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MariaW
The Big Four | Agatha Christie
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„it has always seemed to me extraordinary that a woman should goss far in the scientific world. I should have thought a purely masculine brain was needed for such work.“ - Sometimes I do not like Hastings at all. 😡

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suvata
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Pickpick

Reading on #Litsy with Christie‘s Capers. Hosted by @Librarybelle #AgathaChristieClubR3

4 Stars • In The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928), Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of American heiress Ruth Kettering, found dead on the luxurious Blue Train to the French Riviera, her valuable ruby missing. Poirot explores a cast of suspects connected to Ruth‘s troubled personal life, unraveling a web of greed and deception to solve the case.

Librarybelle Yay!! 3h
30 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
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My brain is completely fried from last week, and I did not allow myself a lot of planning time for the discussion. My apologies, but there are 4 questions posted as spoilers that can be found on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching #ChristiesCapers or #AgathaChristieClubR3 .

Next month, we look at The Seven Dials Mystery which reintroduces us to characters we met in The Secret of Chimneys. Official post tomorrow!

kspenmoll Thank you for doing this with all you have on your plate. How is your dad? 💕 10h
Librarybelle @kspenmoll He‘s doing very well. I visited my parents yesterday, and he said that he‘s still finding he cannot quite think of the right word to say at times but has seen an improvement. He‘s waiting for his cardiologist to get back to him to set up tests; they still don‘t know where the clot came from that caused the stroke, but they‘re pretty positive it was not from the brain. Thanks for asking! 10h
thebacklistbook So glad to hear he is doing better! (edited) 9h
See All 6 Comments
ferskner I think I missed the news about your dad - I'm so sorry to hear all of this, but I'm so happy he's doing well!!! Sending you all my prayers, friend. ♥️ 9h
robinb So sorry to hear about your dad but hopefully he‘ll continue to do well. Sending a big hug. 🤗 4h
32 likes6 comments
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Librarybelle
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4. We explored Poirot, settings, & plot...now, let's visit the characters. Christie plays on the American millionaire (we'll see that too in Orient Express), and we also run into jewel thieves &, of course, people with secrets. Plus, Katherine Grey serves as a sounding board for Poirot. Any characters you wish to discuss with the group?

This is the first time Poirot's valet George is mentioned in the books! #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 I loved George!! I got a definite ‘Jeeves‘ vibe from him 🤗 10h
kspenmoll George is perfect for Poirot & adds another relationship & dimension to Poirot.Katherine Grey was a wonderful character & addition to the book/plot. 10h
OutsmartYourShelf Can't really remember any characters who really stood out (I read this in August) but according to my review I wasn't a fan of Katherine Grey. 9h
willaful I would like to have seen Lenox get a happy ending, but I guess we just have to rely on Poirot's intuition. 😁

George is definitely fun and Jeeves-y, though of course Poirot would never need a Jeeves. (Hastings could use one!) The next book we read is even more Wodehousian, IIRC.
5h
7 likes4 comments
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Librarybelle
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3. The setting: the blue train. Christie uses travel in her mysteries quite a lot, and this will not be Poirot's only encounter with a mystery on a train (I'm looking at you, Orient Express). What do you think of the plot and the setting?

Incidentally, this marks the first time St. Mary Mead is mentioned in a Christie novel, which we will visit soon as the home of Miss Marple!

#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 I liked the train setting! I worried it would be a copy/paste of Orient Express but this one stood on its own legs 🙌 I love a classic locked-room mystery so maybe that‘s why I liked it? (edited) 10h
kspenmoll Since I love trains & train travel, the train setting is one I always enjoy! 10h
OutsmartYourShelf I love mysteries set on trains & locked room mysteries so that was a point in its favour. I thought the plot wasn't as tightly written as other books. 9h
willaful I was surprised it was St. Mary Mead, I don't remember ever noticing that before! At first I thought, “no it's not!“ but then I remembered that at least a decade separates the stories. 5h
8 likes4 comments
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Librarybelle
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2. In the first question, we compared the novel to prior Poirot novels, but I want to dive a little deeper into Poirot. In The Big Four, Poirot had a persona of an action hero. In this one, he's back to the Poirot we know. We're also experiencing Poirot without the aid of Hastings. Do you miss Hastings in this one? What can we glean from Poirot's character without the help of Hastings? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 I thought I would miss Hastings, but I actually enjoyed Poirot going solo in this story. And I‘m really happy that Poirot was just as sassy without Hastings as he is with him 😆 10h
kspenmoll I did not miss Hastings- I know he is a foil for Poirot but sometimes he irritates & distracts me. 10h
OutsmartYourShelf No, didn't miss Hastings at all. I agree with @kspenmoll Hastings can be irritating at times. 9h
7 likes3 comments
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Librarybelle
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1. This is our 6th book featuring Poirot (5th novel plus a collection of short stories). What did you think of this one? How does it compare to the prior Poirot novels we read?

A few facts:

*Christie hated this novel though it was well received by critics.
*The idea came from her 1923 short story The Plymouth Express.
*She was writing this as she grieved her mother's passing & was divorcing her husband.

#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 Your facts totally surprised me 🤯 I‘m shocked she didn‘t particularly love this one, I thought it was really well done! I liked how she established the characters before Poirot appeared. And I would have no idea she was grieving while writing this. 10h
kspenmoll I agree with @Aims42 in that I too liked how she introduced the characters before Poirot came on the scene. He was more likable to me than in previous books. I wonder if her writing while grieving her mother & her marriage gave her an escape. (edited) 10h
OutsmartYourShelf Interesting that Christie was grieving both her mother & the divorce from her husband, perhaps explains the fact that I thought it wasn't one of her better books. It felt a little distracted, deservedly so now knowing the circumstances. 9h
willaful I'd read that Christie thought it her worst book and I definitely don't agree. Still think it's one of her lesser ones. I haven't read it in so long, I managed to forget the ending!
5h
8 likes4 comments
review
jenniferw88
Hallowe'en Party | Agatha Christie
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Pickpick
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Librarybelle
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I‘ve waited until the last minute to remind everyone, but our next #ChristiesCapers discussion is tomorrow! I know many have finished already, so hooray (and yes, this is MUCH better than The Big Four).

Questions will be posted before 12pm US East Coast time. #AgathaChristieClubR3

suvata I just now finished the book so that would be perfect. 1d
ferskner I'm like two books behind but I'm hoping to be caught up by the discussion in October! 24h
43 likes2 comments
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MaleficentBookDragon
Mystery of the Blue Train | Agatha Christie
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Some #audiocrochet today.
I made a little Sandworm.
#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

JackOBotts Such a cute sand worm…and that notebook! 💚🖤🤍💚🖤 1d
peaKnit I love this whole post! 1d
Bookzombie That‘s so cute! 1d
Librarybelle So adorable! 1d
Roary47 So cute! 😍 13h
53 likes5 comments