Do you remember when Hercule Poirot took a luxury train ride across France - and wound up having to investigate a murder?
No, I'm not talking about Murder on the Orient Express, often cited by Christie fans as being among their favorites.
I'm talking about a book Agatha Christie wrote several years earlier, when she put Poirot - and a surprisingly large number of other passengers - on board the luxury train known as The Blue Train. Agatha Christie used to say that she hated The Mystery of the Blue Train, written in 1928, six years before Murder on the Orient Express. And while I hate to disagree with Agatha Christie, I would argue that it's a pretty good book on its own. It's the subject of my audio review today on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you are welcome to listen to the complete review by clicking here.
The story of the blue train begins in Paris, where we witness the clandestine sale of a fabulous ruby known as the “Heart of Fire” to a very wealthy American businessman who buys it as a gift for his daughter. That daughter is trapped in a bad marriage – remember, this is 1928 when divorce was much more difficult – and she is seeking a divorce from her husband while also planning to run away with a self-styled nobleman who, we are assured, is a fraud.
And there are other passengers too – each with their own secrets. Many of these people will wind up in the carriages of the Blue Train, headed for the Riviera. So will Hercule Poirot. And – very quickly – there will be a murder. And that magnificent ruby, the “Heart of Fire,” will disappear. Poirot, on the scene, is invited to take a hand in sorting out the case.
If it sounds like an early thriller, jewel thefts, murder, adulteries and all, why yes – that’s exactly what it is – but it is also an Agatha Christie mystery, and the reader would be wise to keep that in mind. The Mystery of the Blue Train may not be on anyone’s list for the best Christie novel ever, but it is more enjoyable, and a better mystery than Christie thought it was. Give it a try.
Comments