage. Something about this mysterious stranger didn’t seem quite right. Knowing love is behind her, she finds a titled man in need of her father’s money. This exchange does nothing to ensure a happy marriage. Let’s not forget her father. Her father adores her, but still, she takes the chance to risk it all with another shot at love.

Poirot must unravel all of these difficult relationships to understand the truth of what happened.

Don’t Travel with Your Jewels

It seems a little obvious, but I thought it was a good warning. Her father warns her against it, yet still she flees with some exquisite diamonds. When those diamonds disappear, Poirot must decide if the crime is connected to her murder.

Quotes

“I do not argue with obstinate men. I act in spite of them.”

“You tell your lies and you think nobody knows. But there are two people who know. Yes- two people. One is le bon Dieu – and the other is Hercule Poirot”

“She might have trusted you. But She has spent a great deal of her life listening, and those who have listened do not find it easy to talk; they keep their sorrows and joys to themselves and tell no one.”

“L’amour, it causes many fatalities, does it not?”

Final Thoughts

The Mystery of the Blue Train is your classic Christie murder mystery. She keeps you guessing along the way before finally revealing the murderer. As an avid murder mystery reader, I usually pride myself on finding the solution before the end of the book, but Christie is great at keeping me guessing. While I was quickly confident of who might be involved, I had to wait until the end to understand the why and how.

If you love a good murder mystery, Christie is one of my favorite authors! She has a unique way of connecting engaging characters to a rather mysterious plot. They’re relatively quick reads that will leave you wanting more.

You should read this if:

• You just finished a heavy read and need a little palette cleanser.
• You love unraveling a good mystery.
• You want to travel back to the 1920s.

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