REVIEW: Death on the Nile

 Death on the Nile
Author: Agatha Christie

I have been on a quest since 2019 to read all of Agatha Christie's books in publication order. I still haven't made it out of the 1930s. 

Including Death on the Nile, I have read 22 books and 8 story collections....and I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface!! I have 8 books and one short story collection to go before I even hit another novel with Miss Marple. Luckily I am not growing tired of Poirot!

I'm ok with the length of time my reading challenge is taking. I'm not in a hurry. I take my time with each book. I do research into the book, find any adaptations, and leisurely enjoy the story....stopping here and there to look up any references to real events, people and places. I read an old paperback copy from my bookshelves (if I have one) and listen to an audio book version at the same time. And I watch or listen to any of the adaptations that I can find online. Radio plays, movies, television episodes.....I really jump in there and enjoy the story! It's slow going, but so much fun! I've been wanting to do this since I was quite young....so taking my time and enjoying every word! 

Death on the Nile was first published in serial format in the Saturday Evening Post in 1937. It was published as a book later that same year in the UK, and in the United States in 1938. This is the 15th book featuring Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells. This time Hercule takes his show on the road -- this story takes place in Egypt aboard a river cruise boat on the Nile. 

I read my very old paperback copy (Bantam Books, 1976) from my shelf and listened to David Suchet narrate the story (HarperAudio, 2012). The audio book is just shy of 8 hours long. And, of course, David Suchet does a wonderful job of narrating the book! How could he not after spending 24 years playing the character on television! 

My old paperback is part of the original box set of Agatha Christie paperbacks I bought at a garage sale when I was 9. I got introduced to Agatha Christie's writing, mystery novels in general and Hercule Poirot by reading those 5 novels over that summer. Agatha has been my favorite author ever since then! But, unfortunately, the book is falling apart. Paperbacks only last so long. The pages are dark auburn with foxing, the paper is brittle, and the spine is coming apart. I'm giving the book one last read.....and will throw it away when I'm done. Almost 50 years old....and it's been on my bookshelf in all of the places I've lived since June 1978. 

In fact, I have had a bookshelf filled with Agatha Christie novels for years. I started trying to collect all of her books after that first summer. It was difficult to do in the pre-internet days. Finding a list of all of her writing was almost impossible. Lists in the front or back of books were only partial, and the local small town library didn't have a complete list either. Flash forward a few decades, and I can now find just about any information I want, all of the books, and a total bibliography in seconds. Perfect time for me to read my way through all of her mystery novels and short stories!! And, as I read my way through my old stash of paperbacks, I'm letting go of the collection. I have had all of these books for years....but only actually read a few of them. Now I'm reading them all and freeing up shelf space for new books. I can revisit her novels anytime I want using my local library. I don't need to have 70+ old paperbacks and mismatched hardcovers taking up shelf space anymore. Saying goodbye to old friends in the perfect way -- reading them, being thankful, and then letting them go. 

Now....back to the business at hand....reviewing this book!! 

This is such a lovely example of a Golden Age Mystery!! I enjoyed every word! 

Poirot is in perfect form in Death on the Nile. He is joined by Colonel Race. Race is helpful as usual....and also jumps to conclusions, only to be subtly corrected by Poirot. The various suspects are observed, interviewed, accused and generally ruffled by both Race and Poirot. Add in some odd behavior, a red herring or two, and a thoroughly satisfying reveal at the end. Ah, the complete joy at reading such an entertaining example of a golden age whodunit by a top notch writer of the time who helped invent the genre!! 

The pacing is on par. There are an adequate number of suspects. And, the fact that the crime happens on board a boat on a river cruise makes the cast of suspicious characters deliciously limited and small. I had read this book before when I was a teenager, but I didn't remember much about the plot. So this was all fresh and new to me! Loved it! The whole time I kept wondering which one did it and why. I changed my mind several times as the story progressed. I'm sure this was Agatha's intent.

The ending is perfect, except for one small thing. Poirot again makes a choice that I find morally ambiguous. My guess is he felt it allowed a humane outcome? I can't say what it is -- spoiler. But it's the second book where he has made a choice like this and used his little grey cells to allow something he felt was a better choice. Not sure it was morally his decision to make. Is he morally responsible since he knew what was going to happen and could have done something to stop it? Hmmmmmm. It does give me pause each time the detective does something like this, but I still completely love this book!!

There have been several adaptations of this book. 

