Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Slepkavība Stailzā

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Slepkavība Stailzā by Agatha Christie, Agatha Christie

89 reviews

ksbiz's review against another edition

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4.0

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robincrow's review against another edition

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funny mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I had originally attempted to read this book as a teenager and having found it rather difficult to get into gave up (my tbr at the time was far too long a list to dawdle). I'm very glad I decided to revisit it, as I am now begining to read through authors works in full turning my attention to Agatha Christie's remarkable number of books felt like the next logical step, but I hesitated to attempt to read this first installment myself again recalling how difficult it had been.
I was delighted to find the audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser as I remember seeing him as Hastings when my grandparents and I would watch Poirot in the evenings, and I must say that delight continued as I listened! He posses a wonderful ability to vary his voice for different roles and keep them consistent to the character each time with minimal wavering and he's capable of imparting the right emotion for the lines as necessary. I truly felt he was baffled when Hastings was and infuriated when Poirot was - it was far easier to listen to than to read I found, purely because the narration kept it so interestingly vivid.

The book itself is fun and all together not too long, enough intrigue to keep my attention with a satisfying ending that did not feel far fetched (as some "twists" end up). The characters feel alive and of the time, the setting is easily visualised and context is given through the narration plainly and understandably. The language used may be difficult to read if one isn't used to the way people talked at the time but is easy enough to become comfortable with - especially when listening to it.

Overall a wonderful book and a lovely time. 4.75/5 ⭐

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alexcor's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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harriet114's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I must admit, I thought it was John for a lot of the time because he was so close to the narrator and so easily discounted. I very quickly dismissed Evie on the grounds of her forthright manner, which I then reflected was suspicious in itself. However, I never fathomed that her and Alfred could have been working together. I did suspect Mary for a while, too, especially as the narrator was shielding her due to his own fondness.

The legal scenes towards the end (before Poirot) dragged a bit, hence the low ish rating, but I adored Poirot as a character and any scene with him I examined with utmost faith. A good book in all, most compelling. Evidenced by the fact I finished it in one day. I was hanging on small pieces of evidence all the way through, trying to solve the mystery alongside the characters.

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