For the month of October we chose "Murder on the Orient
Express" by Agatha Christie. This is no new murder mystery. In fact, several of
us had read the book ages ago, or seen a movie version and all of us felt like
this was a brand new story. Just goes to show that you should go back and read
old novels, even ones you’ve read before!
The story takes place in exotic times and in interesting
places. But mostly, this is a tale of mystery and set on a train. We follow
Hercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective known for his attention to detail as
he heads to Istanbul. He gets notice to head to London for an urgent
appointment and ends up on a train called the Orient Express. While on the
train, a murder takes place and immediately after, the train becomes stuck in a
snowbank, stranding the passengers and virtually eliminating all other cars on
the train as potential suspects.
Poirot is asked to look into the case, interview the
passengers on the car where the murder took place and solve the crime before
thy arrive (after being dug out of the snowbank) in the nearest town. The
officer on the train is afraid that if the mystery is not solved it will be a problem
for the train company and Poirot takes the case.
What follows is a detail oriented, artistic storytelling
through interview and observation, leading the reader down various paths before
the true murderer is unveiled. I think most of us who read it did not see the
ending coming, which just shows the brilliance and artistry of Agatha Christie.
We really enjoyed this classic tale, and in November many of
us were able to go together to see a new movie version at the theater together. The movie was really enjoyable, well acted and all who were able to attend thought it was a wonderful telling of the story in its own unique way. Not to mention we all loved Poirot and his mustache. So fun!
