Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

by Carol8 Comments
I had wanted to read Murder on the Orient Express again before watching the movie, and was lucky enough to win a copy in a Goodreads giveaway. This is at least the third time I've read it, but it's one of those ones that I wish I could re-read for the first time. The solution is so perfect, but also so memorable. Poirot is one of my favorite all-time detective and this particular mystery showcases his reasoning skills. The setting is perfect, a group of people are trapped in a train stuck in the snow, and clearly there is a killer on board. There is no access to people's records, no way to check on their true identities, not contact with the outside world at all. I'll grant you he manages to make some leaps in his deductions, but that's part of his charm. It's by no means a fair mystery, the reader can't solve it, but I do love how...
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Night Night, Sleep Tight by Hallie Ephron

by Carol4 Comments
The blurb gives the set-up -  and of course all the events are connected. I think Hollywood in the '80s with secrets going back to the late '50s was a great setting. Stars and writers with their careers and public image to think of give an interesting outlook on the mystery. My main problem with Night Night, Sleep Tight was that I just didn't care about Deidre. I didn't like her, didn't hate her, didn't feel sorry for her, or any of the main characters really. I didn't get to know her mother and brother enough to fully understand their motives and the family friends were all pretty self-absorbed. The mystery itself was fine but not compelling enough to carry the book.Deidre happens to find her father's memoir quickly after his death, which was more than a bit convenient. It gave her a direction to take her questions and other people a motive for murder. I was surprised, and a bit disappointed, by...
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