Mother! The television film includes several changes from the original novel. In the end, Katherine expresses a desire to travel, saying that she intends to take the Orient Express from Vienna. The writing of this book (part of which took place on the Canary Islands in early 1927) was an ordeal for Agatha Christie. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) and the US edition at $2.00. The novel concerns the murder of an American heiress on Le Train Bleu, the titular "Blue Train". Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Robert C Trube and Bob on Books with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. This was preceded by a lesser-known train mystery, The Mystery of the Blue Train, published six years earlier. That line was retained in the television film, even though Death on the Nile was broadcast first. Ruth's father, the American millionaire Rufus Van Aldin, and his secretary, Major Knighton, convince Poirot to take on the case. The story follows the wealthy American heiress Ruth Kettering as she travels on the luxurious Blue Train from Calais to Nice. This is the only major work by Agatha Christie in which the UK first edition carries no copyright or publication date. Crime Drama Mystery Poirot investigates the brutal murder of an American heiress and the theft of a fabulous ruby on the Blue Train between Calais and Nice. Poirot and Katherine match each other in very different ways in their own self-possession. The plot revolves around the murder of Ruth Kettering, daughter of American tycoon, Rufus Van Aldin. So with the famous Heart of Fire ruby. The case is closed. [3] The book features her detective Hercule Poirot. Were the jewels the motive for the murder, or were they only taken as a blind? There was a BBC radio adaptation starring Maurice Denham as Poirot. She and Fisher (to whom Christie referred affectionately as both "Carlo" and "Carlotta") divided her acquaintances into two separate categories; the Order of Rats and the Order of Faithful Dogs (O.F.D.) Her husband stands to inherit her millions upon her death. It's the perfect mystery, filled with passion, greed, deceit. Lady Tamplin, Corky and her daughter Lenox also travel on the blue train. Addeddate The novel concerns the murder of an American heiress on Le Train Bleu, the titular "Blue Train". But Poirot is at hand to solve the case. [citation needed]. Eventually, the dancer Mirelle, who was on the train with her lover Derek but now spurned and vengeful, tells Poirot she saw Derek leave Ruth's compartment around the time the murder would have taken place. After traveling on the Blue Train from Calais to Nice, Hercule Poirot is pressed into service to help solve the murder of heiress Ruth Kettering who is found savagely beaten in her compartment. She and Fisher (to whom Christie referred affectionately as both "Carlo" and "Carlotta") divided her acquaintances into two separate categories; the Order of Rats and the Order of Faithful Dogs (O.F.D.) Her biography recounts how the total number of words in the book were carefully tallied up, showing what an ordeal Christie found it to be. #, Hong Kong Street Markets A Walking Tour, Exploring Punakha Valley in 2 days in Bhutan, Exploring Paro and hiking to Taktsang Monastery in, Walking Tour of South Mumbai: From Churchgate to, Medak Cathedral Asias Largest Diocese Church, Traveling Japan In Haikus With Matsuo Basho. [3] The book features her detective Hercule Poirot. Poirot investigates and finds out that the murder and the jewel theft might not be connected, as the famous jewel thief The Marquis is connected to the crime. The police suspect that Ruth's lover, the Comte de la Roche, killed her and stole the rubies, but Poirot does not think he is guilty. The tone for murder is set early. The famous ruby, "Heart of Fire", which had recently been given to Ruth by her father, is discovered to be missing. THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN Agatha Christie Chapter 1 THE MAN WITH THE WHITE HAIR It was close on midnight when a man crossed the Place de la Concorde. The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6), Agatha Christie. They switch train compartments, and when Ruth is bludgeoned to death, making her features unrecognizable, Poirot speculates that the intended victim may have been Katherine. Let a good murder mystery come within his ken, and he just can't be kept out of it. Donate . The critics did not agree with her. Just before departing for a trip to the Riviera on the Blue Train, a luxury, overnight train through France, she agrees to her fathers counsel to divorce her philandering husband, Derek Kettering, whose most recent bit of stuff is an opportunistic dancer, Mirelle. It had its effect on her in the middle of wartime when, nervous that at some future point she might be in need of funds and need a fallback, she wrote Sleeping Murder and locked it securely in a bank vault for future publication. The Mystery of the Blue Train is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the United Kingdom by William Collins & Sons on 29 March 1928 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. Lenox Tamplin, Lady Tamplin's daughter, Charles "Chubby" Evans, Lady Tamplin's much younger husband, Kyrios (Mr) Papopolous, jewellery dealer and an acquaintance of Poirot, Joseph Aarons, Poirot's acquaintance, an expert in people involved in the "dramatic profession" (acting) who