Book Review: The ABC Murders
Another day, another murder mystery. I do love an Agatha Christie! Especially one that slightly drifts away from the basic formula that readers have come to know and expect, meaning that after a while, you can sort of figure out who the killer is. But this time is slightly different from the usual drawing room murders we know and love. This is also a Hercule Poirot novel, so we become acquainted with the ‘little grey cells’.
‘The ABC murders' starts as a series of ‘poison pen’ letters to Poirot, who becomes troubled by their contents and seems to think that something bad may happen because of them, but always with the hope that nothing will. What happens is the antagonist ‘ABC’ runs around the country, using the ABC guide to murder people with a letter corresponding to the town's name and the victim's name. It means that Poirot is in a race against time to try and find out who the murderer is, he seems like a ghost in the wind and impossible to trace.
What I like about this one is that the crime seems impossible. It is not like ‘Death on the Nile’ or any of the other murders that Christie wrote about that take place in old country houses where the murderer could only be one or two out of 5 people. In this book, the murderer could be anyone, and they are clearly deranged, which makes it all the more terrifying. This book really explores the psychology of a psychopath a lot more than any of Christie’s novels that I have read thus far. What is also unusual about this book is that it is written from the perspective of Captain Hastings, whereas previous Poirot books have always been written from the 3rd person or from Poirot’s own (or at least the ones I’ve read thus far). If we’re thinking about texture in a novel, having the calm, clear mind of Captain Hastings relaying the story is a good way of doing so. While Hastings usually observes the crime, it is his interpretation of Poirot and the crimes themselves that add a new dimension. It would be too easy to read the story from Poirot's perspective, but then we wouldn’t revere the genius of the Belgian detective.
The solution to the crime is always the most dramatic, especially when it’s a solution by Poirot, who is a character that is known for his love of theatrics. It is a caveat which I think Christie uses to add another layer of drama to her books. Especially ones featuring Poirot and, even to an extent, Miss Marple. While I wouldn’t say that this is the best Agatha Christie novel that I have read, it is a step away from the familiar formula of mysteries, thrillers and murders that we are typically used to. I welcome the change in pace, but maybe I need to branch out to other murder mysteries by other authors for a while.