Cards on the Table (Poirot) [Kindle Edition]

A bridge party. 4 detectives. 4 successful murderers. 1 corpse. An Agatha Christie classic this one, and rightly so - it's very contrived but very clever.

Cards on the Table is not as leisurely as some of the longer adaptations, like Death on the Nile or Murder on the Orient Express, so we don't get nice long slabs of conversation and as satisfying a sense of character and setting, but what it lacks in these areas it makes up for in pace. There is often a voiceover from Poirot with single lines of dialogue from the characters in between, so we get a great deal of information in a little time. Sometimes it seems a little hurried, but usually it works well.

Because of the simplicity of the set-up and the pace, this adaptation of Cards on the Table is very true to the book, which will please all us fans. The characters voices are also very apt - except for Major Despard who surely should have been less stuffy and more sexy. John Moffat as Poirot is brilliant though - he gets the sense of self-deprecation and fun in Poirot brilliantly. Donald Sinden as Colonel Race is a delight - not much like what you expect from reading the books, but his throaty exclamations are a hoot. 'Oh I say Poirot - he's been MURDERED!'

These BBC full cast adaptations are generally very well done and this one is one of my favourites, although it only gets 4 stars because the 5 star treatment is reserved for those longer leisurely adaptations which are just brilliant.

This is a very unusual Poirot novel in that it has an equal number of suspects and detectives (four in each case). Poirot is invited to dinner by an eccentric acquiantance, Mr Shaitana, who promises to introduce him to four murderers who have got away with their crimes. When Poirot arrives at Mr Shiatana's he finds three other detectives there, enigmatic Superintendant Battle, Colonel Race of the Secret Service, and Mrs Ariadne Oliver, an eccentric writer of detective fiction. The four murderers are elderly widow Mrs Lorrimer, bluff Doctor Roberts, dashing, adventurous Major Despard, and Anne Meredith, a young girl. The two parties, murderers and detectives, settle down to play bridge in separate rooms, and Mr Shiatana sits by the fire in the murderers' room. In the course of the evening he is murdered, but which of the four is responsible? The four detectives set out to solve the crime. As always in Christie's novels there are plenty of humorous touches, one of my favourites is where Superintendant Battle calls for one of the suspects: "I should have kept him to the end" said Mrs Oliver. "in a book, I mean," she added apologetically. "Real life's a bit different" said Battle. "I know" said Mrs Oliver "badly constructed." In the course of the book the detectives find out all the can about the suspects, and learn about the murders they commited earlier (one suspect turns out to be innocent of any murder). There are lots of exciting twists to the plot and you are kept guessing right up until the end. It is apparently possible to find out the identity of the murderer by studying the bridge scores reproduced in the book, if you understand bridge that is. I don't but it doesn't matter, this is an intriguing and clever mystery, definitely one of Mrs Christie's best.

This is an absolute treat for observant Agatha Christie fans as it features four of her superb creations namely Hercule Poirot , Supt Battle , Mrs Oliver and Colonel Race . It is so very clever how it is all solved on the basis of people's bridge playing patterns . Such a pity that the 2006 TV version was spiced up & that the liberties taken in that adaptation sadly stopped it being quite so good . As a novel its dark premise is not too overpowering as there is wry humour . Battle & Race were sadly missed from the TV version and this novel is easy to read while the red herrings keep the reader guessing up untill the end . Agatha Christie sets the scene very well indeed and this novel is a forgotton gem . A great way to make a coach or train journey pass more pleasently !