advises Poirot about the skilled impersonator Kitty Kidd, known by a different name for most of the novel, 1928, William Collins and Sons (London), 29 March 1928, Hardcover, 296 pp, 1928, Dodd Mead and Company (New York), 1928, Hardcover, 306 pp, 1932, William Collins and Sons, February 1932 (As part of the, 1956, Pocket Books (New York), Paperback, 194 pp. I particularly enjoyed the women Katherine cared for. But she will never wake againfor a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. The novel also contains a number of firsts: there is a reference to the fictional village of St. Mary Mead, which would later be the home of Agatha Christie's detective Miss Marple; the first appearance of the minor recurring character, Mr Goby, who would also appear in After the Funeral and Third Girl and the first appearance of Poirot's valet, George. Kindle Edition. Murder and violence have followed in their wake. Never guessed whodunnit either. Actually one of the reasons I think I had no problem concentrating on the book was because her narration was sharp, clear and generally quite entertaining. Required fields are marked *. The prime suspect is Ruth's estranged husband, Derek. The international setting makes for a good varied read, but there is a plethora of sixth-form schoolgirl French and some deleterious influences from the thrillers. The novel was televised in 2006 as a special episode of the series Agatha Christie's Poirot, and was aired by ITV on 1 January starring David Suchet as Poirot, Roger Lloyd-Pack as Inspector Caux, James D'Arcy as Derek Kettering, Lindsay Duncan as Lady Tamplin, Alice Eve as Lenox and Elliott Gould as Rufus Van Aldin. It passes into the possession of the beautiful American woman, Ruth Kettering, and doom follows swift upon it. The television film also shows Lady Tamplin's fourth husband (Corky by name) acquiring a ruby for her. Initial suspicions center around Ruths love, the Comte de la Roche, in league with a jewel dealer. Moods. Were the jewels the motive for the murder, or were they only taken as a blind? A mysterious woman, a legendary cursed jewel, and a night train to the French riviera -- ingredients for the perfect romance or the perfect crime? The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6)and the US edition at $2.00. changing "She then" to "Katherine then"), or omitting small sentences or words, especially in the opening instalment where several paragraphs were missed. Her father, Rufus van Aldin, gifts her a fabulous ruby The Heart of Fire. The police arrest Knighton and the case is closed. This dedication is a direct reference to the events of 1926 which included the death of Christie's mother on 5 April,[15] the breakdown of her marriage to Archibald Christie, and her famous ten-day disappearance in December that year. This is our blog. Read more In spite of the handsome fur coat which garbed his meagre form, there was something essentially weak and paltry about him. In spite of the handsome fur coat which garbed his meagre form, there was something essentially weak and paltry about him. When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. Derek did go into the compartment to talk to Ruth once he saw she was on the train, but he left when he saw she was asleep. So with the famous Heart of Fire ruby. One person who didn't was Charlotte Fisher (born c. 1901 died 1976), who had been employed by Christie as both her own secretary and a governess to her daughter Rosalind in 1924. The police then arrest Knighton. But she will never wake again - for a heavy blow has . Community Reviews Summary of 4,295 reviews. She asks Poirot if he has taken that train, and he says he has not. Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition. Agatha Christie's Poirot Series 10: The Mystery of the Blue TrainFollow us on Facebook: https://fb.me/BritTVChannelBuy me a coffee here: https://www.buymeaco. Poirot asks Van Aldin and Knighton to come with him on the Blue Train to recreate the murder. I may tell you that I have heard of you from my old friend Rufus Van Aldin." Originally published in 1928Hercule Poirot #6Preceded by The Big FourFollowed by Black Coffee. Yet Hercule Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie reenactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board. These were events which disturbed her for the remainder of her life[16] and Christie learned that people she expected to be allies in her time of need turned away from her. S10E01 The Mystery of the Blue Train Summary. Community Reviews Summary of 4,288 reviews. I'm in oil figuratively speaking. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) and the US edition at $2.00. The New York Times Book Review of 12 August 1928 said, "Nominally Poirot has retired, but retirement means no more to him than it does to a prima donna. Katherine Grey is a single woman who has been an elder companion, whose service meant so much that she was left a sizable sum by the woman she cared for. Appropriately for a Christie train-based story, its about the journey rather that the destination, at least for me. The television film includes several changes from the original novel. Also, the television film shows Lady Tamplin's fourth husband who acquires a ruby for her. There were slight amendments to the text, either to make sense of the openings of an instalment (e.g. She completed her MBA and currently works full time in a Fortune 10 company.