I love mysteries, and Agatha Christie is a credit to the genre. I can’t believe it took me this long to finally read one of her books!

The characterization is… *chef’s kiss*. Christie is able to capture the spirit of a character in just a few lines, which is really important given that this is a short book with a large cast.

One scene describes Miss Debenham laughing, “with just a hint of uncontrol in the sound” . It’s such a small detail, but it creates such a distinct image and window into Debenham’s state of mind.

Christie’s talent for subtly showcasing personality is most visible in the characterization of Poirot himself. I’ve seen Hercule Poirot reproduced on tv and in movies, but I never really liked or understood his character until reading Christie’s version of him.

I initially found Poirot to be obnoxious and annoying, and couldn’t see how this character managed to charm so many audiences. Upon reading this book, I immediately realized what I was missing. Poirot is meant to be a ridiculous character. He is eccentric and awkward, intentionally a deviation from the smooth/cool detective trope.

There are moments where the reader laughs with him, but also moments where the reader laughs at him. I found that much of Poirot’s charm actually came from the voice of the narrator, explaining to the reader not just his genius, but also his ungraceful moments.

Here are a few lines that really drove the point home for me:
“[Poirot is] the sort of little man one could never take seriously”
“Poirot tried to look modest but failed signally”

This personality and subtle commentary that shines through the voice of the narrator elevates the entire story. I get the sense that I’m watching and eavesdropping along with Poirot, observing his investigation unwind through the eyes of Christie herself.

While this book is a mystery, it is far from a thriller. The pace is slow to moderate, recounting the action through interviews after the fact rather than including dramatic scenes firsthand. I didn’t mind this relaxing version of a murder mystery, especially given the short length of the book. Had the story been drawn out any longer, I think I would have become frustrated with the pacing and lack of tension, but I can appreciate it as is.

My enjoyment of the story was unfortunately hindered by the fact that I already knew the twist ending. The story is just too famous, and while I hadn’t read or watched any version of it before, I was able to pull the twist from some random corner of cultural knowledge after the first few clues were revealed.

One bright spot of having the mystery spoiled was that I was able to pick up on Christie's use of foreshadowing from pretty early on. She does a great job sprinkling these details across the book.

However, I don’t think this is the type of mystery that the uninformed reader would be able to crack before the big reveal. There is just too much dependence on knowledge of events that happen outside of the main context of the story, of which the characters are aware but the reader has no way to know (view spoiler). I do usually like to have a fighting chance at solving the crime on my own, so I hope that this isn't a common feature of Christie's books.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this and will definitely revisit the Poirot series at some point in the future. I’d recommend this book as a light weekend read, great for a casual bit of mystery without too much tension or stress. It pairs well with a nice cup of tea or a glass of wine, maybe a blanket.