Rating: 
Summary: One of Christie's Better Ones
Review: Agatha Christie's mysteries are always at least very good. This one is excellent.
Poirot and Hastings are back together in this mystery. The book starts with Poirot receiving a note indicating that something will happen to someone whose name begins with "A" in Andover on a given date. The something of course is murder and the chase is on as the murderer proceeds deeper and deeper into the alphabet.
Atypical of Christie's works is that the murderer calls his shots in advance. As can be expected, there is the typically fine sleuthing. Unexpected, however, best describes the ending.
A fun read and highly recommend. Poirot is at the top of his game and is his usual immodestly engaging self.
Rating: 
Summary: Poirot and Hastings Hunt Together Again
Review: Captain Aruthur Hastings has returned to England from his ranch in the Argentine to tie up some affairs. One of his first stops is to see his dearest friend Hercule Poirot. The timing is perfect, as Poirot has been presented with one of his most unusual cases, a supreme exercise for the little grey cells.
Apparently, a homicidial maniac is terrorizing England as he taunts Poirot with advance notice of the time and place of his next murder. Because the victims and towns they live in occur in alphabetical order (Mrs. Ascher is killed in Andover, Miss Barnard in Bexhill, Mr. Clarke in Churston, etc.) and because the killer leaves an ABC Railway Guide at each murder scene, the case becomes known as the the ABC murders.
The set-up of this novel deviates from the normal Christie in that while Captain Hastings narrates the story as it has occurred, the reader is also privvy to the comings and goings of the rather strange Mr. Alexander Bonaparte Cust (notice the initials).
The humor is rampant as Poirot and Hastings chide each other over Poirot's dyed hair, Hastings uncanny ability to see the obvious without realizing it, and the unabashed appreciation both men have for a beautiful woman. And even in the midst of murder and mayhem, Poirot has time to do a little matchmaking on the side.
A box of hosiery, a dying woman's grasp of facts,a private murder concealed in a string of unrelated murders, and a meeting with the accused all climax in one of Poirot's most clever deductions as he solves this one and proclaims to his friend Hastings, "Vive le sport."
Rating:
Summary: There is no one like...
Review: Christie.This book started a little slow, but soon picked up the pace. It's about a murderer who tells Poirot where the murder will take place but Poirot never seems to be able to get there on time. But, Poirot waits until the murderer makes a mistake. I know this is redundant but; the clues are there to point you in the right direction, but as usual unless you're POIROT u aren't gonna solve it.
Rating: 
Summary: Let's get one thing straight....
Review: Dame Agatha Christie may have revolutionized the mystery genre, and her detectives are undoubtedly clever, the cases certainly puzzling, and the solutions are deffinatley surprising. The problem is in the superhuman nature of her characters.(Warning: Plot Spoilers Ahead)
Take the solution to the ABC murders, for example. Somehow, Poirot managed to figure out that Cust was innocent, and unravel an extremely complx murder/frame up plot by one of the victim's family members. Very clever, but by the logic he used, ANY NUMBER OF OTHER SOLUTIONS WOULD BE EQUALLY POSSIBLE. The way he arranges what scant clues he has into this elaborate solution is kind of like trying to solve the New York Times Crossward puzzle with only the clue to 43 down.
And not to mention the fact that her books are so mind-numbingly boring! Absolutely nothing in the way of solving the case happens in between, and the reader finds themselves propelled through the plot by only the curiosity to know the outcome. And sometimes that isn't enough.
Rating: 
Summary: an ok book, average
Review: Hercule Poirot is the main detective in a murder mystery where there is a murderer on the loose. This murderer is on a killing spree killing people in alphabetical order. The killer is leaving clues behind him on where he will strike next. Hercule Poirot, with the help of Hastings and Japp, travel throughout england to stop this ruthless killer. If your into murder mystery books this is one of the books to choose. I would'nt recomend you buy this book but I do recomend you go to your nearest library and get it on audio. It's only 3 hours long!
Rating:
Summary: Agatha Christie is the Queen
Review: It is difficult to write a review of Christie's work, as any hint of the plot could give away a clue. So I'll just say that this is one of her best. I liked it better than "And Then There Were None," but not quite as well as "The Clocks". This book didn't have as much suspense as that novel; there was quite a bit of lag time. Christie's detective, Hercule Poirot, is annoying until you get used to him, which I am starting to, so first time Christie readers may like to start off with a non-Poirot novel. I read Christie hoping to really unravel the mystery everytime before it is revealed. Once again, Christie beat me to it! Enjoy...
Rating:
Summary: The Best Poirot Mystery
Review: It is the Poirot Mystery I like best. There are few whodunits I want to read again, but this book is the exception. I read this book second time and I love it again. It is not only an excellent mystery, but also an excellent suspense story. The battle against the fiend who commits murders alphabetically is thrilling, fast-paced and highly enjoyable. Reading whodunits, I rarely feel sympathy for victims nor hatred to murderers. This book is the rare case. The murderer is really a cold-blooded fiend. Even affable Poirot expresses a cold rage to the murderer.
Rating:
Summary: A Darker Than Usual Tale
Review: Poirot has gotten a letter challenging him to stop a murder. He is given the date and location, the letter is signed ABC. The police dismiss the incident as yet another harmless crank letter - until a murder takes place on the day and time stated in the letter and an ABC railway guide is found on the scene. More letters arrive and a pattern begins to form, the killer is working his way through victims and towns alphabetically - Ascher in Andover, Barnard in Bexhill, Clarke in Chruston... Poirot and the police are in pursuit but always it seems a frustrating step behind. Ultimately Poirot is successful of course. The solution to the crime is clever and original, even by Christie standards. This is a departure from the usual 'cozy' style that is more typical of Christie (ie confined location, murderer and victim know each other, motive clearly established, little focus on the crime itself). This is darker than her usual work, the victims are seemingly chosen at random, the entire country is threatened, and the messages from the killer are reminiscent of Jack the Ripper. Poirot gives a description of the killer based on the letters and evidence collected at the crime, in a manner that is very like a modern day profiler. Keep in mind that this book was written nearly 80 years ago. If you are a Christie fan this is definitely a must read but if you are looking for a more comfortable 'cozy' you may find this one a bit disturbing.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: The A.B.C. Murders strength is also its weakness. It has a very unusual twist. That is typical of the Agatha Christie of the superb Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder on the Orient Express. The only problem in this mystery is that, for once, the twist seems a lot more forced, with a group of suspects that are not particularly unique or interesting. It still is alway good to read about Hercule Poirot and Hastings has returned for this adventure. And, of course, for those desiring a higher than usual Christie body count, this mystery provides a healthy dose of dead bodies. It makes for a pleasant summer read but is not up to the usual Christie standards and does not bear up to repeated visits unlike many of the Christie classics.
Rating:
Summary: Good, Not Great, Agatha Christie
Review: The A.B.C. Murders strength is also its weakness. It has a very unusual twist. That is typical of the Agatha Christie of the superb Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder on the Orient Express. The only problem in this mystery is that, for once, the twist seems a lot more forced, with a group of suspects that are not particularly unique or interesting. It still is alway good to read about Hercule Poirot and Hastings has returned for this adventure. And, of course, for those desiring a higher than usual Christie body count, this mystery provides a healthy dose of dead bodies. It makes for a pleasant summer read but is not up to the usual Christie standards and does not bear up to repeated visits unlike many of the Christie classics.
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