Agatha Christie adapted this novel into a stage play called Murder on the Nile. It first debuted in 1944 under another name, Hidden Horizon. As Murder on the Nile it opened in the UK and on Broadway in the US in 1944. 

A movie starring Peter Ustinov came out in 1978. 

In 1997, BBC Radio adapted the story into an audio play. 

The Poirot television series did an episode (Season 9, episode 3).

And, in 2022, a film version starring Kenneth Brangh as Poirot was released. 

There have also been two graphic novels and a hidden object PC game.  

I jumped into the movie adaptations of this book with gusto. I had not watched the 1978 movie since sometime in the 1980s. The only thing I could remember about it is that I did not like Peter Ustinov as Poirot at all! I don't think Agatha would have liked it either.

1978 movie: This movie won an Oscar for best costume design in 1979. And so many famous actors are in it -- Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Angela Lansbury, Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith...even Bette Davis. They definitely stacked the deck! One of my favorite television actors from that era is in this one as well -- Simon MacCorkindale. [I'm probably one of the only people who was disappointed when they cancelled Manimal. :) If you know, you know.]

I have to admit that I still don't like Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. He played the character in six movies (most were made for television) and I never thought he fit the part. His appearance and interpretation never hit the mark for me. I am very thankful that when David Suchet came on the scene, he knocked it out of the park with appearance, mannerisms, fastidiousness, costuming, accent, glorious waxed moustache -- he ticked all the boxes. Peter Ustinov did not. Ustinov was an incredibly talented actor and played many wonderful roles....but for me, he was not a good Poirot.

I remember watching this movie when it came out and in re-runs on television back in the day. Star studded B-movie -- good entertainment, but not earth shattering cinema. Death on the Nile looks and feels like an old made-for-television movie. The director made some odd choices -- weird camera angles, muted/fuzzy focus in several outdoor shots, ridiculous over-acting for some side characters. Definitely a late 70s/early 80s style adaptation. It's like watching a movie length episode of The Love Boat -- cram in as many well known actors from past and present, go over the top with costuming, and throw in a script that tends to the melodramatic.

The characterizations of the Egyptian characters are stereotypical and racist in places. It seems like the writers/director thought this was a good way to interject humor? Watching this film 46 years after it was made, the scenes come off as racist stereotypes, and I didn't find them funny.  

Admittedly, this racist tone is also in Christie's novels. Her British characters often make racist, classist and colonial statements, and treat non-white people and servants poorly. I'm sure it mirrors the behavior and beliefs of upper class white culture in the 1920's and 30's, but it is cringe-worthy almost 100 years later. 

There are some changes in the characters and certain plot points in this adaptation. Not large ones. Mostly adjustments to give characters motive, to add more drama, or to make some clues more obvious. I don't feel these changes were necessary, or well done.  Agatha's version was subtle and built up to the reveal with intelligence. Not every character had to have hard motive to kill the victim. The movie adaptation changes things in such a way to over explain things that really didn't need assistance and to add silly motives for some of the characters. Bleck! Agatha Christie's plots do not need to have changes like this made! It never makes the story better. The story is great the way it is. Tone down the non-plot centric problems like racist commentary and behaviors, but leave the character backgrounds, motivation and clues alone. The mystery portion of the plot is perfect the way it is.

I do like that they actually filmed on site in Egypt. Beautiful background scenery! 

 BBC Radio: This audio play was presented in serial format in five weekly parts in 1997. The whole performance runs just a bit over 2 hours. John Moffatt plays Poirot. The audio drama is very well done and mimics the pacing of the novel quite well. The acting is top notch, and it stays relatively close to the book. Some events in the book are removed (like a side plot about spies that was removed from every adaptation) for time. Great quality as usual! BBC radio did audio drama versions of most of Christie's novels. They can easily be found online.

Poirot episode: Of all the adaptations, I found this Poirot episode to be the most faithful to the novel. There are a few changes. The reason for Colonel Race being in Egypt is changed. No adaptation kept the side spy intrigue plot intact. Some characters are left out and combined with other characters. And the ending is changed for a few characters, but the central plot is left intact. The scenery, costumes and general feel of this episode is SO much better than the 1978 movie. This is one of my favorite episodes of Poirot so far. Very well done! The only thing I didn't like is Season 9 changed the theme song of the series. I always listen to the old theme before I watch episodes from the final season of Poirot. I don't like the new music at all. 

2022 Movie: I'm only going to give my opinion on the actual film, not the wonky PR nightmare the casting of this film turned into. 

