Five Things About... Murder on the Orient Express

Five things about…. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

This was an impromptu book club selection by a friend who had never read Christie before (neither had I). We had a book club brunch and didn’t talk about the book at all. Ha! Any excuse to get together, #amirightoramiright

This book is ALL plot, which, honestly, isn’t my preference. No character development, no nuance, no themes… you get the gist. I knew that going in, though, and also totally acknowledge that it’s an accepted characteristic of this genre.

It was like I reading the game Clue, except it was “who killed the asshole on the train with the knife”? 

The twist was good, and this is where I have to give mystery writers their credit. She’s known for being a master of her craft and I can see the excruciating work that goes into constructing the bones of the plot. So while I probably won’t read another of hers, I can appreciate her efforts. 

I have ridden on my fair share of trains from the Central Valley to Southern California and the first thirty minutes is great, always followed by wistful regrets of wishing I had driven. It’s been years, though, so this restored the romanticism that is the railway for me. Maybe it would be different if I wasn’t in a rush and the train ride itself with the event?