The Mystery of the Blue Train (Dramatised)

By: Agatha Christie

Narrated by: Maurice Denhham

Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

A millionaire strikes a deal on the seedier side of Paris and a priceless cache of rubies becomes destined for his beloved daughter, Rachel.

Two days later Rachel is dead - murdered on a train on her way to the Riviera to meet her scoundrel lover: a mysterious, dark man. The suspects line up... only master slueth Hercule Poirot can unravel the mystery and find the truth.

Maurice Denhham stars as the great Belgian detective in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.

©1928 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)1928 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Excellent story... different Poirot than usual

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. Some 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.

Christie's Other Train Murder

There are some wonderful vocal performances in this one, especially the woman playing Katherine Grey. It's not John Moffat as Poirot, and while the actor in question is very talented, I prefer Moffat's take on our favorite Belgian detective. It's a wonderful story involving jewel thieves, a millionaire's daughter, and murder among the rich set in the south of France. A stylish adaptation.

Was expecting John Moffet

once you've listened to John Moffitt do Poirot it's hard to hear anyone else do it. Nothing else seems right

deception and greed

Would you listen to The Mystery of the Blue Train (Dramatised) again? Why?

it was very interesting and exciting to hear the voices of different characters

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Mystery of the Blue Train (Dramatised)?

The ending which was surprising a great who done it.

What about Maurice Denhham’s performance did you like?

The depth of portraying the characters

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Money; deception and love of money