Another weird one. Not terrible, but not a fave.

(Audio) If you haven't read Christie before, this will be a treat for you. It has all the Christiesque tropes, every twist and trick familiar from older stories. But if you have been a prolific reader, this novel offers nothing new. I saw through all the expositions and while admittedly I wasn't entirely sure how it all fits together, I was pretty darn close and the reveal wasn't surprising. Still, an entertaining read as always, I especially enjoyed the changing times and world of the 60s - all young girls have "limp hair", the boys have long hair (the horror!), and everyone is awfully impertinent and rude.

Hercule Poirot must solve a murder, but before that, he must find out if a murder has even been committed, & before that, he must find the girl who came to him & confessed to a potential murder. He doesn't know her name or where she lives, so he must really start from scratch, making the mystery unfold a bit slowly.

Poirot is not my favorite of Agatha Christie's novels, but I did enjoy this one a lot. It was fun seeing him have to figure out so many new things. Also, the story was published in 1966. Poirot is now an old man, struggling to comprehend the changes in society, such as how women dress & act & what kind of men they are attracted to. Poirot knows he's a bit of a fuddy-duddy, but can't help yearning for an earlier time.

Ariadne Oliver joins Poirot as well. I've never read the Oliver books, & I think I'll enjoy them. Ms. Oliver was funny, & a bit exasperating for Poirot.

As usual, I didn't guess the killer or the motive correctly, & the twist at the end was a big one, & I didn't see it coming. Agatha Christie is still one of the greatest writers, & greatest crime fiction writers, of all time, precisely because of her twists & red herrings that keep you guessing until the last page.

I absolutely loved this one from start to finish! I was so excited that finally, after how many books where Poirot shows up halfway through the story(?), we finally have one with him in the very beginning, all the way through the whole book again. And it was so much fun having Ariadne Oliver along in this one, too, as she and Poirot carry on with quite the witty banter. As usual, this story kept me guessing and chasing after the red herrings and I was completely surprised at the end. I didn’t see that coming! But Hercule Poirot did.

This is the lowest rating I've given a Poirot mystery, but absolutely deserved in my opinion. First of all, the circumstances around the murders in this mystery are soooo far-fetched. There are just too many overlooked and unaddressed potential complications, and I'm surprised Christie put this forward as finished. Plus, the ending with the relationship between ______ and _____?! No. It has the "ick" factor for me and goes against medical ethics. Just no. Mrs. Oliver's involvement, one of my favorite secondary characters, couldn't even save this one. Disappointing.

Y otra vez poquísimos muertos y al final.
La Agatha de los 60 no me está haciendo muy feliz

⭐4.25⭐