The A.B.C Murders by Agatha Christie - Book Review

Once again, Agatha Christie tells the tale of yet another mysterious case that Hercule Poirot has to solve, only this time he is challenged to solve it by the murderer himself.

In this novel, The A.B.C Murderer has been having a murder streak by slaughtering innocents alphabetically, until he decides to send a letter to Poirot where he informs him of the date of his next killing.

Together, Poirot, Hastings, and the police try to catch this serial killer.

Hastings comes back to us in this novel and not only does he make an appearance, but he also narrates the happenings of the novel, for the most part. Every now and again, Christie adds a ‘Not from Captain Hastings’ Personal Narrative chapter.

This shift in the narrative creates a refreshing outlook on the story. Through the novel, we are witnessing things through Hastings’ eyes and judgment, so when we get an overview of what is happening through an omniscient narrator, we get the chance to draw conclusions for ourselves without Hastings’ help.

One of the most interesting things about the novel is the kind of discourse Christie uses. She ventures into the realm of psychoanalysis, hence, adding psychiatric and forensic terms.

These terms were not widely used at the time and were not familiar to the average person. Speaking of psychiatric terms, Christie subtly embeds psychological analysis through Poirot’s thought process as he tries to justify the murderer’s alarming behavior.

All in all, this book will lure you into its pages if you are one for mystery, intrigue, and Poirot and Hastings’ occasional banter. It also stands out from Christie’s novels, since it is the first one featuring a serial killer as well as diving into the murder’s psychology. It is definitely worth the read.