Within the first five minutes, my misgivings about this movie increased. The opening scene depicts Poirot as serving in the army during World War I. Poirot did not serve in the army, but came to England as a refugee from Belgium during the war. Why would they make a stupid change in the character like this? Unnecessary -- and ridiculous. Why do filmmakers think that they can improve upon Agatha Christie's plots and characters by adding in drivel like this? And......it only got worse from there.....  Complete crap.

In my opinion, Kenneth Branagh makes a terrible Hercule Poirot. And his huge unkempt moustache is totally wrong and looks ridiculous.Bleck.

There are ridiculous changes in characters and the plot. The story does stick relatively close to the main plot points of the book, but the script in general is terrible. The pacing is off. There are stupid changes to characters, backstory and motives. This movie was just hard to watch.   Bad casting. Bad script. Yuck. 

So, in my opinion, the Poirot episode is the best adaptation. 

Wonderful book! I enjoyed this story, and had fun watching 3 film adaptations to see which one I liked best. The audio play was entertaining as well! 

On to the next book -- Appointment with Death! I've had an old paperback on my bookshelf for years, but have never read this Hercule Poirot mystery, so I'm really looking forward to it! 

 

REVIEW: Dumb Witness

 Dumb Witness
Author: Agatha Christie

Dumb Witness was first published in serial format in the Saturday Evening Post in 1936 and Women's Pictoral Magazine (abridged) in 1937. It came out in book form in both the US and UK in 1937. 

This book and Poirot's final appearance, Curtain, are the last appearances of the character Captain Hastings as a narrator. 

During my research before reading the book, I discovered something interesting about this story! It is actually based on an unpublished short story that was lost for a very long time. The story, The Incident of the Dog's Ball, was supposedly found by a family member in a trunk filled with some of Agatha's personal effects in 2004. It was first published in 2009 in Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran and in The Strand Magazine! Now I have to go searching for the original story so I can read it! [I checked my bookshelves, and I have a copy of Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks: Fifty Years of Mysteries in the Making. I will read the full novel first, then circle back to read the short story which is in the back of this book in the Appendix along with another short story! I don't plan to read Secret Notebooks until I'm done reading all of the books/stories first. Then I will delve into the autobiography, The Grand Tour and Secret Notebooks, etc.]

I have an old paperback copy of this book from 1984 on my shelf that I'm going to read while listening to an audio book version (HarperAudio, 2012). The audio book is narrated by Hugh Fraser. I enjoy his narration of Poirot stories, so happily enjoyed his performance. The audio is just a bit over 7 hours long. Fraser does an excellent job of voice acting, as usual. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is very very much Christie-esque. Poirot is called in to investigate a situation, arrives too late to save his client but is on the case anyway, and systematically picks through the BS to solve the case. I loved Bob the Dog. Every time he was in a scene and bump-bump-bumping his ball down the stairs I really wished that I could be there at the bottom of that staircase to toss his ball for him to catch! Incidentally, the book is dedicated to Agatha Christie's own wire haired terrier, Peter. I think that's why Bob is written with so much love and kindness in the words. 

Here is a picture of Christie with her beloved terrier: 

Isn't he cute? I looked up the dog while I was reading the book, so definitely saw Peter in my head as I enjoyed Bob's antics [Don't tell my Chiweenie GusGus....he might feel jealous!]

I read a review by a reader who took offense at Christie's use of the word "Dumb" to refer to a dog. She isn't talking about the dog's intelligence, but referring to the fact that he can't speak and give evidence about the killer. He factors into Poirot's investigation, but the clues have to be sorted out by Poirot's little grey cells as a key witness can't talk. Bob is a very smart and good boy....but I would imagine Poirot wished he could interview him like the suspects!! 

I did not guess the killer's identity in advance on this one. I sort of had the person in my mind as Agatha started dropped hints in the last 1/3 of the book....but I still wasn't completely sure. The reveal was very enjoyable and tied up all the loose ends. 

The Incident of the Dog's Ball: Definitely a shorter version of the basic plot of Dumb Witness with some plot differences. Very interesting to see how Agatha fleshed the story out into novel length. So glad I got to read it! 

There are several adaptations of this book. The television series Poirot did an episode (Season 6, Episode 4). A french television show also made an episode in 2013. BBC Radio 4 made an audio drama adaptation in 2006. And, a graphic novel was published by HarperCollins in 2009. 

I could not find a copy of the graphic novel. I did my best. Never even found an example of the art. I will keep looking and add information to this review if I ever manage to find a copy to read. I don't speak French so didn't even try to find the French television episode. I have seen reviews in a couple places that state the show did a very good job with its adaptations, so it's worth looking for, if readers are interested. 

