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SETTING: Majority of the novel takes place at the Meadowbank School for Girls (fictional institution) in England, but significant parts also occur in Ramat, an incredibly wealthy country in the Middle East.
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SUMMARY: The murders of teachers at the prestigious Meadowbank School for Girls are believed to be tied to the earlier death of the Prince of Ramat and a set of missing jewels worth three-quarters of a million pounds (assuming this is the 1950s value; worth multiple millions in today's currency, at the very least).
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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Miss Johnson had had a sizable dollop of brandy administered to her to pull her together after her discovery of the body. The result was a slightly added loquacity." - Chapter 8, page 111.
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I thought I had read all the Hercule Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie because I read the Hercule Poirot Casebook, but I idiotically failed to pay attention to the fact that those are a collection of 50 Poirot short stories Christie wrote, and not a collection of all of her novels featuring Poirot. In retrospect, that was a VERY stupid thing to miss, seeing as I had read some of her Poirot novels before, and they were all definitely lengthier than any of the individual stories in the Casebook. Anyhow, I'm glad I was mistaken because Poirot is my favorite detective in Christie's mystery novels, and it's great to know I haven't exhausted all of the Poirot novels in existence. I checked this book out of the local library in my hometown yesterday and finished it yesterday. Yes, that should be an indication of how much I love Agatha Christie's work. I eagerly fly through them in a single day if given the time! And, might I add, it's fantastic having so much time on hand! Winter break is AWESOME.
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Things I liked about this book:
- Agatha Christie!!! One of my favorite authors. Hands down.
- Hercule Poirot!!! One of my favorite detectives. Hands down.
- The espionage element of the book.
- Parts of the book take place internationally. Christie's novels are great because they take you to different parts of the world.
- Julia Upjohn's character. She's one of the few sharp pupils introduced from the School.
- What they end up doing with the stash of jewels. The story concludes nicely :)
- Poirot is not brought into the novel early enough. I really love his character, and was patiently waiting for him to pop up, and he did so in the last quarter or so of the novel. I was disappointed by that! The more Poirot, the better.
- The storyline was a bit too simple. Would have enjoyed a more complex mystery.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It's a very quick and satisfying read, and Christie delivered, as usual. I LOVE AGATHA CHRISTIE. I did a book report on her in 4th or 5th grade after my mother introduced me to one of her novels, and I've been in love with her books ever since. When I'm looking for a comfortable read that'll take me to a fantastical place, Christie's books are my first go to.
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Recommend? YES! I love all Hercule Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie, so a definite, hearty YES!
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