Book Club

Poirot Stories

Poirot is Agatha Christie's most famous and popular detective.  No doubt he would agree that he deserves that accolade!

Here is the place to discuss all of his stories in detail with other fans.  The most insightful comments will be added to the Stories pages.  But remember to beware spoilers!

If you can't find your favourite Poirot story here, don't worry - we'll be adding them all soon.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

Appointment with Death

Jemma 05 Sep 09 at 11:13 a.m. GMT

Set in the Middle East, Appointment with Death allowed Christie to indulge her love of the exotic. Strong female characters are at the root of the story. The overbearing Lady Westholme was based on a woman who Christie had once met in the Middle East. Despite this the public identified her as Nancy Astor, Britain's most famous MP. Sarah King also demonstrates a strong female role - being a Doctor at a time when few women were. Is this sense of feminism seen elsewhere in Christie's work?

In this novel we see hints of Christie's understanding of mental illness. The character of Ginny is portrayed as vulnerable and in need of help and support. Could this be a reference to Christie's own experience when she suffered a breakdown? It certainly shows her awareness of changing attitudes to humour nature.

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SeaView 11 Nov 11 at 11:06 a.m. GMT

Jemma,

I like your thoughts so much!

The overbearing Lady Westholme, isn't she horrible? I just love the tender Hayley Mills who played the role of archaeologist in the video version with Peter Ustinov. She is so patient and gentle in stark contrast to Lady Westholme.

Yes, the female doctor was a shock. I just love the idea of the world tour with one family having a huge fling on tour together.

Maybe Christie named Lady Westholme "West" to imply she was from the U.S. where a lot of pushy, aggressive people are the norm.

Exotic beauty of Jerusalem, just love it. I have never read this one, only seen the movie version on my video. I just love Carrie Fisher in those 40s clothes all delicate sheer dresses with floral prints. The clothes in this on the young women are absolutely gorgeous.

Ustinov as Poirot is outstanding as always. Hard to believe it was Palestine not Israel? did I get that right.

The line about Dr. King not being allowed entry into a church because she was wearing no sleeves and Ustinov's line: perhaps sleeves are holy...a cute chuckle.

As others on this Book Club say, I agree with them that I read Christie for FULL escapism from much of the sordid and horrible behavior of the 21st century. I find a world in Christie where there are still mostly good manners, or at least civility and courtesy. Ah! how sweet life is then.

I'm not as refined as Poirot and Christie's characters, but I wish to be.

SeaView 11 Nov 11 at 10:56 a.m. GMT

anonymoose_au What a beautiful yet simple way you put it about Mrs. Boyton's stepchildren: "they were unhappy all their lives" and how the happy ending just made up for all the misery. Somehow the way you said it keeps ringing in my memory, the simple joy of a final victory after great pain.

MsBuckley 24 Jul 11 at 2:35 p.m. GMT

Very good plot, such a tremendous ending!  I loved both the book and the David Suchet movie, the crime solution is amazing!

freezer1212 21 Jul 11 at 12:43 p.m. GMT

I ENJOYED READING THIS BOOK. WHEN I READ THE SOLUTION I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED. YOU SEE, MRS. BOYNTON'S BEHAVIOUR MADE ME BELIEVE THAT ONE OF HER CHILDREN HAD KILLED HER. HOWEVER IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL!!!!

Epsilon14 18 Jul 11 at 1:30 p.m. GMT

It was an amazing book and I loved it. The book was dragging but enter Poirot and the paced up excitingly. The motive was also quite good taking into account Mrs. Boynton's personality. It was a really captivating bok!!

Carsinger 07 Jul 11 at 7:12 p.m. GMT

Me as well! Her descriptions of the settings and  locations make it so easy to visualize being there!!

Tommy_A_Jones

Puffinjill, That is exactly why I read Christie, for nthe escapism, If I want gritty realism there is alot to choose from both on TV and in Books although I don't read those books, I read Authors that vare just as Cozy as Christie but most are Modern Authos; Hazel Hoilt, Betty Rowlands, etc. If this book has a down side I would have loved to have had the Female Doctor and the Male Psychiatrist working together as the sleuths and have the book without Poirot like The Moving Finger didn't need Miss Marple but that is just a very minor point and as the book is it produced the question of how the Doctor knew about the solution to Murder On The Orient Excpress (Have you read the interesting blog about it?)  

