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Appointment With Death: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection)
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Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $9.60
You Save: $ 2.40 ( 20% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Author: Agatha Christie
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Average Customer Rating:
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Appointment With Death: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection) Description
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9781579126926
ISBN: 1579126928
Label: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2007-03-30
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Studio: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9781579126926
ISBN: 1579126928
Label: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Manufacturer: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2007-03-30
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Studio: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Editorial Review of Appointment With Death: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection)
Among the towering red cliffs and the ancient ruins of Petra sits the corpse of Mrs. Boynton, the cruel and tyrannizing matriarch of the Boynton family. A tiny puncture mark on her wrist is the only sign of the fatal injection that killed her. With only twenty-four hours to solve the mystery, Hercule Poirot recalls a remark he overheard back in Jerusalem: "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" Mrs. Boynton was, indeed, the most detestable woman he had ever met.
Customer Reviews of Appointment With Death: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection)
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A Deadly Assignation
Review: Agatha Christie is well-known for the twists that are in her mystery stories, but should receive just as much renown for her psychological examinations within certain mysteries. "Appointment With Death" is much more the psychological study of a family and those involved with them, than it is with the murder at the heart of the story. Therefore, the novel is heavy on character development and motive for murder, and lighter in terms of mystery and crime.
Mrs. Boynton was a mental sadist, a woman who loved holding her family captive to her every whim and fancy, allowing them no freedom of thought or action. Enclosed in their own world and oblivious to any difference, a trip to Jerusalem finally makes her children aware of how miserable their lives are. Two of the children come to the conclusion that she must be killed, especially to protect the youngest child, but hardly know how to carry out the deadly act. So when their mother is found dead (and murder is believed) all of the children are immediate suspects to Hercule Poirot, but also among each other.
"Appointment With Death" is as fast-paced as any of Christie's other works. Hercule Poirot is more of a minor character until the latter part of the book when he pieces together all of the evidence to arrive at the truth of who killed Mrs. Boynton. The chapters in which he lays out motive and means for the innocence and guilt of each member of the Boynton family is both exhilarating and frustrating, but it shows the remarkable plotting that Christie had to explain the criminal elements in her books. While not the best Poirot mystery, "Appointment With Death" is an enjoyable read with plenty of motives to keep the reader guessing the identity of the culprit.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Appointment with Death
Review: Mrs. Boynton sorrowfully reached her "appointment with death" sooner than usual in Agatha Christie's enthralling book. The twisting plot and realistic characters keep you on the edge of your seat as you wade deeper into the unpredictable story. Agatha Christie's magic has once again weaved its way into one of her finest stories, Appointment with Death. Everyone is on their feet cheering the Belgian detective, Hercules Poirot, as he uses his "little gray cells" in order to determine not who would kill Mrs. Boynton, but who would not kill this old, cruel witch.
The characters, although not my favorite part of this book, were unlike any I have ever read about before. Mrs. Boynton a cruel, power-hungry, old woman is hated by everyone in this enriching plot. She is a failure with a thirst for power that is fed by bossing around her family. Everyone has a reasonable motive for killing Mrs. Boynton, especially her "devoted" yet unhappy family. Hercules Poirot is the other main character in this book. He is possibly the most important. He is a Belgian detective who is extremely proud of two things, his mustache and his "little gray cells." He sets out to examine the suspicious circumstances and bring the clever murderer into the spotlight.
Murderers on the run with a brilliant Belgian detective hot on the trail... plots don't get much more exciting than that. This is the exciting plot expressed in Agatha Christie's Appointment with Death. The captivity faced by Mrs. Boynton's family, and the prospect of one of the family being the horrible murderer is almost too much to bear. One of the great things about the plot is that the emotion displayed pulls you into the story. This plot was so unexpected and complex that I was kept guessing as to the murderer's identity until the very end. The only way to truly express the feeling put into the plot is to say that Agatha Christie's light shines again.
The only thing in this book that thoroughly disappointed me was the setting. It did not take away from the rest of the book, however, it did not add "wow" factor to the story. I felt like it was a normal everyday setting and that is not what I was looking for in Agatha Christie's book. The setting helped make the whole story more believable, but most mystery lovers are not looking for a realistic, believable book. Instead they are looking for an exciting thrilling book. I felt that Agatha Christie did not live up to her name with this setting.
Appointment with Death was, overall, a thrilling mystery book. I was thoroughly delighted with Agatha Christie's effort and felt that her feelings showed throughout it. The plot and characters added a breathtaking "wow" factor that kept me up all night reading this book. The setting, although not bad, did not contribute anything unique to the book. Overall, it was a great book for mystery readers of all ages. Agatha Christie has done it again, creating one of the world's finest mystery stories.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Above Average Agatha
Review: Above average. Interesting family dynamics with the classic matriarch.
A definite for Agatha fans; top 25% for others.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fan of female mystery writers
Review: Although this is not my favorite Christie story (hence, the 4 stars instead of 5), I still loved listening to it. I think Hugh Fraser (Captain Hastings) does a superb job as reader.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Can't Poirot EVER get some time off?
Review: Hercule Poirot has decided to take a vacation to the Middle East. One his first night in Jerusalem he overhears a bit of conversation - "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" He assumes that he has heard two people collaborating on a book or play, smiles to himself as he muses that crime seems to follow him everywhere. Of course the conversation comes back to haunt him as he again crosses paths with the speakers.
