Murder on the Orient Express is a celebrated work of detective fiction by the renowned British writer Agatha Christie. Released in the United Kingdom in 1934 and published in the United States shortly after under the title Murder in the Calais Coach, the novel is known for its intricate plot and the introduction of Christie's iconic Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.
The story unfolds aboard the opulent Orient Express train, where Poirot finds himself amidst a diverse group of passengers. As the train is halted by a heavy snowstorm, a murder is discovered. Samuel Ratchett, an American tycoon with a hidden past, is found dead in his compartment, which is locked from the inside. His body bears 12 stab wounds. With the train stranded, the murderer could only be one of the passengers. Poirot, initially on vacation, is compelled to unravel this compelling mystery.
Employing his keen sense of observation and deductive prowess, Poirot begins his investigation into Ratchett's murder, only to uncover a complex web of deceit tied to a tragic event from the past—the kidnapping and murder of a young girl named Daisy Armstrong, which devastated her affluent family and other loved ones. Through meticulous examination and interviews, Poirot reveals that each passenger has a connection to the Armstrong tragedy, leading to a conclusion that challenges conventional perceptions of justice.
The novel is celebrated not only for its suspenseful narrative but also for Christie's masterful construction of the plot, which orchestrates an array of characters each with their own secrets and motives. Hercule Poirot's resolution of the case, proposing two possible explanations, pushes the boundaries of traditional detective stories and explores the moral complexities of retribution. A global bestseller, Murder on the Orient Express has inspired numerous adaptations across film, radio, television, theater, and even video games, affirming Agatha Christie's enduring status as the "Queen of Crime."
Themes
Justice and morality
The complexity of truth
Class and society
Revenge and retribution
The role of the detective
Isolation and confinement
Guilt and innocence
Setting
Murder on the Orient Express is set in the 1930s, taking place primarily aboard a luxurious passenger train. At that time, the train route known as the Orient Express connected cities across Europe and into Turkey, with the section through the Balkan countries presenting challenging terrain for rail travel. The novel's action begins in Istanbul, Turkey, where the detective Hercule Poirot boards the train. Due to heavy snowfall, the train soon becomes stranded in Yugoslavia, between the towns of Vinkovci and Brod, and remains there while Poirot's investigation into the mysterious murder of a passenger unfolds. This isolated, claustrophobic setting aboard the snowbound train is a hallmark of Christie's classic mystery.
Characters
Hercule Poirot: A world-famous detective from Belgium.
Bouc: Poirot's Belgian friend and a director of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits.
Samuel Ratchett/Cassetti: An American tycoon with a hidden past as the gangster who kidnapped and murdered and murder of three-year-old Daisy Armstrong.
Dr. Stavros Constantine: A Greek physician, who, after the murder, determines Ratchett's time of death.
Mrs. Caroline Hubbard: The American actress Linda Arden, who is also revealed to be Daisy Armstrong's maternal grandmother.
Mary Debenham: An English governess returning from Baghdad, who was formerly Daisy Armstrong's governess.
Colonel John Arbuthnot: Colonel Armstrong's English best friend. who is in love with Mary Debenham.
Princess Natalia Dragomiroff: A Russian princess, who is ultimately revealed to be Sonia Armstrong's godmother.
Hector MacQueen: Ratchett's American secretary and translator, whose father was the Armstrongs' lawyer.
Countess Helena Andrenyi: Sonia Armstrong's sister, notable as the only one of the 13 suspects who did not participate in the murder.
Count Rudolph Andrenyi: Countess Andrenyi's Hungarian husband, who took his wife's place as the 12th murderer.
Cyrus Hardman: An American ex-policeman who was in love with Daisy Armstrong's French nursery maid, Susanne, who killed herself after being falsely accused of aiding Cassetti.
Antonio Foscarelli: An Italian-American car salesman who was formerly the Armstrongs' chauffeur and adored little Daisy.
Greta Ohlsson: A Swedish missionary, who was formerly Daisy Armstrong's nurse.
Hildegarde Schmidt: Princess Dragomiroff's German maid, who was formerly the Armstrongs' cook.
Edward Henry Masterman: Ratchett's English valet, a remote and haughty man, who was Col. Armstrong's batman in the war and valet in New York.
Pierre Michel: The French train conductor and father of Daisy Armstrong's nursery maid, Susanne, who killed herself after being falsely accused of aiding Cassetti.
Critical reception
Since its publication, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express has received universal acclaim from literary critics and mystery writers. "Christie makes an improbable tale very real, and keeps her readers enthralled and guessing to the end,” praised the Times Literary Supplement, while in her review for the Daily Herald (UK), Dorothy L. Sayers declared it "a brilliantly ingenious story." "Nothing short of swell," raved the New York Herald Tribune, proclaiming Christie "probably the best suspicion scatterer and diverter in the business." Bestselling mystery novelists such Louise Penny, Tana French, Sue Grafton, Donna Leon, J. A. Jance, and Jacqueline Winspear credit the influence of Christie's work. The New York Times aptly stated: "What more ... can a mystery addict desire?"
FAQs
What is the book about?