Tommy_A_Jones 28 May 11 at 3:06 p.m. GMT

I didn't mind the ending at the end with the Murderer(s), it put me in mind of Death On The Nile and was the only change I found excusable, I thought having The Husband around confused the issue and I found myself wondering which child was the Victim's and Which was the Husbands so much so it interfered with my Viewing and I felt the Child abuse portrayed the way it was spoilt what should have been an enjoyable 2 hours but wasn't for me, I felt Tim Curry should have been Sir Charles Cartwright Three-Act Tragedy and if we had to have the Victims Husband Martin Shaw should have played him, I felt the Part played by David Soul in the PU version was much better portrayed and although it was never suggested I like the idea he was part of the Victims past life and like to think they were accomplaces, the Nun who I suspect was nicked from Destination Unknown was an unnecsssary addition and why was she allowed to escape into the Dessert only to Collapse, if she had to escape why couldn't Carbury shoot her in the Back?

Tommy_A_Jones 02 May 11 at 4:09 p.m. GMT

Poirot not appearing for a while makes the Book Drag at first just like others where he doesn't appear for a relatively long time but the book soon picks up unlike in Murder In Mesopotamia and Three-Act Tragedy IMHO

saumya 02 May 11 at 11:02 a.m. GMT

i think the book was rather slow but anyhow the plot was twisty as always!

ChristieFanBlogger 07 Mar 11 at 5:06 p.m. GMT

Am I the only one who spent all my time reading the end of this book with Murder on the Orient Express open to figure out which character blabbed to Nadine Boynton?  Very annoyed that was just tossed out and not answered.  I've decided Hildegard Schmidt became the Boynton's cook after she got off the train.  Does anyone out there know?

monsieurpaul 23 Jan 11 at 2:04 p.m. GMT

• Well.You can't like every book you read.For example i didn't like "Why they didn't asked Evans" at the begining but while i was reading more it became very interesting.I agree with you.it's very dark.Their mother was such a witch,at the end everthing is back to normal, but i really liked a whole story of theit's past.

Tommy_A_Jones 19 Jan 11 at 4:27 p.m. GMT

Everything these days has to have a Modern lurid aspect which the Makers of Marple and Poirot think fits with Agatha Christies work but they are wrong it doesn't, last night I watched something where someone killed someone to ci=over up he was a Poedophile and that is fine for the 21st Century (Although that Motive appears in everything too much these days) but that motive isn't approriate with Agatha Christie's things as she provided enough Great Motives and storylines.

Lone_Wolf 18 Jan 11 at 7:08 p.m. GMT

The oft-cited justification for the TV mismash changes is the murder motivation vagueness in the original novel. Unfortunately, the screenwriters' cure turned out to be worse then the disease.

Anita_Clue 18 Jan 11 at 6:49 p.m. GMT

The television production of Appointment with Death was very disappointing.  It was bad enough that the children suffered mental abuse, but to show the physical abuse was too much to handle.  And why did they have to make Westholm like that?  I know that writers for television need to add excitement, but they butchered Dame Christie's story to be nearly unrecognizable.

iamhercule 01 Oct 10 at 9:47 p.m. GMT

This is not very nice to abuse you children in this way!

MissQuin 01 Oct 10 at 10:22 a.m. GMT

I hope no-one clicks on it! It could be a virus link anyway.

GKCfan 01 Oct 10 at 4:13 a.m. GMT

I think we have been spammed...

MissQuin 06 Jul 10 at 3:35 p.m. GMT

Spoilers for end of AWD I actually thought the ending to Appoinment with Death was really satisfiying. Mr West has summed it up-if those poor unhappy people had a miserable end, it would be too disapointing for the reader.

It's not as if the end is all twee and sickly. They don't all sit around giggling and saying they all lived happily ever after. Ginerva quietly says

" Almost without a pause, her voice quivered softly into the lines from Cymberline while the others listened spellbound to the music of them:

Fear no more the heat o' the sun,

Nor the furious winter's rages,

Thou thy worldy task hast done,

 Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages...

I think that's a truly lovely end to a sad story. Those lines sum up more than a long rambling monolouge or how a TV show would end "Hurrah, the old witch is dead so let's all sit around getting drunk"

Mr_west 06 Jul 10 at 11:07 a.m. GMT

anonymoose_au

I don't know Xrysoula, we're told in the book that Mrs. Boynton became the children's stepmother when they were very young. So basically their whole lives they've been under the thumb of this terrible woman. They never went to school, or left the grounds and were told constantly that they couldn't do anything by themselves, that they were worthless and could never escape. That would have a huge impact on them - like battered woman syndrome. A lot of women in these situation know they're in a horrible place, but they can't get out. For some of them they can only get out by killing their abuser.

