Evil Under The Sun -- Agatha Christie [Full Book Review] [Spoilers Second Half] [CC]

[@puirYorick]

I agree that this one was too trope-y and wasn't helped by borrowing from her earlier story. Having seen the semi-comical adaptation (with Peter Ustinov? ) decades earlier, I kept comparing the book itself and the later adaptations unfavourably. The murder plot required detailed planning yet also presumed (as you said) the reactions of bystanders to fall into place conveniently. Any of a dozen details should realistically have gone wrong yet didn't. I had similar issues with A Murder Is Announced and Death On The Nile. The ABC Murders even went to the lengths of requiring Poirot himself to suffer a convenient lapse of his world-famous detective powers to allow for prolonging the serial crimes.

[@aekorfker]

I’ve read this one twice in the last five years (In English and in my native language Dutch), I really enjoy the hotel setting in mysteries, but I agree with you that it was a little less tight than her other mysteries.

[@mikegseclecticreads]

Yeah I guess I didn't really say much in my review about the hotel building itself! Maybe because in this book the hotel is only a small part of the action...unlike some other mysteries, here the body itself wasn't found in the hotel building.

[@aekorfker]

@@mikegseclecticreads yes it was kind of closed circle but felt a bit less like it than other mysteries set in a hotel because the body was found outside, but I did like the randomness of people aspect of the hotel setting.

[@notdeadjustyet8136]

Spoilers This is one of my least favourite Poirots. Just like you, I'm always suspicious of love triangles in Christie,the characters weren't that interesting to begin with. And the actual method of murder is interesting but also very implausible. It relies way too much on the murderer knowing how a bunch of total strangers would react. I've got the same problem with Death on the Nile. the entire voodoo thing was very bad. I also disliked the whole drugs subplot.

[@ericaallen3423]

U don't like any of her famous books this is a favorite of mine

[@mikegseclecticreads]

Haha well I didn't dislike it...it just wasn't my favorite :) Actually I do really like some of her most famous ones (Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile...ABC Murders especially) I just never reviewed those ones since I read them a long time ago

[@ericaallen3423]

@@mikegseclecticreads I didn't really care for ABC Murders but I do enjoy your Agatha Christie book reviews keep up the good work

[@mikegseclecticreads]

@@ericaallen3423 Oh thanks! Yeah I really liked that one but I can see why that one could be hit or miss. There's nothing all that special about the setting there like in some of her other famous ones.

[@58christiansful]

There have been one film and one TV adaptation of the book. Neither very good.