Murder on the Orient Express is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie featuring the detective Hercule Poirot. It is set on the Orient Express train where a murder is discovered, and Poirot must solve the case while the train is stranded in the snow.
Who is the murder victim?
The murder victim is an American businessman named Samuel Ratchett, who is revealed to be the notorious gangster Cassetti responsible for the kidnapping and murder of a child named Daisy Armstrong.
What is the motive for the murder?
The motive is revenge for Cassetti's involvement in the Armstrong case, where he kidnapped and killed Daisy, leading to the deaths of her parents and nursemaid.
Who are the main suspects?
The main suspects are the passengers on the train who are revealed to have connections to the Armstrong family, including the governess, nurse, and relatives of the family.
How does Poirot solve the case?
Poirot gathers evidence and interviews the passengers, eventually deducing that they all conspired to kill Cassetti as revenge for his crimes against the Armstrong family.
What makes the solution unique?
Murder on the Orient Express presents a unique solution to the crime. Poirot concludes that all of the 13 suspects, except one, were involved in the murder, each stabbing Cassetti one time, making it difficult for the detective to identify a single murderer.
How did the story inspire Christie's writing?
Murder on the Orient Express was inspired by a real-life case that dominated headlines in 1932, in which the young son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped and murdered, and an innocent maid was falsely accused of the terrible crime.
What challenges did Christie face while writing Murder on the Orient Express?
Christie had to create a complex plot with multiple suspects and clues, while also setting the story in the confined space of a train stranded in the snow.
How popular and acclaimed is the novel?
Murder on the Orient Express is one of Christie's most popular and acclaimed works, often ranking among the best mystery novels of all time and praised for its ingenious plot and resolution.
What impact did Murder on the Orient Expresshave on the mystery genre?
Murder on the Orient Express helped solidify Christie's reputation, showcasing her ability to create intricate plots with surprising solutions. The novel is credited with inspiring the careers of other notable mystery writers, including Louise Penny, Tana French, Sue Grafton, J .A. Jance, Donna Leon, and Jacqueline Winspear.
Quotes
“The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances.”
“If you confront anyone who has lied with the truth, he will usually admit it - often out of sheer surprise. It is only necessary to guess right to produce your effect.”
“But I know human nature, my friend, and I tell you that, suddenly confronted with the possibility of being tried for murder, the most innocent person will lose his head and do the most absurd things.”
“What's wrong with my proposition?" Poirot rose. "If you will forgive me for being personal, I do not like your face, M. Ratchett.”
“Some of us, in the words of the divine Greta Garbo, want to be alone.”
“How fast you go. You arrive at a conclusion much sooner than I would permit myself to do.”
“I have learned to save myself from useless emotion.”
“The happiness of one man and one woman is the greatest thing in all the world.”
“I believe, Messieurs, in loyalty, to one's friends and one's family and one's caste.”
Quick facts
Murder on the Orient Express was inspired in part by the real-life kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's son in 1932, an event that shocked the world.
Agatha Christie herself experienced delays while traveling on the Orient Express, which also contributed to her inspiration for the novel. One significant delay that influenced her was in December 1931, when heavy rainfall washed away part of the track, halting travel for 24 hours.
Murder on the Orient Express was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on January 1, 1934, and then in the United States a month later with a different title, Murder in the Calais Coach, to avoid confusion with another novel.
Christie wrote parts of the novel at the Baron Hotel in Aleppo, Syria, and also drew inspiration from her stay at the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.
The 1974 film adaptation of the novel was a critical and commercial success, with Ingrid Bergman winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Greta Ohlsson.
David Suchet, who portrayed Hercule Poirot in the long-running television series Agatha Christie's Poirot, reprised his role in a 2010 film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express.
A new video game adaptation titled Agatha Christie - Murder on the Orient Express was released by Microids in 2023, featuring modern technology like mobile phones and computers.
The 2017 film adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh, in which he also starred as Poirot, included several significant changes from the classic novel, such as combining characters and changing the historical setting of the Armstrong kidnapping to New Jersey.
About the author
Agatha Christie was an English mystery writer renowned for her 66 detective novels, 14 short story collections, and the longest-running play in the world, The Mousetrap. Her career spanned over five decades, during which she delighted and mystified readers with fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her works have sold more than a billion copies in English and, with translations into more than a hundred languages, at least a billion more around the world.
Christie's literary contributions were immense, not only through her detective stories but also through the romance novels she wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. She was also known as Lady Mallowan, a reflection of her marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan, which influenced several of her novels set in the Middle East. Christie's mastery of plotting and her twist endings have captivated readers worldwide, making novels like Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None timeless classics.
Born in 1890 in Devon, England, Christie remained a private person throughout her life, despite receiving numerous accolades. Among prestigious honors, she was named a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1971 for her contributions to literature. Her unparalleled success in crime fiction is preserved in the Guinness World Records, listing her as the bestselling fiction writer of all time. Christie's profound impact on literature extends beyond her death, with her works continually being adapted into films, television series, and radio programs, further cementing her legacy. She died in 1976 yet remains immortalized as the "Queen of Crime."
