The story starts with a fairly used trope: the retiring detective. The extraordinary genius Hercule Poirot is looking to enjoy the quiet life with his contrasting partner Hastings. But their merriment halts abruptly when they meet Nick, a woman who has been through 4 attempted murders.
Poirot comes out of retirement to protect Nick and untangle the mystery behind the repeated attempts on Nick’s life. He works his way through a classic whodunit mystery. We have seen very colorful and interesting characters in the contemporary whodunit mystery movies, but in this novel the characters are fairly ordinary. In fact, the book does not focus much on character development. It focuses on Poirot’s methods of deduction and the process of untangling the web.
The mystery is tight-knit but the genius of the book is that you could solve it if you pay attention. Many mystery writers often hold out some facts the detective knows until the final reveal. This allows the plot to thicken but it becomes impossible to solve definitively for the readers. Agatha Christie, however, lays out all the facts in snippets during the build-up and Poirot’s deductions for the readers without giving the mystery away. This is a rare quality you get to see in only the best mystery books.
Although the mystery is as good as it can be, the book lacks the element of thrill. Deaths and reveals are usually an author’s best tools for adding thrill. As the book focuses on meticulous deduction which might be boring at times. So, I would recommend this book only if you are in the mood to challenge your inner detective.
