Not a terrible book, but I just can't see a reason to recommend it. I'm sure anyone who wants a good murder mystery could pick up any one of a number of other books, or a number of more noteworthy Agatha Christie books

There's something satisfying about the way the mystery spreads out before you over the course of the novel and then wraps itself up again by the end. But as already noted, there's plenty of other books that would give the same satisfaction. The plot itself is plain and with nothing much to say, the characters are all rather flat, and while the writing is fine it's also not a draw. The events of the novel play out in a very straightforward, predictable way, and Hercule Poirot's clue gathering becomes more than a little dull and repetitive by the end.

Ultimately, a decent book to pick up for next to nothing second-hand and spend some carefree time with, but not one to seek out for any reason.