ABC...XYZ

 By: Emma Tong

The “Queen of Mystery” (Agatha Christie for those who don’t know) is known for many things. Her charismatic detectives, Captain Hastings, Inspector Japp, Tommy and Tuppence, and most famous of them all, Miss Marple and Monsieur Hercule Poirot have enraptured audiences for over a century–124 years now–and have placed her as the best selling author of all time, with over 2 billion copies worldwide. But material things are not worth judging over. Like a lot of people, I’ve had bad experiences with world renowned books–even from authors I love– because nobody is subject to herd popularity. And an author as successful as Agatha Christie surely isn’t exempt from such a fate (even though she was an angel, I daresay, ‘from Eden, by way of Sweden’). C'est tout naturel! Luckily so far I haven’t run into any dud. But as perhaps the most famous detective ever said, “At roulette there may be a long run on the black–but in the end red must turn up. It is the mathematical laws of chance.”

Bien entendu, when I read this particular quote, I laughed at the irony. My then reaction to the book was disappointment. I had been extremely excited at the unique plot of this novel, a serial murderer with a penchant for alphabetical order isn’t something you associate with Christie. But as I began reading, I quickly fell off that high. Most of Christie’s murders take place in an intimate situation, a small group of suspects, and a highly examined scène de crime. With a homicidal maniac taking over all of the U.K, there is hardly enough room to include a detailed inspection of each murder site, not to mention how suspicious it would be to maintain a consistent and colorful cast. And so at that point, I knew I was not going to recommend this book in my next blog

But Agatha Christie was not crowned royalty sans raison. Nearing the end of the book, I realized that something was going to happen. Like always, she managed to spin red herring after red herring, until the very last page, when there was no room to plant another one. She manages another twist of a tried and true cliche, sending readers into a never ending, dizzying tale of murder and psychology. In the end, The ABC Murders landed quite high up on my list of favorite mystery novels. Like all old-timey literature, a lost sense of time accompanies fairly queer characters and references our Gen-Z minds (and probably not most millennial minds) could not comprehend. 

I will say, pour ton bien, that this book does not provide much of a shock–save for the last three-ish chapters. Who will be murdered? Check the back of the book! Who is the murderer? All is revealed by chapter two! Two of the most important aspects of a crime novel I think. But our dear Hercule Poirot seems to not think so. Forever motivated by motivation, he leads readers on an exciting journey to discover the why within the who and how. I found this to truly be the unique and interesting book I thought it would be when I picked it off the library shelf, even if the middle said otherwise. The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie, just like any of her other books, is an enthralling story, though not quite in the main plot, which is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat. But words, mes amis, are only the outer clothing of ideas. I may not be able to express exactly why you should read the book, but Monsieur Poirot shows that hunting for the why yourself is worthwhile, and very sporting. 

And yes, I know that Albert Finney did not play Poirot in "The Alphabet Murders" but I like him as Poirot.