I agree it was a pretty sappy ending, but I found the end of Death on the Nile so depressing that I was rather relieved to read this one!

i think Christie wrote such a happy ending because in the book she expline that they were unhappy all their life, so the ending just makes up for everything, if she did a sad or bad end (like Death On The Nile) this novel was realy depressing

xrysoula 05 Jul 10 at 7:26 p.m. GMT

Too bad. I tried to sign in in another one -the official I think-, but it was too hard to use.On the contrary, this one is excellent, I believe.I just have one small suggestion:When a novel comes up for discussion, a little note with all the characters' names would come in very handy, so that one doesn 't have to stop writing in order to look them up. It 's not easy to remember them all by heart, plus those of us who are reading them translated in another language, will at last find out how they are spelled!

MissQuin 05 Jul 10 at 4:27 p.m. GMT

No, the Austen site was hit by a virus and the person who runs it hasn't been able to fix it, so it's gone I'm afraid.

xrysoula 04 Jul 10 at 4:06 p.m. GMT

Funny you should mention that, I was reading everyone else 's comments on Death On The Nile just now.Well, I do like happy endings as mush as anyone, it ;s that one in particular that bothered me.Besides, what can you do? In fiction, a dramatic finale is more impressive!

Question:That Jane Austen site Bundle had mentioned,is it still in use or not?For I am a big fan myself.

anonymoose_au 04 Jul 10 at 2:48 p.m. GMT

I don't know Xrysoula, we're told in the book that Mrs. Boynton became the children's stepmother when they were very young. So basically their whole lives they've been under the thumb of this terrible woman. They never went to school, or left the grounds and were told constantly that they couldn't do anything by themselves, that they were worthless and could never escape. That would have a huge impact on them - like battered woman syndrome. A lot of women in these situation know they're in a horrible place, but they can't get out. For some of them they can only get out by killing their abuser.

I agree it was a pretty sappy ending, but I found the end of Death on the Nile so depressing that I was rather relieved to read this one!

xrysoula 03 Jul 10 at 4:02 p.m. GMT

Yes I mean Sarah and Raymond.To me, Raymond was acting like complete neurotic in the first chapters and these clumpsy, immature manners of his seemed thoroughly unattractive, except if one was inerested in him in a professional, medical way. The whole Boynton family actually, except for the grant Mrs.,makes a wonderful subject for someone inquiring further studies on neurosis.

Moreover, I just can 't believe it was so hard for any of them to get away.They couldn 't have been so entirely penniless or uneducated.They could have come to an understanding between them and saved, borrowed, even stolen some money if they had to, in order to flee from that hell they were living in, move somewhere else, find an occupation and start over.Anything should have looked preferrable, compared to their current state.The point is that they hadn 't made the remotest try, and that for me is inexplainable (In chapter 5, Mr Cope-I don't know if that is correctly spelled-shares my opinion).

Besides, let 's not forget that in the first chapter, Raymond and Carol have already decided to kill Mrs Boynton.Isn 't there a huge distance between a helpless victim and a decided criminal?Had there been no other options left to improve their lives?Was murder really their only option?

No, i just can't help feeling that the book may be starting in an interesting way, but the evolution and outcome are childish and naive, and the presence Poirot is the only thing that  barely saves the whole thing.

MissQuin 03 Jul 10 at 8:48 a.m. GMT

xrysoula

 HOW could any woman in her right mind fall so suddenly in love with a neurotic?

Who do you mean xrysoula? Do you mean Dr Sarah and Raymond?? Because I didn't see Raymond as neurotic, just someone a victim of abuse and under an unbearable amount of strain.

The books last chapter was set several years later, so I don't see why they haven't recovered without Mrs Boynton around. Also I don't know how the boynton's could have escaped, no money, no job, no friends or realtives to stay with...

