The A.B.C. Murders (Hercule Poirot Series)

Brilliant Plot---and Detective

This was the first ever Agatha Christie book I read-and certainly not the last! She is now one of my favorite authors. It is so easy to see why she is the Queen of Crime. This name of the book sounded interesting, so decided to read it. I loved it! The plot was wonderfully unique, the twist completely surprising, and the detective, of course, sheer genius. Only Hercule Poirot could be this clever. I recommend this book to any mystery lover!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Very Good! Absolutely Stunning!

This is now my fourth Agatha Christie book and I am still amazed at how Poirot discovers who the murderer is. I thought this was a great book overall, but some of the different parts of the plot and ending confused me very easily. Other than that I give this book a 9/10 just because at times it could be boring, but most of it was fast paced and energetic. I liked how the killer would throw all of the British detectives onto multiple cold trails and leave them wondering where to go from there while M. Poirot didn't waiver onto any of the clever killer's sidetracks. Every time I read a Agatha Christie book I can actually feel myself slipping between the pages, like I am standing right next to Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings. I strongly recommend this book to any person that likes a good mystery. M.S.B.

Phanomenal

This is my first Agatha Christie book and I really enjoyed reading it. It is not like the normal mystery suspense book I normally read. It was extremely easy to tell that she was the queen of mysteries. The ABC murders were quite twisted because of the serial killers mind set. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10 only because a couple of the pages were quite dull, but needed to be in the book so that the reader would have a better understanding. I felt the best part was when the investigators found a common theme of the murders was the victims names started with the letters ABC and E because of mistaken identity. Also he was selling stockings at all the places of victim's houses. Selling stockings back then was a very common job so the killer didn't seem out of the ordinary. Every witness had a different look at the killer and had no distinguishing characteristics about him. He would also leave an ABC railroad guide to distinguish it wasn't a random murder but serial killing's. I wanted to read this book because when I read the description of the ABC killings it was very thrilling. I actually thought that the book had occurred in Rochester New York because the same plot happened in later years. Turns out the crimes in this book happened in Europe. There were some parts in the book where I couldn't understand what was happening do the fact that a sentence or a phrase was in a different language. I would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys reading about murders and investigators who try to solve the crimes. Almost all the investigators since the beginning said that the murders would not turn into killing streak it was a random murder. But one investigator really new what he was doing once he had one suspect and evidence against him he didn't quit he found the real killer. If you plan on reading this book you may want to read the beginning pages about the characters for a better understanding there is multiple characters and investigators that come into play throughout the book.

ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

Agatha

The usual Christi book - love it!

A reviewer

A great book, though starts off kind of slow for me

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Agatha Christie is a Genius

It was slow and slightly confusing at first, but Christie shows her genius again and again through the workings of her most famous detective, Hercule Poirot. I most definetly suggest reading it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good

I just recently finished this novel. I found it quite pleasing, and when I thought I knew who the murderer was, Agatha Christie places and unexpected turn in her novel. Once or twice it dragged on but that was all. I definetly reccommemd it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Mysterious

Hercule Poirot is a great detective, who receives letters from a criminal warning him of events that could happen. This is a book that you don't want to give away the ending. It's a good one if you like mystery and when everything meets in the end. I thought this book was really suspenseful and well-written.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I loved it

I thought that the book was very good though it started off very slow it was a very good page turner. I would most certainly recommend it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Definitely one of her bests!

OMG! Those notes that the murderer was leaving behind with bodies creeped me out! I would have to describe it as suspenseful.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Becoming indulged is as easy as A. B. C.

'A.B.C. Murders' is truly a magnificent work. The reader is lead blindly on his or her own speculations until the very end, when clever M. Poirot gives his final elucidation of the crimes, and of the murderer. Agatha Christie has once again produced a novel which is sure to please.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of her finest!

