Who killed the jerk? Agatha Christie's Greatest Mystery: Murder on the Orient Express

In commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, there was a gathering of votes from readers around the world. There are three titles that achieved the top rankings consecutively: And Then There Were None (21%), Murder on the Orient Express (15%), and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (10%).

Of the three bestselling works by Christie, I have read the two titles mentioned first. Both stories really surprised me, and I'm looking forward to reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd sometime soon when I have some free time. 

As a fan of Agatha Christie's mysteries which are always filled with twists and surprises, I always enjoy her works. I have devoured dozens of Christie's novels, but the funny thing is, I don't own one of her books. I got access to her works through a book rental in my city (the books are very old and antique, published in the 90s, but still legible) and through the book reader application at iPusnas, which provides dozens of Agatha Christie digital books that can be borrowed online for free in Indonesian language.

Murder on the Orient Express was the first Christie's work that I enjoyed years ago, and I've only been reading it again a few weeks out of sheer random interest and nostalgia. Indeed, the enormity of Christie's writing can be realized the second time I read it, at least in my personal opinion. This is what underlies me to discuss Murder on The Orient Express as the first novel I review on this blog.

Don't worry, this is a non-spoiler review, so it’s safe for those of you who haven't read (and plan to read) this masterpiece.

Synopsis

Our beloved detective, Hercule Poirot, is trapped on the Orient Express because of snow that disrupts the railroad tracks. In the uncertainty of the continuation of his journey to London, he is trapped with a corpse that has been killed on that previous night. Apart from him, there were 12 other passengers who boarded the Orient Express, with no possible access in and out due to the heavy snow. This leads to the conclusion that the killer is still on board with them.

Unfortunately, the day before the murder was conducted, victim had asked Poirot for help to escort him because he admitted that his life was being targeted, but the request was politely refused. For some reason, even after the confirmation of his death, the Belgian detective still felt no remorse for his decision….

Victim and Suspects

Rachett

The victim who died on the Orient Express train. His character is tough and a bit stingy.

Mary Debenham

British nurse teacher who is calm and unwavering in character.

Colonel Arbuthnot

A war veteran who speaks French.

Hector MacQueen

Rachett's personal secretary who is multilingual, assists his employer in communicating between languages.

Antonio Foscarelli

A talkative Italian man in his interview with Poirot.

Edward Henry Masterman

Rachett's haughty servant, but neat and reserved.

Cyrus Hardman

An American merchant who was also on the train when the murders were carried out.

Princess Dragomiroff

A Russian grand dame with such big jewelry, but a less attractive face.

Hildegarde Schmidt

Princess Dragomiroff's personal maid of German nationality.

Greta Ohlsson

A nurse from Sweden who last saw the victim alive.

Mrs. Hubbard

A chatty American mother, admitted that the killer entered the crime scene through her room.

Count Andrenyi

Nobleman of Hungary traveling with his wife.

Countess Andrenyi

The wife of Count Andrenyi, is a beautiful and honorable young woman.

Experience

Like most of Christie's works, at first, I was pretty confused by the many character introductions. The settings also seem quite complicated–from the Tokatlian Hotel to the train route. However, here I want to appreciate Christie's writing which is coherent from beginning to end, with meaningful divisions in each part.

THE CHARACTERS is a segment where all the characters involved are described one by one. Of all the lists of victims and suspects that I have linked above, there are four other characters, namely Inspector Hercule Poirot as the detective who handled this case, Director Buoc as Poirot's old friend and director of the railway company, Conductor Pierre Michel who served in that day, and it was Doctor Constantine who determined the time of the victim's death. That night, Director Buoc and Doctor Constantine were sleeping in separate carriages at the time of the incident, so they were removed from the suspect list. They also helped Poirot in the investigation.

The next section is named FACTS, which contains facts that happened as it was from before, when, and after the murder occurred. This section covers what Poirot saw and felt firsthand. 

The third part includes TESTIMONIES from train passengers. It was here that Poirot interrogated them one by one, including the alibi they had that night. This is where most of the investigation takes place, and here the reader begins to guess who the real perpetrator of the murders that took place that night is.

The last part tells about the conclusion of this murder, and Poirot reveals who was behind the case, along with the motives, and also how the method of murder was carried out. This is where I was blown away—again—by ​​Christie's mystery writing skills. 

This novel gets a 9/10 round from me. Coherent and detailed writing, surprising mysteries and plot twists, and interesting character interactions. Mystery fans must enjoy this one of Christie's works.