A typical Agatha Christie but short and well narrated. Story is a bit typical with the famouse Agatha Christie confrontation at the end

I have become addicted to the dramatized Poirot stories in the past year or so. After listening to about 20 of them, I have noticed a few things. So..Show More »me seem to follow a rather set pattern while others go along in a seemingly nonsensical way until -bam!- the solution appears.

This book is unique in that where it has many elements of other Agatha Christie tales (ex: a murder on a train, a romance that may or may not be a good idea, Poirot's ambiguity on certain moral issues) it stands apart in how the story plays out. As usual, there are suspects a-plenty, but every time you think you have the killer pegged, that's about the time a new prime suspect crops up. It should keep you engaged all the way through without the annoying "Oh, it's obvious that guy did it and now I have to listen to 2 more hours of an unnecessary story" syndrome.

There was one main difference in this dramatization from the majority (or even all) of the others available: Hercule Poirot is voiced by a different actor. I was really used to John Moffat in the role and as such, hearing Maurice Denham exercising his "little grey cells" was a little hard for me. It was a little like switching Darrens (or Beckys, depending on your generation) and that took me out of the story. But after listening to it 3 or 4 times (yes, it's good enough to do that), he grew on me. I still prefer John Moffat, but not to the point where I can't listen.

As for the rest of the main cast, I don't know all the names, but the voices for Mr Van Alden, Major Knighton, Katherine Grey and Derek Kettering seemed spot on. The voice for Mirelle was really shrill and grating, but that fit the character perfectly. Ruth Kettering sounded like she was the same actress as Louise from "Murder in Mesopotamia" and for some reason, I can't see her as either of those characters. Her voice has a slight lisp to it that doesn't fit with the image of a glamorous femme fatale, but that's my take. The voice of Ada Mason just drove me batty, but again, maybe that was the point for the character.

All in all, this is one of my favorite Poirot stories. I really recommend it if you enjoy Agatha Christie at all.

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The production was well done with a number of interesting characters. Poirot comes out of retirement once again to help a damsel in distress. Enjoyed ..Show More »the development of the storyline and the surprise ending.

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This story has some unique features among Agatha Christie's books. There's no second murder to help narrow down the suspects, and Poirot must solve t..Show More »he crime in a matter of hours. Even if you've read the story before, this dramatisation is still worth listening to. The sound effects may not be quite movie standard, but they're convincing none the less. The acting is good, and the script writer left the original story alone. And for those of us who can't see, we can follow the story as well as our sighted friends staring at the radio. A pleasant two hours listening.

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This adaptation is brilliant achievement that keeps you actively involved from start to end. The acting is wonderfully subtle, offering some new persp..Show More »ectives on very familiar characters. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it with all my heart to those who want to feel good for a couple of days.

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A great cast bring this story to life. Very gripping and engrossing. Well worth the money and I loved it.

This production is so badly done for so many reasons that I hardly know where to start with this review. I'll try using highlights:

1. H..Show More »ercule Poirot speaks with an English accent. The performer makes a poor attempt to mimic a French accent but fails utterly.
2. One performer does produce a believable French accent. The only problem is that the character speaking that accent is from Spain!
3. The abridgment is careless and sloppy. Audio fades are used during critical conversations and events, disrupting the continuity. The arrivals and departures of key characters have been removed in several places, making it impossible to know who is and isn't present at the start of any scene.
4. Hercule Poirot is a minor player. He does nothing but say things like "Yes, curious" and "No, curious" for most of the production. His presence in England is never explained satisfactorily. No time at all is given to his thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Even at the end, when he manufactures his solution, he states facts and evidence he's never discussed or seen in this butchered production.

If you are a fan of Agatha Christie and/or Hercule Poirot, avoid this half-baked BBC attempt to milk the Christie cash cow. The milk is sour.

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Always enjoyable and never obvious to solve - Agatha Christie delivers like no other writer in her genre. The Dramatised Radio versions are a blessin..Show More »g for those of us who grow to like TV less and less.

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This was a fun production. Agatha Christie rarely disappoints. Had to get used to the depiction of Hercule Poirot. Enjoyable, yet short.

Agatha Christie very rarely disappoints me. Enjoyed this very much. Poriot has the enviable grey cells which get a work out again in this plot of intr..Show More »igue.

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