Puffinjill 03 Jul 10 at 7:41 a.m. GMT

OK, OK, I can see you found this a bit trite and, obviously, not to your taste. But, ignoring the happy endings and the other bits that irked you so, can't you appreciate the brilliant way in which Poirot arrived at his solution? I think his reasoning and his logic is brilliant. He is away from the scene of the murder, wasn't even there when it occured and yet, by the use of talking to them all, he can identify the truth and the lies, and see what must have happened. Many a time Poirot tells us conversation is a dangerous thing because everyone gives themselves away and here, by comparing the characters narratives, he shows us how true that is.

xrysoula 02 Jul 10 at 4:06 p.m. GMT

Well it seems I was the only one who didn 't like this book-I read and read, just to get it over with, and at the end I felt sorry for the time and money I had spent on it.The characters seemed to me so unreal and the whole story so unconvincing.OK, there might be monstrous and tyranical mothers, but, with all the children being young and healthy, WHY was it so impossible for even one of them to break free?And HOW could any woman in her right mind fall so suddenly in love with a neurotic?Then the old witch dies and, miraculously, everything falls into place:THe psychological problems vanish, the weak become strong and succesful, everyone finds their mate and they all live happily ever after...spare me, please.

anonymoose_au 02 Jul 10 at 2:06 a.m. GMT

I finished reading this one just recently and it was so gripping I couldn't put it down! Mrs. Boynton sounds like the thing of nightmares! You shudder to think what sort of pyschological torture she inflicted on her stepchildren and own child. And the image of her sitting in her chair like a fat idol malovently gazing on the camp, eek.

The Epilogue was really nice too, a really happy ending for all involved.

After reading it I watched the Ustinov version which I thought was pretty faithful (although they did turn Jefferson Cope into a total sleazebag and the Boynton children didn't seem to be pyschologically imprisoned by Mrs. Boynton).

I also saw the Suchet version before reading the book, which means I wasn't spoiled at all! I'm shocked they changed the plot so completely for that, particuarly since the book itself was so good and the characters compelling.

MissQuin 02 Feb 10 at 3:37 p.m. GMT

This one was quite good. There was a real tension with the Boynton family, but I found the solution really obvious. It seemed so much like one of her family were driven to murder, that it couldn't be one of them!

I liked Ginny's characater. She was so happy after her mother had died, she needed to be set free. I liked her happy ending. I think her and the doctor were well matched.

The TV adaptaion was for me at times unbearable and disapointing.

I would also have liked to know more about Mrs Boynton. Did she have an unhappy childhood? etc.. In the Suchet TV version she was even more warped, which just wasnt needed. Isnt it bad enough her grown up children were isolated prisoners?

Tommy_A_Jones 06 Jan 10 at 1:34 p.m. GMT

At the start of the Ustinov version Mrs Boynton has something on Jefferson Cope who has clearly don Criminality which he wasn't punished for and he has an accompliced I like to think Lady Westholme is the Accomplice ass that would solve the riddle.

sjoerdbol 06 Jan 10 at 6:54 a.m. GMT

Yes, it probably wasnt murder, but it is a shame that such an important clue wasnt told, but it is the best for everyone that she dies.

Attica76 04 Jan 10 at 4:23 p.m. GMT

This is one of the novels where I'm glad that the victim was killed. I imagined what life with such a person must have been like...awful, awful!

I also agree it's a pity we didn't find out what Lady Westholme had been in jail for... but I don't think it was murder. Probably theft or something like that. 

TheCandyDetective 08 Nov 09 at 7:27 p.m. GMT

Personally, I thought this one was a bit off compared to other AC books. Not to say I didn't like it--I did. I wish the culprit's (trying to avoid spoilers) other crime had been more explained, as has been said before, but I do partiuclarly love the ending. Poirot was brilliant throughout theentire thing, exacting and precise and using the little grey cells to unravel the liiiees...

Ginny's mentality adding an interesting element. As has also been said before, I read AC for an escape, for the mystery--but I can't complain, because I think this added even more to it.

misskeats 20 Oct 09 at 2:47 a.m. GMT

I loved this story! I just reread it for the second time (the first time I was a teenager and I will just say it was quite a while ago when I read it). This is a good story. I will say I agree with Tommy that it was disappointing that you didn't find out about the person's previous crimes.

Puffinjill 16 Oct 09 at 6:52 p.m. GMT

If Mrs Boynton had been an unlikeable character terrorizing and unlikeable character, then I doubt ANYONE would care who did it or why. But because the rest of the Boyntons are so sympathetically written, their plight makes the reader want to know. So it was the same for me, Lone Wolf, although I thought Mrs Boynton got her just desserts, I was really didn't want to find another Boynton guilty.

Lone_Wolf 16 Oct 09 at 4:24 p.m. GMT

I usually dislike it when the victims are too unlikable, but I liked Appointment with Death. Actually, my main motivation for reading more was wanting to know what will happen to the Boynton family, not the identity of the murderer.  