Review Summary: A Deadly Assignation
Review: Agatha Christie is well-known for the twists that are in her mystery stories, but should receive just as much renown for her psychological examinations within certain mysteries. "Appointment With Death" is much more the psychological study of a family and those involved with them, than it is with the murder at the heart of the story. Therefore, the novel is heavy on character development and motive for murder, and lighter in terms of mystery and crime.
Mrs. Boynton was a mental sadist, a woman who loved holding her family captive to her every whim and fancy, allowing them no freedom of thought or action. Enclosed in their own world and oblivious to any difference, a trip to Jerusalem finally makes her children aware of how miserable their lives are. Two of the children come to the conclusion that she must be killed, especially to protect the youngest child, but hardly know how to carry out the deadly act. So when their mother is found dead (and murder is believed) all of the children are immediate suspects to Hercule Poirot, but also among each other.
"Appointment With Death" is as fast-paced as any of Christie's other works. Hercule Poirot is more of a minor character until the latter part of the book when he pieces together all of the evidence to arrive at the truth of who killed Mrs. Boynton. The chapters in which he lays out motive and means for the innocence and guilt of each member of the Boynton family is both exhilarating and frustrating, but it shows the remarkable plotting that Christie had to explain the criminal elements in her books. While not the best Poirot mystery, "Appointment With Death" is an enjoyable read with plenty of motives to keep the reader guessing the identity of the culprit.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Appointment with Death
Review: Mrs. Boynton sorrowfully reached her "appointment with death" sooner than usual in Agatha Christie's enthralling book. The twisting plot and realistic characters keep you on the edge of your seat as you wade deeper into the unpredictable story. Agatha Christie's magic has once again weaved its way into one of her finest stories, Appointment with Death. Everyone is on their feet cheering the Belgian detective, Hercules Poirot, as he uses his "little gray cells" in order to determine not who would kill Mrs. Boynton, but who would not kill this old, cruel witch.
The characters, although not my favorite part of this book, were unlike any I have ever read about before. Mrs. Boynton a cruel, power-hungry, old woman is hated by everyone in this enriching plot. She is a failure with a thirst for power that is fed by bossing around her family. Everyone has a reasonable motive for killing Mrs. Boynton, especially her "devoted" yet unhappy family. Hercules Poirot is the other main character in this book. He is possibly the most important. He is a Belgian detective who is extremely proud of two things, his mustache and his "little gray cells." He sets out to examine the suspicious circumstances and bring the clever murderer into the spotlight.
Murderers on the run with a brilliant Belgian detective hot on the trail... plots don't get much more exciting than that. This is the exciting plot expressed in Agatha Christie's Appointment with Death. The captivity faced by Mrs. Boynton's family, and the prospect of one of the family being the horrible murderer is almost too much to bear. One of the great things about the plot is that the emotion displayed pulls you into the story. This plot was so unexpected and complex that I was kept guessing as to the murderer's identity until the very end. The only way to truly express the feeling put into the plot is to say that Agatha Christie's light shines again.
The only thing in this book that thoroughly disappointed me was the setting. It did not take away from the rest of the book, however, it did not add "wow" factor to the story. I felt like it was a normal everyday setting and that is not what I was looking for in Agatha Christie's book. The setting helped make the whole story more believable, but most mystery lovers are not looking for a realistic, believable book. Instead they are looking for an exciting thrilling book. I felt that Agatha Christie did not live up to her name with this setting.
Appointment with Death was, overall, a thrilling mystery book. I was thoroughly delighted with Agatha Christie's effort and felt that her feelings showed throughout it. The plot and characters added a breathtaking "wow" factor that kept me up all night reading this book. The setting, although not bad, did not contribute anything unique to the book. Overall, it was a great book for mystery readers of all ages. Agatha Christie has done it again, creating one of the world's finest mystery stories.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Above Average Agatha
Review: Above average. Interesting family dynamics with the classic matriarch.
A definite for Agatha fans; top 25% for others.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Fan of female mystery writers
Review: Although this is not my favorite Christie story (hence, the 4 stars instead of 5), I still loved listening to it. I think Hugh Fraser (Captain Hastings) does a superb job as reader.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Can't Poirot EVER get some time off?
Review: Hercule Poirot has decided to take a vacation to the Middle East. One his first night in Jerusalem he overhears a bit of conversation - "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" He assumes that he has heard two people collaborating on a book or play, smiles to himself as he muses that crime seems to follow him everywhere. Of course the conversation comes back to haunt him as he again crosses paths with the speakers.
This is another of Christie's dysfunctional families, this time the problem parent is the mother instead of her usual tyrannical father. The Boynton family consists of Mrs. Boynton, grossly overweight, in poor health and whose chief occupation is to torment her family. She has three adult step children, Lennox (married to Nadine), Raymond and Carol and her own daughter, Ginevra. While on an excursion to Petra Mrs. Boynton dies leaving the question of natural causes or murder as the cause. If it is murder was it committed by one of the family or another member of the group?
Poirot is consulted by a local offical to sort out the mess which of course he does but not without suffering the hardships of the desert - so hard on patent leather shoes!
This 1937 novel is one of Christie's 'psychological' mysteries where much time is spent on motive and character development. The result is that by the end of the novel the reader feels personally acquainted with many of the characters. Also this is set in the Middle East where Christie spent much time herself and gives the novel an insight on the area and travel in those times. It is an excellent mystery, all clues are fairly laid out for the reader to sort out and still quite enjoyable and challenging nearly 70 years later.