The A.B.C. Murders (1936)

Hercule Poirot is not having fun at this party.

Our favorite little Belgian detective's little gray cells are most offended by the actions of the ABC killer. Why? Because this is, to use his term, a "public" murder. Messr. Poirot is much more comfortable with "personal" murders where there the deed is done to act out one of those common (and personal between the killer and victim) human emotions like greed, lust, jealousy, desire for revenge, or a quest for power---but usually cash is king. In Mr. ABC Poirot encounters his first serial killer, and he is not happy. Freaked out is more like it, actually.

ABC is following the train schedule (the "ABC Guide") and committing murders in cities starting with A and working through the alpahebet. The victims are random (perhaps?) people whose last name starts with the same letter as the city. Oh, and he taunts Poirot by telling him in advance the name of city and the date of the killing. Mr. ABC is quite confident, you see, which makes Poirot even more apprehensive.

A masterful novel by probably the greatest mystery writer of all time at the top of her game.



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It was written on thickish white notepaper in printed characters:
Mr. HERCULE Poirot, You fancy yourself, don't you, at solving mysteries that are too difficult for our poor thick-headed British police? Let us see, Mr. Clever Poirot, just how clever you can be. Perhaps you'll find this not too hard to crack. Look out for Andover, on the 21st of the month. Yours, etc. ABC.

I even enjoy the mysteries I've seen on TV. I remember how they end and a few of the twists, but honestly, just love Christie's narration. She's flawless.

A very enjoyable day diving into an Agatha Christie mystery. Today, I read The ABC Murders and at times I find Hercule Poirot’s French phrases a little too much, especially when challenged with the translation. What caught my fancy? The description of a maniac/serial killer by Poirot made me think of Donald Trump and his quest for power and fame. As Poirot mentioned, the maniac will blunder due to egoism. Agatha Christie presents a delict able novel on all the processes that Poirot employs to catch the killer. The scenery gives an important clue in the story. And I love the characters and had mistakenly picked the wrong killer several times. Captain Hastings, like Doctor John Watson in the Sherlock Holmes series, narrates the majority of the story. Hastings carefully guides us through the murders and Poirot’s investigation. Agatha Christie does not plunge into deep psychological language as does Louise Penny or Elizabeth George. Agatha Christie hands the reader a fun mystery. ( )

The ending was not surprising.

Conclusion: 2/5 ( )