The Poirot episode and the BBC audio drama I do have access to. So I enjoyed both! 

    BBC Radio 4 Audio Drama: The audio play is just shy of 1.5 hours long. So far I've listened to several of these radio plays based on Agatha's books, and each one has been very well produced and entertaining to listen to. This one was enjoyable as well! 

    Poirot Episode: Well, the first thing I need to say is that Bob in the episode is incredibly cute! And, he was in the story more than in the book. Fully in favor of more Bob! [The doggie actor's name was Snubby.] There were some fundamental changes in the plot -- how Poirot became involved is completely different than in the novel, the ending is altered, as well as several other plot points and character backgrounds and development are changed. I don't think any of these plot changes were necessary....and I think actually hurt the episode rather than helped it.  There are some minor changes (like adding in speed boats/a water speed record attempt to add some excitement, the setting is different, and Bob's new home at the end of the story is altered) that I really didn't care about. But fundamentally messing with Agatha's plot? Never necessary. Ick.

This is one story of Agatha's that I wish had a movie length film! I would love to watch the investigation unfold exactly like in the book with a cute fuzzy dog-actor playing Bob! But, all in all, this isn't one of my favorite Christie books. Entertaining read and I did like the story (and Bob!), but Poirot makes a decision at the end of the book that seems a bit odd. The Poirot episode changed the ending and left this bit out. The unpublished short story and the novel both have this plot point. I'm not sure Poirot would have taken justice into his own hands in such a fashion as I think he would have known what the outcome of his action was going to be. Just seemed like it verges on immoral, maybe?

REVIEW: Murder in the Mews and Other Stories (Dead Man's Mirror)

 Murder in the Mews & Other Stories
[Also published as Dead Man's Mirror]
Author: Agatha Christie

At one time, I actually had two very old paperback versions of this book on my shelves - one as Murder in the Mews and one Dead Man's Mirror. When I discovered both were the same book, I used my copy of Mews (pages were falling out) to make bookmark gifts for friends. And kept Dead Man's Mirror.

This collection of four short stories was first published in the UK in March 1937 as Murder in the Mews & Other Stories. US publication [as Dead Man's Mirror] followed in June 1937. The title difference is probably how I ended up with two different copies of the same book. Before the internet, it was sometimes difficult to identify Christie books that had a UK title and a US title, so I'm sure I often picked up both by accident. 

I read my old paperback copy of Dead Man's Mirror from 1975 (Dell Paperbacks) and listened to an audio book of Murder in the Mews (Harper Audio, July 2012). The audio is just over 6 1/2 hours long and is narrated by Sir Nigel Hawthorne. Hawthorne has a pleasant voice and did a wonderful job of narration/voice acting. I prefer David Suchet or Hugh Fraser as narrator for Poirot novels, but Hawthorne did a very good job.

Murder in the Mews includes four stories: Murder in the Mews, The Incredible Theft, Dead Man's
Mirror and Triangle at Rhodes.  

I was a bit sad that I kept the copy of Dead Man's Mirror rather than Mews because I discovered that the 1975 Dell paperback I have only has 3 stories in it. It leaves out The Incredible Theft. I searched around online and found that newer editions of the paperback include all 4 stories. So strange that the publisher decided to leave one out. I found no explanation online as to why this edition left out one of the stories. To save money maybe? Just seems like a strange choice.[I did find the reason for the omission later in my research. It's detailed below under the review of the novella.] It also has the stories in a different order than Murder in the Mews. I had to skip around in my book as I listened to the audio. Not sure if other editions of Dead Man's Mirror have the stories in a different order than Mews.

I relied on the Audio Book for the story that wasn't in my old paperback. 

Murder in the Mews:  Inspector Japp and Hercule Poirot investigate a shooting that at first looks like a suicide. As they look at things closer, they discover the case is not quite as obvious as it appears. A very clever story! I enjoyed it! This story was first published in the US in Redbook Magazine in 1936. It first appeared in the UK later that same year in the Women's Journal under the title The Mystery of the Dressing Case. In my research, I found the story has only been adapted once. The television show Poirot had an episode based on this novella [Series 1, episode 2]. 

    Poirot episode: Hastings is added into the mix, but doesn't appear in the original story. I didn't mind this change as I love the character in the television show, and it added a spot of humor. The episode stuck to the original plot, and was very enjoyable to watch. 

