The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

Though if one can watch them without thinking of the Christie originals, they’re often quite fun – if slightly preposterous. The most recent of these TV adaptations have generally deviated quite a lot from Christie’s originals, to the extent of changing characters’ motivations and thus removing from the plots essential justification for the murder.

Review: THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN, Agatha Chri.I re-read this title recently – one of Christie’s early Poirot mysteries – after having watched the ITV version starring David Suchet.

Ruth Kettering's father offers him a huge sum to take on the case, but then becomes frustrated with what he thinks is inaction on Poirot's part.Īs with many other of Agatha Christie's full length novels, THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN was based on an idea originally used in an earlier short story: The Plymouth Express. Poirot is described as a famous detective of bygone years who is now retired. There does not appear to be a narrator in this novel (i.e. This 'partnership' foreshadows a method Poirot will often use in the future. She meets Ruth Kettering on the Blue Train.

Poirot goes into 'partnership' with Katherine Grey, who recently has acquired wealth after a decade as a companion. Poirot has some doubt that theft and the murder are done by the same person. It reveals glimpses of the French underworld, a description of the lifestyle of the well to do in post-war Europe, and the plot is characterised by a lot of misdirection and red herrings. The novel has two major events: the theft of a ruby and the death of its owner while they are on The Blue Train which is taking holiday makers to the French Riviera. However it is one of those novels where the precise details become a bit blurred. Yet Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie re-enactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board…Īnother novel that I have read many times, as well as seen numerous tv versions of.

The prime suspect is Ruth’s estranged husband, Derek. What is more, her precious rubies are missing. But she will never wake again – for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. The daughter of an American millionaire dies on a train en route for Nice… Publisher : HarperCollins Masterpiece Ed edition (14 October 2010).

The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie