My Rating - 3/5
Author - Agatha Christie
One train that is fully booked. One detective who somehow manages to get a ticket in the last minute with the help of a friend. The train stops midway due to snow. A murder is announced.
There is a long list of passengers starting from an English governess and ending with an American salesman. Ratchett does ask Poirot for protection but the latter refuses. And well, as the title of the book tells us that there was a murder and it was Ratchett who gets killed.
Turns out that Ratchett does have a whole different identity and things get a bit interesting. But this is a slow book compared to other Christie books. Nevertheless, just as other books written by the author, the main fun the reader has is trying to guess who the culprit is, and the same applies in this book also.
There are a few clues left behind such as, a message written on a paper, window left open etc. But the major clue is the 12 stab marks on the body. Each stab is of a different size, ranging from a deep cut to a small scratch.
The journey Poirot takes in search for the killer is interesting. With the window opened and the train stopped, people assumed that it was an outsider who came killed and escaped. But Poirot's little grey cells think differently and he eventually finds out the main motive behind the murder.
As mentioned earlier finding out who the killer is, is a big task and it might end up surprising the reader. The ending has Poirot giving the passengers two alternatives on who the killer might be and a few accept the former and a few the latter one. Poirot ends up retiring the case after he gives his alternatives and it is decided by the passengers that the case will be handed over to the police with the latter alternative as explanation (which is in favour of the killer). Which arises a few questions in the reader's mind such as 'Was justice actually served?', 'What will happen once the police actually find out who the killer is?' and many more.
Overall, it is a good novel, but it doesn't feel complete. Also, it takes place in its own slow pace which is a bit annoying. But if you think you can beat Poirot by finding out who the killer is then this is a must read.
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