I can see why this would be some peoples favourite novel in the series, but before I ever joined Goodreads most of what I read was murder mysteries. If you’ve seen my little diatribe about The Silent Patient, you’ll know I consider the very first thing a first person narration does is introduce the number one suspect. In my opinion, the most successful of the genre, for me, of course, I don’t mean this as an empirical judgement, is ones with limited third person or multiple points of view. First person almost always, unless the actual detective, feels like a gimmick to disguise the murder. It’s a fun one, for some people, evidently, but not for me, unfortunately.

That said, it’s still far better executed than The Silent Patient and it has its fun in other places, especially when you suspect the narrator all along. But I found I also just do not like Poirot. Or the style of the all-knowing all-wise male detective with a big swinging… mind. The motive is also really essential, for me. The reason has to be as interesting as the crime and the mystery, and simple blackmail just ain’t it. Give me detectives that have to work as a team, unique strengths, probably trauma they’re processing. Scandinavian noir has ruined me for these novels—though I still own and will get to Death in the Nile. I suspect that death will be my last of this particular brand of the genre.