Review: MURDER ON THE LINKS, Agatha Christie

• 
  This edition an e-book on Kindle
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DK9D7QTQ
  
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 267 pages
• #2 of 38 Poirot stories
• originally published 1923  

Synopsis (Amazon)

Agatha Christie's second published novel featuring her famous detective Hercule Poirot. It marks the beginning of Poirot's adventures in the world of literature. Step into the gripping world of 'The Murder on the Links' by Agatha Christie, where the tranquil beauty of the French countryside belies a sinister plot waiting to be unraveled. It is a timeless tale of intrigue, betrayal, and murder that will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. Despite being written nearly a century ago, "The Murder on the Links" remains as fresh and captivating, making it a timeless classic that continues to entertain readers of all ages.

Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's brilliant detective, returns to find his would-be employer murdered, too many suspects, and the detective directing the local police investigation ignoring his polished investigative technique. The two butt heads compete to solve the case until a second body is discovered, murdered in the same manner as the first.
Poirot's razor-sharp perception and in-depth knowledge of criminal history are required to connect both murders as he successfully works toward an unanticipated conclusion.

My Take

I have of course read this before at least a couple of times. I am re-reading it for discussion with my U3A Agatha Christie reading group.

This is only the 2nd in the Hercule Poirot series. At first the author challenges us to identify the narrator, who is of course Arthur Hastings.

The main action takes place in France. Hercule Poirot gets a letter from an English businessman living in France, but by the time he and Hastings get there, his potential employer is dead.

I'd like our discussion to include the following:

• the role assigned to Hastings as the romantic, and the foil to Poirot
• the reference to World War One with the murder weapon
• does Agatha Christie deliberately set out to confuse the reader (and Hastings) with the complexity of the plot? There seem to be a lot of red herrings. What hinders Poirot in his solving of the case?
• The contrast between Poirot's methods and those of Surete detective Giraud
• this is only the second Poirot novel, but it is implied that he and Hastings have worked a number of cases since "Styles". Inspector Japp has consulted Poirot more than once in the intervening period. Hastings gets impatient with what he sees as Poirot's lack of action.
• Is the title misleading? What does it refer to?
• What is the motive for the murder?
  

My rating: 4.4

I also reviewed it at 

4.4, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS  

4.5, THE MURDER ON THE LINKS,- audio book

 

My Agatha Christie novels