Agatha Christie Playing Cards

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My Review: This review is of Christie's novel and the tenth-season film adaptation for Agatha Christie's Poirot. They earn the same rating. Well, how have I missed this one. I don't remember the book or the David Suchet TV version, and yet this was or should I say is, one of my all time favourite Poirot novels. In this classic mystery, Poirot is invited to a dinner party with a difference by the slightly unsavoury Mr Shaitana; a rich man addicted to parties and gossip. He wants Poirot to come to dinner to meet his exhibits - murderers who he claims have "got away with it." Although Poirot finds his hobby dangerous he agrees, leading to a dinner party with four sleuths (Poirot himself, Colonel Race, who works for the Secret Service, Superintendent Battle from Scotland Yard and our old friend the detective writer Ariadne Oliver) and four possible murderers (the cheerful Dr Roberts, the explorer Major Despard, serious bridge player Mrs Lorrimer and the young and nervous Miss Anne Meredith). After dinner the guests play bridge, while Mr Shaitana dozes by the fire and, during the evening, he is murdered. This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Amateur sleuths among Agatha Christie’s readers will have realised that we already have four detectives in the novel, which is surely curious. In fact they form part of a carefully chosen set of guests, invited by the mysterious Mr. Shaitana, who is hosting an unusual dinner party. Mr. Shaitana seems to be a bit of a dandy: Surely the host would not have expected himself to be a victim? Suicide whilst putting the blame on another, also seems to be precluded, by the vicious method of the crime. It is an intriguing murder puzzle in itself – and then the many layered complexity of this case hits us. We realise that we also have four other possible murders to solve, and that these are reverse murders, where we know the identity of the murderer, but not necessarily the victim, or the crime. I have been quite fond of the Hercule Poirot experience undertaking for the past few months. Each story is not only exciting, but also full of wonderful mystery writing that is no longer the norm in today’s publications. Agatha Christie knows what she’s doing and keeps the reader entertained with many reveals they could not have seen coming. Brilliant work and it keeps me wanting to read more. Me ha parecido básico, aburrido, tiene su gracia en algunos momentos pero no me convence porque la trama se centra específicamente en cuatro sospechosos que pueden ser posibles asesinos. Así que como lector cuentas con un 25% de probabilidad de acertar; lo que le quita tensión al asunto. En ningún momento me sentí embelesado por el caso y no sobra decir que me ha resultado profundamente previsible. Es que no hay más, no sorprende para nada. Al menos si alguien ha leído mucho de la reina del crimen le parecerá flojísimo pero comprendo que quiénes apenas empiezan con Christie consideren lo contrario. Hay una vuelta de tuercas al final pero como ya estoy acostumbrado a eso en ella pues se me hace normal. De hecho, al comienzo hay una aclaratoria de la autora que deja en evidencia que puedes estar del lado de la postura de Poirot, a quien le encantó este caso. O del lado de Hastings, quien lo no le ve lo especial. After dinner, the guests retire to play contract bridge. All the four sleuths play cards in one room, while the others play in another room. Mr. Shaitana declines to play, and meanders between the rooms following the games of bridge being played. He finally settles down to relax, in a big chair by the fireplace in the smoking room, where the suspects play their game, as the light gradually fades at the end of the day. After the sleuths’ game has ended, Colonel Race goes through to where Mr. Shaitana is sitting in the shadows, and then quietly calls Poirot over.

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The four detectives agree to take one each of the other four guests, to investigate as the possible murderer one-to-one. Since each happens to suspect a different guest, the allocation of guests is straightforward. As Ariadne Oliver herself remarks: In a word, reading this was fun , pure and simple. Christie isn't brilliant at any one aspect of writing, but she's decent at all of them. And I love the pace. The plot moves along briskly without feeling rushed, and the various misdirections at the end are deliciously entertaining. Despite the genuine clues, Agatha Christie deftly leads us along false trails and feeds us many red herrings. There are bodies galore, with several murders in the past as well as the present one – plus a future murder, a future suicide and a future accidental death. There is romance – and deceit. A hired actor is employed by one of the detectives, to great effect. And, astoundingly, the entire plot turns on the game of bridge, and the bids made, alongside the guests’ memories of the room they were in. Poirot’s bases his theory upon the murderer’s recollection of the bridge game. The murderer could remember very little about it, except for the grand slam that they made, yet they could remember a lot about the layout of the room they played in. This was significant, and was in direct contrast to what the other suspects recalled. The solution to the murder is an analytical one – quite brilliant and a complete surprise. Aunque la novela me ha gustado, me esperaba mucho más de ella, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta, que aquí junta a 4 de sus grandes protagonistas, el superintendente Battle, el coronel Race, la escritora Ariadne Oliver y Hercules Poirot.

Poirot and Colonel Race see that the flamboyant Mr. Shaitana has been silenced for ever: stabbed in the chest, with a weapon from his own collection. Mr. Shaitana had tempted Providence, and he had lost.La trama es muy adictiva, 8 personas son invitadas a comer por el señor Shaitana, 4 de ellas son "investigadores" y luego otras 4 personas, son "asesinos" no atrapados como le dice en una conversación unos dias antes, Shaitana a Poirot, entre estos están, el mayor Despard, la señora Lorrimer, el doctor Roberts y la joven Anne Meredith y en el transcurso de la cena, el anfitrión aparece muerto.... Delivery with Standard Australia Post usually happens within 2-10 business days from time of dispatch. Please be aware that the delivery time frame may vary according to the area of delivery and due to various reasons, the delivery may take longer than the original estimated timeframe. The players must use their deductive skills to unmask the murderer who hides among them, conspiring to derail their investigations. Recruit the assistance of Agatha Christie’s most beloved detectives — such as Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, or Ariadne Oliver — to find out which secrets your fellow players are hiding. Investigate, find clues, make accusations and bring the murderer to justice before they escape! As is often the case characters are racist about Jews, but here “Dagos” are in for their share of abuse. I never think your questions foolish, M. Poirot,” said Battle. “I’ve seen too much of your work. Everyone’s got their own way of working.”