The Incredible Theft: This novella is an expansion on an earlier short story: The Submarine Plans, and was first published in this expanded version in six parts in the Daily Express in April 1937. An aside: Ah ha!! I discovered the reason why this story is left out of my 1975 paperback!! When originally published in 1937, the US version of this short story collection [Dead Man's Mirror] did not include this story. It wasn't added into US versions until 1987!! 

The original, shorter story was first published in The Sketch magazine in 1923 (UK) and Blue Book Magazine in 1925 (US). It was first included in a short story collection in the US in 1951 (The Underdog and Other Stories). And, in 1974, the original story was included in the short story collection Poirot's Early Cases. 

In 1937, the plot was changed and expanded into the novella, The Incredible Theft. When secret plans for a new Bomber are stolen during a house party, Hercule Poirot is fetched from his bed in the wee hours of the morning to investigate. There were some interesting twists in this story. I wasn't quite sure who all was involved until the very end! And, the ending made me smile.

 I only found one adaptation of this story - a Poirot episode [Series 1, episode 8]. The episode adds in Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp to add a bit of humor.

    Poirot episode: The episode adds in Inspector Japp, Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon to add a bit of humor. The plot follows the major plot points of the original story, but makes minor changes. Some characters and minor events in the original story are left out, and some action and exciting moments added in to spice things up a bit. I didn't mind the changes since the basic bones of the story are intact.

Dead Man's Mirror: This story is an expansion of an earlier short story, The Second Gong, first published in 1932. This expanded version was first published in this story collection.

A wealthy man summons Poirot to his estate because he feels he has been a victim of fraud and doesn't want to involve the police.  Poirot is angry about being summoned because he feels the man disrespected him or assumed he had nothing more important to do. Unfortunately, when Poirot arrives, for the first time in 20 years the man he has come to see is late for dinner. Turns out....he will never eat dinner again. 

This is an interesting and entertaining story! It definitely has that Christie feel and cleverness to it. I would have been completely annoyed by Gervase Chevanix-Gore. He is a complete upper class bore who delights in making his own family squirm under his control....even down to everyone being expected to show up to dinner exactly on time or face his anger. He annoyed Poirot immediately -- and didn't even have to be in the same room to do it! Can you imagine the cheek of a person who assumes they can summon Hercule Poirot by letter! The indignation!!

I only found one adaptation of this story, an episode of Poirot (season 5, episode 7). 

    Poirot episode: The episode differs in many ways from the original novella, but there aren't major changes to the basic bones of the plot. The changes are necessary to make the story into an interesting television episode. Characters are introduced differently. The plot is advanced by more active means rather than Poirot interviewing suspects. And, some characters in the story are removed and others expanded a bit. Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp are added into the story. I'm totally ok with the changes since the murder method and ending are intact.:) The background music in this episode is super creepy - perfect!

The Triangle at Rhodes: This short story rounds out this collection. Poirot is on vacation at Rhodes. The drama unfolds among other vacationing Brits, leading to the death of a beautiful, but completely stupid, woman. In full view of a group of people, no less! Who killed Valentine Chantry? In true Christie form, there is a whole group of suspects.....and Poirot, of course, has it all figured out. 

Nothing really special about the plot here.....I pretty much had this one figured out early on. But, it was still lovely to get Poirot's take on events. This plot has really become quite a trope over the years. But, Christie published this story in 1937. I'm sure it wasn't as much of a trope back then.

There have been two adaptations of this story: A Poirot episode (Season 1, Episode 6) and an OTR audio play, Murder Circle: Triangle at Rhodes, broadcast in 1943. The radio broadcast appears to be lost media, but I watched the Poirot episode to see if they added some pizazz to the plot. 

    Poirot episode: Hastings and Japp are absent in this episode entirely. A fellow vacationer helps Poirot investigate. There are many changes to the original story to flesh it out to television episode length and add some excitement. The basic plot of the story is intact, and I enjoyed this episode. 

All in all, this story collection is an enjoyable, quick read (or listen). I felt the stories really weren't anything particularly exciting, but still entertaining. The Incredible Theft was my least favorite, especially since it is just a re-working of a short story I have already read. 

The pages started to fall out of my ancient paperback copy of Dead Man's Mirror as I finished reading. I relegated it to the trash can with a twinge of regret. 

On to the next book -- Dumb Witness!

REVIEW: Cards on the Table

 Cards on the Table
Author: Agatha Christie

Cards on the Table has a very interesting and intriguing plot. 