Puffinjill 04 Oct 09 at 8:25 a.m. GMT

Terrible but very human, 3rdGirl!! And with fiction we can all wish those sort of characters dead and cheer if it happens. Aren't we lovely!!

Yes, you are right. Petra was the extra character in the novel. Placing all these people in such an alien landscape adds to the tension and provides a wonderful contrast between the beauty of the surroundings and the hate festering away. I simply think it's a wonderful book.

Read more about this story: Appointment With Death

3rdGirl 03 Oct 09 at 11:20 p.m. GMT

I absolutley loved this book. It's one of my favourites and I thought that Lady Westholme was absolutely vile.  She was a  villain that you loved to hate and were really happy was murdered. Isn't that terrible? Petra was the other 'character' here and AC really made the most of the exotic locale and isolation of everyone. Pure escapeism.

Puffinjill 03 Oct 09 at 7:13 p.m. GMT

I tend to do that too. But I always return to AC time and again.

Tommy_A_Jones 03 Oct 09 at 3:25 p.m. GMT

Yes The Blog is on the site also is an interesting piece by someone talking about the 'Poirot and 'Marple' series's making really good suggestions of what the Makers should do, I should take a look.

I haven't read the Ian Rankin Books although my brother gave me a book with some in for christmas 1 year but I do watch 'Rebus'

I thought Jerry Burton is a Great Character although I dissagree with you about Sarah King and Dr Gerrard (Thankyou for reminding me of his name) AC obviously thought they were up to it as Poirot is not in the Play.

I am sorry you were ill I hope you are fully recovered now. Afew years ago My Mum read to me The Mysterious Mr Quinn (except for the Final Chapter ) and a Simon Brett Book when I was in Hospital

I went away from AC for a while and read Betty Rowlands, Dorothy Simpson and Simon Brett Books but like you came back To AC now I alternate between AC and others. 

Puffinjill 02 Oct 09 at 7:12 p.m. GMT

No, I haven't read that. Is it on this site?

I quite agree about The Moving Finger not nesseccarily needing Miss Marple (as I think Jerry Burton May have got there in the end...possibly!) but I think Appointment with Death needs Poirot. I love the style of the book, the way Poirot uses his knowledge of people and psychology to piece together the strands of evidence. As much as I love the characters of Sarah King and Dr Gerrard, I don't think it would have worked as well having them do this.

Cosy is good and so is realism. Different things for different moods or stages in ones life. I was ill for a few years and solely read and reread all my Christies as I found them comfortable and reliable. Now, I enjoy something with a little more bite at times (huge Ian Rankin fan too) but still find an awful lot of enjoyment and engagement with my Christies. Its like coming home...

Tommy_A_Jones 02 Oct 09 at 4:41 p.m. GMT

Puffinjill, That is exactly why I read Christie, for nthe escapism, If I want gritty realism there is alot to choose from both on TV and in Books although I don't read those books, I read Authors that vare just as Cozy as Christie but most are Modern Authos; Hazel Hoilt, Betty Rowlands, etc. If this book has a down side I would have loved to have had the Female Doctor and the Male Psychiatrist working together as the sleuths and have the book without Poirot like The Moving Finger didn't need Miss Marple but that is just a very minor point and as the book is it produced the question of how the Doctor knew about the solution to Murder On The Orient Excpress (Have you read the interesting blog about it?)  

Puffinjill 01 Oct 09 at 7:12 p.m. GMT

I love this book!! I love the atmosphere, the setting (I so want to go to Petra!) and (most of) the characters. It's Poirot at his most precise, working from personal statements not his own personal experience. The way he sifts through all the differing information to find the truth is fabulous. It's very similar to Five Little Pigs in that respect, and I love that too.

One stightly jarring note is AC representation of Ginny. I know she herself had personal experience of breakdown, but I find it rather superficial, almost as if she was afraid to show mental problems in any more detail. Perhaps I'm being harsh; I read Christie for escapism and a fantastic story and don't expect gritty realism. 

I agree, tommy, I would love to know what had happened in the past!

Read more about this story: Appointment With Death

Tommy_A_Jones 01 Oct 09 at 2:23 p.m. GMT

I really enjoyed this book which I was surprised about as I prefer the Books where Poirot stays in England although I did like Murder On The Orient Express I bought the DVD bafter reading this one. It would have beden nice though if the Murderers past crime had been totally explained.