“The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.”

In Murder on the Orient Express, a baffling murder occurs on a train trapped in a snowstorm, and the legendary detective, Hercule Poirot, is called upon to solve the case. Employing his impressive deductive reasoning, he carefully examines all the passengers on the train, picks apart their statements, and tries to find motives – no easy feat with such a sophisticated crowd.

Agatha Christie’s impressive literary artistry shines through and keeps the reader puzzled and highly engaged. The story is cleverly written and is a great treat for mystery lovers and fans of characters like Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. Its surprising twists and turns also make it hard to put down. The ending is somewhat anticlimactic, but overall, it is a fun, light, engaging read, and it is easy to see why it is such a popular book and a classic.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  3 mild obscenities.

Violence/Gore: The occurrence of a murder is the central theme and is discussed and described throughout the book; report of suicides; report of death; report of murders; report of child kidnapping and murder.

Sex/Nudity:  Indiscretion is suspected; an affair is implied.

Mature Subject Matter:

Murder, kidnapping, suicide. 

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Characters drink in a few scenes; characters smoke in a few scenes.