The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot, #6)
by Agatha Christie
4 out of 5 stars

Poirot is traveling on the blue train when one of the passengers is murdered and a famous ruby called the Heart of Fire is stolen. There are several mysterious clues in the case that only the great Hercule Poirot can bring to light.

Poirot really is one of my favorite detectives! He definitely shines in this book, and I love the way that he is so protective of the innocent victims. He is wonderfully shrewd. His strong temperament pulls the story forward. Even if he is just having tea with some friends, every word takes on a special meaning when Poirot is part of the conversation!

I love the complex characters in this book! There is a lot of focus on unraveling their personalities and there are so many good scenes where they interact and react to one another. I just love the way each person has their own vivid and memorable personality.

The plot is quite good, and there are so many little hints that don’t make sense until later when Poirot reveals everything at the end. I was completely fooled until the end, and it was so satisfying to see all the clues come together.

I took off one star because I did not like the romance in the book. I really hated that these particular two characters formed a relationship, and I felt like they were not a good match. I’m sure it’s a brilliant commentary on human nature (as Poirot would say, “the psychology”), but I didn’t like it.

The writing is, of course, completely genius and engaging. Every chapter kept pulling me into the story. I was on the edge of my seat while they watch a tennis game and whisper in the background about stolen jewels. Even an ordinary setting becomes fraught with drama and intrigue!