Hercule Poirot, private detective and
retired Belgian police officer, boards the Taurus Express train to Stamboul (Istanbul).
On the train there are two other
passengers, Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot. The two act as if they are
strangers, but Poirot observes behavior that suggests that they are not. Poirot
is suspicious of the couple. The train arrives in Stamboul and Poirot checks in
at the Tokatlian Hotel. As soon as Poirot arrives he receives a telegram
summoning him back to London. While waiting at the hotel for the next train,
Poirot bumps into an old friend, M. Bouc, head of the Wagon Lit. M.
Bouc arranges a space for Poirot on the Orient Express. In the dining room of
the Tokatlian Hotel, Poirot first spots Ratchett and Hector McQueen eating dinner. Poirot knows
that Ratchett is an evil man and he
describes him to M. Bouc as an animal.
Poirot boards the Orient Express. He has a second-class cabin because the train is full.
Ratchett and Hector McQueen are also aboard the train. Ratchett approaches
Poirot and asks if he will work for him, Ratchett tells Poirot that someone is
trying to kill him. Poirot refuses the case but Bouc swithes places with Poirot.
The first night Poirot sleeps in first class, he observes some strange
occurrences. Early in the morning, Poirot is wakened by a cry from Ratchett's
compartment next to him. The wagon lit conductor responds knocks on Ratchett's
door and a voice from inside responds:It is nothing. I am mistaken. The silence
doesn’t allow Poirot to sleep. Mrs. Hubbard rings her bell and tells the
conductor a man is in her room. Poirot rings his bell for water and is informed
by the conductor that the train is stuck in a snow bank. Poirot hears a loud
thump next door.
The next morning, the train still stopped, M. Bouc informs Poirot that
Ratchett has been murdered and the murderer is still aboard the train. Poirot begins
to investigate the case. Poirot first examines Ratchett's body and compartment.
Ratchett has twelve stab wounds. The window is left open in Ratchett's
compartment to mislead the investigators. A handkerchief with the initial
"H" is found in the compartment, a round match different from the
matches Ratchett used and a charred piece of paper with the name
"Armstrong" on it.
The piece of paper with the word Armstrong on it helps Poirot figure out
who Ratchett really is and why someone would want to murder him. Associating facts, Poirot
concludes that Ratchett is Cassetti.
Poirot questions all passengers. All of them give Poirot suitable alibis
during their interviews. But one thing is bothering Poirot. Many passengers
observed a woman in a red kimono walking down the hallway that night, but no
one admits they have a red kimono. Poirot checks every passenger's luggage.
During the check he notices a few interesting things: the label on Countess Andrenyi's luggage is wet, a Wagon
Lit uniform is found in Hildegarde Schmidt's bag and, lastly, the red kimono is
found in Poirot's own luggage.
After the luggage check, Poirot, Dr. Constantine and M. Bouc review the facts
of the case and develop a list of questions. After a while, Poirot discovers
the solution to the case. Before he reveals this solution in full, he calls in
several people and reveals their true identities. For example, Poirot discovers
Countess Andrenyi is Helena Goldenberg, aunt of Daisy Armstrong. She wet her
luggage label and obscured her name, in an effort to conceal her identity. Poirot gathers all of the
passengers into the dining car and propounds two possible solution…
This is a breathtaking detective story written by Christie. Read the
book to discover the end and you will not regret it.