Carla Lemarchant said: 'Oh! of course it's going to be difficult! Nobody but you could do it!'
Hercule Poirot's eyes twinkled slightly. He said: 'You give me the best butter - hein?'

Christie, Agatha. Five Little Pigs (Poirot) (Hercule Poirot Series Book 24) (p. 8). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Carla Lemarchant is stunned when she is told the truth of her parents - that her mother killed her father and then died a year after her trial. But her mother wrote her a letter professing her innocence and her mother wasn't the type of person who lied - not even to spare someone's feelings. So there's only one thing to do - hire the best detective in the world and let him get to the truth of a sixteen year old crime.

This was an amusing premise. Poirot is given a cold case where the murderer has supposedly already been found, tried and convicted and then has to find the truth - with only the testimonies of the witnesses. I mean sure, it's what he usually does to some degree but I was amused by it nonetheless. I guessed some parts and missed others. I figured that the mother, Caroline was protecting the sister, Angela. I didn't think she'd actually tampered with the drink but thought Caroline thought she had. I didn't remotely guess that Elsa Greer (the lover) was actually the one who killed him. I picked Phillip Blake (the best friend) murdering him out of jealousy.

I was amused by the dead man, Amyas Crale, saying that his wife and his lover (who he'd brought into the same house) both had to "lump it". I mean there's artistic temperament and there's sheer dumb stupidity. I'm honestly surprised after hearing the evidence a jury convicted the wife at all. Elsa Greer boldly stating that when she lives in the house she'll have to redecorate - to his wife! I doubt there'd be many who wouldn't think he deserved everything he got. I was highly entertained by the witnesses commentary on it.

As much as I liked the concept of solving a cold case crime, I didn't really like having to read the different accounts from each person. I prefer it when the case is revealed through questions, interrogations and progressively. It makes me feel slightly less hopeless about my crime solving abilities. Reading it altogether just made it clear I'm not meant to be a detective.

But yet again another fun mystery from the Queen of Crime. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 stars. ( )

I'm enjoying reading Christie's books in order in part because I can imagine her getting older and seeing the patterns and personalities and emotions of different ages from the perspective of age. She's always focused on character and motivation, but I find this book especially focused in that direction and in an interesting way. There may be one twist too many for my taste, but I like particularly her portrayal of the compromises of marriage. ( )

At first I enjoyed the structure of this novel - Poirot interviews various people involved in a 16 year old murder and the resulting court case - but then the second part consisted of most of those same people repeating great chunks of what they had just told him in written statements. The third part did move quickly and I suspected every one in turn, but I also skimmed a lot. ( )

Another Agatha Christie mystery based on a nursery rhyme, what fun! I love how Christie narrows the suspects down to five and then labels each character based on the nursery rhyme. Christie brilliantly describes each of the five characters and gives a reason why the poisoner could be any these individuals. The artist, Amyas Crale dies from drinking a poison slipped into his beer and his wife, Caroline, goes to prison for this crime and she dies in prison. Sixteen years later, the daughter, Carla Lemarchant, asks Poirot to investigate the poisoning and to clear her mother’s conviction. Christie knows how to develop a story and to make characters with real personalities. Every person harbors a secret, but Poirot uncovers these quirks so easily. Christie always provides a delightful story and a wonderful adventure. ( )

Mejor empiezo por lo que no me gustó:

El título y ya está ( )