By: Agatha ChristiePicked this up at a little booktrader in Yangshou on vacation- I haven't read any Christie since college, and never got around to reading this one. Since Christie has a penchant for writing mysteries that are totally unsolvable to her readers and easy as pie to her detectives, what makes MOTOE an interesting book (more than the murder enigma) is the picture of class and culture from the 1920's English perspective. The European cast of characters are each opinionated about every other country and character represented, as well as a host of those who are not.
The Orient Express has become stuck in a snowdrift on its way back to Europe. Of course, because detective Hercule Poirot is on the train, one of the most complicated murder schemes ever devised must be the journey's second setback.
As mentioned earlier, the ability to solve the murder as a reader in advance of the detective would require an intimate knowledge of 1920s high culture, train construction, and its not even clear if the clues that are given are based in reality or are part of Christie's world alone. That doesn't necessarily detract from the mystery, its still an enjoyable read, and the ending is still nicely surprising even 80 years later.
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