Tolog Review: Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express
by Agatha Christie
reviewed by Olivia Partamian

A murdered criminal, impossible evidence, and a train full of suspects, just another case for Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie’s mystery novel, Murder on the Orient Express.  Not long after Hercule Poirot, renowned detective, boards the orient express, en route for Stamboul, an unexpected snowstorm delays his travels.  This storm causes the train to stop and snow-in upset, but seemingly safe passengers.  However, on this same night a murder takes place, resulting in a man named Ratchett’s death.  M. Bouc, owner of the train company and close friend of Poirot, immediately enlists his help to uncover the murderer.  Poirot, with the help of M. Bouc and Dr. Constantine, accepts the case and proceeds to uncover appalling truths regarding the victim.  He discovers the true identity of Ratchett as Cassetti, murderer of Daisy Armstrong, a child whose case stunned both her home country of America and the world.  With this new information, combined with a series of seemingly insignificant interviews, Poirot begins to unravel a deep rooted case of loyalty and lies.  Using no other resources than his mind, he endeavors to pull apart statements and evidence, in a methodical and organized manor.  By reading between the lines and picking up on human indicators, invisible to everyone else, he delves into a case where everyone has an airtight alibi, impossible to disprove.  He questions the highly respected passengers including, Princess Dragomiroff, and the Count and Countess Andrenyis.  He suspects the seemingly unimportant consisting of Caroline Hubbard, Mary Debenhem, Greta Ohlsson, and Hildegarde Schmidt.  Poirot even listens to those his colleagues have cast off, this includes Hector MacQueen, Colonel Abuthnot, Antonio Foscarelli, Cyrus Hardmen, and Edward Masterman.  Through analysis and a few well thought out guesses Poirot does not just make unexpected connections, but also uncovers the truth.  This case calls into question what justice truly means, causing Poirot to evaluate both the values of those involved, and his own.

This novel, while on the cusp of being an actual detective report, still maintains a storyline that makes it enjoyable to read.  Agatha Christie utilizes her character, Hercule Poirot’s analysis process of making lists, notes, and at one point even a list of, “Things needing explanation” (Christie 241).  These organizational habits double as ways for the reader to keep up with the detective.  They recap plot points and clues that may have been forgotten.  Adding to this skill, Christie uses the tool of writing and describing a scene and then having Poirot, recap it for the reader.  This again, works within the story, while still acting as a beneficial way for her to get across what she wants her reader to take away from the scene.  Whether this be an important clue or a contemplative question, Christie via Poirot will make her point clear.  Christie has also mastered descriptions, not in an overdone way, but the opposite, resulting in clear images that often foreshadow or highlight significant qualities.  She uses phrases like, “She was certainly ugly, and yet, like the toad, she had eyes like jewels, dark and imperious, revealing latent energy and an intellectual force that could be felt at once” (Christie 135).  In this description of Princess Dragomiroff, Christie conveys a visual as well as a sensational image and feeling.  She has mastered the art of connecting her characters to the readers through understandable outlets.  She places the reader into her world with a sentence, creating an emotional bond by the end of her novel.