The ABC Murders - Agatha Christie

Another Poirot this time, and a story I was completely new to! The novel is narrated in the first-person by Poirot's companion-chronicler, Arthur Hastings, but also includes some interspersed third-person narration which is Hastings's reconstruction of missing events. This feature is both really handy (almost like watching a crime documentary in which the events are reconstructed) but also tricky and somewhat complicates matters further!

The novel documents three separate murders, the first of Alice Ascher in Andover, and the second quickly after. This time, Betty Barnard in Bexhill. The murderer leaves an ABC railway guide next to the body of each victim, and a note to Poirot taunting his inability to catch him. As a character, Poirot is just getting better and better for me - you really build up a picture of a quirky and eccentric little moustached man in your head and he is a really likeable protagonist.

Christie drops a few important hints throughout the story so this time, I really thought I'd cracked the mystery... but alas! Of course she wouldn't allow that - as I suspected I was completely wrong once again. The three Christie novels I've read so far have all been so different, not following a similar narrative arc at all, contrary to my assumption that once I'd read one, I'd be able to figure out the signs in her others.

Please read some Agatha Christie - you won’t regret it!