This one was fun! I love how Hercule Poirot books include similar elements, yet they all unfold somewhat differently—always with Poirot’s big reveal at the end. This isn’t on Agatha Christie’s top shelf of best books, but it might be on the second shelf down. I thought it was a jolly good time.

This one starts with a series of character intros, setting all the pieces on the chessboard. Then, crime most foul is committed. Even though the title mentions the blue train, this isn’t a locked-door mystery like Orient Express. It’s much more fluid than that, with characters coming and going to and fro in different settings. That may appeal to some readers who get claustrophobic in tight literary spaces.

There were a lot of characters coming and going, and I will say that I did get them confused from time to time listening on audio. But the cast size isn’t bigger than your average Poirot book.

I will say that I had a lot of theories about “who did it,” but none of them were right. I can’t be sure, but I believe this book may reference other Poirot mysteries, as the Belgian detective reconnects with several of his past contacts. If that’s true, then Christie buffs may have an advantage in solving the case, but, on my own, I was way off.