Being a huge fan of Dame Agatha (AND David Suchet, AND Joan Hickson) I took this out of the library on a whim. I loved it! I am glad it was written in one of the 'prime' periods of her life (20s-30s) or it might have been terribly dull. A seemingly random series of alphabetical killings - Alice Ascher of Andover, Betty Barnard strangled with her belt on the beach at Bexhill, Sir Carmichael Clarke, collector of Chinese art, clubbed in Churston - baffles Scotland Yard, but not Hercule Poirot, who has been receiving letters from 'A.B.C.' My favorite part of AC novels is the way Poirot or Miss Marple will often gather everyone around and explain the solution. In here, everything just falls into place beautifully in the conclusion, and it gave me a new perspective, as many of her novels do, on people, murder, life, and even serial killings. I can't wait to see the TV movie!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Best Yet

This has to be Christie's best book yet! she was so creative with her plot. i enjoyed how you thought it was one person and it turns out to be the person you least expected!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Murder A to Z

Poirot is receving letters from a person who signs them A.B.C. Soon after the letter is sent a murder will take place. The town and the victim will start with that letter starting with A and going on down the list. How far will he or she get befor they are stopped!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Agatha Christie at her very best

This was the first Agatha Christie book I have ever read and I thought it was the best book ever written. That was until I read 'And Then There Were None' also by Agatha Christie. 'The A.B.C. Murders' is filled to the capacity with suspense. Trust me, you won't be able to sleep at night because this book is so intriguing. I lived it and I recommend it to anyone who is literate. Agatha Christie at her best!!! Astonishing...Fascinating...I call it, Two thumbs up!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A great book for any age

This is a great book for any age I read this and I am 11. You get into the book and you think that you know who the murderer is but at the end it takes a total twist it is a great book if you are getting bored with the Nancy Drew books.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Absolutely Astonishing!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again, Agatha Christie proved Hercule Poirot to be one of mystery's greatest creations. In this book, the famous Belgium detective Hercule Poirot was being his usual brilliant self (a mystery genious with a serious obsession with his mustache). The mystery started when M. Poirot received a mysterious, menacing letter from the supposely writer, A.B.C. Others thought the letter to be a hoax but our genious knows better than that. His suspicions were soon confirmed by the murder of Mrs. Ascher on Ansover. At the beginning, the murderer seem so obvious, it was almost too easy but we soon find out the saying 'nothing appears as it seems.' The murder was brilliantly planned and carefully executed and could have fooled even the smartest and most experienced of detective and mystery lovers alike but never Hercule Poirot. It seems that while the ordinary people may see only what is planted in front of us, M. Poirot's complicated mind goes beyond the network of our imaginations. When the true murderer was first pointed out, I did not believe it, it was just so unexpected but then Hercule explains... and of course now everything made sense. It is almost as if he have some kind of third eyes that seem beyond what ordinary humans see. This was a fantanstic book with a riviting ending. One of Agatha Christie's greatest.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The A.B.C. Murders

Detective Hercule Poirot proves to be the best when he cracks the case of the A.B.C. murders, with the aid of his good friend, Captain Hastings. M. Poirot receives mysterious letters from an anonymous person, A.B.C. These letters are followed by murders that occur in alphabetical order. With Hastings talent to seek the obvious and M. Poirot's detective intelligence, the case of the A.B.C murders is solved. Throughout the book, many misconceptions about the murderer are revealed. It is not until the end of the book, that the reader discovers what M. Poirot had concluded earlier...the real murderer. From the beginning, Poirot had thought strangely of the letters he had received. These letters indicated where these alphabetical murders were to take place. Seeming as if the murderer wanted to be caught, these letters were actually a way for the murderer to distract attention from himself, or herself. Throughout the book Poirot searches for the reason why these murders are taking place. He seeks to find his answer through several interviews with relatives of the victims. He finally realizes that the murder may not be as complicated as it seems. With the help of other detectives and especially his good friend, Hastings, Poirot is able to point out the obvious and answer his question. Why? The A.B.C. Murders was a great book filled with suspense and a very elaborate plot. The author made me want to keep reading, and the end was quite surprising, yet almost obvious. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries. Agatha Christie proves herself once again to be a great writer.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good but not the Best

As a regular Christie reader I was a bit disappointed by this book. With such a great setup the solution somewhat let me down. So much suspense is building, so much is going for the book and then you reach the end which I think does not fufill its potential. I do recommend you read it though, as many other readers thoroughly enjoyed it.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

quite nice

Ok, first of all, this book scared the heck out of me. The situations are so normal that I have found myself in similar situations afterwards and have looked around suspecting to be murdered by the person standing next to me. I thought that the climax was a bit of a let down, but still worth reading.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.