As I listened to the story unfold, I kept imagining what it would be like to be in the same situation. What if a powerful, wealthy man boasts to me that he knows a murderer's secret. He hosts a dinner party to see if detectives can ferret out the killer among the guests. On the guest list are four investigators and four potential killers. 

Which one is a murderer?

When their dinner host turns up dead -- in the same room as the guests -- the investigation is no longer just about who committed a murder in the past. It also expands into who killed someone within easy sight of 7 other people! Cheeky!! 

I'm not sure given the cast of characters involved that I would have been able to figure this out without the keen assistance of Hercule Poirot, Superintendent Battle, and Colonel Race. 

I liked the fact that this story included not only Poirot, but also two other Christie detectives -- Battle and Race! Another of Christie's side characters appears as well -- Ariadne Oliver, a mystery writer. This is Ariadne's first appearance in one of Christie's books, but not her debut. She first appeared in a short story, The Case of the Discontented Soldier. I'm not counting her as a detective though....as she's a bit bumbling and silly. Likable, but silly. 

I listened to the audio book version of this novel. The audio is six hours long, and narrated by Hugh Fraser. I enjoy Fraser as a narrator, not only because he played Hastings in the Poirot television show, but because his voice is pleasant and he's an excellent voice actor. He did an excellent job of narrating this book. 

I really didn't care about the Bridge/card playing references in this novel. I've played Bridge a few times, but found it to be a game that makes players fight with each other. I never enjoyed it as it was rather more tedious than fun. But, a game that makes players angry makes a perfect background for murder, right? 

 Christie works the theme of playing out your cards into the story multiple times, tying into the title of the book quite nicely. The detectives talk about putting their cards on the table as they share their ideas of the killer's identity with each other. And they also ask the suspects to lay their cards out and admit the truth about their past and present behavior. 

The ending was an interesting surprise. It kept me guessing until the final reveal! 

 Cards on the Table was first serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in 1936. It was published as a novel in the UK later that same year. US publication followed in 1937. 

The story has been adapted for film, stage or radio several times. A stage adaptation opened in London in 1981. Agatha Christie's Poirot had an episode based on the book (Series 10, episode 2) in 2005. A French television show adapted it as an episode in 2014. And BBC Radio aired a dramatization of the story in May 2002. 

You can find the BBC Radio dramatization (and many other Agatha Christie dramatizations) here: https://fourble.co.uk/podcast/bbcradio7

Poirot episode: This episode is available on BritBox. I watched it as I always follow up a Poirot novel with any adaptations I can find. There are some changes to the characters and plot. Superintendent Battle is replaced by a Superintendent Wheeler. And Colonel Race is changed to a Colonel Hughes (the actor who played Race in other episodes was unavailable so the part was changed to another character).

The change from Battle to Wheeler itself isn't a problem as Battle was never featured in the show (I wonder why?). Unfortunately, this switch was used to add a plot tangent that I hated. Not going to elaborate much, as I'm trying to avoid spoilers. There were also changes in character motivations/bask stories and events that I felt totally unnecessary.

So.....(Warning: rant ahead) Agatha Christie's novel had a perfect plot and was wonderfully written -- to go off script and add stupid tangents and ridiculous changes was just a dumb move on the writer's part. Yuck. I ended up talking to the screen as the episode played. "What? You dare change the Queen of Mystery's plot to add this? Shame on you!" Double Yuck! Leave the plot alone!! The additions/changes (major and minor) are pure crap IMHO (and even offensive in a couple places), especially several changes to the end of the story. Just pure crap!! It made little to no sense. The original was SO much better. So annoying!!! (Ok...rant over)

Another thing I noticed is that the theme song changed for series 10. I had no idea until I watched this episode and missed that haunting lovely theme that started each episode previously. I found the theme online, paused the video, and let the music play before I watched the rest. I don't like the music change - Christopher Gunning's theme is the one I think fits the character/show the best!!

Other than that, I like the casting of the episode and the adaptation is mostly good (except for the ridiculous plot tangents and character changes - humph!) David Suchet shines as Poirot as usual! And, Zoe Wanamaker makes Ariadne Oliver a lovely character in the show. She still has her quirks and her lines are mostly straight from the book, but the character seems creative and in her own head a lot of the time, rather than bumbling and annoying. 

BBC Radio dramatization: This audio drama was wonderful as usual, although some plot points were condensed for time. I highly recommend these radio plays to anyone who loves Christie's books!

I'm reading Agatha Christie's books/stories in publication order, so now I'm moving on to a book of short stories: Murder in the Mews & Other Stories [Published as Dead Man's Mirror in the US]! :)