All murderers I have ever come across enjoyed talking... sooner or later he says something unfortunate and trips himself up.
Hickory Dickory Dock
by Agatha Christie
Genre: Murder Mystery
About: Poirot's attention is called to 26 Hickory Road where a series of strange thefts have been happening. Nothing has been taken that's of any real value, nor does there appear to be any rhyme or reason for the thefts. And some of the items are not even taken, but destroyed in a way that suggests malice. Poirot fears he isn't looking for a thief, but for a madman... one ready to kill.
The Good
The mystery is intriguing. You want to connect the strange list of stolen objects. And when the murders start happening, you only feel more lost as the motive for killing seems just as bewildering as the motive for stealing. I had my suspicions about certain characters, but I couldn't come up with a plausible reason why they would be the culprit. I think this is a story that could be more enjoyable re-reading it as once you know the Who and the Why then previous conversations and behaviours become more interesting. On this initial first read, I just felt bewildered most of the time.
The Bad
There are a lot of characters - I found myself forgetting some of them and mixing up others. Christie does her classic surprise romance at the end but I honestly couldn't remember these two characters having a single scene together before they're suddenly engaged. With a smaller cast I think I could have cared more about the characters, or at least understood them better. And so much of the suspense comes from there being a potential madman in their ranks, yet for most of the characters we aren't given one face distinctly enough to care if they have a second face.
The Somewhat Iffy
Was everything explained? Why were Colin's trousers stolen? Why were Bess's notes vandalised? If an explanation was given, I don't remember. I also didn't feel very satisfied about the reasons for the murders themselves. The victims seemed like they could have been dealt with fairly easily without it coming to murder. In fact the original jumping off point for the murderer (deep from their past) was pretty crazy to read as their motive for killing was nowhere near strong enough and would make them a literal psychopath. Maybe that was the point, but it makes it a bit less satisfying to read as it doesn't feel guessable.
Overall
The mystery was intriguing, the solution not entirely satisfying, and the cast of characters a little overwhelming. But I'd be interested in re-reading this one.
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