Book Review #16 - Murder on the Links

1962 version

Title: Murder on the links
Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: Pan, Bodley Head-May 1923
ISBN: 978-0007119283
Length: 320 pages



Synopsis

An urgent cry for help brings Poirot to France. But he arrives too late to save his client, Paul Renauld, whose brutally stabbed body now lies face downwards in a shallow grave on a golf course.

My Thoughts

Second Poirot story from Agatha Christie. It is a totally different style of writing than her Tommee and Tuppence stories!!! This is narrated by Poirot's friend Captain Hastings, a very English gentleman. He recalls events with Poirot so details are very present, neat sentences representative of Poirot methodology!

The book exposes facts, and it's only 2/3rd in that you can start to emit hypothesis as to whom is the killer.

I do remember the story from a TV adaptation so I kind of remembered that 1st twist!

But funnily enough I totally forgot the real twist, which is kept quiet up until the very end, and makes this book a true Agatha Christie chef-d'oeuvre!! At that point, you do have to stop and recall all the events to really catch the whole story. It's very clever imagined, written and exposed.

On top of that crime story, we meet a new love interest for Hastings whom we know fully understand is way too sensitive to women charms!!!

We also see develop a real friendship between Poirot and Hastings, that gives us more appeal towards Poirot. The story being told by Poirot admirer Hastings, we can connect with him, a fact that I don't think would have been possible was the story not told by such softie as Hastings. I think Poirot would appear to be way to uptight and with no heart!

In this story, we meet Poirot's rival Girault, whose methods are really different and reputation intact. However, we know who is right, right?

All in all, an excellent read and a triumph for Poirot's little Grey cells!!

My Ratings

**** (Not 5 out of 5, only because the facts were exposed along the story and we couldn't emit any hypothesis before as we didn't detain all information)